Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took so long to update this. I'm already working on the next chapter and I've been held up with school anyway. But I hope you all like this, since I've finally mixed all the characters together. Have fun and REVIEW!
Disclaimer: No, I don't own DBZ, so don't sue me!
Alteration
Chapter Four
Terror and shock washed over the Z warriors as they watched Frieza's ship land a short distance away. Bulma had sunk to the ground, clutching Puar tightly against her chest, as she whined in fear. The others just stared for a few moments, trying to fathom what they had just seen. Without Goku's help, they would surely die fighting against Frieza. Only Vegeta seemed to be unconcerned with that fact, since now he had the chance to avenge his people.
"It's like I dreamed. Frieza...he's really here..." Gohan said nervously.
"Gohan...try to focus, bro. We need you," Krillin attempted to persuade him.
"Now, there's no room for mistakes. We've all got to keep our power levels suppressed or else Frieza will pick us up on his scouters," Vegeta ordered.
Piccolo walked up behind Gohan and placed a hand on his shoulder in confidence. "Ready?" He received a self-assured nod from his small student and he returned the gesture.
"This is crazy! I've never felt anything anywhere close to the amount of power I'm sensing right now!" Yamcha accredited as he looked away from where the tyrant landed.
"I hate to say it, Yamcha, but this is only the tip of the iceberg," Gohan included as he looked over to his panicked companion.
"There's no way we're going to last very long against a massive force like that!" Tien confirmed.
"Hey, you guys are kidding, right? I mean, you're not suggesting that we attack him? Like Tien said, we'd all be wiped out. I'm telling you, Frieza's a monster...and attacking him is suicide!" Yamcha attempted to convince them.
"But we have to try, Yamcha. Unless we stop Frieza right here and now, you may as well kiss the entire planet goodbye," Piccolo said in a determined tone. The mere thought of the planet being destroyed caused Gohan and Krillin to lower their eyes to the ground in dismay.
"He's right, you know. You really have no choice. So what say we put an end to all this pathetic whimpering and go find Frieza! Before he finds us...." Vegeta sneered impenitently.
A gust of wind whipped around them, letting the dry sands swirl over the desert grounds and settle back down. There was an inexplicable eeriness in the area that spread throughout the group, making them uneasy. The notion of having three more energy signals in the area was more than enough to put everyone on the edge. Placing it aside, they quickly took off at a sprint, heading toward the tyrant's landing spot. Gohan was left close to the rear of the group, helping Bulma climb over jutting rocks and steep cliffs.
Why me? I mean, I just got wished back and now I have to face Frieza? Yamcha thought silently to himself as he followed the group none- too-enthusiastically. Just as Bulma and Gohan had reached the next cliff, he stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists in infamy. "I...I don't think I can do this, you guys!" They both glanced down at him in slight shock as he suddenly attempted to back out.
Pure slipped in and out of consciousness for a few moments, until she was finally met with the blinding light of the sun. Her pupils dilated, then narrowed back into their abnormal, dragonesque state. She lifted her head slightly and winced, feeling the result of healing her wounds. Pressing her hand down against the hot rocks and sand, she pushed herself up on her hands and knees and glimpsed over her shoulder to her formerly aware student.
Vivian watched her mentor closely as she attempted to stand. Her eyes were suddenly focused on the fissures beneath her feet and became aware of the odd shifting as she started to rise. "Pure, m—"she began to shout, but her mentor had instantly dropped before her warning could be heard. Instinctively, she rushed to the edge of the crumbling precipice and slid to the edge as she reached out for her instructor's hand, but to no avail. Instead, she had grasped nothing but air, and then was taken over the ridge as well. Yelping in surprise, she managed to grab a hold of the solid rim of the cliff side and dangle several hundred feet over the ground. "This has not been my day," she muttered under her breath. Looking below her, she watched her instructor plummet downward, nearing a spaceship.
As she fell through the air, Pure suddenly felt her shoulder crack as she slammed into the slope of the rock face. She tumbled head over heals through the rocks and bramble, opening fresh wounds on the way. Pain wracked her entire body, until she hit the level surface of the ground, once again sliding to a stop, but on her side with her dislocated shoulder beneath her. She lay motionless for a few moments and allowed her body to mend itself as she listened to strange, foreign voices conversing close by. It took her only a moment to comprehend their dialect and even less to figure out she had landed near trouble. She ignored them for the time being, focusing on healing her new injuries. She lifted her upper body off the ground, leaving her feeble arm dangle lifeless at her side. Placing her unmoving hand flat on the ground, she held onto her elbow and pushed her shoulder down onto her arm. She clenched her teeth as an audible popping noise was heard as her shoulder went back into place. Damn this vessel, she cursed inwardly.
Pure sat up on her knees, rubbing her shoulder slightly as the pain abated and her wounds fully healed themselves. Her hand traveled up to her throat, her senses suddenly detecting a dark substance ravaging her blood. She fell forward onto her hands, and her body broke out in a cold sweat that could be seen clearly on her face. Her breathing became erratic as she stared at the rocks and sand beneath her, the pupils of her eyes beginning to burn.
Placing her forehead against the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut, her hands tightening into fists. "You bastard..." Pure growled silently. Her voice could be heard inwardly as well as outwardly; directing it toward the demon violating her body. "Get out of me, you filthy parasite."
An echo of sadistic laughter was the only response Pure had been met with. The demon drilled through her mind, making its first attempt to control every aspect of her body. Every small concern for where she was and who was watching had been all but forgotten. She placed her concentration on driving the beast out of her body.
In the distance, the Z fighters reached the top of a cliff ledge, just barely able to make out what was going on below. Vegeta, in the lead, slid to a halt before he got to the ledge, eyes growing wide as his senses were suddenly overwhelmed with another powerful energy level originating at the base of the cliff where the tyrant was. It took a few moments before the rest of the group sensed the same thing.
"Guys? Hey! What's going on?" Bulma asked in confusion as she noticed everyone go still.
Krillin staggered back as the new life energy hit him by surprise. "...I'm sensing another huge power level and...it..."
"And this one makes Frieza seem like nothing..." Tien finished in awe.
"You know, guys, it's not too late. We can still turn around and go home if we want...right?" Yamcha mentioned in a wavering tone.
"Be strong, Yamcha."
Incredible. I've never sensed anything like this before. Where would someone with this kind of power have come from? Vegeta thought to himself in astonishment.
All the while, Frieza and his father looked on as the strange woman seemed to mutter incoherent sentences under her breath and battle against a mental disability. King Cold still kept his arms folded and his expression apathetic. Whatever the human was doing, it was none of his concern nor interest.
"What a pleasant surprise..." King Cold said in minor amusement as he continued to watch the woman.
Frieza glanced up at King Cold after a moment. "You're right, father. This may prove to be a bit more amusing than I had thought."
He smiled and chuckled to himself, lifting one finger to fire his Death Beam at the woman. Without a second thought, he aimed and fired, the beam racing toward the suffering woman. Frieza watched with an anticipating expression; one that's only seen on the faces of crazed killers. As his attack reached its target, a small spark was seen before the beam deflected, shooting off into the sky and then exploding against a desolate cliffside. Frieza's grin was replaced with surprise and confusion as his Death Beam exploded elsewhere when the woman hadn't even moved to knock it aside.
"She's not human...." he stated in a low tone. Curiosity got the best of him and he began to form a sphere of energy in the palm of his hand. "Let's see how well she handles this."
The warriors staggered on their feet as they caught the aftershock of Frieza's exploding Death Beam; the rough ground beneath them rumbling feverishly. Bulma wobbled unsteadily as the others all managed to keep their footing, until hers finally gave way.
"Sounds like the fight's starting without us!" Yamcha called out as he staggered back slightly from the quaking earth.
"Ohh! Somebody stop this thing, I wanna get off!" Bulma complained as she fell onto the ground.
"It might be my dad!" Gohan burst in excitement.
"You think?" Krillin asked, looking over to him.
"Who else would try to take on Frieza alone?"
"I don't know."
Vegeta glared over at the two companions, then sneered vehemently toward where the blast had come from. Kakkarot? No! I absolutely refuse to believe it! There's no way his power level could have increased this much! It's impossible! Even if he is a super saiya-jin, Vegeta argued with himself. He kept a firm stance on the ground as another explosion echoed throughout the area, sending several more tremors beneath them.
"If that's Goku...." Krillin started, then took off at a run and leapt into the air, only to be snatched by the arm by the saiya-jin prince.
"No! You'll give us all away! Until I know what we're dealing with, I prefer to remain unnoticed. So unless I tell you otherwise...", Vegeta commanded and threw the monk onto the ground beside him, "...you stay put!"
Gohan quickly ran over to his friend and looked down at him in concern. "Are you hurt?"
Krillin sat up, grimacing slightly and he looked to the ground. "Just my pride," he said solemnly. "Man, Gohan, what are we supposed to do?" He only received a shake of the head from his young comrade and he stared at the ground in growing disappointment. "What if Goku actually is over there...and what if he needs our help right now while we're just sitting here doing absolutely nothing?!" He slammed his fist into the rocky terrain beneath him, cracking and creating an indent the size of his fist from the impact.
"Hey! Maybe it would help us to relax a little if we all sing a song," Bulma suggested cheerfully.
"Shut up! You haven't had one useful thing to say since you got here! Now you stay in the back and keep quiet, woman. I don't have time for your stupidity right now," Vegeta growled in aggravation.
"Wha...stupid?" Bulma whimpered, hurt by his words.
"Take that back! Bulma isn't stupid," Yamcha snapped, stepping beside her in defense.
"So you think I'm smart then?" She gave him an encouraged look.
"Well, I guess you're as smart as you can be...being a girl and all." He was suddenly pulled sideways as Bulma grabbed him by the ear furiously.
"I'm not letting go until you say you're sorry!"
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!"
Bulma finally let him go and folded her arms irritably as Gohan, Krillin, Puar and Chiaotzu began to laugh. "Oh, you make me sick!"
Krillin gave an uneasy smile as he stopped laughing and looked down once more. "This might just be our last chance to laugh, you guys," Krillin pointed out, causing Bulma to frown worriedly.
Another blast rang out over the barren lands before the warriors finally decided to take off again, leaving Bulma and Puar to wait a safe distance away, instead of taking them with. Bulma watched as they disappeared over the rocks and stomped her foot in anger.
"Hey! Wait!" she called out, then sighed in irritation, realizing they either didn't hear her or simply did not care. "How could they just leave me behind like that?"
"Does this mean we can go now?" Puar asked.
"No. I won't turn back now! They think they can ditch me 'cause I'm a girl. But I'll show them what this girl can do. Those boys better watch out! 'Cause here I come!" Bulma laughed loudly to herself, leaving Puar to stare at her blankly. "Come on, Puar!" Bulma grabbed his tail and ran after the rest of the group. "We'll teach those guys not to run off and leave us!"
By this time, Frieza was glaring at the woman in annoyance, his first energy blast evidently having no effect on her. Gathering three times as much energy in his next attack, he fired full force at the stranger, snarling as he did. His father had stepped forward; realizing how much power his son was putting into the blast to just annihilate a diminutive being.
"Freiza! You'll destroy us all!" King Cold warned over the blast as it struck the stranger forcefully.
The explosion resonated throughout the entire landscape, creating a rather large crater where the woman had been as it slammed into the earth. Just then, the energy began to swirl about after impact, then scatter outward, revealing the woman to be completely unscathed beneath it. Fanning away from the collision area, the rest of the energy shards impacted a variety of spots around the vast canyon.
"What?!" Frieza griped.
In the distance, the fighters reached the edge of another cliff and halted suddenly, peering into the damaged canyon below and were surprised at the scene they found before them. Bulma ran up behind the group and tried to wiggle her way to the front to see what was happening as smoke was spotted rising high in the air.
"What the?" Vegeta exhaled in bewilderment as he stared at the panorama in front of him.
"Hey! What's going on? I can't see!" Bulma complained. Peering over Yamcha's shoulder, her eyes widened as she took in the view of the canyon below. "What in the world happened down there, Yamcha?"
Rising quickly in the air, Frieza held his arm over his head and began forming a tiny, red sphere over his extended finger as he glowered down at the woman. "It's time we put an end to this!" he declared.
"Hurry up! Are you going to end this or not?" King Cold shouted up to his son impatiently.
Bulma continued to stare through the smoke, totally oblivious to the figure of Frieza rising in the air, a deadly sphere growing over his hand. Someone tugged on the bottom of her skirt and she blinked after a moment and glanced down at the person trying to get her attention. It was Gohan. "Huh? What is it?"
The little demi saiya-jin pointed skyward to where Frieza had been charging his Death Ball that had caused planet Namek to explode. Bulma followed his stare and almost fell back on the ground at what she saw. Her reaction was no more surprised compared to the rest of her friends.
"What's he doing? He's crazy!" Bulma freaked.
The huge ball of death grew quicker in each passing second, meaning the less time the Z Senshi had to think of a plan to prevent the inevitable. There was no way to stop the attack, unless it was somehow knocked aside (highly unlikely).
"Everyone! Get down!" Krillin yelled, immediately followed by the sound of several bodies dropping to the ground.
Frieza gathered what he could of his energy into his Death Ball. Grinning inwardly, he pulled back his hand and launched the sphere downward with a guttural yell. The sphere dropped slowly to the earth, closing in on the woman below. Pure was still hunting the demon in her blood, electrical sparks snapping off her body as she clenched her teeth. She directed the spiritual laces inside of her until she finally cornered the demon's dark substance, ensnaring it in its womb. Her eyes snapped open and time seemed to stop around her as she arched back up on her knees and opened her mouth to let out an earsplitting scream of defiance. A shockwave of pure spiritual energy exploded from her body in the same fashion of a nuclear bomb; destroying anything and everything in its path. Pitch blackness rose up into the sky; the demonic entity pouring out of Pure's open jaw.
At that moment, time seemed to speed up once more, leaving Frieza baffled at the sudden explosion of energy and realizing his Death Ball was unexpectedly engulfed by the torturous shockwave from the woman.
"There's no way!" Frieza pressed, losing his composure.
"Impossible!" King Cold cursed in amazement.
Seconds later, the woman closed her mouth, the shockwave still slowly creeping over the sands. Her dragonesque eyes jerked wider, causing a second detonation of pure energy to race outward, flattening everything in the vast canyon. The tyrant Frieza, his father, and his lackeys never had the chance to scream nor react as the blast hit them full force. Bodies turned to ash and crumbled into nothing in the wake of the powerful shockwave. The spaceship vanished milliseconds later, leaving no trace it was ever there to begin with.
The Z Senshi only felt the ground tremble violently beneath them and a spine-chilling wave of calm energy that passed over them. It took only a few moments before the rumbling ceased and the explosion abated. Both Piccolo and Vegeta rose carefully to their feet and overlooked the area. Bulma sat up, still clutching onto Puar for dear life, while the rest of the group brushed off and went over to the ledge to see the outcome of the powerful blast.
"Are we dead?" Bulma squeaked, her wide eyes darting side to side.
"Quiet woman! We're not dead yet," Vegeta snapped, overly irritated by her constant whining. His attention was placed back over the cliff ledge and he was taken off guard by the sudden absence of Frieza's life energy. "...He's gone."
"What? Who?" Bulma whimpered, clutching Puar to her chest.
"Frieza," Piccolo confirmed bluntly. "His life force is gone. Vanished as if he were never here."
"The other people he brought with are gone too," Tien stated. "So is the ship."
Gohan pushed through the group and crawled to the cliff edge, peering down to find the source of the blast. His gaze fell upon a slumped figure of a young woman below. "Hey guys, look! Down there! Do you see her?" he pointed enthusiastically. He could clearly sense the blast had emanated from her and could hardly believe it.
"What is that...woman doing down there?" Vegeta demanded, denying how strong she'd have to be to release so much power.
Without warning, the demi saiya-jin leapt off of the cliff ledge and started running toward the girl. The others came back to their senses, then ran off after Gohan, not wanting him to get too close to the strange visitor.
Piccolo appeared a side of the child seconds later, snatching his wrist to prevent him from pursuing. Gohan had only come within fifty yards of the woman before his mentor had stopped him. He looked up at Piccolo in dismay, then back over to the stranger.
"We need to see if she's okay, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan pleaded.
"She's fine, Gohan. We're not going to bother her after what happened. Give her time to recuperate before charging at her," Piccolo explained. "Besides, we don't know if this woman is exactly friendly."
"She has to be not all that bed. Didn't you see what she did to Frieza?"
"We don't know that for certain, brat," Vegeta interrupted, walking passed them and stopping a few feet away. "For all we know, that woman could be another enemy. Though that wouldn't surprise me in the least."
All Vegeta received were both stern looks from Gohan and Piccolo. He grunted, folding his arms and looking over to their strange savior. She had cautiously aroused and lifted her torso from the ground, sure as to not make a sound. He formed a condensed orb of energy in his hand, prepared if the woman should try anything. The saiya-jin prince watched closely as the woman's aura began to give off a soft hum of energy and draw him in, like a moth to a lamplight. His senses become fully focused on her, ignoring anything else around him. All voices were muffled from his hearing as he was drawn into the strange woman's aura that seemed to grow.
"—geta...Vegeta!" a distant voice shouted.
The Z Senshi stood stock still as they stared at the prince. They were unsure whether to save him or attack the woman. At that moment, the one thing they could make out was the obscure, sapphire ring that encircled the woman as well as Vegeta; who was hovering thirty feet in the air, eyes empty.
"What's she doing to him?" Yamcha asked, his voice wavering. He held Bulma close to his chest as she shivered uneasily.
"I don't know...but he's perfectly fine," Tien pointed out.
"It seems to be an immediate defensive reaction," Piccolo interrupted, eyes narrowing at the blue ring around the woman. "Vegeta must have threatened her somehow. I don't blame him either."
Gohan blinked up at his mentor, then looked up at Vegeta. He shifted to the side, trying to clearly see the prince's face and what caused the woman to hold him in suspended animation. Catching sight of a fading energy orb, he pointed upward and looked at Piccolo.
"Look! He had energy in his hand! That's probably the reason she stuck him up there."
"It's just like Vegeta to be hot headed like that," Bulma snorted. "He got what he deserved, if you ask me."
"But Bulma, she didn't do anything to him. He's just stuck up there. At least she hasn't hurt him...yet."
"If I were her, I would. Stupid jerk." She glared up at the saiya-jin prince, and then glanced down at the woman responsible for keeping him poised in the air. Bulma tilted her head slightly, soft music suddenly flowing through her as well as beautiful images that began to encompass her mind. Her cerulean eyes sparkled as she stared at the mysterious woman that stood in the distance. She was barely aware of the fact that the woman had rose to her feet at all, turning to look at the group in suspicion.
Pure had regained her composure and finished cleansing her blood as she glanced over at the group of on-lookers. She had sensed the strongest of the group preparing to attack her, though his intentions were not clear. Placing a field of binding energy around him, she made sure he was kept immobilized in the air where she could keep an eye on him. Once that task had been done, she set out to find information on what kind of people she was dealing with. The only data she did find out was from listening to the strangers talking amongst one another. The one that had caught her eye had been the only female she spotted in the group; which was a blue-haired woman with a unique hairstyle. She noticed that 'Bulma', as the others had called her, was staring at her intently, no doubt enchanted by her harmonic aura. Pure gazed up to the vulnerable man she had caught in her telekinetic ring, sensing a familiarity about him. Shrugging it off, she released her hold on the man and turned around to look for her student. She was careful as to let her temporary prisoner lower to the ground without dropping him entirely.
Once Vegeta had been lowered to the ground completely, he immediately came back to his senses, followed by a sharp gasp and a stream of obscenities that escaped his mouth. Piccolo, Tien, and Krillin had to pin the saiya-jin back from going all out on an attack on the woman.
"How dare you! Curse you, wretched woman!" Vegeta bellowed. He growled furiously, attempting to pull away from the three holding him back. "Who do you think you are treating the Prince of Saiya-jins in such a manner?! I will have your head for that, witch!"
A wave of nausea suddenly swept over the entire group as the mysterious woman halted in her steps and glanced over her shoulder to the furious warrior. No wonder he looked familiar...Saiya-jin.... Her eyes narrowed defiantly at him, before she turned back around and continued walking.
Vegeta had felt his throat tighten for a brief moment as the strangely enticing woman glared in his direction. Once she tore her hawk-like gaze from his, he shook his head and took a step forward; gathering his pride to provoke her to face him completely. He began to rant and rave at the woman, planning each word in his mind, and then throwing it out in the open. But when Vegeta finally realized that no sound carried through the air, he grasped his throat and staggered slightly. What is this?! What's happened to my voice?! the prince panicked. He stared up at the departing woman and growled inwardly. You cowardly witch! Take my voice, since you cannot bear to hear the truth? I will not let you walk away from me! Stop with these useless games and turn around!
Pure sighed in irritation as she hovered off the ground and continued toward where her student dangled. Such a persistent and stubborn man, no wonder he's Prince of the Saiya-jins, she thought silently, then directed her mind to his. You had best hold your tongue, prince. You wouldn't want it getting you into trouble now, would you? After all, a saiya-jin with your kind of strength and ability should not be wasting his time with petty threats. You should really learn to back up your mouth.
A short silence was all that Pure got in response before the man, at long last, chose not to argue. Instead, he watched her with a cold stare as he growled audibly; plotting several ways he'd rid of her. She ignored him for the time being and hovered up next to her student. He has a strong spirit, I'll give him that much, Pure commented to herself. Her mind remained closed to anyone who tried to invade it, mostly her student and the saiya-jin. Folding her arms, she stopped next to her pupil and tilted her head in question.
"Pure, what are you staring at?! I'm kinda in the middle of a crisis here!" Vivian complained. "A little help would be great if it's not too much trouble!"
Pure shook her head, and then pointed down at Vivian's feet. "You are aware of the fact that you can fly, right? Or have you forgotten that ability, Vivian?"
Her student's face went black for a second, and then she smiled sheepishly and let go of the cliff ledge. Vivian stooped and hovered beside her teacher, rubbing the back of her head as she laughed uneasily. "...Oh...right! I knew that!" (sweatdrop)
"Come on, let's go. We need to figure out what we're going to do, now that our vacation time has been delayed," Pure mentioned, moving on. She flew up onto the cliff ledge that Vivian had been dangling from and sat down. Her pupil followed suit.
Vivian gathered herself together and leaned forward as she sat beside her mentor. She peered downward to where the group of warriors stood, watching them intently. "Who are they?"
"I'm not sure, but not all of them are human," Pure stated.
"I figured that. The green guy sort of gave that away." She pointed at Piccolo, and then took a moment before she spoke again. "Where are we anyway?"
"Some parallel dimension. And I fear we have disrupted this one's normal cycle. That means we need to find Korroc quickly and leave this place."
"You mean that nasty-looking demon you fought earlier? How do you propose we get him out of this dimension? Ask him nicely?"
"We need a plan. I'm not sure if those creatures down there can help either." Pure glanced down at the mute saiya-jin. "But we might as well give it a try."
Without another word, Pure slipped down from the cliff ledge and dropped quickly to the ground; her pupil tagging behind with more questions. Pure impacted the ground soundlessly, straightening upward just as swiftly and made her way toward the warriors. Vivian had made a less-than-graceful landing as she stumbled over the large rocks and nearly lost her balance on the sands. Her behavior was much excused, since being depleted of enough energy to only float in the air. She teetered slightly, then regained her balance and ran after her mentor.
They could feel the entire band of warriors locking their eyes on them in suspicion as they approached. Those closest to them took a cautious step aside, save the saiya-jin prince. His anger seethed through to the surface, awaiting the chance when he'd threaten the woman with words that would make a challenging man shake in fear. He could not help but be entranced by the woman and at the same time curse her for being. Pure could easily sense the man's fury and confusion, dismissing it as she did with her hold onto his voice. Her gaze leveled with his, until she stopped a respectable distance, her gaze wandering over the rest of the group as she judged their strength and power.
"...You're hiding something, woman," came the stumbling words from the prince.
Of all the things Pure had been prepared to hear spew out of the saiya-jin's mouth it was not this. Her back visibly stiffened in anger and she glared at the man not even seven paces before her. She noticed a darkness that loomed in his eyes that sparked a sudden wave of alarm within her. The coldness she became ensnared with was from the saiya-jin's own mind, not of Korroc's. In that quick instant, she could sense sadness, loathing, and what was left of pride, all reflecting out of the dark coals of his eyes. She could sense a deep hurt as well, though buried well beneath the surface where it would never be shown.
Pure pulled her mind away from the darkening abyss inside of the prince's gaze and managed to regard him in all seriousness. "I've lived my entire life in hiding," she told him flatly. "And do not think me a coward, for there is a fine line between cowardice and noble intentions. Although, you don't seem like the type that understands the meaning of such a thing."
Before Vegeta had the chance to snap back, Piccolo stepped forward and interjected. "Just tell us who you are and why you're here. We've heard enough bickering for one day. Too much for my liking."
The women glanced over to the tall, green Namek, then at each other. Vivian casually walked up behind Gohan and leaned forward slightly, trying to get a good look at him. She sent her mentor a questioning glance before Pure finally nodded in approval.
"I guess you would call us occasional wanderers," Vivian said, making the young boy jerk forward in surprise and turn around. She smiled sweetly and straightened up once more. "Although dropping in on you people was completely unintentional. I apologize for any injustice we may have caused you."
"Injustice? Are you kidding?" Yamcha commented, smiling at her. "You actually did us a favor. We owe you ladies big time. If it hadn't been for your friend here, Frieza would've beaten us for sure."
"How would you know, Yamcha?" Bulma retorted. "You never even tried to fight him. You could've at least done something."
"You're crazy if you think any of us could've possibly beaten that guy." He received a glare from Vegeta's direction. "Do you have any idea of how powerful that monster is?"
"Was," Pure corrected. She stood between Piccolo and Vegeta, her arms folded. "But we have more pressing matters to attend to. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we must take our leave."
The shortest man in the group fidgeted a little, and then rubbed the back of his bald head nervously before speaking. "...Um...well, maybe we could help you out. I mean...it's the least we can do."
Vivian nodded her head vigorously. "That would be great." She caught Pure's gaze and took a small step back. "What do you think, sensei? Can they help?" Her voice lowered respectably, realizing she had overstepped her position.
Pure lifted her chin, accepting the help from the group of foreigners. "I do not see a problem with it. But before we go anywhere, some introductions are needed, I believe. Sorry for the absence of formalities," she apologized, and then nodded her head in greeting. "My name is Pure, and this," she gestured to her pupil, "is my student, Vivian. You need not know more."
"I'm assuming you already know who most of us are," Piccolo stated.
"I don't!" Vivian, of course.
The conversation continued nonetheless. "Yes, but I believe I have not gotten your name, young monk," Pure locked eyes with Krillin, causing him to stare down at the ground and shuffle his feet before she decided to speak after a few seconds, "or your three-eyed friend over there."
Krillin stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words to introduce himself. "Oh...uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Um...the name's Krillin. And that's Tien," he pointed out, trying to draw the woman's gaze away from him.
She turned away from Krillin and made her way toward the three- eyed man. As she halted a few steps before him, she caught sight of a small, mime-like child hiding behind his leg. "Whose child is this?"
"Oh. This is Chiaotzu," Tien mentioned politely. He peered down at his friend, who was still as a rock, staring back at the woman. His eyes rounded as she stared down at him, becoming hypnotized by her mere presence. He gave a small wave of the hand and hid behind Tien's leg without a sound.
She remained silent for quite some time, moving along to look over the rest of the group, studying every aspect of their being to the last detail. Pausing momentarily, Pure noticed that both the saiya-jin prince and child were void of their sacred tails. Taking this piece of information into account for later use, she finally decided to turn away from the group and gaze at the horizon. Her senses flared as she began her search for the demon's trail. The warriors did not bless her with silence very long, on behalf of the stubborn prince suddenly losing his patience with her.
"We're wasting our time out here, woman! Are you going to give us more information or not? I will not spend the entire day rotting out here in the sun!" Vegeta snapped.
He received no reply.
"Woman, are you deaf?!"
Pure's head snapped to the side, her draconic eyes boring into the saiya-jin prince in annoyance, which suddenly switched to disbelief. She had caught sight of a winged creature at the corner of her eye. She was surprised that none of the others had detected the shadowed creature's presence as it began to dive down upon them from the clear skies at break-neck speed. One thing that hadn't surprised her was the fact that they didn't hear the swift, silent movement of the wind as it passed through the creature's wings. Removing that issue immediately from her mind, she brought her arms around in front of her and let her pure energy flow through her body and into her arms, which took on an electrical charge. Gathering the pristine energy into an orb that formed in her hands, she spun quickly around, firing her attack toward the demonic creature.
The warriors reacted instinctively to this attack. At first, she had seemed to be aiming the blast at Vegeta for his impudence and rude tongue. They each took a step back and began forming their own counter-attacks until they finally realized her target was farther upward. The blast stormed just above the prince's shoulder, causing the hair on his neck to stand on end and a chill race up his spine. He shivered involuntarily, his teeth clenched as his gaze wavered on the sorceress before him.
Unrelenting fury swept through the saiya-jin prince's body while the all-too-seemingly headstrong woman recomposed herself. "How dare you! What is the meaning of this?!" Vegeta demanded in outrage. He began to berate the woman with such coarse language that he never took notice to the dark shadow looming beside him.
It wasn't until the sound of the creature impacting the ground beside the prince that he decided to shut his mouth. He, as did everyone else, watched as the creature slid across the rocky terrain and came to a halt at the woman's feet. She knelt down and reached out her hand to the creature just as its insides deteriorated onto the ground, leaving only its shell. Picking the dark-skin fabric off the ground, Pure stood up and glared at it in disgust.
"A bit harsh, don't you think, Pure?" Vivian commented as she observed her mentor closely. The sight of the creature's skin was quite unsettling, but she managed to keep herself from losing her lunch. She did, however, note the disappointment on her mentor's face and the growing anger in her eyes. "What is it?"
The dark fabric was unexpectedly thrown to the ground in animosity, causing Vivian to take a step back. She heard her mentor swear in a mix of her elvish and ancient tongue as she paced away from the group.
"Damn thing may as well been a piece of cloth! Balvork nyleu nyter!" Pure spat then stopped herself a few strides to their left, her elven ears twitching vigorously. She turned, hearing the same such tongue being used by someone other than herself. Peering upward to where she saw the demon, she spotted a lone figure amidst the smoke from her attack.
The others had hear the same strange language and gazed behind them to find a young man in probably his late teen years hovering in the air not that far from them. He had been brushing himself off and muttering curses under his breath, attempting to recompose himself. His hair was the deepest set of brown that it almost resembled black; including the bowl cut hairstyle. He wore a pair of baggy, gray pants, a long-sleeved blue jacket overtop a black muscle shirt, and a pair of yellow-black boots. Mounted on his back they could see the hilt of a bastard sword, easily attainable for combat use. There was an air of familiarity about him that Pure couldn't quite place her finger on either.
The young stranger placed his arms to his sides and glared down at the warriors, his eyes intensely focused on Pure's very own pupil, Vivian....
Author's Note: I know, I know, the cliffhanger will get on some people's nerves, but you'll figure out exactly why that young man is staring Vivian down. I don't want to ruin it for you, but please review! I want to see if this is any good. I will be updating it though later with the things missed from the episode.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own DBZ, so don't sue me!
Alteration
Chapter Four
Terror and shock washed over the Z warriors as they watched Frieza's ship land a short distance away. Bulma had sunk to the ground, clutching Puar tightly against her chest, as she whined in fear. The others just stared for a few moments, trying to fathom what they had just seen. Without Goku's help, they would surely die fighting against Frieza. Only Vegeta seemed to be unconcerned with that fact, since now he had the chance to avenge his people.
"It's like I dreamed. Frieza...he's really here..." Gohan said nervously.
"Gohan...try to focus, bro. We need you," Krillin attempted to persuade him.
"Now, there's no room for mistakes. We've all got to keep our power levels suppressed or else Frieza will pick us up on his scouters," Vegeta ordered.
Piccolo walked up behind Gohan and placed a hand on his shoulder in confidence. "Ready?" He received a self-assured nod from his small student and he returned the gesture.
"This is crazy! I've never felt anything anywhere close to the amount of power I'm sensing right now!" Yamcha accredited as he looked away from where the tyrant landed.
"I hate to say it, Yamcha, but this is only the tip of the iceberg," Gohan included as he looked over to his panicked companion.
"There's no way we're going to last very long against a massive force like that!" Tien confirmed.
"Hey, you guys are kidding, right? I mean, you're not suggesting that we attack him? Like Tien said, we'd all be wiped out. I'm telling you, Frieza's a monster...and attacking him is suicide!" Yamcha attempted to convince them.
"But we have to try, Yamcha. Unless we stop Frieza right here and now, you may as well kiss the entire planet goodbye," Piccolo said in a determined tone. The mere thought of the planet being destroyed caused Gohan and Krillin to lower their eyes to the ground in dismay.
"He's right, you know. You really have no choice. So what say we put an end to all this pathetic whimpering and go find Frieza! Before he finds us...." Vegeta sneered impenitently.
A gust of wind whipped around them, letting the dry sands swirl over the desert grounds and settle back down. There was an inexplicable eeriness in the area that spread throughout the group, making them uneasy. The notion of having three more energy signals in the area was more than enough to put everyone on the edge. Placing it aside, they quickly took off at a sprint, heading toward the tyrant's landing spot. Gohan was left close to the rear of the group, helping Bulma climb over jutting rocks and steep cliffs.
Why me? I mean, I just got wished back and now I have to face Frieza? Yamcha thought silently to himself as he followed the group none- too-enthusiastically. Just as Bulma and Gohan had reached the next cliff, he stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists in infamy. "I...I don't think I can do this, you guys!" They both glanced down at him in slight shock as he suddenly attempted to back out.
Pure slipped in and out of consciousness for a few moments, until she was finally met with the blinding light of the sun. Her pupils dilated, then narrowed back into their abnormal, dragonesque state. She lifted her head slightly and winced, feeling the result of healing her wounds. Pressing her hand down against the hot rocks and sand, she pushed herself up on her hands and knees and glimpsed over her shoulder to her formerly aware student.
Vivian watched her mentor closely as she attempted to stand. Her eyes were suddenly focused on the fissures beneath her feet and became aware of the odd shifting as she started to rise. "Pure, m—"she began to shout, but her mentor had instantly dropped before her warning could be heard. Instinctively, she rushed to the edge of the crumbling precipice and slid to the edge as she reached out for her instructor's hand, but to no avail. Instead, she had grasped nothing but air, and then was taken over the ridge as well. Yelping in surprise, she managed to grab a hold of the solid rim of the cliff side and dangle several hundred feet over the ground. "This has not been my day," she muttered under her breath. Looking below her, she watched her instructor plummet downward, nearing a spaceship.
As she fell through the air, Pure suddenly felt her shoulder crack as she slammed into the slope of the rock face. She tumbled head over heals through the rocks and bramble, opening fresh wounds on the way. Pain wracked her entire body, until she hit the level surface of the ground, once again sliding to a stop, but on her side with her dislocated shoulder beneath her. She lay motionless for a few moments and allowed her body to mend itself as she listened to strange, foreign voices conversing close by. It took her only a moment to comprehend their dialect and even less to figure out she had landed near trouble. She ignored them for the time being, focusing on healing her new injuries. She lifted her upper body off the ground, leaving her feeble arm dangle lifeless at her side. Placing her unmoving hand flat on the ground, she held onto her elbow and pushed her shoulder down onto her arm. She clenched her teeth as an audible popping noise was heard as her shoulder went back into place. Damn this vessel, she cursed inwardly.
Pure sat up on her knees, rubbing her shoulder slightly as the pain abated and her wounds fully healed themselves. Her hand traveled up to her throat, her senses suddenly detecting a dark substance ravaging her blood. She fell forward onto her hands, and her body broke out in a cold sweat that could be seen clearly on her face. Her breathing became erratic as she stared at the rocks and sand beneath her, the pupils of her eyes beginning to burn.
Placing her forehead against the ground, she squeezed her eyes shut, her hands tightening into fists. "You bastard..." Pure growled silently. Her voice could be heard inwardly as well as outwardly; directing it toward the demon violating her body. "Get out of me, you filthy parasite."
An echo of sadistic laughter was the only response Pure had been met with. The demon drilled through her mind, making its first attempt to control every aspect of her body. Every small concern for where she was and who was watching had been all but forgotten. She placed her concentration on driving the beast out of her body.
In the distance, the Z fighters reached the top of a cliff ledge, just barely able to make out what was going on below. Vegeta, in the lead, slid to a halt before he got to the ledge, eyes growing wide as his senses were suddenly overwhelmed with another powerful energy level originating at the base of the cliff where the tyrant was. It took a few moments before the rest of the group sensed the same thing.
"Guys? Hey! What's going on?" Bulma asked in confusion as she noticed everyone go still.
Krillin staggered back as the new life energy hit him by surprise. "...I'm sensing another huge power level and...it..."
"And this one makes Frieza seem like nothing..." Tien finished in awe.
"You know, guys, it's not too late. We can still turn around and go home if we want...right?" Yamcha mentioned in a wavering tone.
"Be strong, Yamcha."
Incredible. I've never sensed anything like this before. Where would someone with this kind of power have come from? Vegeta thought to himself in astonishment.
All the while, Frieza and his father looked on as the strange woman seemed to mutter incoherent sentences under her breath and battle against a mental disability. King Cold still kept his arms folded and his expression apathetic. Whatever the human was doing, it was none of his concern nor interest.
"What a pleasant surprise..." King Cold said in minor amusement as he continued to watch the woman.
Frieza glanced up at King Cold after a moment. "You're right, father. This may prove to be a bit more amusing than I had thought."
He smiled and chuckled to himself, lifting one finger to fire his Death Beam at the woman. Without a second thought, he aimed and fired, the beam racing toward the suffering woman. Frieza watched with an anticipating expression; one that's only seen on the faces of crazed killers. As his attack reached its target, a small spark was seen before the beam deflected, shooting off into the sky and then exploding against a desolate cliffside. Frieza's grin was replaced with surprise and confusion as his Death Beam exploded elsewhere when the woman hadn't even moved to knock it aside.
"She's not human...." he stated in a low tone. Curiosity got the best of him and he began to form a sphere of energy in the palm of his hand. "Let's see how well she handles this."
The warriors staggered on their feet as they caught the aftershock of Frieza's exploding Death Beam; the rough ground beneath them rumbling feverishly. Bulma wobbled unsteadily as the others all managed to keep their footing, until hers finally gave way.
"Sounds like the fight's starting without us!" Yamcha called out as he staggered back slightly from the quaking earth.
"Ohh! Somebody stop this thing, I wanna get off!" Bulma complained as she fell onto the ground.
"It might be my dad!" Gohan burst in excitement.
"You think?" Krillin asked, looking over to him.
"Who else would try to take on Frieza alone?"
"I don't know."
Vegeta glared over at the two companions, then sneered vehemently toward where the blast had come from. Kakkarot? No! I absolutely refuse to believe it! There's no way his power level could have increased this much! It's impossible! Even if he is a super saiya-jin, Vegeta argued with himself. He kept a firm stance on the ground as another explosion echoed throughout the area, sending several more tremors beneath them.
"If that's Goku...." Krillin started, then took off at a run and leapt into the air, only to be snatched by the arm by the saiya-jin prince.
"No! You'll give us all away! Until I know what we're dealing with, I prefer to remain unnoticed. So unless I tell you otherwise...", Vegeta commanded and threw the monk onto the ground beside him, "...you stay put!"
Gohan quickly ran over to his friend and looked down at him in concern. "Are you hurt?"
Krillin sat up, grimacing slightly and he looked to the ground. "Just my pride," he said solemnly. "Man, Gohan, what are we supposed to do?" He only received a shake of the head from his young comrade and he stared at the ground in growing disappointment. "What if Goku actually is over there...and what if he needs our help right now while we're just sitting here doing absolutely nothing?!" He slammed his fist into the rocky terrain beneath him, cracking and creating an indent the size of his fist from the impact.
"Hey! Maybe it would help us to relax a little if we all sing a song," Bulma suggested cheerfully.
"Shut up! You haven't had one useful thing to say since you got here! Now you stay in the back and keep quiet, woman. I don't have time for your stupidity right now," Vegeta growled in aggravation.
"Wha...stupid?" Bulma whimpered, hurt by his words.
"Take that back! Bulma isn't stupid," Yamcha snapped, stepping beside her in defense.
"So you think I'm smart then?" She gave him an encouraged look.
"Well, I guess you're as smart as you can be...being a girl and all." He was suddenly pulled sideways as Bulma grabbed him by the ear furiously.
"I'm not letting go until you say you're sorry!"
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!"
Bulma finally let him go and folded her arms irritably as Gohan, Krillin, Puar and Chiaotzu began to laugh. "Oh, you make me sick!"
Krillin gave an uneasy smile as he stopped laughing and looked down once more. "This might just be our last chance to laugh, you guys," Krillin pointed out, causing Bulma to frown worriedly.
Another blast rang out over the barren lands before the warriors finally decided to take off again, leaving Bulma and Puar to wait a safe distance away, instead of taking them with. Bulma watched as they disappeared over the rocks and stomped her foot in anger.
"Hey! Wait!" she called out, then sighed in irritation, realizing they either didn't hear her or simply did not care. "How could they just leave me behind like that?"
"Does this mean we can go now?" Puar asked.
"No. I won't turn back now! They think they can ditch me 'cause I'm a girl. But I'll show them what this girl can do. Those boys better watch out! 'Cause here I come!" Bulma laughed loudly to herself, leaving Puar to stare at her blankly. "Come on, Puar!" Bulma grabbed his tail and ran after the rest of the group. "We'll teach those guys not to run off and leave us!"
By this time, Frieza was glaring at the woman in annoyance, his first energy blast evidently having no effect on her. Gathering three times as much energy in his next attack, he fired full force at the stranger, snarling as he did. His father had stepped forward; realizing how much power his son was putting into the blast to just annihilate a diminutive being.
"Freiza! You'll destroy us all!" King Cold warned over the blast as it struck the stranger forcefully.
The explosion resonated throughout the entire landscape, creating a rather large crater where the woman had been as it slammed into the earth. Just then, the energy began to swirl about after impact, then scatter outward, revealing the woman to be completely unscathed beneath it. Fanning away from the collision area, the rest of the energy shards impacted a variety of spots around the vast canyon.
"What?!" Frieza griped.
In the distance, the fighters reached the edge of another cliff and halted suddenly, peering into the damaged canyon below and were surprised at the scene they found before them. Bulma ran up behind the group and tried to wiggle her way to the front to see what was happening as smoke was spotted rising high in the air.
"What the?" Vegeta exhaled in bewilderment as he stared at the panorama in front of him.
"Hey! What's going on? I can't see!" Bulma complained. Peering over Yamcha's shoulder, her eyes widened as she took in the view of the canyon below. "What in the world happened down there, Yamcha?"
Rising quickly in the air, Frieza held his arm over his head and began forming a tiny, red sphere over his extended finger as he glowered down at the woman. "It's time we put an end to this!" he declared.
"Hurry up! Are you going to end this or not?" King Cold shouted up to his son impatiently.
Bulma continued to stare through the smoke, totally oblivious to the figure of Frieza rising in the air, a deadly sphere growing over his hand. Someone tugged on the bottom of her skirt and she blinked after a moment and glanced down at the person trying to get her attention. It was Gohan. "Huh? What is it?"
The little demi saiya-jin pointed skyward to where Frieza had been charging his Death Ball that had caused planet Namek to explode. Bulma followed his stare and almost fell back on the ground at what she saw. Her reaction was no more surprised compared to the rest of her friends.
"What's he doing? He's crazy!" Bulma freaked.
The huge ball of death grew quicker in each passing second, meaning the less time the Z Senshi had to think of a plan to prevent the inevitable. There was no way to stop the attack, unless it was somehow knocked aside (highly unlikely).
"Everyone! Get down!" Krillin yelled, immediately followed by the sound of several bodies dropping to the ground.
Frieza gathered what he could of his energy into his Death Ball. Grinning inwardly, he pulled back his hand and launched the sphere downward with a guttural yell. The sphere dropped slowly to the earth, closing in on the woman below. Pure was still hunting the demon in her blood, electrical sparks snapping off her body as she clenched her teeth. She directed the spiritual laces inside of her until she finally cornered the demon's dark substance, ensnaring it in its womb. Her eyes snapped open and time seemed to stop around her as she arched back up on her knees and opened her mouth to let out an earsplitting scream of defiance. A shockwave of pure spiritual energy exploded from her body in the same fashion of a nuclear bomb; destroying anything and everything in its path. Pitch blackness rose up into the sky; the demonic entity pouring out of Pure's open jaw.
At that moment, time seemed to speed up once more, leaving Frieza baffled at the sudden explosion of energy and realizing his Death Ball was unexpectedly engulfed by the torturous shockwave from the woman.
"There's no way!" Frieza pressed, losing his composure.
"Impossible!" King Cold cursed in amazement.
Seconds later, the woman closed her mouth, the shockwave still slowly creeping over the sands. Her dragonesque eyes jerked wider, causing a second detonation of pure energy to race outward, flattening everything in the vast canyon. The tyrant Frieza, his father, and his lackeys never had the chance to scream nor react as the blast hit them full force. Bodies turned to ash and crumbled into nothing in the wake of the powerful shockwave. The spaceship vanished milliseconds later, leaving no trace it was ever there to begin with.
The Z Senshi only felt the ground tremble violently beneath them and a spine-chilling wave of calm energy that passed over them. It took only a few moments before the rumbling ceased and the explosion abated. Both Piccolo and Vegeta rose carefully to their feet and overlooked the area. Bulma sat up, still clutching onto Puar for dear life, while the rest of the group brushed off and went over to the ledge to see the outcome of the powerful blast.
"Are we dead?" Bulma squeaked, her wide eyes darting side to side.
"Quiet woman! We're not dead yet," Vegeta snapped, overly irritated by her constant whining. His attention was placed back over the cliff ledge and he was taken off guard by the sudden absence of Frieza's life energy. "...He's gone."
"What? Who?" Bulma whimpered, clutching Puar to her chest.
"Frieza," Piccolo confirmed bluntly. "His life force is gone. Vanished as if he were never here."
"The other people he brought with are gone too," Tien stated. "So is the ship."
Gohan pushed through the group and crawled to the cliff edge, peering down to find the source of the blast. His gaze fell upon a slumped figure of a young woman below. "Hey guys, look! Down there! Do you see her?" he pointed enthusiastically. He could clearly sense the blast had emanated from her and could hardly believe it.
"What is that...woman doing down there?" Vegeta demanded, denying how strong she'd have to be to release so much power.
Without warning, the demi saiya-jin leapt off of the cliff ledge and started running toward the girl. The others came back to their senses, then ran off after Gohan, not wanting him to get too close to the strange visitor.
Piccolo appeared a side of the child seconds later, snatching his wrist to prevent him from pursuing. Gohan had only come within fifty yards of the woman before his mentor had stopped him. He looked up at Piccolo in dismay, then back over to the stranger.
"We need to see if she's okay, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan pleaded.
"She's fine, Gohan. We're not going to bother her after what happened. Give her time to recuperate before charging at her," Piccolo explained. "Besides, we don't know if this woman is exactly friendly."
"She has to be not all that bed. Didn't you see what she did to Frieza?"
"We don't know that for certain, brat," Vegeta interrupted, walking passed them and stopping a few feet away. "For all we know, that woman could be another enemy. Though that wouldn't surprise me in the least."
All Vegeta received were both stern looks from Gohan and Piccolo. He grunted, folding his arms and looking over to their strange savior. She had cautiously aroused and lifted her torso from the ground, sure as to not make a sound. He formed a condensed orb of energy in his hand, prepared if the woman should try anything. The saiya-jin prince watched closely as the woman's aura began to give off a soft hum of energy and draw him in, like a moth to a lamplight. His senses become fully focused on her, ignoring anything else around him. All voices were muffled from his hearing as he was drawn into the strange woman's aura that seemed to grow.
"—geta...Vegeta!" a distant voice shouted.
The Z Senshi stood stock still as they stared at the prince. They were unsure whether to save him or attack the woman. At that moment, the one thing they could make out was the obscure, sapphire ring that encircled the woman as well as Vegeta; who was hovering thirty feet in the air, eyes empty.
"What's she doing to him?" Yamcha asked, his voice wavering. He held Bulma close to his chest as she shivered uneasily.
"I don't know...but he's perfectly fine," Tien pointed out.
"It seems to be an immediate defensive reaction," Piccolo interrupted, eyes narrowing at the blue ring around the woman. "Vegeta must have threatened her somehow. I don't blame him either."
Gohan blinked up at his mentor, then looked up at Vegeta. He shifted to the side, trying to clearly see the prince's face and what caused the woman to hold him in suspended animation. Catching sight of a fading energy orb, he pointed upward and looked at Piccolo.
"Look! He had energy in his hand! That's probably the reason she stuck him up there."
"It's just like Vegeta to be hot headed like that," Bulma snorted. "He got what he deserved, if you ask me."
"But Bulma, she didn't do anything to him. He's just stuck up there. At least she hasn't hurt him...yet."
"If I were her, I would. Stupid jerk." She glared up at the saiya-jin prince, and then glanced down at the woman responsible for keeping him poised in the air. Bulma tilted her head slightly, soft music suddenly flowing through her as well as beautiful images that began to encompass her mind. Her cerulean eyes sparkled as she stared at the mysterious woman that stood in the distance. She was barely aware of the fact that the woman had rose to her feet at all, turning to look at the group in suspicion.
Pure had regained her composure and finished cleansing her blood as she glanced over at the group of on-lookers. She had sensed the strongest of the group preparing to attack her, though his intentions were not clear. Placing a field of binding energy around him, she made sure he was kept immobilized in the air where she could keep an eye on him. Once that task had been done, she set out to find information on what kind of people she was dealing with. The only data she did find out was from listening to the strangers talking amongst one another. The one that had caught her eye had been the only female she spotted in the group; which was a blue-haired woman with a unique hairstyle. She noticed that 'Bulma', as the others had called her, was staring at her intently, no doubt enchanted by her harmonic aura. Pure gazed up to the vulnerable man she had caught in her telekinetic ring, sensing a familiarity about him. Shrugging it off, she released her hold on the man and turned around to look for her student. She was careful as to let her temporary prisoner lower to the ground without dropping him entirely.
Once Vegeta had been lowered to the ground completely, he immediately came back to his senses, followed by a sharp gasp and a stream of obscenities that escaped his mouth. Piccolo, Tien, and Krillin had to pin the saiya-jin back from going all out on an attack on the woman.
"How dare you! Curse you, wretched woman!" Vegeta bellowed. He growled furiously, attempting to pull away from the three holding him back. "Who do you think you are treating the Prince of Saiya-jins in such a manner?! I will have your head for that, witch!"
A wave of nausea suddenly swept over the entire group as the mysterious woman halted in her steps and glanced over her shoulder to the furious warrior. No wonder he looked familiar...Saiya-jin.... Her eyes narrowed defiantly at him, before she turned back around and continued walking.
Vegeta had felt his throat tighten for a brief moment as the strangely enticing woman glared in his direction. Once she tore her hawk-like gaze from his, he shook his head and took a step forward; gathering his pride to provoke her to face him completely. He began to rant and rave at the woman, planning each word in his mind, and then throwing it out in the open. But when Vegeta finally realized that no sound carried through the air, he grasped his throat and staggered slightly. What is this?! What's happened to my voice?! the prince panicked. He stared up at the departing woman and growled inwardly. You cowardly witch! Take my voice, since you cannot bear to hear the truth? I will not let you walk away from me! Stop with these useless games and turn around!
Pure sighed in irritation as she hovered off the ground and continued toward where her student dangled. Such a persistent and stubborn man, no wonder he's Prince of the Saiya-jins, she thought silently, then directed her mind to his. You had best hold your tongue, prince. You wouldn't want it getting you into trouble now, would you? After all, a saiya-jin with your kind of strength and ability should not be wasting his time with petty threats. You should really learn to back up your mouth.
A short silence was all that Pure got in response before the man, at long last, chose not to argue. Instead, he watched her with a cold stare as he growled audibly; plotting several ways he'd rid of her. She ignored him for the time being and hovered up next to her student. He has a strong spirit, I'll give him that much, Pure commented to herself. Her mind remained closed to anyone who tried to invade it, mostly her student and the saiya-jin. Folding her arms, she stopped next to her pupil and tilted her head in question.
"Pure, what are you staring at?! I'm kinda in the middle of a crisis here!" Vivian complained. "A little help would be great if it's not too much trouble!"
Pure shook her head, and then pointed down at Vivian's feet. "You are aware of the fact that you can fly, right? Or have you forgotten that ability, Vivian?"
Her student's face went black for a second, and then she smiled sheepishly and let go of the cliff ledge. Vivian stooped and hovered beside her teacher, rubbing the back of her head as she laughed uneasily. "...Oh...right! I knew that!" (sweatdrop)
"Come on, let's go. We need to figure out what we're going to do, now that our vacation time has been delayed," Pure mentioned, moving on. She flew up onto the cliff ledge that Vivian had been dangling from and sat down. Her pupil followed suit.
Vivian gathered herself together and leaned forward as she sat beside her mentor. She peered downward to where the group of warriors stood, watching them intently. "Who are they?"
"I'm not sure, but not all of them are human," Pure stated.
"I figured that. The green guy sort of gave that away." She pointed at Piccolo, and then took a moment before she spoke again. "Where are we anyway?"
"Some parallel dimension. And I fear we have disrupted this one's normal cycle. That means we need to find Korroc quickly and leave this place."
"You mean that nasty-looking demon you fought earlier? How do you propose we get him out of this dimension? Ask him nicely?"
"We need a plan. I'm not sure if those creatures down there can help either." Pure glanced down at the mute saiya-jin. "But we might as well give it a try."
Without another word, Pure slipped down from the cliff ledge and dropped quickly to the ground; her pupil tagging behind with more questions. Pure impacted the ground soundlessly, straightening upward just as swiftly and made her way toward the warriors. Vivian had made a less-than-graceful landing as she stumbled over the large rocks and nearly lost her balance on the sands. Her behavior was much excused, since being depleted of enough energy to only float in the air. She teetered slightly, then regained her balance and ran after her mentor.
They could feel the entire band of warriors locking their eyes on them in suspicion as they approached. Those closest to them took a cautious step aside, save the saiya-jin prince. His anger seethed through to the surface, awaiting the chance when he'd threaten the woman with words that would make a challenging man shake in fear. He could not help but be entranced by the woman and at the same time curse her for being. Pure could easily sense the man's fury and confusion, dismissing it as she did with her hold onto his voice. Her gaze leveled with his, until she stopped a respectable distance, her gaze wandering over the rest of the group as she judged their strength and power.
"...You're hiding something, woman," came the stumbling words from the prince.
Of all the things Pure had been prepared to hear spew out of the saiya-jin's mouth it was not this. Her back visibly stiffened in anger and she glared at the man not even seven paces before her. She noticed a darkness that loomed in his eyes that sparked a sudden wave of alarm within her. The coldness she became ensnared with was from the saiya-jin's own mind, not of Korroc's. In that quick instant, she could sense sadness, loathing, and what was left of pride, all reflecting out of the dark coals of his eyes. She could sense a deep hurt as well, though buried well beneath the surface where it would never be shown.
Pure pulled her mind away from the darkening abyss inside of the prince's gaze and managed to regard him in all seriousness. "I've lived my entire life in hiding," she told him flatly. "And do not think me a coward, for there is a fine line between cowardice and noble intentions. Although, you don't seem like the type that understands the meaning of such a thing."
Before Vegeta had the chance to snap back, Piccolo stepped forward and interjected. "Just tell us who you are and why you're here. We've heard enough bickering for one day. Too much for my liking."
The women glanced over to the tall, green Namek, then at each other. Vivian casually walked up behind Gohan and leaned forward slightly, trying to get a good look at him. She sent her mentor a questioning glance before Pure finally nodded in approval.
"I guess you would call us occasional wanderers," Vivian said, making the young boy jerk forward in surprise and turn around. She smiled sweetly and straightened up once more. "Although dropping in on you people was completely unintentional. I apologize for any injustice we may have caused you."
"Injustice? Are you kidding?" Yamcha commented, smiling at her. "You actually did us a favor. We owe you ladies big time. If it hadn't been for your friend here, Frieza would've beaten us for sure."
"How would you know, Yamcha?" Bulma retorted. "You never even tried to fight him. You could've at least done something."
"You're crazy if you think any of us could've possibly beaten that guy." He received a glare from Vegeta's direction. "Do you have any idea of how powerful that monster is?"
"Was," Pure corrected. She stood between Piccolo and Vegeta, her arms folded. "But we have more pressing matters to attend to. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we must take our leave."
The shortest man in the group fidgeted a little, and then rubbed the back of his bald head nervously before speaking. "...Um...well, maybe we could help you out. I mean...it's the least we can do."
Vivian nodded her head vigorously. "That would be great." She caught Pure's gaze and took a small step back. "What do you think, sensei? Can they help?" Her voice lowered respectably, realizing she had overstepped her position.
Pure lifted her chin, accepting the help from the group of foreigners. "I do not see a problem with it. But before we go anywhere, some introductions are needed, I believe. Sorry for the absence of formalities," she apologized, and then nodded her head in greeting. "My name is Pure, and this," she gestured to her pupil, "is my student, Vivian. You need not know more."
"I'm assuming you already know who most of us are," Piccolo stated.
"I don't!" Vivian, of course.
The conversation continued nonetheless. "Yes, but I believe I have not gotten your name, young monk," Pure locked eyes with Krillin, causing him to stare down at the ground and shuffle his feet before she decided to speak after a few seconds, "or your three-eyed friend over there."
Krillin stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words to introduce himself. "Oh...uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Um...the name's Krillin. And that's Tien," he pointed out, trying to draw the woman's gaze away from him.
She turned away from Krillin and made her way toward the three- eyed man. As she halted a few steps before him, she caught sight of a small, mime-like child hiding behind his leg. "Whose child is this?"
"Oh. This is Chiaotzu," Tien mentioned politely. He peered down at his friend, who was still as a rock, staring back at the woman. His eyes rounded as she stared down at him, becoming hypnotized by her mere presence. He gave a small wave of the hand and hid behind Tien's leg without a sound.
She remained silent for quite some time, moving along to look over the rest of the group, studying every aspect of their being to the last detail. Pausing momentarily, Pure noticed that both the saiya-jin prince and child were void of their sacred tails. Taking this piece of information into account for later use, she finally decided to turn away from the group and gaze at the horizon. Her senses flared as she began her search for the demon's trail. The warriors did not bless her with silence very long, on behalf of the stubborn prince suddenly losing his patience with her.
"We're wasting our time out here, woman! Are you going to give us more information or not? I will not spend the entire day rotting out here in the sun!" Vegeta snapped.
He received no reply.
"Woman, are you deaf?!"
Pure's head snapped to the side, her draconic eyes boring into the saiya-jin prince in annoyance, which suddenly switched to disbelief. She had caught sight of a winged creature at the corner of her eye. She was surprised that none of the others had detected the shadowed creature's presence as it began to dive down upon them from the clear skies at break-neck speed. One thing that hadn't surprised her was the fact that they didn't hear the swift, silent movement of the wind as it passed through the creature's wings. Removing that issue immediately from her mind, she brought her arms around in front of her and let her pure energy flow through her body and into her arms, which took on an electrical charge. Gathering the pristine energy into an orb that formed in her hands, she spun quickly around, firing her attack toward the demonic creature.
The warriors reacted instinctively to this attack. At first, she had seemed to be aiming the blast at Vegeta for his impudence and rude tongue. They each took a step back and began forming their own counter-attacks until they finally realized her target was farther upward. The blast stormed just above the prince's shoulder, causing the hair on his neck to stand on end and a chill race up his spine. He shivered involuntarily, his teeth clenched as his gaze wavered on the sorceress before him.
Unrelenting fury swept through the saiya-jin prince's body while the all-too-seemingly headstrong woman recomposed herself. "How dare you! What is the meaning of this?!" Vegeta demanded in outrage. He began to berate the woman with such coarse language that he never took notice to the dark shadow looming beside him.
It wasn't until the sound of the creature impacting the ground beside the prince that he decided to shut his mouth. He, as did everyone else, watched as the creature slid across the rocky terrain and came to a halt at the woman's feet. She knelt down and reached out her hand to the creature just as its insides deteriorated onto the ground, leaving only its shell. Picking the dark-skin fabric off the ground, Pure stood up and glared at it in disgust.
"A bit harsh, don't you think, Pure?" Vivian commented as she observed her mentor closely. The sight of the creature's skin was quite unsettling, but she managed to keep herself from losing her lunch. She did, however, note the disappointment on her mentor's face and the growing anger in her eyes. "What is it?"
The dark fabric was unexpectedly thrown to the ground in animosity, causing Vivian to take a step back. She heard her mentor swear in a mix of her elvish and ancient tongue as she paced away from the group.
"Damn thing may as well been a piece of cloth! Balvork nyleu nyter!" Pure spat then stopped herself a few strides to their left, her elven ears twitching vigorously. She turned, hearing the same such tongue being used by someone other than herself. Peering upward to where she saw the demon, she spotted a lone figure amidst the smoke from her attack.
The others had hear the same strange language and gazed behind them to find a young man in probably his late teen years hovering in the air not that far from them. He had been brushing himself off and muttering curses under his breath, attempting to recompose himself. His hair was the deepest set of brown that it almost resembled black; including the bowl cut hairstyle. He wore a pair of baggy, gray pants, a long-sleeved blue jacket overtop a black muscle shirt, and a pair of yellow-black boots. Mounted on his back they could see the hilt of a bastard sword, easily attainable for combat use. There was an air of familiarity about him that Pure couldn't quite place her finger on either.
The young stranger placed his arms to his sides and glared down at the warriors, his eyes intensely focused on Pure's very own pupil, Vivian....
Author's Note: I know, I know, the cliffhanger will get on some people's nerves, but you'll figure out exactly why that young man is staring Vivian down. I don't want to ruin it for you, but please review! I want to see if this is any good. I will be updating it though later with the things missed from the episode.