Chapter 25

When Survival is not Enough

Monday June 16,

around 10:00 pm

Boxers pulled to a stop so fast that he almost fell out of the sky.

"Hey!  Boxers, what's up?  We need to keep moving!"  Tee shouted as he circled around to fly back to where Boxers had stopped.

"Be quite!  I need to concentrate!"  Boxers barked at him.

Tee pulled up short and just looked at Boxers.  'What's his problem' He thought to himself.

"Tee, can you feel Roshi's ki?  Can you feel it at all?"  Boxers said wide-eyed.

"What are you talking about?  You felt Roshi just a few moments ago.  His power was HUGE!  He is probably just hiding his ki.  Besides, weren't you the one who kept telling me how we need to keep moving?"  Tee shot back giving Boxers a playful punch to the arm.

Boxers started to fly forward again, slowly.  "Tee, I'm not kidding.  Roshi woke Kinomi up and now she is fighting the last Ouzaru, but I can't feel his ki at all!"

"Ah, no big deal.  You know Roshi; he probably is doing something we can't detect.  You get worked up too easily Boxers."  Tee said back.

Boxers shook his head and took off even faster then he had been flying before.  "I hope you are right Tee, but I think you are dead wrong."  Boxers said moments before the moon blew up.

* * *

"Oh Kami No!" Teddy yelled as the display showed the moon slowly disintegrating.

"It seems as though the Saiyan girl who fought me is now fighting with Roshi."  Piccolo said from the back of the room causing Teddy to jump at his voice.

"Piccolo!  I had forgotten you were there!"  She said as she turned to look once again at the screen.

Goshu looked concerned.  "With all the excitement tonight, I forgot to ask why the two of you were waiting for us to land.  I now can guess it has to do with the girl who just blew up the moon?"  He looked at them turning his statement into a question.

"Yes, you can say that."  Piccolo confirmed.

"I hate to interrupt, but since Slip is once again unconscious, I need to get the emergency services moving."  Teddy said before turning back to the computer and shutting off the feed from the GKSS so that she could tend to the rescue efforts.

The three fighters watched her work for several minutes dispatching almost every ship in the solar system to look for survivors or bodies of the dead.

"A terrible tragedy happened tonight, and I can't help but think that it may have been averted if we had not been so stubborn as to block Slip's calls."  Teddy said over her shoulder.  "Anyway, please continue.  I would like to know what information you have.  I can listen in as I work."

"Yes, until Slip wakes back up, you are our best source of information.  Please continue."  Goshu said to the two Namekians.

* * *

Ichigo kicked Durian in the face to wake him.

He opened his eyes with a start and glared up at Ichigo.  "You!" He bellowed.

"Yes me."  Ichigo replied.  "Now, I am going to ask you some questions, and you are going to tell me exactly what you know."

Durian spit up in her face before attempting to roll to his feet and hit her.  "I will never tell you anything!"  He spat.

Ichigo ducked under the slow misbalanced punch and swept his feet out from under him.  He fell flat onto his back.

Ichigo then drove her knee down into his stomach and half straddling him grabbed his left shoulder.  She slowly twisted and applied pressure to the bundles of nerves, muscles, and tendons, which resided directly below the collarbone.

"AAHHRRGGGGHHH" Durian screamed out through clenched teeth.  He tried to hit her with his free right arm, but she blocked his punch like it was nothing.

His collarbone shattered under the pressure.

"You tried to rape me.  You then tried to kill me.  If you think I am even the slightest bit concerned for your welfare, you are greatly mistaken.  You will tell me what I want to know or I will break every bone in your body.  One at a time."  She said down to his grimacing face.

"First, why come here to kill me.  If Banana really wanted to be king, abandoning the people directly after a conflict is not any way to gain the loyalty of the people."

"BLAHHHH" Durian screamed firing off a weak Rot Beam at her face.

Ichigo back flipped away from it the moment she saw the light start to build in his mouth.  She had been half tempted to break his jaw for the attempt, but moments before her kick connected she realized he would be useless as a source of information then.  She barely stopped the kick short.

Durian was trying to get up again.  She kicked him in the groin once again stopping his attempt dead.  She then rolled him over onto his stomach and reached down to grab his tail.

"Answer my question or I will start at the tip!"  She screamed at him.

"Never bitch!  AAAAHHHHHHHHHH AH AH AH AHHH AH!"  He bellowed and then started whimpering as Ichigo rolled the tip bone of his tail between her fingers crushing it.

Ichigo let the once proud warrior whimper in pain for several moments before once again demanding information.  "Why did you come here!?!"

"AhAHah...  Ba Ba Blizzard ordered us to find and kill you."  He stuttered.

Ichigo was shocked to say the least.  During her fight with Durian he had told her that her father was being held by Blizzard, but she had never thought that members of the Royal Guard would actually be working for the Changelings.

"Have you no honor?  How can you sink so low as to do the bidding of the Changeling slime?"

"Ahhhghh, better to serve a Changeling then let a worthless bitch like you rule us!"  Durian shouted defiantly.

Ichigo broke three more bones in his tail.

"YYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH AH AH AHH AHAHAH!" Durian screamed out in pain.

"My father is still King.  You betray him because of me?"

"awwwhhh ahahah.  Banana told us you were weak and frightened.  He said you ran from you duties and were not fit to lead us."

While Ichigo did agree that she had run, she had done it under orders.

"My father forced me to leave to seek help.  What right do you have to question his orders?"

"You father is a weakling.  He sent you away while leading us to our deaths.  He knew we could not win, so he grasped at legends and superstitions when what was needed was action."  Durian tried to jump up as soon as he finished talking.

Ichigo broke two more bones in his tail forcing him back down on his face.

"Ggaaaaaahhhhh" Durian gasped in pain.

"Is that why you betrayed my father and our people?  Just because you were too much of a coward to hope?  Or was it because of greed?"

"AAAAAHHHH AH ah ah.  I was just following orders.  Just like you were.  The king had been captured.  Banana said he was king.  I was only following orders."

Ichigo's anger grew like a sun going nova.  'He is trying to shirk his responsibility by claiming he was only doing his duty.  He claims his actions were no different then mine.'

She broke another bone and Durian almost passed out in pain.

"Is my father dead?"

"I don't know.  Please don't hurt me I don't know."  Durian wailed.

"But he was captured alive by Blizzard?"

"Yes, but that is all I know.  I don't know anything else!  Banana didn't tell us anything!"

"Then why did you follow him?"  Ichigo demanded.

Durian didn't answer and she broke another bone in his tail.

"Banana at least stood up to the Changelings.  You ran like a coward with your tail between your legs even before the Changelings showed up.  Your way would have killed us all.  At least Banana would have won us time.  Don't question me you bitch!  At least I had the balls to fight!"

Ichigo was very tempted to turn those said balls into bloody goop.  But what he said had touched home.  'Did I desert the people?  Could Banana be right?'  She questioned for a few moments.

'NO! I won't doubt myself.  I may have failed to find the Super Saiyans, but I was doing my duty to my people.  Durian and Banana were only looking after themselves.'

"I was serving the people, you were only serving yourself.  You are a coward, a traitor, and a disgrace to everything our people stand for.  Give me one reason why I should let you live."  She demanded.

Durian actually started to laugh feebly among his coughs and gasps of breath.  "Kill me, in the end it won't matter.  If we don't return the Changelings will come for you.  One way or another you will die.  By killing us you have killed all of us you bitch!"

"At least our people and I will die with dignity then, fighting the Changelings rather then spreading their terror."  She said softly as she kicked him in the back of the head breaking his neck.

Ichigo absentmindedly took to the air.  She was deep in thought about her father and the Saiyan people that she had been entrusted to save.

* * *

Slip had regained consciousness to find her mother directing a rescue and clean up operation from space.  As soon as Teddy realized that Slip was once again awake She and Roshi's father started asking questions.

"Slip, honey, you were telling us about the Girl who attacked and fought with Roshi last night.  Could you continue filling us in on what has been happening on Earth?"

"Um, okay."  Slip replied.  She turned to look at the GKSS and saw that it only showed the Girl flying in lazy circles in the air.  That was not overly interesting, so she shut it off to use the big screen to talk to her mother.

Slip was about to start filling in the story when the phone rang.  The computer dutifully reported that it was ZTV calling.

'Oh no, not reporters.  I don't think I can handle the reporters tonight.'

"Mom, ZTV is calling.  Do I have to answer it?"  She looked up at her mother with a face that just begged.

"No, I'll take it here.  Just have the computer redirect the call."  Teddy said after a large breath.

Slip redirected the call.

"Hello, this is Ima Gossip from ZTV News.  I am calling about the destruction of the moon.  We have received information that states that someone there at Capsule Corp. ordered the evacuation of the moon mere minutes before it exploded.  Can you confirm this?"  A green-eyed red headed woman asked quickly.

"Um, Yes I can confirm that.  We did attempt to evacuate the moon, but unfortunately not many people were able to escape in time."  Teddy replied.

"Oh well that is just too bad." The woman said while scribbling down some notes.  "Can I ask you who I am speaking with by the way?"

Teddy looked a bit shocked.  EVERYONE or at least almost everyone knew who she was.  Most people noticed when the richest woman on the planet was talking to them.

"Ah, this is Teddy Son Briefs."  She replied.

The reporter's eyes bugged out a bit and then she smiled.  "The President and CEO of Capsule Corp?"

"Yes"

"Oh good!  You may be able to answer more questions then.  Do you know how many people died when the moon exploded?"  The woman asked in anticipation.

"Um, preliminary reports say that only 1,280 out of 5,064 employees and personnel were able to evacuate, but we are in the process of conducting a search and rescue operation.  There may be more survivors."  Teddy said slowly.

The woman grabbed a calculator quickly and punched in the numbers.  "Wow!  3,784 people dead or missing!  That is a lot."  She said with just a bit too much cheer.

Goshu couldn't take it any longer.  "Miss Gossip, what happened tonight was a horrible tragedy.  Those are not just numbers for a statistic or numbers for you to make your big break story out of.  Those were real people that died tonight.  That you could be so callous towards death is unnerving.  That you find joy in it is disgusting."

The woman scoffed.  "Oh, and who are you?  I would like you to know I am just doing my job.  This is a huge news story and I am doing my best to cover it."

"I am Son Goshu, and for your information you could really use some work if that is the best effort you can give the people who died tonight."

"Oh really?  Well, Mr. Son, you are a respected Martial Artist, but seriously I really don't think you are qualified to comment on this story.  That and as a fighter, I doubt you would know what you are talking about, so go away and let me talk to Mrs. Briefs.  At least she can give me information."  The woman said snidely.

Goshu looked like he was about to comment but thought better of it.

Teddy, however, did not keep quiet.  "Miss Gossip" She said getting the woman's attention.  "You're fired."

"What?!?!"  The woman gasped.  "You can't do that!"  She said in outrage.

"Yes I can.  Capsule Corp owns a 54% stake in ZTV.  As such, I am your boss.  Last time I checked that meant I could fire you.  Oh, and put the station manager on, I need to speak with him."

The woman cut off the connection without further reply.

Teddy glared at the now blank screen without word.  When one is the President and CEO of a company that practically ran the world, one usually expects to have their wishes followed.

* * *

Ichigo found Roshi.  He was unconscious in a pool of his own blood right were she had last saw him.

Looking down at him she glared.  'And now I get my revenge on you for everything you have done to me.  I am the princess of all Saiyans and you seek to take that from me.  I am a warrior and you have disgraced me.  I cannot allow you to live after what you have done to me.'  She thought as she charged her right hand with energy.

Her hand crackled with blue-green energy and she was about to fire a beam that would vaporize any trace of the Jerk who had dared to defy her.  'I will not fail myself or my father or my people' She thought glaring down at the source of the largest failures she had received in her life.  'Why does this feel so wrong?' she thought to herself at the last possible moment.

Time slowed.  She thought of all the reasons she had to kill the Jerk.  Having been so deep in thought about her father just moments before, she could not get his comments out of her head.

"The life of a warrior is not easy.  A warrior must be prepared and willing to engage in war at any time.  A warrior must be ready to kill or be killed.  A warrior must not question their actions, but know that in war all honorable actions in the pursuit of victory are correct."  Her father had said to her when she was 13 after she had stormed in complaining that several men had been joking that she was not a warrior.  He had then smiled and shook his head.  "Ichigo my dear, do not let the men get to you.  But remember this.  In a way, they are right."  He held his hand up to stop her comment.  "You never will be a warrior, because you are destined to be a leader."

"While a warrior lives for war, a leader must know that war is not always necessary.  Nor is it always just.  While a warrior finds glory in war, a leader provides hope for all that when war is fought it is just, and it is necessary, and it is a war that can be won.  A leader must rule, and they must rule for all the people, not just the warriors."  He said calmly before he got up out of his chair to kneel next to her and look in her eyes. 

"There are many ways to rule my daughter, but you will find as I have, that many times a true leader a good leader is one who is willing to do the right thing. Not because the right thing is easy, or because the right thing looks good to the citizens, but because the right thing to do is the right thing to do." He had said.  "A warrior fights because that is the only option for them.  You must never allow yourself to view combat as the only option.  Wars bring Warriors glory and in our society that is looked upon as the pinnacle of achievement.  But you must remember that not all of the people are warriors.  And to anyone who is not a warrior, the only thing war brings is death."

He paused before getting up and walking over to a large portrait of Nashi, Ichigo's mother, "Ichigo, as you well know there is seldom glory in death itself.  A warrior cannot be allowed to think of the cost of their actions.  A leader Must Not forget the cost of their actions.  It is one thing to be prepared to kill.  But it is a totally different thing to be prepared to ask or demand thousands of people to die for you.  A warrior is lead by their pride.  A leader blinded by pride is not fit to lead.  Ignore the men.  They are not destined for what you are, nor have they the responsibility you have.  Remember, the right thing to do may not be easy, but that does not make it any less right."  He had finished before sending her off to train some more.

At the time, the words had only placated her anger and calmed her nerves.  Now, however, it was a different story.  All her life her father had held conversation here or there to calm her.  He had given her a lifetime of wise words to shape her.  And now she had had a sudden attack of conscious to remind her.

She let the energy in her hand dissipate.  "I can't do it.  He saved my life yesterday when he had every reason to kill me because as he put it, it was the right thing to do.  If I were to do this now when he is helpless would make me into the type of monster I came here to save my people from." 

'This does not settle the score between us Jerk, but if I were to kill you know it would be a meaningless death and our differences would never be settled.'  She thought as she reached up to retrieve the senzu been she had hidden in the left cup of her bra.

A wrinkled green man suddenly appeared in front of her.  "Save your Senzu my dear child," he said "I have a feeling you will be needing it yet."

Ichigo had almost fallen over in shock when the man had appeared.  By instinct, she charged her hands with energy and watched as the green man kneeled down over Roshi.

"Who are you and what are you doing to him?"  She demanded.

"I am known as Dende."  The man replied as strange waves of energy started emanating from his hands.  "I am the Kami of this world, and I am healing Roshi.  You do not need to fear me."  He said without even looking up.

Ichigo's pride had been pricked.  "Who said anything about me fearing anyone?!"  She demanded.

The green man laughed.  "Ah yes, the Saiyan Pride.  It has been so long since I dealt with Vegeta that I had almost forgotten how easily you people react."

She was about to react, when the green man interrupted her.  "Banana has awakened, he is coming this way."  He said looking off behind her.

Ichigo spun around to see Banana flying towards them.

"Now you will die BITCH!!!"  He screamed as he fired off a large yellow-orange beam at the three of them.

"HIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEYAH!  She yelled back throwing an even larger beam of the same type back at him.  The beams hit and blew up, lighting the sky for kilometers around with yellow light.

As Banana flew closer Ichigo felt the pain and rage within boil over.  "How dare you!  How dare you attack me!"  She yelled as she took to the air and charged at him.

Ichigo slammed into him smashing her fist into his face and sending him cart wheeling away.

Banana slammed into the ground.  The impact made a small crater and threw dust up to impair Ichigo's vision.

"YEEAH" She heard him yell as two balls of ki flew out of the dust.  Neither one was directed anywhere near her, so she ignored them and threw a Star Ripper into the dust cloud.

The dust cleared to reveal Banana with a smashed nose and several cuts on his body.

"I knew you were not fit to rule us!  You can't even kill right you stupid Bitch!"  Banana yelled up at her.  "Your father was soft and look what it got him.  You and your father are pathetically weak.  You don't even have the heart of a warrior!"

"Why YOU!" Ichigo yelled back at him.  She brought her hands back and charged the largest Star Ripper she could.

"Star Ripper!"  She screamed throwing the ball at Banana.

"Masenko!"  She heard Roshi yell from her left moments before a large yellow ball flew into and destroyed her attack.

A strong hand grabbed her arm.  "Kinomi, ak, Ichigo stop this.  Don't you see he wants you to kill him?"  Roshi said to her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!! She screamed while using her free hand to try to attack Roshi.

He grabbed her other arm and looked her right into the eyes.  "Please, stop this, enough people have died here tonight."

"I DON'T CARE!! HE deserves to die!" She screamed into his face as she struggled and finally broke free.

Roshi watched as Ichigo charged at Banana and punched  the weaker man in the chest.  His ribcage collapsed and he almost folded in half under the blow.

"biitcc..."  Banana managed to say before he died.

"Does that make you feel better?  He couldn't defend himself and you just simply killed him.  And here I thought you claimed to be more civilized then that!"  Roshi spat at her.

"I didn't kill you when I could have!"  Ichigo shot back.

"Oh and that is supposed to make this right?  I have saved you life no less then five times in the last two days. I suppose killing me for no reason would have been just a bit much for whatever conscience you claim to have!"  Roshi said back.

"Roshi stop this NOW!"  Dende yelled from behind him as he flew up.  "This fight is wrong and you both know it!"

Ichigo turned her back to the two of them, landed, and started to walk away.

"What do you mean this fight is wrong?  She lies to us.  She tried to kill me yesterday, and then attacked me for no reason today.  Then she heartlessly kills that brute for no reason.  While I can't say that I am sad that he is dead, it was unnecessary!"  Roshi practically yelled into Dende's face.

"Roshi calm yourself.  You are both right and wrong, but continuing this fight will only make things that much more grim."  Dende said to Roshi.

"What do you mean?  The fight is over!  All of the brutes are dead.  The people on the moon are dead!  And the people in the village are dead.  How can it get MORE grim then that!?!?"

Dende took a deep breath.  "You are mad because she did not tell you that she was the Princess of the remaining Saiyans.  Just as you fought both last night and tonight to save innocent lives, she came here to save her people.  I have spoken with the Kios.  With the exception of the small group of Saiyans living here on Earth, she is fighting to save all the remaining Saiyans.

"That doesn't mean she can just go kill anyone she doesn't like.  If the rest of the Saiyans are like that they are not worth saving."  Roshi spat back.

Dende shook his head.  "In every group there are some who are evil.  If you were to judge Humanity by the men and women who are locked away in the various prisons, you would not judge Humanity very highly."

"That doesn't make her actions right."

"No, it does not.  But neither does it justify your current attitude.  Both of you have gone through a lot these past few days.  Physical wounds can be healed in a matter of moments.  Wounds of the heart, mind, and soul take much much longer if they can heal at all."

Roshi suddenly remembered what Banana and his men had tried to do to Ichigo.  He shuddered involuntarily.  'He is right, if I had been in her place, I doubt I would have acted any differently.'

Roshi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.  "I concede.  You are right; I need to go apologize to her.  But before I go, I get the feeling that there is something that you are not telling me."

Dende paused and slowly shook his head.  "As I said, I have talked to Kiaos.  Ichigo's people are at the mercy of the Changelings.  There only hope is in whatever she finds to help her rescue them.  You, Roshi, You and Boxers, and Tee, and your Father, and my Sons are her only hope."

Roshi almost laughed.  "I have improved more in the past few weeks then I would have ever guessed possible, but I can't beat a Changeling.  I don't know how we can help her."

Dende got a look of determination on his face.  "That is why I am going to take you all to my lookout and teach you what I know of Goku, Piccolo, and the other great fighter's techniques.  I may not be able to fight, but I can train you.  I just hope that I can do it fast enough."

"Why is that?"

"Because, there is a Changeling who is coming here.  If you cannot find a way to beat them, then it is not just the people of the Planet Saiya who are doomed."  Dende said finally.  "Go to her, see if you cannot help to fix some of the wrongs that have been done tonight.  When Tee and Boxers get to you, bring her and them to my lookout."  He said before taking off.

* * *

Roshi looked in awe as Dende flew away.  He let the words that Dende had said soak in. Try as he might, he could not shake the feeling of dread that had settled over him.

'Well, Rome was not built in a day.  I have to start someplace.' He thought as he flew off to where Ichigo had walked.

She heard him fly up.  "Leave me alone.  You have nothing to say which I want to hear."

"No, you may not want to hear it, but you need to hear it."  Roshi said before pausing and taking a breath.  "I am sorry.  I realize that you have been hurt, and I did not think before I spoke."

Ichigo whipped around and glared at him through tear filled eyes.  "I don't know what you are talking about, and I DON'T need your help!  Leave me alone!"

Roshi held his hands up in submission.  "Ok, ok, I'll just go sit under that tree.  Dende tells me that there is a Changeling coming here.  When you are ready to train again, tell me."

Roshi watched as her pupils dilated in the darkness.  "I have to leave here."  She said before she got up and looked around.

"Not without us to help you don't, and we are not done training, so sit down and tell me about your world ok?"  Roshi said after jumping in front of her to keep her from flying away.

Ichigo just mutely shook her head.  "no...  I can't..."

"Well, when you can, I will be here to listen."  Roshi said before sitting down next to the tree.

The two of them sat in total silence for what seemed like forever.  Both of them lost in their own thoughts. 

Then Boxers and Tee showed up.

Tee took a long look over Ichigo.  "Damn girl, do you LIKE fighting in your underwear?"

* * *

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