Chapter 25: test of fate

Trunks and Emily continued to make their way down their corridor in silence. They had barely uttered a word to one another since they had passed through their door after splitting up with the others. Trunks was still concerned about his girlfriend and Emily was worrying about Mirai and the kids. They had both been silent for so long now that Emily was beginning to feel awkward. She needed something to take her mind off of her worry.

"So…um…how much further do you think it'll be?" she asked, hoping to strike up a conversation. Trunks only glanced at her before shrugging his shoulders. That hadn't been the response Emily had been looking for.

"Wonder what'll be waiting for us. What do you think?" she asked. Trunks didn't even look at her this time.

"I don't know."

Emily sighed as she watched him and folded her arms across her chest, frowning at him.

"Come on Trunks, you can't keep pushing me away like this. Talk to me." She told him and Trunks stopped walking and turned to face her.

"And say what? Do you want me to tell you what's bothering me, is that it? I gave my girlfriend a piece of jewellery that was probably slowly killing her and making her do thinks she didn't want to! Now she's been kidnapped and its all my fault and you won't let me even brood about it. It's very hard to be all broody when someone keeps trying to make you talk and have a conversation. So can you just be quiet so that we can get this over with, please?" he asked and Emily's frown went from angry to being hurt.

"Trunks, I was just-"

"I know what you were doing, just could you not? I know I look like your Trunks and technically I guess we are the same person but that doesn't mean that you can treat me like him. So don't try and cheer me up." Trunks interrupted her with a sigh. Emily blinked and stared at him as he started to walk again.

Where did that come from? She thought before hurrying to catch up.

She didn't have much time to talk to him after that as they soon reached the ship's third arena. This one was decorated in gold but still had the same set up, including it's own alien announcer. The little guy came out of the ceiling riding a hovering platform that was just like the others. This announcer had yellow skin and a large green nose. The creature grinned down at the two warriors and brought out a small microphone from seemingly nowhere.

"Welcome challengers! This is the third arena of our little game and you are the last combatants to fight. But you're the unlucky ones! You'll have a much tougher test then the others. Welcome to golden blow out!" the announcer cried, pumping his spare arm as he finished. Emily and Trunks glanced at each other before Trunks stepped forward.

"What do you mean by test?" he asked and the little announcer smirked at him.

"A fight to the death. We give you an opponent and you must face whatever creature we produce. If you kill the enemy then you can go free. If you lose then…well…you'll be dead." The announcer explained, frowning at his last sentence.

"And what of Zara? Will we see her again?" Trunks asked and the creature smirked almost sinisterly.

"You'll see." He replied and his platform began to float towards a door on the opposite side of the arena.

"Do you accept?" he cried. Emily and Trunks glanced at each other before turning back to the announcer.

"Do you really have to ask?" Trunks asked and the announcer creature grinned.

"Alright! Well then without further a due, allow me to present your opponent! She's a halfling that's part from the planet Kal and part from the pretty little blue planet you all know and love. Fighting because she has no free will of her own, meet Zara!" he cried as the door slid open to reveal Zara kneeling on the floor with her hair covering her face. She was still chained to the piece of wall and now donned a battle outfit instead of the nightclothes she had disappeared in: a black spandex short-sleeved suit covered by a long red tunic and black cloth belt.

Trunks's eyes widened as he saw her and he would have ran towards her if it hadn't been for Emily. She grabbed his arm before he could rush over.

"Wait a moment Trunks, something isn't right here. You heard what he said, Zara has no free will of her own." She told him and Trunks stared at the blonde, frowning.

"What are you talking about? It's Zara! Let me go!" Trunks shot back at her as he wrenched his arm lose. He then turned back to Zara to see the chains falling off of her as she stood up. The alien announcer watched and started hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.

"This is great! Both sides are super strong but can the challengers beat one of their own? We're about to find out!" the little creature cried out as the platform it was on started to fly back to the ceiling hatch it had come from. The alien noticed that the platform was moving and pouted childishly as he was forced out of the arena. Emily and Trunks watched him go; sweat dropping all the while, before they turned round to watch Zara.

"Better stay on guard Trunks, I don't like this." Emily said quietly as she reached for the capsule in her pocket. Trunks glanced at her quickly before walking towards Zara.

"Don't worry, I know Zara and she's not about to fight us." He replied.

"You better be right about that." Emily muttered and watched as Trunks approached his girl friend. He stopped in front of Zara and reached out for her as he checked for any injuries.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked softly. Zara's eyes slowly moved to his hand and then drifted up his arm to look at his face. Her eyes were hollow and empty again and almost made him jump. They were just so cold.

"Zara?" He asked, recovering from the shock from seeing her eyes that empty. Zara didn't answer him and instead unexpectedly turned into a spin kick, her foot blazing with energy as the attack connected and sent the young prince off his feet and soaring into the metal wall on the other side of the arena.

Emily watched wide-eyed as he was sent hurtling into the golden wall.

"Trunks!" she cried out in alarm before turning to face Zara again. Trunks groaned as he slid down the wall before he slowly raised his head to see what happened, his face full of confusion.

"Zar…Zara?"

Zara was now floating in place, her red aura pulsing around her whilst her hands glowed with ki-blasts. Her hollow eyes were now fixated on Emily who was now in a tight stance in the centre of the room.

Trunks slowly climbed back to his feet, rubbing his sore head.

"Why did she attack me?" he asked confused. Emily narrowed her eyes as she continued her stare down with Zara.

"That's not Zara anymore." She replied slowly before rushing forward and un-capsulising her sword in one smooth motion.

Zara frowned at Emily before lurching herself forward and firing both of the blasts she held. Emily dodged the first effortlessly and sliced through the second with her sword, continuing forward the whole way. She met Zara head on and quickly launched her free hand at the younger woman. Zara made a sharp left and Emily responded with a sharp axe kick from the right, which Zara again dodged.

Emily gritted her teeth as she quickly surveyed Zara.

I just need one good hit. If I can knock her out before we get too far into the fight then I should prevent her from doing anything regrettable, Emily thought before diving at Zara again and swung her sword flat side up towards Zara's head only to come up short. Zara blocked the blow with two crossed ki swords. Emily stared at them in surprise before the younger woman used a well-placed kick to knock Emily back. Emily quickly recovered and slid to a halt just in time to see Zara convert one of her ki swords into a blast that was then flung at Emily. The saiyan woman was forced to dive aside before Zara gave chase, now wielding one ki sword.

Trunks watched the two women fight from his place on the sidelines. He didn't know what to do. He was in a fight to the death against his girlfriend and the only way to get out was to win. But it was Zara he was up against. Sure he could fight her but he couldn't kill her. If they fought then he could be forced to do just that. But on the other hand an amulet he had given her was controlling Zara and she was being forced to fight. If he didn't step in then Emily could be the one to lose and he'd be forced to fight anyway. No matter how he looked at it someone would end up dying and he couldn't let that happen. He was torn. And that was why all he could do was watch the fight.

Zara powered up as she shot forward, her aura pulsing outwards violently. Her pupils reverted to slits as her iris disappeared and the rest of her eye turned red. Her hair turned black and lightened to red at the tip as she under went her own transformation. Emily's eyes widened as she witnessed it.

Did she just transform? She thought before she was forced to swerve sideways as a ki sword sliced the air. Emily grunted as her eyes turned teal and she burst into the super saiyan three transformation. Emily then thrust her fist forward just to have Zara dodge and respond with a curt kick of her own. Emily blocked it and then was forced to side step out of the way as the ki sword swung down at her, slicing the air and a good portion of the floor before Zara turned into a spin and swiped at the older woman again.

Emily was forced into retreating as Zara continued her fierce swipes. Emily ducked and dodged and then sprung backwards into a back flip to land further away. Zara narrowed her eyes and quickly pointed her ki sword at Emily. It erupted into a wide spread beam that sped after the saiyan. Emily gasped as she landed and was forced to cross her arms in front of her the block the blast. She was pushed mere centimetres away from the wall before it exploded. Emily cringed as pain flashed through her entire body but she didn't allow it to affect her too greatly. Zara appeared above her, attacking from above and Emily was forced to sidestep aside before raising her sword again and attacking.

Emily's blade made an arc as she thrust the blade towards Zara who raised her newly made ki sword to push it aside before swiping again at Emily. The saiyan girl quickly used her own sword to bar the attack and Zara continued to press down, determined to get through. Emily's face contorted in concentration as they entered a stalemate.

This is harder then I thought it would be. That amulet has released all of her potential and has changed her fighting style. It's more forceful…Emily thought but trailed off as Zara let go of her blade, although the ki sword continued to press down on Emily's defence. Emily began to look both worried and confused now as Zara began to float back a safe distance. The amulet had fallen out of her tunic and was now glowing brightly as Zara came to a halt, raising her hand. The younger woman smirked before she snapped her fingers. Almost immediately afterwards the ki sword began to glow a burning white. It then exploded, sending Emily crashing into the reinforced wall behind.

"Emily!" Trunks called from the sidelines and took a step forward. Zara's head snapped round to his direction and she took a step towards him. Trunks stared at her, shocked. His mouth had gone dry and he could only stare at her. Zara's hand began to glow as she raised it to point at his head, her palm going flat.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Emily's voice called from the wall and Zara turned to see a bleeding Emily charging towards her with her sword at her side. The older woman quickly slashed at the other but Zara quickly dodged, her amulet rising from her body from the movement.

A golden blast hurtled towards the women and went straight through the amulet and its chain before it could land on its owner's chest again, burning them away. Zara's eyes and hair returned to normal as a dumbfounded look spread across her face. She glanced to the side to see Trunks with his arm still outstretched and smoking silently.

"Trunks?" she mumbled.

But at the same exact moment all of this was happening, Emily was turning round to continue her attack, guiding her sword towards Zara all the while. Zara, having just been released from the amulet's hold, didn't realise that she was still in the middle of a battle and so didn't move when Emily's sword was driven towards her, ploughing through the young half-breed.

Zara lurched forward, her eyes widening as pain burned through her abdomen. She slowly looked down to see the point of a very bloody sword sticking out of her body. Across the arena, Trunks had gone as white as a sheet as he too stared at the sword.

"No…" he practically whispered before launching forward to grab Zara before she collapsed. Emily was now staring almost blankly at the sword. She had expected Zara to dodge. Being freed was the last thing she thought would happen to Zara before the attack.

"Oh Gods…" she muttered before backing up. Trunks held on to the paling Zara tightly, staring blankly at the sword's point, as he repeatedly muttered 'no' like a mantra. Zara was shaking as she stared at the mortal wound, struggling to talk or even breath and stay conscious.

It looked like what Trunks had thought was true.

Zara was dying.