Chapter 17
"There will be another intermission as we, once again, repair the ring and allow our remaining fighters to get some lunch or medical attention if they have need of it. We will begin the Third Round at 1:15 sharp."
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Pan had been in the rejuvenation tank next to that of her father's for over an hour, when it finally beeped and released her. She climbed out and dried herself off, then checked the readings coming out of her father's tank.
~Thank Kame,~ she sighed with relief, he would be completely healed in a little more than an hour. She quickly got dressed and headed out the door, intent on finding Akira.
She found him sitting on the rock where they had shared their almost-kiss, once again watching the ocean.
"I didn't think I'd see you again," he said without looking up.
"Why would you think that?"
"After what I did to your father... you must hate me."
Pan was quiet for a moment; the truth was she had hated Akira as she watched her dad's bloodied body being placed in the rejuvenation tank. But that hatred had dissipated somewhat when Goten had told her of his meeting with Akira in the hall. She known then that she had to talk to Akira before she could figure out her feelings toward him, she had to know what had brought about his change in the ring.
"I...I don't hate you," she finally said, "but I need you to tell me what happened out there. You were like a different person. You were...cruel."
"I know," his voice was barely audible over the crashing waves.
She waited for him to say something more, but he seemed lost in thought. "So? What happened?" she asked after a several seconds of awkward silence.
Akira took a deep breath and closed his eyes; "I've never fought anyone like your father. I've never had to use the kind of power I needed to keep up with him. I knew that I had the power, I've felt it before, I even used it for just a second when Sike was about to kill you." Pan looked shocked, she'd assumed that her father had stopped the big man. Akira's eyes remained closed as he kept talking, "Before it was like I skipped along the surface of my power, but this time I dove in, taking all that I could. At first everything seemed fine, then I started having trouble holding onto to my emotions, all I could feel was rage. I was doing all that I could to hold onto who I was, but it was overwhelming. The rest of the fight was a blur, I can barely remember it, but I won't ever be able to forget landing and seeing what I did to your dad." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I can't tell you how sorry I am..."
Pan could see tear streaks running down his face. She walked up and sat down on the cold boulder, her hand sliding over his. "I forgive you," she whispered.
He gave her hand a light squeeze in response and then turned to watch the ocean again.
Pan stared at him for a moment, then said, "Will you tell me who you are? I mean, who you really are. I thought... after, you know... before... that maybe I knew who you were, but now I'm not so sure... I just need to kno—" She was interrupted by his lips rushing to meet hers. Pan's eyes went wide in surprise and then closed as she surrendered to his embrace. After a long moment Akira slowly pulled his face away from hers.
"What was that for?" Pan asked breathlessly.
"I just wanted you to know that no matter what you think of me after I answer your question, I will still care about you more than I care about anything." Pan blushed and looked away as Akira took a deep breath, trying to think of where to begin.
"The furthest back that I can remember is waking up on an island in the southern ocean, five months before we met. I didn't know how I got there, or who I was. It was raining, but shortly after I awoke, the storm vanished. I don't know how I knew I could do it, but somehow I knew how to fly.
"I flew for what seemed like ages, before I finally found a town on the mainland. There I...uh, borrowed some clothes and went looking for food, but I didn't have any money. I saw a crowd of people on the corner of a street; they were watching some guys fighting, offering a lot money to any man that could beat the town's champion. I stole some money from a cottage on the outskirts of town for my entrance fee and fought the man. At first he seemed really strong, but as the fight went on... it was like I was remembering something that used to be second nature to me, after a while the guy wasn't even a challenge anymore.
"I went back to the cottage and put the money that I'd stolen back, plus another twenty zeni, then I did the same at the house I'd taken the clothes. There was still plenty left over for me to get some food.
"After a while, people wouldn't let me fight in that town anymore, so I moved on to the next and then the one after that. Eventually people started asking why I wasn't in school, they seemed to think that someone as young as me should be in high school. So I enrolled at Orange Star, I don't even know why I picked that school; it just felt right somehow.
"Anyway, that's when we met and you pretty much know the rest from there. I really don't know why I'm so strong or how I can fight like I do. I do it all on instinct, my body just seems to know what to do when I'm in a fight." He stopped and looked at her, trying to decide whether or not he should continue.
Pan was staring at him, mouth open in amazement. When she'd asked him to tell her everything, she hadn't in a million years expected to hear the things he'd just said. It took her a moment to get her mouth working again. "I don't know what to say Akira." She finally managed.
You don't have to say anything," he said watching her closely as he tried to gauge her reaction.
"Hey," Pan said as another thought hit her, "what about your energy? How do you keep it hidden when you're powered up?"
"I don't know, it's just something I do, like flying or fighting."
"Is it always hidden, or can you make it so people can sense you?"
"Sometimes, but I don't have much control over it. I think I could learn to drop the barrier, but I just don't know... or at least don't remember how to do it. There is one way though," he stepped closer to her and took her hand, then closed his eyes. Pan felt such a surge of power it made her dizzy. "For some reason my energy can be felt if I'm touching the person when I'm powered up."
"Well, it's a pretty cool trick. When you figure out how you're doing it, you'll have to teach me. So... anything else I should know.
Akira smiled and shook his head. "Don't you think that's enough?"
Pan smiled back, "I guess it'll have to do... at least for today!" They both laughed.
~Wow, that actually went okay,~ Akira thought, and then Pan pulled him close and gently pressed her lips to his. ~Never mind it went perfect.~
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In a darkened room in the infirmary, Yurak was slowly bobbing up and down in the rejuvenation tank when it was ripped apart, spilling the wounded man onto the floor in a puddle of slippery fluid. He looked around in confusion and tried to stand, but his injured limbs would not respond. A dark shadow loomed over him.
"You know how Ammit feels about failure!" the shadow hissed.
"No, please, it was not my fault. The Saiyan prince has grown more powerful than we anticipated." Yurak's eyes were wide with fear.
"Silence! Just count your blessings that the Dark Lord is not here in person or you would not receive such a merciful punishment."
Yurak's screams echoed unheard through the empty halls.
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Vegeta had been trying to find Akira for over thirty minutes, he had already searched the arena and the surrounding village, now he was combing the coast and getting a little worried.
He was nearly half way around the island when he saw Akira and Pan up ahead; he immediately put on speed and landed a short distance from where they were standing. The sight that greeted him made his jaw drop.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, Pan and Akira jumped away from each other in surprise. "I've been searching everywhere for you and here you are having some teenage face sucking contest with Kakorrot's granddaughter!" He turned to Pan, "Go check on your father, I need to have a word with Akira."
Pan hesitated for just a second before shooting into the air and heading back toward the arena, Vegeta turned back to Akira.
"This had better be REALLY important," Akira said in annoyance.
"I assure you it's far more important than your raging hormones. Now sit down and shut up, there's something you need to know." Akira climbed onto the boulder, ready to listen. "While I was fighting Yurak, he claimed that his master was going to come for all of us. At first I thought it was just the ravings of a lunatic, but then he mentioned the name Ammit."
"And that should mean something to me?" Akira asked looking very unimpressed.
Vegeta scowled and then continued, "Ammit was the name of a legendary emperor, supposedly the most powerful being ever to live. According to legend, only the combined might of all the kais and an incredible amount of luck brought about his downfall. I don't know if there is any truth behind the legend, but if Yurak and Sike do work for him or something like him, there is no telling what sort of powers Sike may have. He has already proven himself able to defeat a Super Saiyan. Be on your guard during this upcoming match, do not play your childish games with him."
Akira was quiet while he digested this information, then he said, "Yurak mentioning this random legend can't be the only thing that happened or you wouldn't be this worried about it. What else makes you think they might be working for this guy?"
"The symbol on their shirts. It's the same symbol that the stories say Ammit branded onto his followers, showing that they belonged to him. Sike has the symbol branded on his chest, Yurak probably does also."
"Alright... thanks for the warning," Akira said nodding thoughtfully. Then he leapt into the air, heading back to the arena.
"There will be another intermission as we, once again, repair the ring and allow our remaining fighters to get some lunch or medical attention if they have need of it. We will begin the Third Round at 1:15 sharp."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Pan had been in the rejuvenation tank next to that of her father's for over an hour, when it finally beeped and released her. She climbed out and dried herself off, then checked the readings coming out of her father's tank.
~Thank Kame,~ she sighed with relief, he would be completely healed in a little more than an hour. She quickly got dressed and headed out the door, intent on finding Akira.
She found him sitting on the rock where they had shared their almost-kiss, once again watching the ocean.
"I didn't think I'd see you again," he said without looking up.
"Why would you think that?"
"After what I did to your father... you must hate me."
Pan was quiet for a moment; the truth was she had hated Akira as she watched her dad's bloodied body being placed in the rejuvenation tank. But that hatred had dissipated somewhat when Goten had told her of his meeting with Akira in the hall. She known then that she had to talk to Akira before she could figure out her feelings toward him, she had to know what had brought about his change in the ring.
"I...I don't hate you," she finally said, "but I need you to tell me what happened out there. You were like a different person. You were...cruel."
"I know," his voice was barely audible over the crashing waves.
She waited for him to say something more, but he seemed lost in thought. "So? What happened?" she asked after a several seconds of awkward silence.
Akira took a deep breath and closed his eyes; "I've never fought anyone like your father. I've never had to use the kind of power I needed to keep up with him. I knew that I had the power, I've felt it before, I even used it for just a second when Sike was about to kill you." Pan looked shocked, she'd assumed that her father had stopped the big man. Akira's eyes remained closed as he kept talking, "Before it was like I skipped along the surface of my power, but this time I dove in, taking all that I could. At first everything seemed fine, then I started having trouble holding onto to my emotions, all I could feel was rage. I was doing all that I could to hold onto who I was, but it was overwhelming. The rest of the fight was a blur, I can barely remember it, but I won't ever be able to forget landing and seeing what I did to your dad." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I can't tell you how sorry I am..."
Pan could see tear streaks running down his face. She walked up and sat down on the cold boulder, her hand sliding over his. "I forgive you," she whispered.
He gave her hand a light squeeze in response and then turned to watch the ocean again.
Pan stared at him for a moment, then said, "Will you tell me who you are? I mean, who you really are. I thought... after, you know... before... that maybe I knew who you were, but now I'm not so sure... I just need to kno—" She was interrupted by his lips rushing to meet hers. Pan's eyes went wide in surprise and then closed as she surrendered to his embrace. After a long moment Akira slowly pulled his face away from hers.
"What was that for?" Pan asked breathlessly.
"I just wanted you to know that no matter what you think of me after I answer your question, I will still care about you more than I care about anything." Pan blushed and looked away as Akira took a deep breath, trying to think of where to begin.
"The furthest back that I can remember is waking up on an island in the southern ocean, five months before we met. I didn't know how I got there, or who I was. It was raining, but shortly after I awoke, the storm vanished. I don't know how I knew I could do it, but somehow I knew how to fly.
"I flew for what seemed like ages, before I finally found a town on the mainland. There I...uh, borrowed some clothes and went looking for food, but I didn't have any money. I saw a crowd of people on the corner of a street; they were watching some guys fighting, offering a lot money to any man that could beat the town's champion. I stole some money from a cottage on the outskirts of town for my entrance fee and fought the man. At first he seemed really strong, but as the fight went on... it was like I was remembering something that used to be second nature to me, after a while the guy wasn't even a challenge anymore.
"I went back to the cottage and put the money that I'd stolen back, plus another twenty zeni, then I did the same at the house I'd taken the clothes. There was still plenty left over for me to get some food.
"After a while, people wouldn't let me fight in that town anymore, so I moved on to the next and then the one after that. Eventually people started asking why I wasn't in school, they seemed to think that someone as young as me should be in high school. So I enrolled at Orange Star, I don't even know why I picked that school; it just felt right somehow.
"Anyway, that's when we met and you pretty much know the rest from there. I really don't know why I'm so strong or how I can fight like I do. I do it all on instinct, my body just seems to know what to do when I'm in a fight." He stopped and looked at her, trying to decide whether or not he should continue.
Pan was staring at him, mouth open in amazement. When she'd asked him to tell her everything, she hadn't in a million years expected to hear the things he'd just said. It took her a moment to get her mouth working again. "I don't know what to say Akira." She finally managed.
You don't have to say anything," he said watching her closely as he tried to gauge her reaction.
"Hey," Pan said as another thought hit her, "what about your energy? How do you keep it hidden when you're powered up?"
"I don't know, it's just something I do, like flying or fighting."
"Is it always hidden, or can you make it so people can sense you?"
"Sometimes, but I don't have much control over it. I think I could learn to drop the barrier, but I just don't know... or at least don't remember how to do it. There is one way though," he stepped closer to her and took her hand, then closed his eyes. Pan felt such a surge of power it made her dizzy. "For some reason my energy can be felt if I'm touching the person when I'm powered up."
"Well, it's a pretty cool trick. When you figure out how you're doing it, you'll have to teach me. So... anything else I should know.
Akira smiled and shook his head. "Don't you think that's enough?"
Pan smiled back, "I guess it'll have to do... at least for today!" They both laughed.
~Wow, that actually went okay,~ Akira thought, and then Pan pulled him close and gently pressed her lips to his. ~Never mind it went perfect.~
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
In a darkened room in the infirmary, Yurak was slowly bobbing up and down in the rejuvenation tank when it was ripped apart, spilling the wounded man onto the floor in a puddle of slippery fluid. He looked around in confusion and tried to stand, but his injured limbs would not respond. A dark shadow loomed over him.
"You know how Ammit feels about failure!" the shadow hissed.
"No, please, it was not my fault. The Saiyan prince has grown more powerful than we anticipated." Yurak's eyes were wide with fear.
"Silence! Just count your blessings that the Dark Lord is not here in person or you would not receive such a merciful punishment."
Yurak's screams echoed unheard through the empty halls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Vegeta had been trying to find Akira for over thirty minutes, he had already searched the arena and the surrounding village, now he was combing the coast and getting a little worried.
He was nearly half way around the island when he saw Akira and Pan up ahead; he immediately put on speed and landed a short distance from where they were standing. The sight that greeted him made his jaw drop.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, Pan and Akira jumped away from each other in surprise. "I've been searching everywhere for you and here you are having some teenage face sucking contest with Kakorrot's granddaughter!" He turned to Pan, "Go check on your father, I need to have a word with Akira."
Pan hesitated for just a second before shooting into the air and heading back toward the arena, Vegeta turned back to Akira.
"This had better be REALLY important," Akira said in annoyance.
"I assure you it's far more important than your raging hormones. Now sit down and shut up, there's something you need to know." Akira climbed onto the boulder, ready to listen. "While I was fighting Yurak, he claimed that his master was going to come for all of us. At first I thought it was just the ravings of a lunatic, but then he mentioned the name Ammit."
"And that should mean something to me?" Akira asked looking very unimpressed.
Vegeta scowled and then continued, "Ammit was the name of a legendary emperor, supposedly the most powerful being ever to live. According to legend, only the combined might of all the kais and an incredible amount of luck brought about his downfall. I don't know if there is any truth behind the legend, but if Yurak and Sike do work for him or something like him, there is no telling what sort of powers Sike may have. He has already proven himself able to defeat a Super Saiyan. Be on your guard during this upcoming match, do not play your childish games with him."
Akira was quiet while he digested this information, then he said, "Yurak mentioning this random legend can't be the only thing that happened or you wouldn't be this worried about it. What else makes you think they might be working for this guy?"
"The symbol on their shirts. It's the same symbol that the stories say Ammit branded onto his followers, showing that they belonged to him. Sike has the symbol branded on his chest, Yurak probably does also."
"Alright... thanks for the warning," Akira said nodding thoughtfully. Then he leapt into the air, heading back to the arena.