Chapter 29
YES! I was aiming to update within a month's time from the last update and I made it! Just barely though ^_^'
This chapter is almost twice as long as the last one, so you should have a bit more to read.
I really don't feel like making a long A/N Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I was mildly surprised that I got any feedback at all lol!
Well, here's Chapter 29; and I don't own DBZ!
Heavy clouds loomed above the two adversaries, stretching far into the distant horizon. The scent of rain was potent, reinforcing any doubts that a storm was developing. Many cliffs and lofty mountains surrounded them, but the stone figures could hardly be seen because of the thick fog that blanketed the landscape. A river raged violently beneath them as it also sensed the oncoming storm, though its roaring was nothing in comparison with the tenacious wind, which was both deafening and chilling to the bone. There was an apparent stress intertwined with the billowing gusts, implying that something colossal was about to begin.
Son Gohan found himself instinctively surveying Bodu's fighting potential, analyzing the Cehang-jin's emotions, ki and posture.
As he gazed into the inky depths of pilfered eyes, he searched for any weaknesses. Unfortunately, he had witnessed many horrified gazes before, and it was not something he liked to think of. It was disturbing when you saw so much horror in someone else's eyes that you could be drawn into them so deeply as if to drown, finding yourself also suffering at their expense. Even the tiniest flicker of fear could eventually blaze into fervent horror he had been taught.
However, not a ripple of terror could be glimpsed in those eyes; they were as serene and firm as sold ice. Even though those very eyes were his own, he could see a tenacity and coldness that seemed too unnatural. It unnerved him, almost causing him to gasp in both astonishment and dismay, though his Saiya-jin half abruptly took over, reclaiming his lost composure. It wasn't a good time to let his human tendencies distract him.
He then began to take Bodu's posture into consideration, to see how confident he seemed. There was no hesitation there either. The Cehang-jin hovered before him in a proud stance - so proud, in fact, that it could also be called arrogance. He was floating at a slightly higher altitude than Gohan and looking down upon him, as if to indicate his 'superiority'. His arms were crossed with impatience or boredom, and a smug smirk was adorning his face. He wasn't being offensive nor defensive; completely mutual, open to any attack.
This sort of attitude made Gohan ponder for a moment. He remembered how during their last encounter Bodu had been calm and haughty as usual, but not completely assured. There had been a tiny gleam of insecurity in his coal eyes, and his fighting stance had been slightly off. Bodu had been unsure about how to fight him. This had probably been because by then he hadn't actually fought Gohan before.
Even so, now there were no symbols of anxiety that could be pinpointed. The dark curtain of uncertainty had been dispersed, no longer blinding the Cehang-jin so that he couldn't escape his own unstableness. Now the corruptive influence had been eradicated, allowing Bodu to see once more.
When Gohan's mind had begun reminiscing the past fight, the question that had been taunting him during his pursuit of Bodu arose. He had tried to forget about it, guessing that the Cehang-jin would ignore his interest and dismiss it as foolishness. Nevertheless, he was simply too eager to know the answer, and he found himself asking before he could stop himself, "Why did you try to kill me last time, Bodu? Wouldn't my death have weakened you?"
Bodu was taken aback by the youth's question; he kept on neglecting the fact that the half-breed was a lot more intelligent than any normal Saiya-jin. Laughing at his own ignorance, he retorted, "Nosy brat, aren't you? Then again, at least you're smarter than most of the Saiya-jin I've ever encountered"
He paused, thinking over whether he should enlighten Gohan or leave him wondering in suspense. Nonetheless, he also had a query he had been meaning to ask him. Maybe if he explained to the boy, he would also learn something in the bargain Decided, he added, "I might as well explain. It'll put your spirit at ease when I finally kill you."
Disregarding the clear threat - he had heard worse before - Gohan chose to relax for the time being. He allowed his defensive stance to weaken, feeling his tense muscles slackening. The lesson that he had learnt from experience was that he should never take any rest for granted during a fight. If he remained so uneasy before the fight even began, he could end up making critical mistakes, and he didn't believe that Bodu would let that go unpunished.
Slightly miffed that the half-breed hadn't taken his threat seriously, Bodu's eyes narrowed dangerously, and a soft growl escaped his throat; he grudgingly began. "I wasn't intending to kill you then, Son Gohan. In any case, I couldn't help myself."
Nani? Gohan's eyebrows furrowed in thought, though he continued to listen to the Cehang-jin.
"That form of yours - the ultimate one - craved for blood with a passion. At first, I was able to control it. I knew of the consequences that would ensue from your demise. But when you also tried to transform and I stole your ki, it became even worse. The instinct to dominate to kill"
A powerful shudder flared through Gohan, causing him to gasp as he tried to recover his breath. Bodu's last words had been so deep, so believable, that he found himself remembering the same emotions that had been pulsating within him on that fated day when he had faced Cell. The hate, the fury, the bloodlust; he could taste those feelings as if he were reliving the past, not simply thinking of it.
"My judgement started to haze over. I fully lost my awareness when you began to launch that beam of yours at me. I didn't know what I was doing, and only realized my actions when I was already beginning to carry out the attack that would have killed you. By then, I couldn't completely stop myself, though I was able to regain enough of my sense to not use my full strength; you were spared, though just barely.
"Even when I dropped out of that form into your 'normal' state, I still wasn't completely in control That was how that bastard Saiya-jin Prince was able to catch me off guard." He sneered that last sentence with contempt and disgrace, averting his eyes to avoid Gohan's sight.
Be that as it may, Gohan wasn't eyeing him anyway. Gohan was mulling over what had just been said, trying to come to grips with the trauma Bodu's account had inflicted upon him; he had never tried to comprehend how much influence his awfully despised form had before.
Noticing Gohan's eyes being hidden by his unruly dark bangs, Bodu concluded the hybrid's silence to be revulsion. He chuckled lightly - how amusing it was that someone could hate something about themselves with so much disgust - and added, "How barbaric. The Saiya-jin killed just for the thrill of it. The Cehang-jin, however, made use of their victims by taking their form. The Cehang-jin were honourable towards others, unlike the lowly Saiya-jin!"
"Honourable?!" Gohan whispered, raising his gaze to match Bodu's. What was so honourable about stealing the bodies of others?! What was so honourable about appearing to be who one wasn't, and causing others to feel that they were betrayed?! What was so honourable about harming a child?! His lips curled back slightly to expose his Saiya-jin teeth, and he snarled, "You-"
Smirking at the sorely predictable reaction, Bodu interrupted before he could finish, "It is just as I was thinking before. Although only half of your blood descends from a Saiya-jin, you are just as stupid and insolent as they! How can you possibly believe that you can match me?!"
The Cehang-jin paused for a moment to regard Gohan's ever darkening expression. He could glimpse the contempt that flashed threateningly in the half Saiya-jin's eyes, and hear the almost silent yet distinct growl that was being emitted. The obvious threat forced his own blood to boil, protesting that he answer back to claim dominance No! He couldn't allow the Saiya-jin instincts within to control him, otherwise he might as well be called a filthy monkey too! It partly fascinated him how savage Saiya-jin could be, as he had always heard that almost soundless growl whenever he had a body with acute enough hearing.
Anyway, that was to be expected; he had forgotten how the Saiya-jin used to be able to transform into apes when the moon was in the phase of being full. Probably he had neglected that fact because none of the beings on this planet who had Saiya-jin blood had the inherent tail that clearly distinguished Saiya-jin descent.
Transformation
Clearly beaming, he added while flashing Gohan's own fangs back at him. "It truly is a shame that you cannot use those hidden powers of yours any more, Gohan! As soon as you try to attain them, I'll cut you off short!" To punctuate his intimidation, he suddenly summoned his silver aura, relishing in the feel of his skin tingling as sparks of ki danced over it, before just as hastily releasing it.
Gohan clenched his fists tightly in an effort to quell his answering anger, ignoring the biting of his own nails pressing deeply into skin. Yes, it was an added concern that the Cehang-jin could leisurely drain him of his ki; though, it was a concern he had already contemplated over. Despite his ruthlessness, Bodu did have a potent value of honor, and would probably frown upon fighting him with an unfair advantage In spite of that however, there was no assurance that he would be fair-minded
Onyx eyes narrowed irritably into the barest of slits as he recalled his earlier doubts, the Cehang-jin only appearing to be a blur to his eyes. Now, whatever hesitations he had felt had been shattered into a countless number of pieces, and he was unable to piece them together within his mind again. How could I have been hesitating over this?! Bodu is merciless He cannot be left alive!
Aware of the patent growl he was emitting, he tried to silence himself, but to no avail. His Saiya-jin side had almost completely pushed his human reckoning away, though his human side was trying to resist; he knew that he was experiencing inner conflict yet again because he was completely oblivious to the sights, sounds, smells and ki that he should have been able to sense. His focus was divided.
Struggling, he tried to bring himself together so that it would be a peaceful medium between his two halves. Regardless of his attempts, his anger was pulsating too strongly, and that was causing his Saiya-jin blood to awaken even more; it desired to protect him from whatever was causing him strife.
Giving up, his human subconscious retreated into the recesses of his mind, allowing his subdued emotions to swamp him. Pent up confusion, worry, depression, loneliness, betrayal, frustration and utmost fury flowed through him - not from just that day, but also from the past few days - each emotion seemingly increasing its effectiveness with every beat of his heart.
With a soft hiss he snapped at Bodu, "I've had enough! I can never forgive you for the harm you have caused my friends! Especially Okaasan and Goten YOU WILL PAY!"
There was a sudden burst of golden fluorescent light as raging flames engulfed Gohan, clearly signifying that he was turning into a Super Saiya-jin. He could feel the newborn power humming through his body and soul as his hair lightened from black to gold and his eyes changed from ebony to turquoise.
As the metamorphosis concluded, he momentarily forgot the Cehang-jin, occupied with savouring the added confidence that he had gained. He gazed down with his golden bangs shrouding his eyes, examining his hands as he unclenched and clenched them into fists. Although his human heart was partly gone, he had sustained enough control so that he hadn't succumbed fully to his feelings. He wasn't going to go beyond his Super Saiya-jin form for the time being; it would all depend on how the clash with Bodu panned out.
Bodu
His attention jerked to the immediate issue at hand, his gaze rising abruptly until he focused on the Cehang-jin, sending him a sharp glare. Without a word Gohan charged at Bodu, his balled fists posed for attack. The intensity within his eyes spelled any words that needed to be said.
Bodu returned his silence with silence, also transforming so that he appeared to be Gohan's reflection. The exact same golden aura swallowed him, his hair and eyes changing to match the color of Gohan's. He cracked his knuckles heartily before dashing to meet the demi Saiya-jin's assault head-on, excitement flowing strongly through his veins.
Even as the fight began, Gohan found himself remembering the wish he had made to everyone back at the palace. Silently he recited it. I don't want any of you to follow me
To be continued
I've been pondering on the way this fic would end every since I first started it I've had millions of ideas, some of which were a bit strange Anyway, I think I've finally found how I'm going to end it! But that's for me to know and you to find out. :P
Well, you can review now if you wish. You can say you loved it, or say you hated it. You can say it's fine, or that I need improvement. You can even write the word 'blah,' if Fanfiction.net allows it! ^-^
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