--- Mix Tape ---
-- Behind the Scenes of 'The Phoenix Chronicles' --
Side Story 02 - Alive (KoRn)
a.k.a. Kat's Tale
This chapter slots in during chapter 08
Disclaimer: I don't own the song used in this chapter.
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-I cannot ever find a way / To throw these darkened thoughts away-
-Need a place to hide-
She ran as fast as she could, scaling steps at top speed, closing all the doors she came across, but still they seemed to be catching up. These men had already killed her parents, her brothers, and now it seemed it was her turn. She was determined not to let it happen, was sure she could get away from them, but each step she took only made her weaker, her exhaustion catching up.
She was running on pure adrenaline alone. She knew inside that if they caught up it would all be over; she didn't know how to fight, but they did. Plus, she was only young, and small compared to them. All she could do was keep running, and hope either they lost her, or gave up, but she didn't know how much longer she could last.
Finally, she reached the top floor of the building, and ran as fast as she could down the west hallway, where she knew she could jump across to the building next to this one if she dived out the window. But as she neared it, all hope of escape left her mind, as she watched the opposite building fall, as more of these goons had their fun, taking her only way out of here with it.
There was nowhere she could hide; these people had weird devices that would be able to find her instantly. Her mind raced as she tried to think of anything that could help, but she knew that her last chance to get away was now gone. Suddenly, she heard one of her pursuers cry, "There she is!" Deciding that plummeting twenty stories would be less painful than what they'd do to her, she started running for the window, but before she made it one of the men, the same one that'd called out, tackled her to the ground, landing on top of her, and knocking the wind out of her lungs
She struggled to get free, struggled to breathe, managing to kick him between the legs, and started running again, but before she had taken more than three steps another one had caught up, grabbing her arm, and a third soon grabbed hold of the other one. She struggled again, tried to fight them off, but their grip was too strong, and her legs weren't long enough to reach them.
-It's thrown in my face everyday / Guess that's the price I have to pay-
-For what's inside my mind-
One of the men approached her, obviously the leader. She tried her hardest not to show fear, but with two guys holding her arms, as some fat, blue monstrosity walked towards her, she found it harder and harder.
She couldn't believe how quickly things could change. One minute she was relaxing with her family of 9, in which she was the only girl bar her mother, awaiting her second birthday mere weeks away, and the next minute these... things, declaring the planet as property of some guy named 'Lord Frieza' started climbing out of flaming metal rocks that had fallen from the sky, shooting everyone who got in their way.
When they'd entered the building she lived in, her brothers had tried to fight them off, tried to keep her safe, but they were no match for these aliens. One by one they'd fallen, her parents shortly after, and now she was all that remained in the building.
As the blue-skinned being stopped in front of her, she fought the urge to retch. He stank like four-week-old dead fish, and probably hadn't bathed in months. He smiled, a cruel smile, that showed rows of cracked, yellow teeth, as he taunted, "Were you gonna jump out da window? Didja tink you could land on ya feet, huh?" He started laughing then, a cruel laugh to match his cruel smile, and the other joined in.
The fear finally became too much for her, and she started shivering. Sneering at her, he said, "Aw, don't worry pretty kitty. We're not gonna kill ya. We're just gonna have a little fun..." He stopped speaking, leering at her perversely, and her face filled with horror as she realised what they were going to do. She may have been young, just over thirteen in standard years, but the Neko girl knew a lecherous grin when she saw one.
She started crying as the implications hit her; they weren't going to kill her, they were going to rape her. She'd yet to even kiss a boy, and these creeps were going to defile her young, barely-developed body.
As she felt his sweaty hand start to caress her face, she did the only thing she could; she bit down, hard enough to tear a chunk of the disgusting flesh from him. With the thought that if she could piss them off enough they'd simply kill her in her mind, she spat it out as hard as she could, hitting him right in the eye with his own flesh. But her plan failed; he just backhanded her with the other hand, before starting to remove his armour.
-I am alive-
She sobbed heavily, praying someone, something, would either kill her, or save her, but both looked unlikely. However, it seemed her prayers were answered, as with a sudden crash, the window behind her shattered, sending painful shards of glass into the men holding her, even hitting the man in front of her, yet somehow missing her. Before anyone could respond to the pain though, the man in front of her was sent flying backwards down the hall, knocking over the remaining three, and what she could only describe as a black blur landed on the ground in front of her.
-I will never run away / Places inside-
Before she could get a clear look at it, it leapt again, spinning to reveal a flash of red, and the two men holding her, their grips weakened by the shards of glass, were sent flying through the walls on either side, and it landed again. With their support gone, she collapsed to her knees; her energy gone from the events taken place, and just watched the blur.
This time, it paused long enough to reveal a boy, about her age, maybe a bit older, wearing a large black coat. All she could see of him besides the coat and the boots under it from her position was a red headband around a mass of black hair, standing straight up, and despite the situation, she found herself wondering how he kept it like that.
The blue being picked himself up, scowling at the newcomer, who just stood there with a smirk on his face that practically bled superiority. After a moment of cold regard, he said gruffly, "What you want boy? You wanna have a go too? I even let you go second."
-My heart screams inside with pride / Once I cry-
Her heart, which had soared when this man, hopefully her saviour, had arrived, quickly fell again at the blue man's statement. It soared once more, however, when the boy in front of her said, his voice showing his smirk, "No can do, I got a girl waiting for me back home."
Bluey sneered, "What she don't know won't hurt ya."
When the boy spoke again, his voice showed her the smirk had fallen, his tone cold as he said, "What part of 'no' didn't you understand the first time?"
One of the men who'd been holding her arms, both of which who had picked themselves out of the rubble that used to be the walls and rejoined their commander, cried, "Aw, lookit dat! The boy's got a tail. He must be one a dem Saiyans."
The second one sneered, "Oh yeah! Hey, why you outta uniform boy?"
His pride shone through as he replied, "I don't work for that albino bitch any more. I'm a free agent."
Growing frustrated with this insolent child, Bluey growled, "I don't give a damn boy! Just get outta our way and let us get back ta havin' some fun!"
The boy tensed, a frown obviously on his face as he responded, "Sorry boys, but I can't let you do it. My honour's telling me to protect her, and my pride demands I beat the respect for women into you you've obviously never been taught."
-Now I wipe away the tears / Once I die-
Her heart raced. This boy had indeed come to save her. She noticed him taking off the coat, but he surprised her by wrapping it around her shoulders. At her confused look, he whispered, "It's fire-proof," as though that explained everything. While she still felt confused about his statement, she did feel safer with it around her, and without it on she could get a proper look at what he was wearing.
He had on what appeared to be a black body suit that covered his legs and extended up to his neck, covered at his torso by what looked like red armour, similar in design to what those creeps had on, but devoid of markings. His muscular arms were bare, the body suit obviously cut short, and he wore fingerless gloves. Finally, she noticed his tail, covered in brown fur, swaying behind him for a moment, before wrapping around his waist.
As the boy cracked his joints, Blue just scowled again, saying, "You do know dere's six of us, and only one of you? We gonna kill ya, den take da girl as our prize!"
She saw him smirk again as he changed position, a confident smirk, obviously preparing to fight, as he answered, "One, she's not a prize to be won. And two, you can't kill me."
"Oh really," one of them jeered, "Why not?"
His smirk widened, and he said in a tone dripping pride, "I'm already dead..."
And the fight was on.
-Now I'm alive!-
She stared, open mouthed, at this boy, as he fought. Sure, she'd seen people fight before; very few people anywhere hadn't. But this boy, he made it look like an art. He flowed from move to move, punching one man, kicking another, as gracefully as any dancer, and although he looked to be half the age, or less, of most of her assailants, he seemed to be dispatching them with ease.
She realised then why he gave her his coat, and why he said it was fireproof. Every time he fired one of those beams of light from his hands, she could see how it looked like fire, and how it burnt whatever it hit. The smell of burning flesh was a little overpowering, but within minutes the room was quiet again. All six aliens now lay in a heap, not moving, not breathing.
She froze as he turned back to her, starting to walk her way. She thought frantically, 'Oh no, what if he was lying? What if he just wanted me all to himself?' Those and similar fears raced through her mind, but all were quashed when he leaned down, a gentle smile on his face, and said, "Let's get you somewhere safe, hmm?"
Without waiting for her to answer he picked her up, holding her carefully, before leaping out the now open window, free falling for a moment before taking flight. Stunned that this boy could defy gravity like that, she simply enjoyed the ride, the feeling of the wind whipping through her hair, and was slightly disappointed when he landed out in the country, putting her carefully on her feet.
-Little things tempt me everyday / Lots of pain is how I like to play-
-Better not cross that line-
She looked at him nervously for a moment, and he just looked her over, as if making sure she was alright. Satisfied, he turned as if he were getting ready to leave. Summoning her courage, she grabbed his arm, shouting, "Wait!" When he did so, looking back at her curiously, she found her nervousness returning, and stammered out, "My... my name's Kat... Katrina. Um... what... what's yours?"
He sighed wistfully before saying, "I wish I could tell you, but I can't. If you knew it would only put you in danger."
Suddenly feeling braver than ever before, she pointed out, "But aren't I already in danger? I mean, people are gonna realise those guys are dead, and where they were, and they'll come looking for me, won't they?"
With a hint of a smirk on his face, he said, "I guess you have a point there. Alright then Kat, my name's Kapskaen. Kaen for short." He turned serious suddenly, and continued, "But you never heard that did you?"
Shaking her head, she chirped, "Not a word Kaen."
He laughed. Sure it was just a short burst of laughter, little more than a handful of syllables, but it was a laugh all the same. With a grin on his face he said, "Good, keep it that way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some more people to wail on waiting for me back in the city."
He turned to go again, but something inside her said to stop him, so again she grabbed his arm and called, "Wait!"
The amused grin still on his face, he said, "What this time?"
Nervous again, she stuttered, "Um... what about this?" She indicated his trench coat, still around her shoulders.
He just laughed again, saying, "You can keep it. I don't need it, and it'll only get in the way while I fight. Besides, I've got another back in my ship." Raising an eyebrow in mock annoyance, he finished, "Is that everything?"
Without thinking, she shook her head slowly, still unsure about everything, but knowing she wasn't ready to be alone yet. She stood there for a moment, trying to sort out her head, but he looked to be getting a little impatient, so she acted on impulse. She reached up, kissing him on the lips. It lasted just a moment, but to her it felt like eternity.
When they broke apart, she saw a look of shock on his face, and behind that, she thought she saw disbelief, and even guilt. She felt a little guilty herself; he had said he had a girlfriend after all. None-the-less, she found she didn't regret him being her first kiss, even though she knew nothing could come of it. He'd saved her life, and it felt right; that was all that mattered.
He coughed to compose himself before taking to the air, pausing for a moment to look back at her, saying, "Take care, and look after yourself, okay?" She nodded, blushing like mad, and with no more than a wave he was gone, headed back towards the city, towards the smoke, towards those who tried to destroy her home planet.
-Voices in my head have to be saved / It's something I can't throw away-
-What's inside my mind-
The fighting was over. The invaders had been driven back. They had been at the point of victory, until an 'unknown man in black and red' had attacked, killing no less than half of them, and sending the other half running. Few saw him clearly, but everyone remembered him. It's hard to forget someone who fights in impossible odds and wins, and it's harder still to forget someone who has saved your home.
It was harder still for Kat. He hadn't just saved her home, or even her life. He had saved her innocence. She never saw him again, but she had heard people say they saw him climb into a ship similar in design to those the invaders had used, leaving without saying a word to anyone. When she heard this, it finally hit home. She was alone now. Oh sure, she had friends, but her family was gone, and no amount of friends, no matter how close, could replace them.
She sorted through the remains of her home, trying to find something, anything, that she could salvage. She knew, deep inside, that no matter what she did, this would never feel like home without them here anymore. There was only one person she felt a true connection with anymore, and she knew nothing more about him than his name. 'Well, that's not entirely true...' she thought to herself, drawing the coat around her closer, his coat. 'I know what he looks like, how he speaks, how he fights, and how he smells. That's more than most can say...'
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone behind her clearing their throat, and she looked back, seeing one of the guys from the neighbourhood standing there with an impatient look on his face. "There you are," he said, his voice arrogant and annoyed. "I've been looking everywhere for you after I heard what happened. Are you okay?"
-I am alive-
Ah yes, she remembered him now. He was the guy that had gotten it in his head she was going to be with him when she was old enough. She turned her back on him again, continuing her search, responding simply, "I'm fine."
He coughed, visibly forcing down his rage, before saying in a sickly sweet, and falsely sympathetic, voice, "I was so worried. I'm glad to see you're okay."
With her back still facing him, she said apathetically, "Well, now you know. Is that everything?"
His annoyance returned, and he said, "Hey, I'm getting sick of your attitude. I just thought..."
"You just thought I'd be so broken up by my family's death I'd fall into your arms, cry my heart out, declare my undying love for you, and we'd live happily ever after!" She interrupted angrily, "Well get it though your thick head; I don't like you! I never liked you!"
He grabbed her arm, saying harshly, "That's enough! I've had it, you're coming..." he trailed off, letting go of her arm, as four lines across his face started to turn red, blood beginning to flow freely. She had scratched him, hard, across the face. Almost hard enough to leave permanent scars.
-I will never run away / Places inside-
"Don't touch me!" she hissed, angry beyond words, and equally afraid.
"But..." he started to protest.
She glared at him, growling, "Get. Out." He muttered to himself, but said nothing for fear of getting scratched again, merely walking out. She let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding, before looking at her hand with awe. That had felt good; that feeling of power, of not being helpless, of being able to defend herself. She knew what she had to do now. She had to grow stronger, strong enough to protect herself.
Continuing in her search, she found something valuable. Her mother's thieving tools. From what she'd heard, both her parent's were intergalactic thieves in their younger days. They'd met on the job, when they both tried to rob the same place at the same time. Her mother said it was love at first sight, and they were together ever since, working side by side, before retiring back home to settle down, to start a family. The same family that had all been killed in a single day, bar her.
-My heart screams inside with pride / Once I cry-
She picked it up, holding it to herself like a fragile ornament. She could still remember her mother's voice, the soothing tone she used as she rocked her to sleep. She could remember her father's voice, as he told her stories from his youth. She could remember her brothers, teasing her, picking fights with her...
She felt her eyes watering, as the memories of her life assaulted her mind. She could still see each of their faces in her mind, smiling, frowning, peaceful, angry. The images kept taunting her. She lost them all, because some faceless dictator decided he liked the planet. Well, he was going to pay for it, and she was going to make sure of that.
She wiped her eyes quickly. The family she lost wouldn't want her to spend her life crying for them. They'd want her to be happy. They'd want her to make something of herself. 'I will not let them down. I will not let their deaths go unpunished,' she vowed to herself. 'I am not going to stop until I see the life fade from Frieza's eyes!'
-Now I wipe away the tears / Once I die-
As she walked out, she spotted something on the ground. It looked innocent enough, just a small, rectangular, contraption, but she soon realised, by the markings on it, it was something one of her assailants had. She picked it up, pressing one of the buttons warily, and within minutes a loud noise could be heard outside. Hastily, she pressed it again, and the noise stopped abruptly, a loud crash being heard.
Walking out, she saw one of the ships they had used to arrive. She realised quickly, the little device controlled it, somehow. After another quick run through her house, in which she gathered everything she'd need for a trip, and everything resembling valuables, before gathering her courage, climbing into the ship after testing a few buttons, and with a final look at what was once her home, she closed the hatch again, directing the ship to leave the planet, in search of herself.
-Now I'm alive!-
It had taken a long time, but she finally found someone who would train her on this planet. He was her seventh teacher, each from different worlds. With no way to earn a living honestly, she had taken up her mother's career, becoming a thief, and thus, she could never stay on one planet too long. Fortunately, she had discovered recently she had inherited her mother's shape change ability, along with her thieving talents, and thus she could now remain around longer by changing her face.
It had been almost four standard years now, since she had left her home. Sure, she still missed her home world, but she knew there was nothing there for her. All that remained was growing strong enough, and finally bringing an end to the terror. The so-called 'Lord' Frieza had a strangle hold over much of the galaxy, as she found out the hard way. She was lucky to escape alive, or maybe she was stronger than she thought. In either case, she knew she wasn't strong enough. Not yet. For now, she would wait.
-I bide my time / I'm intertwined-
It seemed that someone else couldn't though. Ever since she started her trek, she'd been hearing rumours about a mystery man, going around fighting the minions of the Cold Empire wherever they lay. No one ever got his name, but some of the merchants from Ichiba-Sei started calling him 'The Phoenix,' because of his affinity for fire, and because, apparently, he could never truly be killed. Even the greatest of wounds would do no more than slow him down, and several times, people would say, he had been seen to get back up after all believed him dead.
-I'm falling in this place I thought I left behind-
Somehow, she knew it to be her saviour in black, the Saiyan warrior Kaen. With what little spare time and resources she had, she'd been doing a little research into the Saiyan race, and she had learnt a lot. She'd leant about their way of life, their way of fighting, their way of honour and pride. She'd learnt how this race of warriors had been almost enslaved by the tyrant Frieza, the very same Frieza that had ordered the attack on her home.
-I bide my time / I'm intertwined-
The mighty, proud, race of warriors known as the Saiyans, controlled by an inferior being with a superiority complex; it was almost laughable. The entire race, forced to do Frieza's bidding, promises of glory and power seemingly overwhelming their sense of honour. It made her wonder what happened to Kaen, to make him different from the rest. From what she'd heard, most Saiyans would sooner spit on you than help you out, and yet he fought, and killed, to keep her safe.
-I'm falling in this place I thought I left behind-
Maybe something had happened to him, something that made him care about other people. Then again, if he was truly this 'Phoenix,' maybe he didn't do it to help her, he did it to stop them. It seemed, from the stories she'd heard, he had something of a vendetta against the Cold Empire, much like she herself did, but unlike her, he was doing something about it, seemingly unafraid of Frieza, or anyone working for him.
-I bide my time / I'm intertwined-
She had heard tales of Frieza, and although people spoke of him in hushed whispers, and fearful murmurs, she had a pretty good idea what he looked and acted like. He was arrogant; he believed everyone was inferior to him; he was almost reptilian in appearance; he believed he could take anything he wanted, by force if need be. Frankly, from what she heard, she wasn't impressed.
-I'm falling in this place I thought I left behind-
And yet, something inside her instinctively told her to fear him; that he was bad news. That no matter what she did, she would never be able to beat him. If he could be beaten, why hadn't it been done already? It would take a true warrior to beat the evil Aisu tyrant. Maybe that's why Frieza made sure he ruled the Saiyans; maybe he feared them. If so, then why were they just accepting it? Well, maybe they all weren't; after all, Kaen fought his rule.
-I bide my time / I'm intertwined-
Argh, there he was again! Her thoughts seemed to run in circles; nothing seemed to make sense any more. She had been saved by a Saiyan, a being who, by all accounts, should have sooner killed her than helped her, one who seemed to be fighting against the oppression his kind had been put under by the evil tyrant that had ordered the attack she had been saved from. No matter her train of thought, it always came back to two things: Frieza must die, and she must find Kaen again.
-I'm falling in this place I thought I left behind-
She shook her head to clear her mind of useless thoughts. He had his mission to do, just as she had hers, and she would probably never see him again. The best she could do was to emulate him; imitation was the best form of flattery after all. Ever since she'd met him, she did her best to live as he would, with pride and honour in and for everything she did.
Being a thief, many people would argue she had no honour, but she always made sure to only steal from those who could afford the loss, especially those affiliated with Frieza's Cold Empire, and never more than she needed. She just hoped that was enough for him... She shook her head again. The time for daydreaming was over; it was time to work. She had it on good advice there was someone rich docked in the north quay, and it was high time to relieve him or her of some of their ill-gotten gains.
-I am alive-
It was a good haul. No, make that a great haul. That tip off had been right; the guy had been absolutely loaded. With what she'd managed to take she'd be right for months, maybe longer. She was sure he'd never miss it; after all, when you have that much, what she'd taken was nothing; like taking a bucket of sand from a beach. She'd been wrong; within hours of the theft, a reward had been posted for her capture, dead or alive, but from what the poster showed, preferably dead.
She stared at the poster, her picture clearly showing her face. Well, her true face anyway, she'd taken to changing it after a job the second she discovered she could. 'Figures he'd have some sort of security camera,' she thought bitterly, 'If only I'd been able to hold my invisibility the whole time...' She realised, with horror, that the man she'd robbed was related to the one who'd agreed to train her; the brother of, if she wasn't mistaken.
She sighed. She'd been here less than a month, and she already had to leave again. She had no idea how she was going to do so though; the ship she left home in had long since been lost, or destroyed, she didn't remember exactly; she'd only had it a few months. Since then she'd been forced to pay her way from planet to planet, catching lifts with merchants, taking interplanetary ferries, and even stowing away a couple of times.
She sighed again. There were no ferries leaving this planet until next month, and she couldn't use what she'd just stolen to pay her way; it was still too hot to sell. That left only one option, she had to find a ship to stow away on, preferably one that was large enough for her to not be found until it was too late to turn her in.
She found the perfect ship. From what she could see, it was huge; it dwarfed every other ship in the quay. Even better, there seemed to be robots loading up the ship, with supplies probably, so she could easily hide in one of the crates waiting to be put aboard. Taking a quick look around, she found a crate large enough to hold both her and her haul, and she quickly climbed aboard. In her hurry, she didn't notice the men standing around, wearing armour with Cold Empire markings on them.
-I will never run away / Places inside-
"Alright, who are you, and what are you doing here?"
She spun around and gasped. She was sure she'd hidden herself properly; she'd been on board for several hours now without conflict. Once again, she'd been wrong, and when she had a bad day, she had a really bad day. Judging by the assortment of men in front of her, she'd snuck aboard a Cold Empire ship, and they didn't look pleased to see her there. Worse still, she knew that this time, her saviour would not suddenly appear to save her; it was up to her to save herself. But for now, she'd play along.
Playing the innocent, defenceless, damsel-in-distress role she'd built up for just such an occasion, she wept a few crocodile tears before stammering, "I'm... I'm sorry... I... I just needed to get away... I'm sorry..." Continuing the act, she pretended to break down crying.
The men began looking between themselves nervously; obviously they'd never had to deal with an emotional female before. One of them, the same who'd spoken before, approached her slowly, saying in what passed for a sympathetic voice, "Look... It's alright... But you're gonna have to come with us, okay?"
Stifling her fake tears, she sobbed, "Okay..." and before too long they, with her in the middle of the men, were heading off somewhere in the ship, destination unknown.
-My heart screams inside with pride / Once I cried-
She lashed out, attacking the man in front of her with everything she had. She'd arrived at what she assumed was the control room, under escort, and was horrified with what she found there. The being that had greeted her had to be Frieza; he matched the descriptions almost perfectly. Acting on instinct and adrenaline, she'd used the techniques she'd learnt to send her escort flying, most with a foot or fist print, but some with burn marks.
With them out of the way, she had raced towards him, eager to see if her training had paid off, but knowing in her heart if it was Frieza, she wouldn't live through the day. At the least, she told herself, she would go down fighting. And down she went; her energy spent, she collapsed to the floor, prepared to meet her fate with a brave face. She wasn't expecting what came next.
He bent over, watching her as she caught her breath, and asked, "Would you mind explaining why you attacked me?"
"I don't... have to... tell you... anything... Frieza!" she panted out.
He looked surprised, disgusted, and even a little hurt at her reply, and it showed in his voice, "Look, you've got the wrong guy; I'm not Frieza. And, judging by the way you acted, I want him dead as much as you do, if not more."
She glared at him, gasping, "You... expect... me to... believe you?"
This time, he sounded angry, as he almost shouted, "You think all Aisu are like Frieza? Or even like the bastard? Well I will tell you right now that because of him and his father I have been treated like nothing but common dirt for my entire life! I fought hard to gain his trust, plotting behind his back the entire time, and I did not do all of that to do be doubted by a little girl who stowed away on my ship!"
She recoiled in fear, flashes from her past assaulting her mind, and his look softened. Thinking he'd scared her, he said gently, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. It's just that I've been doubted all my life, and now that I don't have to just grin and bare it anymore I guess I'm making up for lost time. If you'll forgive me, why don't we forget this whole thing ever happened, and get properly introduced?" He grinned at her, putting on his best sexy grin.
While secretly wondering if she'd broken his jaw, and from the look on his face it looked it, she nodded, saying, "Okay then. My name's Katrina."
"I'm Frost," he replied. "It's nice to meet you."
"Thanks..." she replied shyly, "Um... could you give me a lift to the nearest planet please? Besides the one we just left of course!"
"I've got a better idea," he commented, "Since you seem to dislike Frieza so much, why don't you stick around? I'm the head of an Anti-Cold Empire revolution dedicated to making sure Frieza and Kind Cold die a painful death, and we could use another fighter such as yourself."
She thought it over for a moment. If she hung around with this Frost and his crew, she'd get a chance to do what she'd set out to do in the first place. 'Plus...' she thought, 'If Kaen truly is against the Cold Empire like I thought, this guy's bound to run into him someday...' A blush stained her cheeks, as she thought of her knight in dark armour, before she nodded her assent.
He grinned again, saying, "Well then, welcome aboard the Icebreaker!" Soon his grin turned lecherous, thinking her blush was about him, and he said, "Now that that's out of the way, would you like me to show you to my room... I mean a room!"
His smile fell as her glare returned, and with a cry of "Pervert!" she kicked him, hard, between the legs, and she stormed off, already reconsidering her decision.
-Now I wipe away the tears / Once I died-
She headed towards the docking bay, curious as to who or what the ship's so called 'capture protocol' had caught. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the scanning robot's declaration of "Kapskaen, warrior first class." Her heart started racing, and she thought to herself, 'He's here. He's really here.' She stood outside the door as Frost greeted them, trying to calm herself and decide what to do.
In her excitement, she'd missed the rest of the robot's scan, and thus, the fact there was another Saiyan present. When Frost was finished with his little intro, she decided it was time for hers, so, changing her shape to appear Saiyan, she entered the hanger, and her breath caught again as she saw him, aged from what she remembered, but definitely him.
She raced towards him, batting her eyelashes and giggling, but she felt at least mildly surprised when he jumped back from her. Her surprise jumped tenfold when she found herself being knocked to the ground by another girl, a Saiyan if she were to guess, yelling in some weird language she couldn't understand. But when she heard him speak, a voice she'd never forget, she realised just who this girl was, and how stupid she was for thinking he would want her back...
o-o-o
She felt his eyes upon her, so she turned to face him. Seeing his intense gaze, she stammered nervously, "What?"
"I remember you," he replied simply. "I never forget a face. Now, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"
She sighed, opening herself up to him, telling him exactly why she was doing this. Surprisingly, despite how nervous she felt, how much she felt he would judge her, would hate her, he didn't cast her out, and he didn't shun her. He didn't tell her to get out of his presence; just because the girl he had waiting back home was now with him. Despite what she'd done, why she had left home, why she was on this ship, he didn't treat her bad for it.
She didn't know quite what to think. Everything she had learnt told her that Saiyans were very loyal to their family, to their partners, and could, would, be very violent to any threats. So why wasn't he getting rid of her? She wanted him too, didn't she? For that matter, why wasn't she, his girlfriend, getting rid of her?
As she watched them interact, she knew exactly why. She could see it in the way they looked at each other. In their eyes, she could see true love, unquestioned love, and she knew that no matter what she thought, she didn't feel the same way. She was no threat, and they knew it. So what was she then? She knew she cared about him, but if not as a partner than what?
She smiled to herself as she found her answer. She'd felt like this before. It was years ago now, but it felt like mere days. She felt like he was family. He always had, but her mind told her, screamed at her, that it was more, because he was a guy, not related by blood. It felt strange, realising that despite what she lost, what she'd gained, and what had happened, she now found herself back where she started from; in a family. One that cared for her, would protect her, would be there through good times and bad.
For the first time in her life, she felt truly happy, and even if it meant getting her life back as it was five years ago, she wouldn't change a thing.
-I am alive!-
End Side Story 02