Chapter 19
Akira staggered slowly back to the waiting area feeling completely drained. He didn't hear anything that Vegeta or Uubu said to him as he walked by. He headed straight out the back door and shot into the air, neither knowing nor caring were he was going.
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Pan breathed a sigh of relief as Akira lowered his hand and powered down. She watched as he walked away from the wreckage of the ring, then she turned and headed for the door. A hand caught her before she'd even taken a step.
"We need to talk," Gohan said.
"It'll have to wait, I need to see Akira," Pan replied as she gently tried to pull free from his grasp.
"No, we all need to discuss this now. You saw the fight; Akira was out of control again. Until he learns to control himself, he's a danger to himself and everyone around him," Gohan said, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.
"He's not dangerous, he's just confused." She looked up at her father pleadingly, "Please dad, I have to see him... he needs me."
Gohan stared at her for a moment then bowed his head in resignation. "Alright, but Trunks, Goten, and I are coming with you."
"Fine," Pan said, though the tone of her voice let everyone know that the idea was far from fine.
"Before you go, take this," Bulma tossed a cell phone to Gohan. "I'll call you if he shows up at the arena or to let you know when the finals are going to start." Gohan thanked her and then the four Saiyans walked to the balcony, leapt into the air, and began searching for the young warrior.
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Akira had spotted a small cluster of islands not far from the Arena Island and headed for them. Near the center of the cluster there was a slightly larger island with several small mountains on it. Akira landed near one of the summits and sat down. He spent the next forty-five minutes meditating.
~What happened out there? How could I let myself lose control like that?~ he asked himself. He began to think back to the fight, but a lot of his memories were hazy. Suddenly out of the mental fog rose an image of Sike, eye's burning, saying awful things to Akira and then threatening Pan.
Akira screamed in rage as an explosion of golden light leveled half the mountain.
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Pan was just beginning to give up hope of ever finding her friend when she felt an amazing surge of power. Turning in the direction it came from; she shot off at top speed, followed by Gohan, Trunks, and Goten.
A short while later they found Akira, still in his Super Saiyan form, hovering next to what had probably once been a very nice mountain. His eyes were closed and he was taking slow, deep breaths.
"Um, Akira, are you okay?" Pan asked. The boy didn't give any sign that he had heard her. She tried a little louder, "Akira, can you hear me? I want to help you."
He opened his eyes and looked at her, but for a long time didn't say anything. Then Akira returned to his normal form and sighed, "You can't help me Pan, you should just stay away, it's for your own good."
"Why"
"I wanted to kill him Pan, I literally wanted to rip him apart...I think I would have, if it hadn't been for you..."
"You didn't though."
"But that doesn't matter, does it? Don't you see? I've been completely out of control in my last two fights. I have incredible power, but my mind can't handle it. You kept me from murdering Sike, but will you be able to stop me next time or the time after that? Face it, I can't be trusted..." He looked over her shoulder at the three Saiyan men hovering behind her. "They know it. At least, I assume that's why they're here. They're worried I might hurt you..."
"It doesn't matter what they think or know. I know that you would never hurt me." She flew a little closer to him and cupped his face in her hands. "Just because you lost control in this fight or because you lost control in the last two fights doesn't mean that you're going to always be out of control. You have amazing power and sometimes it takes awhile to control that power. The other understand that, they've all gone through it too." She thought for a second and then asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were a Saiyan?"
"What's a Saiyan?" the young man clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
"It's what you are, at least, I think it's what you are. I don't know of any other alien race that can change into golden-haired super fighters. All of them," she pointed at the men behind her, "are half Saiyan; I'm just a quarter, but the Saiyan genes are the dominant ones, so we all have the ability to transform."
"You're saying I'm some sort of alien?" Akira was quiet for a moment while he considered the idea. Then he said, "I guess that explains some things."
"Like what?"
"Well, the tail makes a little more sense"
"You have a tail?" Pan asked in surprise. Akira lifted his shirt, revealing a brown, furry tail rapped securely around his waist. "Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen one of those on a person."
"What do you mean? I thought you said you were a Saiyan too."
"Oh, I am, but my parents had my tail removed when I was a baby. It just makes things easier on everyone." Suddenly a thought hit Pan, "Hey, was that the first time you've ever been a Super Saiyan?"
Akira nodded, "I didn't even know it was something I could do. Though looking back I think I've come close a couple of times without realizing it."
"The first time is always the hardest. It just takes practice to get used to the change and the emotions that come with it." Pan looked at the partially destroyed mountain and grinned, "I see you've started practicing already." She laughed and Akira half-heartedly joined in.
"Ahem," Gohan cleared his throat to get their attention. "I think that maybe we should all head back to Bulma's and have a chat."
Akira gave a small nod; "I guess that's proba—"
A beeping noise from Gohan's pocket interrupted the young. Gohan opened the little cell phone and had a quick conversation with the caller. When he ended the call and closed the small phone, he looked slightly annoyed.
"The finals are starting in less than a half hour. Vegeta won the match and the intermission is nearly over. I guess you're off the hook again Akira. That is, if you still plan on competing.
Akira looked at Pan, who nodded encouragingly to him; he turned to Gohan and—somewhat reluctantly—nodded.
"Alright then, "Gohan said, "let's go."
Akira staggered slowly back to the waiting area feeling completely drained. He didn't hear anything that Vegeta or Uubu said to him as he walked by. He headed straight out the back door and shot into the air, neither knowing nor caring were he was going.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Pan breathed a sigh of relief as Akira lowered his hand and powered down. She watched as he walked away from the wreckage of the ring, then she turned and headed for the door. A hand caught her before she'd even taken a step.
"We need to talk," Gohan said.
"It'll have to wait, I need to see Akira," Pan replied as she gently tried to pull free from his grasp.
"No, we all need to discuss this now. You saw the fight; Akira was out of control again. Until he learns to control himself, he's a danger to himself and everyone around him," Gohan said, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.
"He's not dangerous, he's just confused." She looked up at her father pleadingly, "Please dad, I have to see him... he needs me."
Gohan stared at her for a moment then bowed his head in resignation. "Alright, but Trunks, Goten, and I are coming with you."
"Fine," Pan said, though the tone of her voice let everyone know that the idea was far from fine.
"Before you go, take this," Bulma tossed a cell phone to Gohan. "I'll call you if he shows up at the arena or to let you know when the finals are going to start." Gohan thanked her and then the four Saiyans walked to the balcony, leapt into the air, and began searching for the young warrior.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Akira had spotted a small cluster of islands not far from the Arena Island and headed for them. Near the center of the cluster there was a slightly larger island with several small mountains on it. Akira landed near one of the summits and sat down. He spent the next forty-five minutes meditating.
~What happened out there? How could I let myself lose control like that?~ he asked himself. He began to think back to the fight, but a lot of his memories were hazy. Suddenly out of the mental fog rose an image of Sike, eye's burning, saying awful things to Akira and then threatening Pan.
Akira screamed in rage as an explosion of golden light leveled half the mountain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Pan was just beginning to give up hope of ever finding her friend when she felt an amazing surge of power. Turning in the direction it came from; she shot off at top speed, followed by Gohan, Trunks, and Goten.
A short while later they found Akira, still in his Super Saiyan form, hovering next to what had probably once been a very nice mountain. His eyes were closed and he was taking slow, deep breaths.
"Um, Akira, are you okay?" Pan asked. The boy didn't give any sign that he had heard her. She tried a little louder, "Akira, can you hear me? I want to help you."
He opened his eyes and looked at her, but for a long time didn't say anything. Then Akira returned to his normal form and sighed, "You can't help me Pan, you should just stay away, it's for your own good."
"Why"
"I wanted to kill him Pan, I literally wanted to rip him apart...I think I would have, if it hadn't been for you..."
"You didn't though."
"But that doesn't matter, does it? Don't you see? I've been completely out of control in my last two fights. I have incredible power, but my mind can't handle it. You kept me from murdering Sike, but will you be able to stop me next time or the time after that? Face it, I can't be trusted..." He looked over her shoulder at the three Saiyan men hovering behind her. "They know it. At least, I assume that's why they're here. They're worried I might hurt you..."
"It doesn't matter what they think or know. I know that you would never hurt me." She flew a little closer to him and cupped his face in her hands. "Just because you lost control in this fight or because you lost control in the last two fights doesn't mean that you're going to always be out of control. You have amazing power and sometimes it takes awhile to control that power. The other understand that, they've all gone through it too." She thought for a second and then asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were a Saiyan?"
"What's a Saiyan?" the young man clearly had no idea what she was talking about.
"It's what you are, at least, I think it's what you are. I don't know of any other alien race that can change into golden-haired super fighters. All of them," she pointed at the men behind her, "are half Saiyan; I'm just a quarter, but the Saiyan genes are the dominant ones, so we all have the ability to transform."
"You're saying I'm some sort of alien?" Akira was quiet for a moment while he considered the idea. Then he said, "I guess that explains some things."
"Like what?"
"Well, the tail makes a little more sense"
"You have a tail?" Pan asked in surprise. Akira lifted his shirt, revealing a brown, furry tail rapped securely around his waist. "Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen one of those on a person."
"What do you mean? I thought you said you were a Saiyan too."
"Oh, I am, but my parents had my tail removed when I was a baby. It just makes things easier on everyone." Suddenly a thought hit Pan, "Hey, was that the first time you've ever been a Super Saiyan?"
Akira nodded, "I didn't even know it was something I could do. Though looking back I think I've come close a couple of times without realizing it."
"The first time is always the hardest. It just takes practice to get used to the change and the emotions that come with it." Pan looked at the partially destroyed mountain and grinned, "I see you've started practicing already." She laughed and Akira half-heartedly joined in.
"Ahem," Gohan cleared his throat to get their attention. "I think that maybe we should all head back to Bulma's and have a chat."
Akira gave a small nod; "I guess that's proba—"
A beeping noise from Gohan's pocket interrupted the young. Gohan opened the little cell phone and had a quick conversation with the caller. When he ended the call and closed the small phone, he looked slightly annoyed.
"The finals are starting in less than a half hour. Vegeta won the match and the intermission is nearly over. I guess you're off the hook again Akira. That is, if you still plan on competing.
Akira looked at Pan, who nodded encouragingly to him; he turned to Gohan and—somewhat reluctantly—nodded.
"Alright then, "Gohan said, "let's go."