Chapter ten, When a Red Moon Rises

10:09 am. August 3rd

A/N: Thanks to TreCoolIsMyBitch, Thomas Drovin, and krillball6 for reviewing my last chapter. Here is the next one, sorry for the wait, just moved into my new house and we were unpacking and things of that nature. Look for my next two fan fiction that I hope to be publishing, Similar Relations (Fruits Basket) and When Stars Revolt (The Lord of the Rings). AND NOW ON WITH THE LAST CHAPTER!

Storm looked up at the snap of a twig. Laughter sounded all around her. Trunks looked up in alarm.

What's going on? He thought to her

He's here. Storm thought back, calmly standing to face her foe.

Where? He glanced around; I can't sense any power level…

He's cloaking himself. Useless tactic to those who look for the consciousness, not the aura. She simply replied, her eyes glinting with suppressed humor.

And you can do that? He wondered.

Yes... Trunks, listen to me, Storm looked at him sternly, this is my fight. No matter how hurt I seem to be, I don't want you to interfere. She hesitated, …however… If I… If he kills me… I need you to destroy him.

You won't die, I won't…

She silenced him, Quiet, I need to concentrate!

Storm drew into her inner strength in order to find her target.

"Storm… come and find me!" Rako childishly sung. Storm irritably closed her eyes, clearing her mind and reaching out to find Rako's consciousness. She briefly brushed up against Trunks' fabric-like consciousness as sifting through the web-like data produced an image in her mind. Sneaking up behind him was Rako.

Storm's eyes fluttered open, and as quickly and calmly as she could, she gathered the energy to lift the bolder which was concealing the fiend.

"Found you." she whispered, forcefully throwing the rock down upon him. Rako sidestepped the attack, skillfully dodging it with teleportation-like speed, and stood facing Storm.

Master.

Yes?

Tell me more about him… What are his weaknesses? Storm thought as she countered one of Rako's spells. He laughed with insane hysterics as she rushed toward him, changing mid-stride into her Spirit form. It was then she wondered if he was insane.

…Ulmadae only trained him in the ways of spells, hexes, jinxes, counter hexes, counter jinxes, telepathy and the like. He is as weak as a puny human physically, like his mother. His father resented the fact that his nature was not evil…

Storm catapulted on energy ball, similar to a Ki blast, from her mouth that his Rako in the chest. He momentarily struggled to breathe, as he was winded, but muttered a healing spell to shock his respiratory system to life again.

Tell me more, Storm urged, taking a hit of her own when Rako reflected one of her boulders. Trunks rushed to her but she merely growled at him. He sharply recoiled as she angrily snapped at him; her eyes glowed ferociously as she was loosing control of her emotions.

You need to calm down! Master scolded as Storm hastened her meditation when Rako prepared for the next attack. Some of the gods question his sanity. His father cursed him before he was killed and the gods think that was the reason for his unstable mind. However, he is not as strong as you think. One thing the gods have been murmuring about is some form of dark magic he has acquired by tampering with things that should be left alone to brood in the depths of hell. They also say that although he fears it, evil is consuming his mind. They do have reason to think this. The Alfa-Goddess never taught him curses, as they are tainted by the evil. When he killed your parents, he used a terrifying spell of the black speech that even the goddess who intended to corrupt you daren't utter… Watch out…

Storm dodged a spell coming toward her from the behind. She growled low in her throat,

"That was a dirty trick!"

"I know! Isn't it funny?" he grinned wildly and danced circles around her.

The Alfa-God Mortici told me that his own father predicted he would be slaughtered by his own bloodline…

Storm was hit in the chest by a tree that Rako uprooted.

That is all I am permitted to say! You must concentrate!

Storm turned to face him, teeth ferociously bared.

"Aw… Are you angry?" Rako taunted. Storm rushed forward and bit his arm, as if to answer. He yowled in pain and muttered a frenzy of incantations that nipped at her flesh. She released him and began to summon a ring of fire (Narrowly avoiding Trunks).

The flames scorched the surrounding trees which were immediately set ablaze. The fire also burned Rako. Using some of her energy, Storm placed a protective spell on Trunks, preparing for the worst. She mentally urged him to lower his energy level so not to draw attention from Rako.

The two battled well into the night, the full moon raising a frightening shade of crimson red above the tree tops. The two were equally matched and both of them used almost all of their energy between summoning spells and taking hits. Yet Rako still wore that ridiculous grin as if he was planning something. Storm grew sick with fear as she could sense that something was up as her body changed back to her human form in order to conserve energy. The two watched each other in a suspended stale mate, each other waiting for the other to move. Rako's ragged breathing became heavier and he sighed, looking into the face of the moon.

"Now… is where it ends." Rako drew a shield barrier about him and spoke in a defining voice:

"Lekar ton gnash niphta mon ephrica e socora bala rontolla!"

When his black spell ended, the shield broke, sending millions of glass-like shards cascading toward Storm. She had not the energy to even begin summoning a shield. The shards impaled her and disappeared beneath her skin, the virus-like spell unknowingly being transferred throughout her body. Rako sank to his knees, the last spell using what little expanse of energy he had left.

For a few painfully long moments, nothing happened, Storm hoped that the spell had failed and Rako's attempt to kill her was futile. She prayed that it was finally her who would finish him off, using the last of her strength to kill him and thus passing out. Trunks would then take her to the rejuvenation chamber and life would go on. This is what she hoped. We all know that our hopes rarely become reality.

Then it began. Starting with the newest wounds she had received, which had just closed, reopened. The wounds on her feet screamed and blood soaked through her shoes. Her arms were unrecognizable from the years of relentless cutting. The skin appeared like ragged cloth, torn to shreds by some malicious beast. Trunks gaped at her in horror, unable to even take a step toward her.

You see my pain is real,

Watch my world dissolve,

And pretend that none of us see the fall.

Storm crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath as bruises from the past beating were scattered all over her body. They shone as if she had just been brutalized. Trunks could sense her power level dropping rapidly and he was shocked into mobility once again. He rushed to her and took her body into his arms.

Storm, no! Fight it! That spell feeds off of your sorrow! Master screamed, her voice echoed in Trunks' mind also.

Trunks help her! Master desperately cried.

"How?"he screamed back at her into the air. Rako hardly summoned the will to chuckle.

Love her! Take away her pain as you have in the past!

As I turn to sand

You took me by the hand and declared

"Love prevails over all!"

"Storm, Storm. I love you, don't leave me." He cooed, rocking her back and fourth like a mother would to a crying child. His shirt was soaked in her blood, seeping through the fabric to his skin but he did not care.

"…I…can't…move…" She shook violently and her lips began to turn blue as the color drained from her face.

"Please! Fight it! You must fight the sadness! Don't leave me alone." He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her passionately. She gasped for breath when he pulled away and her eyes fluttered shut. Trunks could feel her flickering heartbeat slow against his chest, amplified by the silent air.

This can't be the end!

Rako broke the silence by going into a hysteric of laughter, his giggles sounding throughout the trees against the cackle of the dying fire.

Trunks changed into a Super Sayan with the new found despair, blonde hair flailing angrily in the air.

"NO!" he charged at Rako and finished him off with a burning attack.

Rako giggled and coughed violently he then whispered his dying words, "Goodbye… Sister…"

Storm's energy level was deathly low; Trunks took her into his arms again and clung to the fabric of her life. Her voice was barely audible against the gathering thunder,

"...I...will...always...love...you"

THE END

Hold on to me love,

You know I can't stay long,

All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid,

Can you hear me?

Can you feel me in your arms?

Holding my last breath,

Safe inside myself,

Are all my thoughts of you,

Sweet raptured life,

It ends here tonight.

I'll miss the winter,

A world of fragile things,

Look for me in the white forest hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)

I know you hear me,

I can taste it in your tears,

Holding my last breath,

Safe inside myself,

Are all my thoughts of you,

Sweet raptured life,

It ends here tonight.

closing your eyes to disappear
you pray your dreams will leave you here
but still you wake and know the truth
no one's there

say goodnight
don't be afraid
calling me calling me as you fade to black

holding my last breath
safe inside myself
are all my thoughts of you
sweet raptured light it ends here tonight

A/N: How'd you like my ending? I was hoping that some of you smart readers would catch on quicker that Rako was Storm's older brother! Let me know how you liked the ending, I love killing off my main characters… Although I still haven't decided it Storm should live or die… What do you think? To those who cry "Sequel!" your request may be answered if you give me a plot suggestion (E-mail me)… You know what just dawned upon me? There is so little DBZ in here that I feel guilty. I apologize to those who were looking forward to that… If you want, I could have her in the sequel defeating some android or something…Let me know or I will be forced to use my mutant red ninjas to drown you in chocolate milk!

first song is an excerpt from System of a Down's Ego Brains and the second song at the end is Evanescence's My Last Breath