Disclaimer: This applies to all chapters, I do not own DBZ or Shinzo or any of their characters. All I own is Allegra. This fanfic is a crossover with Shinzo, but written for a DBZ-reading audience that knows nothing about Shinzo, so don't worry! All will be explained. Happy reading!
The Creations- CicadaS
Chapter Three
It was with some annoyance that Allegra found out that the purple-haired halfling had beaten her to Kami's Lookout, especially while taking a longer route to get there.The Enterran was sitting on the edge of the lookout, watching the events happening below through some strange phenomenon. She could tell by their conversations that the others were watching Piccolo fight one of the androids, but wasn't very interested. She knew Piccolo was very strong, stronger than she was, even.
"Hey Allegra," Gohan smiled, sitting down beside her.
"Hello Gohan."
"Whatchya doing?"
"Watching the Earth turn."
"Oh…"
"Are you worried about Piccolo?" Allegra asked quietly.
Gohan nodded, "Yeah… we don't know if he can win against 17."
"Must be a very strong android to make you all so worried… I'm sure Piccolo will be fine," Allegra reassured the saiyan child, "Those tin cans will be no match for him."
"Tin cans? You don't like robots either?" Gohan half-smiled, "Enterrans don't like much, do they?"
"We like all things that are natural. Humans destroy nature. Robots do the bidding of the Humans; they are loyal to them, which is why Enterrans do not trust the robots… They live in a flying city, above the clouds and mountains on Enterra. Well, they did…" Allegra sighed heavily.
"What happened to your neck?"
"It was nothing."
"Did Cell do that?"
"I—well… I was lost and he ran into me. It's nothing, honestly."
"You were able to escape him?" Gohan asked excitedly.
"The first time was alright—Yes, I ran into him again, by accident. His power seems to be increasing exponentially though; on our last encounter he seemed to have the upper hand—but that was only because we were not in the air," Allegra added hastily, for the sake of her own pride. "But now… he's been absorbing so many more humans… he could very easily beat me. Well, easily beat me."
"You're not going to fight him," Gohan told her, with a definite air of finality, "You are staying here until the danger's over. Why did you go after him in the first place?"
"I… I wanted to see if he was an Enterran," Allegra mumbled.
"But I told you he wasn't!"
"Yes, but you still would have told me he wasn't if he was and Enterran, wouldn't you?" Allegra smiled sadly, "And anyway, the danger already is over. He's moved away from the my forest, and I doubt he has any reason to return there."
"Where's he going?"
"I don't know… I've lost him…" Allegra stopped fidgeting and concentrated, her irises paling to a milky blue, "He must be moving close to the ground, or under water, I can't sense him. And it's so quiet… where he's been and killed the humans, so quiet," she sighed.
"He's got to be stopped," Gohan growled, clenching his fists. Allegra didn't know if he was talking about Cell or android 17 as the saiyan stared into the clouds below them.
Allegra sighed, "When Cell first found me, I didn't care about dying… then the next time, I did. I must have forgotten what it was like to fight. We were created to survive; we were born to fight. I have been in a cage for so long…"
"Allegra, we had no choice. We know you're not evil, but you would have killed so many innocent lives…"
"So you trade my life for theirs?" Allegra pouted sadly.
"No, Allegra. You're still alive."
"I haven't been alive in years Gohan," Allegra sighed heavily, "Not since today."
"I'm sorry… I'd offer to train with you, but Dad and I are going in the Time Chamber next, and it can only hold two people at a time," Gohan apologised. Allegra smiled at the halfling child, he was so honest and so kind.
"Thanks anyway. Maybe I should go down there and help Piccolo with the androids," Allegra stated suddenly.
"You can't, Allegra, they'd kill you," Gohan scowled.
"What if… I was to change to my hyper form?"
"No. Dad made you promise not to, no matter what."
"Why not? You yourself said Piccolo needs help!" Allegra snapped in frustration.
Gohan looked down at the clouds, watching his old teacher with worry; "You're too dangerous like that. You're grumpier, and you're meaner… and you're faster."
"I wasn't strong enough to defeat your father back then, I probably couldn't hurt him much now—"
"But you were faster. And that's why we were worried. It's our job to protect the people on this planet Allegra, all of the humans and everyone else. Any threat against their safety must be stopped. I don't want Dad to be mad at you again."
Allegra bowed her head, remembering the stalemate that had occurred between her and Goku. She wasn't strong enough to kill him, but he was no where near fast enough to catch her. She gave up not because she was tired, she kept telling herself, but because she was alone. She still was.
Allegra drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, staring out into space silently, her eyes almost completely white. "Gohan…" she murmured quietly. The half-saiyan didn't hear her. He'd gone back to the others. Allegra was worried; she had found Cell. He was watching the androids.
Allegra felt frozen; one the one hand, she should be helping Gohan and his friends defeat Cell, and it was in her best interests not to be made a desert target after Cell had finished with the androids. But Allegra was also curious as to what Cell was going to do with the androids.
"G-Gohan?"
Gohan and the others must have felt it too, at that moment. A wave of panic swept through the small gathering. They knew. Allegra watched the clouds below, seeing the battle unfolding beneath them. Cell emerged from the cliffs, announcing his presence. Allegra watched, transfixed.
'…Join with me? …Perfection?' Allegra studied Cell's speech curiously. When an Enterran was hurt beyond their ability to sustain themselves, they became 'carded'. Their essence would lose its physical form of a being and retract into what they held as a heart, their card. Enterrans could absorb other Enterrans once they were cards. Was Cell attempting a similar tactic?
Allegra watched the events unfold with an untameable curiosity. Then she felt another presence with the intent of joining the fight. The human, Tien. She knew his name, and he knew hers. He had been one of the few that had been called upon to stop her before.
The Enterran launched herself from the edge of Kami's lookout, ignoring cries from the others to stay. She used her speed and raced towards the battleground before anyone could try and stop her.
She slowed as soon as she had cleared the lookout to conserve energy. She wasn't that far behind Tien. Allegra wondered what she would do when she arrived at the battleground. Challenge Cell to let the androids get away? Well, that's what the others wanted to do. Perhaps she could help? Maybe. But she did want to see what would happen between Cell and the androids.
Allegra almost forgot to lower her power so as not to be noticed. The Enterran flew silently to a concealed outcropping of rocks near where Tien was stationed. The human gave her a sideways glance but said nothing.
On the island a blonde lady suddenly cried, "You did it 16, you squished that bug!"
Cell already dead? Apparently not. Allegra couldn't measure ki, but she could sense a life-sign a mile away and she could sense Cell's among them. Piccolo's too, that was a relief.
"What are you doing here?" Tien hissed under his breath.
The redhead giant was yelling something to the other androids.
"Gohan is worried for his friends, but cannot be here himself. I am here to help Gohan." Allegra was about to add the fact she was curious about Cell, when the green monstrosity himself emerged behind one of the androids, the black haired one.
Allegra's darkened eyes widened at the sight of Cell's tail in action. The android was really putting up a fight not to get swallowed by the damn thing. Too little too late, he vanished up inside the tail.
Tien shielded his eyes from the bright glare; Allegra didn't even blink, eyes growing pale to watch Cell through the light as he changed. The wind flew in every direction away from the transformation, Allegra becoming steadily unnerved by the power working behind the force of the wind. She hoped he wasn't extremely fast, or she would be doomed.
The giant android ran towards them, clearly panicked, "We must leave now, before it is too late! You'd better too!" he shouted at Tien. Allegra shrunk further into the rocky cluster, trying to remain invisible. But he spotted her. "What are you?"
"I'm an Enterran… an alien."
"You should leave also, please." There was something in the android's eyes; fear? Of her?
Tien stayed where he was, watching. Allegra hid back behind her rock, and listened.
"Looks like I'm going to have to get my feet wet after all," Tien announced.
"You are Gohan's friend…" Allegra stated, making eye contact with the human, "For that, I will help you." After all, Gohan was really all she had. And she would help a human to help Gohan.
"Only when it appears that I am in need of assistance. Thank you," Tien added, knowing how Allegra felt towards humans, before flying off in stealth after Cell. The Enterran drew in a breath, wondering what tricks Tien was about to pull.
Tien moved over to where Cell stood, his shadow falling upon the preoccupied creature. Allegra was still looking over Cell's new form when she heard Tien let out a yell as he fired a triangle-shaped energy wave at the green creature, "I maybe just a pothole in the road to you but I am going to be one deep pothole!"
Tien turned to the blonde android staring at him in shock, "What are you waiting for? Get out of here!"
The blonde ran to her damaged friend, asking if he was okay. Allegra, from behind the rocky outcropping, prepared herself to help Tien. She would help delay Cell for Gohan; and she would make sure neither of Gohan's friends were killed, Piccolo or Tien.
Tien was growing weak, panting heavily as he fired his attacks at Cell, keeping the monster at bay. He fired another blast, and felt himself dragged closer to death. The human heard something fluttering quietly in the breeze beside him. He winced and drew in power for another attack, "Go…" he told the Enterran weakly, and fired again at Cell.
"You need assistance," Allegra replied monotonously. Tien felt the air rush past him, he fell to the ground, his fall cushioned by a surprisingly strong gust of air. Allegra stared down at the hole that Cell was struggling out of. Finally, a challenge.
"Hurricane Blast!" Allegra yelled. Her wings obeyed the attack command; glowing bright and delivering an unearthly force strong enough to slam Cell back down into the crater. Allegra made the air around the hole thick and dense, then slammed it into Cell's temporary prison like a cork into a bottle. Allegra's feathered wings were buzzing like insect's to keep Cell in the ground, draining all her Enterran strength to stop him. He had gotten a lot stronger; he was able to break through the air barrier.
"HURRICANE BLAST!" the Enterran yelled again. Another glow and wave of intense air. Cell forced downwards yet again. Her attacks were not as strong as the ones of Tien, but she but she continued to push again and again, with all she had. Cell was slowly gaining on her. Allegra's wings began to ache. She tried another attack. Her wings didn't move. Allegra gave an astonished cry and fell towards the ground, where no friendly gust of wind waited to break her fall. The Enterran groaned and rolled onto her side.
Cell was not happy. He was enraged. Stalking over to the fallen female, he grabbed Allegra by the throat and lifted her high in the air. Allegra squinted down at him through her exhausted daze, her eyes deep indigo with her fatigue.
"It is a deadly insult to compare an Enterran to a human," Cell repeated in Allegra's voice; "And yet I find you here, my dear wind witch, trying to help this puny human in a feeble attempt of stopping me," Cell growled in his own voice. He tightened his grip around her throat, "Care to explain to one so clearly not like one of your own?"
"I do this… for Gohan," Allegra hissed, completely weak and slowly choking, "Strength… attack… is not my forte."
"Clearly."
"How rude," Allegra managed. She felt the pressure on her throat release with Cell's slight curiosity. "You haven't finished your dinner yet."
The familiar smirk spread across Cell's gloating face, "Do not force me to eat my words, dear Enterran." Allegra couldn't even struggle any more. Cell was keeping a firm hand on her windpipe, preventing her from recovering. "Let me think; should I let you live, or should I let you die?" The hand tightened.
"Your androids are getting away," Allegra told him hatefully.
"So they are. But you my dear are not. Not this time."
Allegra heard Tien yell and felt the hand around her throat let go. She looked up from the ground to see Cell on the opposite edge of the island, blasted into the rock wall. Tien fell to his knees again. Allegra's lungs ached terribly as she tried to regenerate herself with the air.
Cell broke free of the rock wall, shattering it to pebbles, and stalked angrily towards the exhausted human, completely ignoring Allegra. "You puny little man, did you really think you could prevent me from reaching my perfection?"
Allegra struggled to her feet. Though Tien was a human, she felt compelled to pay him back for saving her life. Goku appeared in front of Cell, blocking his path to Tien.
The Enterran sighed in relief. If Goku came to help, then he would be able to either defeat Cell or know how to get himself and his friends away without further bloodshed. Although it was against her wishes to have her life indebted to another person, Allegra didn't think she could make it to safety on her own.
Goku gathered up his fallen comrades, Allegra powered up another attack. She was too far away to hear what Cell was saying to Goku, but it was obviously a challenge. "Air Missile!" Allegra yelled, hurling the attack at the back of Cell's head.
Cell whipped around in fury, "Why you—!"
Allegra took a sharp intake of breath as something grabbed her around the waist and Cell's green palm position itself at the side of her head. She looked forwards and saw Goku, Tien on one shoulder and Piccolo on the other, looking at her in horror.
"Cell, let her go!"
"It really is her own fault. Did you know this is the third time today she had attacked me without being provoked?" Cell explained with hint mock hurt.
"Cell, she's not part of this! Leave her alone!"
"Fight me… or I will kill her," Cell smirked evilly.
Allegra's eyes flashed, "Fight him and I will destroy the human race myself." Goku blinked at her in astonishment. "…Thank Tien for saving my life also," Allegra murmured abashedly.
Goku looked very confused about what to do. Cell scowled murderously; he could not hold the Enterran hostage and fight Goku at the same time. The minute he let go of his hostage Goku would undoubtably grab her and leave. They were at a stalemate until Goku grew enough of a brain to decide what to do.
"I will fight you," Goku agreed seriously. Before Cell's triumphant grin could spread too wide the saiyan added, "But not today." Goku vanished.
"GOKU!" Cell yelled, enraged. Snarling, he turned his anger on Allegra, charging a ball of ki to destroy the Enterran, as he had promised.
"You can't kill me," Allegra told him, her voice quivering.
"Oh, and why do you think that is?"
"Goku is going to fight you. Therefore, you can't kill me. You do, he won't fight you. You struck the deal yourself Cell, have you forgotten it already?"
Cell looked like he was going to explode, 'Why did I not specify a time?' He abruptly calmed; and for some reason this worried Allegra more than when he was angry, "I also promised that I would not let you get away this time, my dear, did I not?"
Allegra stood her ground. She readied her bruised wings in case she had to fight for her life to get away from Cell, "That you did."
Cell chuckled, "It was a foolish decision to attack me, again."
"I have few hobbies that entertain me as much as making foolish decisions," Allegra spat.
"Do you feel that you've lived long enough?" the monster gloated, "Or do you not feel like dying right now?"
Allegra considered this carefully, "…I, do not feel like dying right now."
"I credit you with a smart decision, dear Allegra. Tell me which way the androids flew, and I will let you live."
"As much as I do not wish to die, I also do not wish to tell you the direction those tin cans flew in," the girl jerked her chin up slightly.
"That is a pity. But fortune is on your side today, my dear; I am feeling generous," Cell smirked, "I will allow you to live anyway. Unfortunately, I can not have you following me around whilst I attain my perfection, and leaving you here could incite you to escape, so that really only leaves me with one option."
Before Allegra could stop her own curiosity, she asked "What?" and felt a crashing blow to the back of her head. The ground crashed into her knees. Hissing, she cradled the back of her head. Cell paused and Allegra took the opportunity to strike back.
A balled fist struck Cell backhandedly across the face, dislocating his jaw. Cell grabbed Allegra's face in one clawed hand and shot a ki blast at her with the other. A light ki blast, not a lethal one. This time he didn't allow the Enterran time to recover, striking hard upon her head. Allegra's world dissolved into darkness.
A/N: Thank you all so much for reading/reviewing, you guys are so nice:)
I had a request for pictures of Winged Enterrans, but I could only find two images and they're both of Rusephine who is the 'leader' of the Winged Enterrans. I'll stick the links on my author page with all the other links. Trivia point: Both Shinzo and Dragon Ball Z are based on the Chinese mythology of Journey to the West, Mushra is kind of the Goku figure in Shinzo :)
Interested in Shinzo and the Enterrans? See my author page for links. Thank you for reading!