Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.
Author's Notes: Last chapter was short, so I decided to upload two chapters. This one is longer. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: A Duel
The sun was beginning to dip past the horizon as the fight stretched into its ninth hour. Chichi had finally convinced the spectators into eating, but the two opponents fought on tirelessly, having pushed beyond the level of Super Saiyan and turned their auras golden.
But the women were not only worried about the state of the fighters and watchers.
"PAN! BRA!"
Videl had been looking for an hour, with no luck. The two little imps were pushing their power levels down so they could have as much play time as possible.
And to keep from being killed by their mothers.
"Pan, don't we need to go back?" asked a wide-eyed Bra
"No way," replied the ever-rebellious Pan. "Do you really want to go to bed?"
"No," said Bra uneasily, "but I think I hear a fight. I want to see it."
"But they won't let us. It's too late. Unless," Pan began with sudden inspiration. She paused as she worked out a scheme in her head.
"Unless what?" said Bra, suddenly eager.
Pan grinned widely. "There's a dense clump of trees we can hide behind and watch."
"I know the place," replied Bra. "But how are we going to get there without being seen?"
"Oh." Pan's face clouded over again.
But the inspiration fell to Bra this time. "Hey, wait a minute! We could swim over there!"
Pan's face brightened. "That's a great idea! Last one to the lake is a rotten egg!"
And the two Saiyan girls raced to the lake.
Vegeta was beginning to tire. He had never fought this long before. He was much older than his sister - at least in body - and she had obviously done almost continuous endurance training.
His sister had not changed. Oh, sure, she was stronger. Incredibly stronger. But physically, she was still the age of her death - nineteen. And more than that. She had not changed emotionally or mentally. Not like he had. And Vegeta almost envied her - until he saw the look in her eyes. Haunted. One of pain and misery. A look Vegeta had nearly lost. And he wouldn't have traded with her for anything.
But had he changed. He was still not the most sociable person around. And he still had nightmares, so he was not well adjusted.
Then he felt - a flicker. There was a power source in the lake. No - two. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two small figures sneak out of the water. This was not good.
Jita whipped around, and shocking the two children to where they couldn't move, let loose an energy blast at them. There was no time for anyone to stop it. The two tykes were doomed. "No one helps!" screamed Jita. Bra cringed against her inevitable demise . . . which never came.
Instead, she saw her father hold the blast back by taking the brunt of it.
The air was filled with screaming. The two girls were frozen in terror. Vegeta struggled to his feet. "Are you insane?!" he demanded, this time in the earth language. "When have you ever casually killed Saiyan children?"
Jita was taken aback, and almost apologized. She had thought they were adult warriors trying to interfere. She collected herself just in time, and let down the barrier. She folded her arms and glared at the tykes. "Go to your mothers. You should have returned to them long ago."
For once, shaken by the near death experience, Pan obeyed instantly. Bra, however, stood her ground. "If you hurt my daddy, I'll . . ." she screamed, glaring at Jita.
"Bra," Vegeta interrupted, pointing her in Bulma's direction. Bra backed down reluctantly. "Yes, Daddy," she replied running toward the others. The instant she left the fighting grounds, the barrier was back up. Vegeta watched his daughter with pride as she resisted being taken to bed. She was usually better-behaved, but he was glad to see she could act like a Saiyan when she needed to. He didn't have that long to reflect, though. It didn't take him long to recover from the blast, and they were back fighting within minutes.
Jita was confused and frustrated. Her brother was changed. A family? A home? Acting the hero? Yet he was stronger than ever. What could have changed him? His drive seemed purer, in a way. And stronger. Everything was different and new. 'I will think and analyze later,' she thought, pushing away all distractions. Then an idea came to her, and she decided to try it. She remembered she and Vegeta would fight with swords. In a thought, she formed her ki into the shape of two swords, and willed them into metal - a technique she had learned long ago. Vegeta nodded in understanding and caught the sword Jita tossed to him. With that, they dueled.
Vegeta had not used a weapon in a long time, but his skill had not left him. He began to truly lose himself in the fight, and the past. Jita was beginning to do the same.
For that time, it was like they were children again. Both smiled tightly, remembering the time when they only had each other. When they were a true match. For three sold hours they did this. It was a starless night, and all that could be seen was by the golden auras from the two Super Saiyans. Jita felt a rush of feelings she hadn't felt in decades - joy . . . and freedom. However, a thought flashed through her head: 'Why am I here?'
That's when the spell was broken, and she remembered her death - and her guest for vengeance. With a startling change, she screamed and attacked with renewed ferocity. Vegeta was caught completely off guard as Jita rammed her sword through his gut.
Vegeta's world exploded in this half-remembered dream turned prophesy. He grabbed the hilt as he dropped to his knees in pain. He could barely hear his name being screamed out by many voices. He chuckled as he croaked out, "Must my death always be so meaningless?" He began to black out.
'What it that?' Vegeta thought, hearing a barely recognizable voice mumbling words he couldn't make out. The mumbling stopped and he instinctively climbed to his feet. He looked around, and saw his sister. 'She can't be dead, too.' Then he realized he wasn't dead, and the mumbling voice had been Jita's.
"What happened?" he gasped out.
Jita, gasping for breath, replied, "I lost control. I wasn't ready to kill you, so I healed you."
"You weren't ready?"
"Not until I get some answers."
Author's Notes: Last chapter was short, so I decided to upload two chapters. This one is longer. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: A Duel
The sun was beginning to dip past the horizon as the fight stretched into its ninth hour. Chichi had finally convinced the spectators into eating, but the two opponents fought on tirelessly, having pushed beyond the level of Super Saiyan and turned their auras golden.
But the women were not only worried about the state of the fighters and watchers.
"PAN! BRA!"
Videl had been looking for an hour, with no luck. The two little imps were pushing their power levels down so they could have as much play time as possible.
And to keep from being killed by their mothers.
"Pan, don't we need to go back?" asked a wide-eyed Bra
"No way," replied the ever-rebellious Pan. "Do you really want to go to bed?"
"No," said Bra uneasily, "but I think I hear a fight. I want to see it."
"But they won't let us. It's too late. Unless," Pan began with sudden inspiration. She paused as she worked out a scheme in her head.
"Unless what?" said Bra, suddenly eager.
Pan grinned widely. "There's a dense clump of trees we can hide behind and watch."
"I know the place," replied Bra. "But how are we going to get there without being seen?"
"Oh." Pan's face clouded over again.
But the inspiration fell to Bra this time. "Hey, wait a minute! We could swim over there!"
Pan's face brightened. "That's a great idea! Last one to the lake is a rotten egg!"
And the two Saiyan girls raced to the lake.
Vegeta was beginning to tire. He had never fought this long before. He was much older than his sister - at least in body - and she had obviously done almost continuous endurance training.
His sister had not changed. Oh, sure, she was stronger. Incredibly stronger. But physically, she was still the age of her death - nineteen. And more than that. She had not changed emotionally or mentally. Not like he had. And Vegeta almost envied her - until he saw the look in her eyes. Haunted. One of pain and misery. A look Vegeta had nearly lost. And he wouldn't have traded with her for anything.
But had he changed. He was still not the most sociable person around. And he still had nightmares, so he was not well adjusted.
Then he felt - a flicker. There was a power source in the lake. No - two. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two small figures sneak out of the water. This was not good.
Jita whipped around, and shocking the two children to where they couldn't move, let loose an energy blast at them. There was no time for anyone to stop it. The two tykes were doomed. "No one helps!" screamed Jita. Bra cringed against her inevitable demise . . . which never came.
Instead, she saw her father hold the blast back by taking the brunt of it.
The air was filled with screaming. The two girls were frozen in terror. Vegeta struggled to his feet. "Are you insane?!" he demanded, this time in the earth language. "When have you ever casually killed Saiyan children?"
Jita was taken aback, and almost apologized. She had thought they were adult warriors trying to interfere. She collected herself just in time, and let down the barrier. She folded her arms and glared at the tykes. "Go to your mothers. You should have returned to them long ago."
For once, shaken by the near death experience, Pan obeyed instantly. Bra, however, stood her ground. "If you hurt my daddy, I'll . . ." she screamed, glaring at Jita.
"Bra," Vegeta interrupted, pointing her in Bulma's direction. Bra backed down reluctantly. "Yes, Daddy," she replied running toward the others. The instant she left the fighting grounds, the barrier was back up. Vegeta watched his daughter with pride as she resisted being taken to bed. She was usually better-behaved, but he was glad to see she could act like a Saiyan when she needed to. He didn't have that long to reflect, though. It didn't take him long to recover from the blast, and they were back fighting within minutes.
Jita was confused and frustrated. Her brother was changed. A family? A home? Acting the hero? Yet he was stronger than ever. What could have changed him? His drive seemed purer, in a way. And stronger. Everything was different and new. 'I will think and analyze later,' she thought, pushing away all distractions. Then an idea came to her, and she decided to try it. She remembered she and Vegeta would fight with swords. In a thought, she formed her ki into the shape of two swords, and willed them into metal - a technique she had learned long ago. Vegeta nodded in understanding and caught the sword Jita tossed to him. With that, they dueled.
Vegeta had not used a weapon in a long time, but his skill had not left him. He began to truly lose himself in the fight, and the past. Jita was beginning to do the same.
For that time, it was like they were children again. Both smiled tightly, remembering the time when they only had each other. When they were a true match. For three sold hours they did this. It was a starless night, and all that could be seen was by the golden auras from the two Super Saiyans. Jita felt a rush of feelings she hadn't felt in decades - joy . . . and freedom. However, a thought flashed through her head: 'Why am I here?'
That's when the spell was broken, and she remembered her death - and her guest for vengeance. With a startling change, she screamed and attacked with renewed ferocity. Vegeta was caught completely off guard as Jita rammed her sword through his gut.
Vegeta's world exploded in this half-remembered dream turned prophesy. He grabbed the hilt as he dropped to his knees in pain. He could barely hear his name being screamed out by many voices. He chuckled as he croaked out, "Must my death always be so meaningless?" He began to black out.
'What it that?' Vegeta thought, hearing a barely recognizable voice mumbling words he couldn't make out. The mumbling stopped and he instinctively climbed to his feet. He looked around, and saw his sister. 'She can't be dead, too.' Then he realized he wasn't dead, and the mumbling voice had been Jita's.
"What happened?" he gasped out.
Jita, gasping for breath, replied, "I lost control. I wasn't ready to kill you, so I healed you."
"You weren't ready?"
"Not until I get some answers."
