A/N: WOO HOO! 42 Reviews! Does Happy Dance
Chapter 38: Sacrifices Made in Vain
"Gohan wait!" Bardock shouted grabbing him as he ran past. "We don't have any other options and this is what she feels she has to do."
"There has to be another way!" He screamed breaking free. But he was too late; as he reached for her she exploded in a brilliant white flash that sent white sparks flying in all directions. When the wave hit Gohna he felt almost instantly stronger and the cuts and scrapes that riddled hi arms healed.
"This shouldn't be the way it has to be. There had to be another way." Brolli said quietly as he pulled himself up; tears in his eyes. "Pallas... My love..." He said as a white spark hovered above his hand and he gazed at it sadly. "I won't let your sacrifice be in vain... I promise." The little spark sunk into him and the tear stream away from it's source. He clenched his hand closed hard and let out a scream of pure anger. Everyone stared at him oddly having never known he had feelings for Pallas. The scream twisted and contorted in the same manner as his body as Brolli seemed to take on an eerie almost evil presence. A wave of energy and a bright gold flash shot away from him temporarily blinding everyone.
"Use this loss; use the power and the opportunity." Bardock advised as he called to Brolli. "Let it all go..." Oh he let it all go all right. So much that the sheer force coming off of him was gently pushing everyone away.
"Did he reach level four?" Gohan questioned looking at his father.
"Not yet. I bet he'll be a lot stronger than this when he does though." Goku said in a serious tone. I just hope he can control it."
"Yeah." Gohan agreed and nodded. The glow around Brolli faded and he stood there with pure rage on his face eying Masikle with malice. He looked down at Goku.
"Never in my life have I felt such hate... Not even towards you all that time ago... If it is the last thing I do, I will kill her... If not alone, but I will still hold a part in it." His almost demonic voice choked out.
"Casica looked at the Chosen grimly. "We only have one shot; just one shot." She emphasized the 'one'. "Now hurry up and let's do this! That shield isn't going to hold forever!" Everyone started powering up and transforming.
"Gohan, Brolli, hold back one level and hold back enough to ascend if need be." Goku said telepathically. "You two are going to be our back up if this doesn't work. You're the strongest..."
"Dad?" Gohan questioned.
"Just do it Gohan... Please..."
"All right..."
"So this is it, this is the battle to end all battles. Everything, all the fights and battles were nothing compared to this. It's time... Time to tap every ounce of power I can in order to defeat her. I just hope we'll have enough time and strength to recover before Daricus comes." Goku thought as his power climbed up the level three range. "We could sure use your guidance Vegeta. And we could definitely use your power Kaykora and Naros." He finished the thought before transforming to level four.
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"They must be preparing for the attack." Vegeta thought aloud as he neared the doors. "But why are Brolli and the brat holding back their power? Are they afraid or something? No... It must be part of some plan on Kakorrot's part. A back up incase that doesn't work. Hmm... Poor simple fool has a true fighters mentality when the time's right..."
Vegeta reached the doors and the realization of just what was in front of them crept into his mind. "I don't know if I like the looks of this..." He thought aloud again as he quietly stood in front of the alter. He laid the United down and gazed at it. In that instant it's beastly form faded and Kaykora laid there pale and fragile looking. "Naros's strength must have given in..." Vegeta turned and started walking around. "Well I brought her... them... Now what?" He called out. Blood began to seep down the side of the alter and drip on to the floor.
"This is more like a bad horror movie." Vegeta mused as he eyed the source and moved near it slowly. The blood was coming from the letter of the word 'sacrifice' carved into the side of the alter. "What is this?" He thought running his fingers over the word and a drawer suddenly popped out. On the bottom lay a beautifully jeweled sword...
"No... No, no NO!" Vegeta screamed backing away. "I wil not kill my own daughter! Do you hear me!" He screamed again with more desperation. "I won't do it..." He uttered as he slipped on the blood and fell backwards on to the floor. He laid there unmoving with tears of pain, fear, and anger streaming down as tears and never poured from his cold onyx eyes.
"You promised to protect her... You love her deeply and you want to see her become a great warrior and leader. You want her to live up to her royal position and blood. But most of all you want her to be happy." A girl's voice called out.
"Who are you?" He asked indifferently. She suddenly hovered over him.
"My name is Vega..." She said offering him a hand up. He took it and she pulled him to a sitting position.
"That doesn't tell me much..." He muttered.
"I am made in the image of my parents and my soul is a bit of their own." She answered looking down at the figure on the alter.
"That still doesn't tell me much." He muttered again tracing circles in the blood on the floor.
"My parents..." She said slipping the pendant off it's neck. "Are here..." She finished slipping over her own.
"What do you mean?!" Vegeta exclaimed shooting up.
"Kaiokarsha made me from them and gave me life with a bit of their souls. I am to help you fight. You're the one..." She never looked away from her parents as she spoke.
"What do you mean the one?" Vegeta asked drawing near her.
"All of the Chosen have purpose; a role. They Key, the Prophet, the Guardians, the Healer, the Hope; all Uniteds. But there can be only one Slayer." She looked up at him. "In the future it wouldn't matter, you wouldn't be in this position."
"It would matter... They are all connected to me and each in their own way has affected me..." Vegeta interjected. "Why does there was have to be death?" He clenched his fist and slammed it on the alter. "Whay do the people I love always have to die?!" He screamed pounding it again and again.
"Grandpa it's not your fault!" Vega screamed grabbing his hands. "There has to be balance! If I could, I would die if it meant you could be together in the end! I would!" Now she was crying. Vegeta looked at her with a look of surprise, sadness, shock.
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"I hope you're ready..." Tario said laboredly.
"I'm ready when you are!" Casica called out to Goku.
"Spread out and get ready!" He called out to everyone. "When the shield break Gohan, Goten, Bardock, and I will fire. When we're done, Trunks and Brolli you two go then everyone else!"
"Pathetic Casica... You honestly think that this will be enough to stop me? When all this foolishness is over, I'll simply blast you all away." Masikle said with a cold smirk and chill laugh.
"What attack are you going to use?" Goku asked Gohan and Goten.
"The Kamehameha has never let us down yet." Gohan replied with a slight smile. Goten's United nodded.
"What about you Trunks?" Trusnk's United looked at him funny for a minute. "Make him proud Trunks, I know you can pull it off." Goku urged flashing him a Son grin. It nodded and grinned back.
"This is all really quite funny but I'm interested in seeing if they can actually gather enough power to even do damage." Masikle commented to herself.
"Now!" Goku shouted and everyone started powering up their strongest attacks.
"Only a few seconds left everyone!" Talinia warned.
Four voices rang out in the golden lit darkness. "KA...ME...HA..." The shield broke and it's green glow faded away. "ME... HA!" Their massive golden attacks cut through the air and illuminated a huge radius around them. They broke on Casica and sure to her word the slowly started disappearing into her. From far off Aarian smiled as she mustered up enough strength to use a healing technique. When she was healed, she teleported to each cleric and healed them before returning to her spot and waiting. The whole matter had taken about 10 minutes and in that time the attacks were still going strong.
"We might just do it... They might just have enough power to destroy her." Casica thought as she slowly absorbed the power directed at her. "We can do it..." The power of the attacks started to wane and in a short moment later stopped and two of their sources dropped to the ground exhausted. Casica absorbed the rest of the energy and prepared for the next group.
"How are the handling it?" Zani probed.
"If this is all you've got we're doomed." She replied.
"FINAL FLASH!" Rang out through the deeper darkness and an equally as big beam of golden energy shot through and hit Casica. A beam roughly twice the size shot out and impacted her soon after.
"Shit!" She cried as the energy flowed into her. "That little thing is strong... And him... I'd hate to see him if he reaches level four..."
"Well... This is actually getting interesting..." Masikle mused.
Aarian appeared and healed Goku and Bardock who had expelled all but the what was absolutely necessary to keep them alive. "Ugh... Saiyans... They'll fight until there's no fight left. They always were so stubborn." She joked but it was ill-received. She shrugged and went back to her post.
Brolli finished off his attack just as Goku said but Trunks' and Elsie kept going. "Trunks! Stop!" Gohan called out but still they went on. "Trunks! You're going to kill yourself!" Gohan called again.
"It'll be worth it!" It called back. In an instant Gohan was behind it pulling it down to the ground ending the attack. It defused and Trunks laid lifeless on the ground his purple hair hanging in his eyes. Elsie looked at him worried.
"He... He block me out... None of my energy was getting into the attack. He told me right before that a lot of sacrifices would have to be made and that he was going to be one of them... He was going to defuse right before his energy gave out..." She explained frantically.
"Everyone keep going!" Goku called running over to them. Zani and Dalina fired off their attacks although it became apparent it wasn't going to do much good. Aarian appeared and immediately set to work healing Trunks.
"What was he thinking Dad?" Gohan questioned still holding the boy.
"I guess it wanted to end this as soon as possible to buy us some more time. I don't know for sure. Maybe he just wanted this over so everyone could be wished back..." Goku replied.
"He really worried about his Mom and her health the past few weeks. He just wants her back so his sister isn't put in any risk of not being born." Bardock added.
"Or maybe he thought he had to do this to get Vegeta's attention..." Gohan commented. "He had shown Kaykora a lot of attention and made it clear how much he cared for her..."
"I love Kaykora... She's my big sister... I want to be as strong as her so I can protect my little sister and my Mom when they get back... Nobody can stop Kaykora and Naros... They're the best..." Trunks said slowly as his life returned to him.
"You're a piece of work kid but I'm glad I got you back in time. We couldn't have spared the energy to resurrect you..." Aarian said standing up.
"This is going to be enough." Casica called out and everyone turned to see that Zani and Dalina were done had their attacks had been absorbed.
"This is mine... I know you said to save energy but I have to do this." Brolli said looking Casica in the eye. "We aren't so weak as to be defeat by one pathetic bitch who has to steal the energy of innocent people!" He shouted taking on the form of a really tall level four SuperSaiyan. He let out a massive beam attack towards Casica who looked on wide-eyed. The force of the attack impacting her force everyone back.
"He's going to kill her!" Gohan yelled in horror.
"No she's still there..." Bardock said shaking his head in disbelief. The attack raged for what seemed like an eternity with no sigh of stopping. Masikle grew bored but was still intrigued by the effort they put into what she deemed a hopeless endeavor.
"Hmm... Stupid monkeys..." She beamed absentmindedly as she reclined in mid-air waiting impatiently. The attack finally came to a close but it took almost as long for Casica to finish absorbing it.
"All right..." Casica thought. "I've got this now... This should do it multiplied three times..." With that she transformed to level one. None could feel any immediate rise in her power though. She then went level two. Again no real change in power. But as soon as she hit level three everyone could feel that she hadn't lied about her ability. If there had been any doubt, it faded as a huge golden ball started forming high above their heads.
"What... The Hell is that..." Talinia questioned from a few miles away.
"I hope to the Gods that's our attack and not Masikle's..." Tario added.
"It is." Aarian commented in awe.
"Oh are we going to play ball now? Goodie, goodie! I thought is game was going to be so boring!" Masikle mused as she gazed up at the ball with a cocky smile. "Try and try fools there is no hope for you now... I will destroy you all."
Masikle's confidence slowly waned as it became apparent that this was no attack to be taken lightly. It has taken the size of a small moon and illuminated the whole surface of the dark desolate planet. But still it grew with no sigh of stopping for a long while...
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"Yes... Yes... Burn your energy and burn your strength fools! Soon it will be of no matter! You can crush Masikle now and when you do, her energy will be mine! Then I shall finally take on my physical form and rule everything! Once I have taken the energy of the major positions and these weaklings I shall no longer need to control the Grand Army! I'll simply wipe it out and absorb its power. Then I shall sweep in the open door and kill the Ancients and claim their power as well! My plan can not fail now!" Daricus roared in his dark hide away.
"Long I have bided my time and now it shall all be complete! Once all those miserable monkeys are dead, Nanakia will be no challenge to my power ever again! No one will be!" e let out a cold chilling laugh that bounced and echoed off the dark halls as he gazed at his viewing orb contently. "And soon I shall have my bride... The beautiful pride of Archenakia... The glorious Queen..."
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The orb finally stopped growing and glowed ominously down at Masikle. "How can this be?!" She exclaimed confused and angry. "You are not so much stronger than me that you could add enough power to kill me!" She screamed at Casica.
"You're right but thanks to an evil little technique Daricus taught me I can multiply the power in my body each time I transform. And thanks to mother's absorption technique I could amass and multiply all of their power as well... Good bye Masikle... May your evil heart rot in the foulest depths of Hell... And may mine soon join you for all the evil I have wrought and the innocent I have killed."
With that she disappeared and re-appeared behind Maskile. She grabbed her and hurtled up towards the giant ball. Try as she might Masikle couldn't free herself from her sister's grip and so in the end they both careened into the huge ball and both died in the resulting cataclysmic explosion.
Below the Chosen and Clerics were compressed against the invincible ground of the dark planet. For an eternity they laid there unmoving as the explosion burned into them and the force crushed them. It seemed they would all die anyways after trying so hard to stay alive...
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"YES THE POWER IS MINE!!!" Daricus screamed with delight as he ascended into his physical form. "NOW EVEN THE MIGHTIEST OF BEINGS SHALL FALL TO ME!!!"