Pawsy: .:giggles madly:. I foound it….I fooooouuund it….
Frieza: Long story short, this is the infamous next chapter she lost and tried to retype but failed. Just recently, she's rediscovered its whereabouts. She's happy…
Pawsy: .:cuddles disk and speaks in a cooing voice:. You'll never leave my sight again….
Frieza: .:stares:. Oooookay….DBZ does not belong to Pawsy….obviously… .:inches away from Pawsy:.
Pawsy: Nope, so enjoy! Unless you're a Ginyu Force fan, then….:hits the ground cowering:. DON'T KILL MEEEE!!!! Oh, and Morgan….3!!! .:scroll down ;
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A Deadly Wager
In the cosmic world of star dragons, an eloquently designed hall can lead to anything. But a vast hall filled with murals of suns, moons, and planets directs a person to two doors covered in moonlight plating and trimmed with sun flares. Inside is a room where the only light are twinkling stars of various colors covering the large wall. One orange star trembles slightly before popping and raining like bright confetti. Covering the back wall is a towering judge's desk that looms high above the floor. Behind it are five unseen beings awaiting for the four weak knocks on the door.
Knock…knock…knock…knock…
"Open," the five voices ring together in the vast hall. One of the tall and elegant entrance doors slowly slides open as a figure peers around the corner.
"Enter," the voices unanimously order. As commanded, a timid looking Eternity quietly makes his way into the room and towards the center. Standing before his arbitrators, he lets out a nervous sigh.
"You…called?" Eternity squeaks. Realizing his tarnished image, he tries to quickly regain his composure. The beings flex slightly.
"We have," the door closes suddenly causing Eternity to let out a small yelp in surprise.
"Eternity…" the five say, "we of the Higher Council have noticed your repeated visits to Hellon."
"Y-y-yes, that's true," he says with a nervous smile. "I-I'm trying to correct a-an injustice. It's j-just taking longer than I th-thought imaginab"
"With the Supreme Kai's assistance?" A large male's voice dominates the group. Eternity falls silent. Taking a moment, he tries to continue.
"Uh…uh…w-well, you see…" he stutters, then finally admits defeat. His fearful smile dies as he drops his head in shame. "Yes, the Supreme Kai does accompany me on my little trips below." There was a rippling of voices throughout the room.
"Do you need to be told of the danger you're putting the Supreme Kai into," a woman's voice rings.
"No…but he won't listen!"
"THAT IS NO EXCUSE!!" the Council's voices rings out making Eternity cringe in fear.
"Eternity…" the Council's voice, now soothing, wisps like the smoke that curls around his face. To him it has soothing effect much like a mother's touch to her child. He placidly looks up at his superiors.
"We know how you feel about the lost soul. You never could stand seeing someone hurt…or taken…" Eternity nods slightly. It's very true how he always insists on helping in the slightest problem, and damn the consequences! His superiors voices rise again.
"There are some things we cannot change. The soul gave his self away. Truly, this is one problem that cannot be helped…no matter what you do."
"But the Supreme Kai!" Eternity starts only to have the Higher Council cut him off.
"Yes…him. The Kai should not have been accompanying you below."
"Of course…I try to sway him away but he thinks something can be done! He never listens!" To emphasize the point, he crosses his arms against his chest in a sense of agitation. "He's so stubborn!"
"Like you?" the voices say with a quiet chuckle catching Eternity's attention.
"…I'm not stubborn, am I?" the figures laugh aloud on this comment. "Eternity, we know you wish for nothing to ever be wrong, but that is how lessons are learned. Example, Eternity…by example. Others can see what happens when you tamper with forces of the imprisoned. Even more fortunate, the lost soul can never spread his hate to the souls of Hell."
"More of Hellon's beings are the last thing existence needs," a young male's voice says above the other four.
"I understand that feeling," the silver-haired human looks up. "Have I finished my time here, Higher Council?"
"Almost, we still have one more subject to touch," the voices again unified, say.
"Right…" Eternity says, worried and curious of what they have left to scold him for.
"Eternity, regardless of how much you believe that the soul can be freed, we all must command that you not return to Hellon."
"What?!"
"It's too dangerous. Each time you enter that realm, you risk letting a being get out!" the first male's voice says.
"And the Kai should never have joined you in the beginning. Now he's aware of such a torturous pit!" a motherly female cries.
"Worst of all, they could act upon him to get whatever they want from here!" cries the young man.
"Yesss…that is…true," Eternity says thoughtfully before snapping back to reality. "But what of Babidi?"
"He ees lost," an accented female's voice says. "Forget heem."
"But…"
"That is an order from the Higher Council!" the voices ring together. Eternity slumps slightly upon realizing his defeat.
"Yes, I will obey," he says and turns back to the door.
"Eternity," the mother's voice soothes. Eternity stops at the halfway opened entrance and pitifully looks over his shoulder.
"Please don't worry over this decision. It's for the best," Eternity sighs slightly. "What's done is done. At least that soul was the only one Spirit wanted. With it gone, it's over. Spirit is satisfied and none is the wiser." Eternity weakly smiles.
"Of course," with that he leaves. The door closes behind the dragon allowing him something to lean on.
"Over? Feh!" he scoffs slightly. "If it's over, then why do I feel this has just begun?"
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Hell. A red barren world, where after committing sins of the soul, the condemned rest. Most spirits wait for the day that they get a second chance to redeem themselves, but some are doomed to this pit for all eternity. A group of the permanently cursed, four in total, stand atop a dusty hill the looks down upon a stretch of sleek mountains. They are particularly interested at the gaping hole that grew out from a crack.
"What do you think it is?" a small figure asks.
"A hole, stupid!" A large humane-looking alien with bushy red hair lazily replies.
"That's not what I meant, Recoome!" the four-eyed toad snaps back. "I mean, where did it come from?"
"And where does it lead…" A short orange-skinned 'human' asks as he grooms his long white hair with his hands.
"Good question, Jeice," A large blue alien mutters nervously. Personally, he doesn't want to be near the hollow darkness. Recoome looks over at his taller comrade with a smirk.
"What's wrong, Burter…afraid?" the 'human' says the word with a tone of arrogance.
"Wh-what? Me? Afraid?! You must be joking!" the blue alien weakly laughs at the remark. He attempts to stick out his chest in a sense of showing off his strength. His comrade is not impressed.
"Barely, I can see you sweatin'," Recoome laughs as Burter's expression gives a small look of defeat. Guldo steps in front of the large red-haired alien.
"What about you, Recoome? Doesn't it bother you that this thing appears out of nowhere? Especially since it came shortly after, well…" the toad drops his voice as if in fear of being heard by someone, "after that psychopathic wizard disappears."
"So it comes out of nowhere? Big deal!" Recoome says with a slight wave of the hand. "It's probably just a cave."
"A cave with no inside…" Jeice mutters. Recoome glares at the smaller alien before continuing.
"As far as that wizard goes, whom I'm sure is someone that no one here wants to bring back up…" The others fall silent as they remember the day they were literally cut down by an over raged Babidi with a sword.
"He's disappeared. Good riddance really! And he's not the only one," Recoome continues. "If I recall correctly, no one has seen Master Frieza or that android, Cell, anywhere."
"What? You think they all just disappeared into the forests or something?" Guldo asks. Jeice thinks this over for a moment before expressing a disgusted look.
"Not what you're thinking, sicko!" Burter hits Jeice on the head.
"Cell's probably hiding his shame after that little tussle he lost to Babidi. The wizard could be in deeper parts of hell preparing for future 'games', and Lord Frieza…" Recoome has to think about this one. "…I don't know, maybe Lord Frieza is knockin' some guy."
"Recoome! That is our leader you're talking about!" Guldo sharply corrects his red head comrade.
"Who's not here at the moment!" Recoome chirps right back.
"So, you think!"
"Aww! Why should I care anyway? What's the worst he could he do? Kill me?" Recoome says in mock fear before laughing.
"My, aren't you cocky?" Burter growls slightly.
"Death can do that to ya!" the tall alien snaps back.
"A little too cocky…" Jeice mutters, clearly agitated by Recoome's sudden attitude change to authority.
"No, you three are just too afraid to say it," Recoome states. It has and always will be fun to mess with his comrade's heads. But what happens next, he never would've predicted.
"If you're so confident about things, turnip head, prove it!" Recoome suddenly turns to Guldo.
"What did you just call me?" he growls as he advances towards the small toad. Guldo immediately backs up but continues.
"Hear me out, Recoome!" He slows his progression towards Guldo but doesn't necessarily stop. "I'm just saying that if you're as brave as you're making yourself to be, why don't we make a wager?" Recoome halts immediately.
"Wager? What kind of wager?"
"This kind…" Guldo calms down now that he is no longer being pursued by the titan. "I dare you to enter that 'cave' and stay in there a full five minutes."
"What?" Recoome snaps.
"That way you show us how brave you are and you can tell us what it is exactly."
"If you're so curious about what's in there, why don't you go look?" Recoome points to Guldo.
"Because I'm an absolute coward, dummy! There's no way you're getting me near that thing!" The others stare at the toad in disbelief. "At least I have the guts to admit it!" Guldo snaps before turning his attention back to Recoome.
"If you don't go in, you have to swear complete loyalty to that guy," Guldo notions over to a blue-eyed, blond haired man that goes by the name of General Blue.
"Are you kidding? Who'd want to be loyal, not to mention near, that guy?! He has…'questionable' actions…" Recoome turns his back on the others and on the bet.
"What's wrong? Chicken?" Just as quickly as Guldo finishes his question, Recoome fiercely glares at his team mate.
"You think I'm too afraid to take your dare?" Seeing the confident expression on Guldo's face, he takes a moment to think.
"Aparently enough to not go in there either," Guldo says with a growing defiant tone. The red-haired giant looks to the tiny toad with hesitance for a second before turning cold.
"Sure," he snarls, "alright, I take that bet!" The two shake on it with Recoome nearly breaking Guldo's hand in the process. "But if I do as you say, you have to…" he thinks for a moment before a twisted smile breaks on his face.
"You…" he says with a laugh, "you have to proclaim your love to our leader Ginyu and give him a kiss!"
"WHAT?!" Guldo shrieks as Burter and Jeice fall out laughing.
"Welp! Too late! Deal's made! See you guys later!" Recoome charges down the hill towards the gap. His run slowly turns to a walk and finally a halt before the stone wall.
It scares him. The whole thing scares him. The towering wall looms over him and stretches for miles. It seems to block everyone from a nonexistent terror on the other side. As if to emphasize the feeling, the dark light that brightens hell weakens and pales just feet before the hole. The ghastly dull coloring only highlights the darkness of the gap where nothing can be seen inside. The opening itself seems to call out for anyone foolish enough to come close and become prey for some hidden beast.
Recoome seriously starts rethinking this whole situation. He turns back to the others and sees them watching him with smirks on their faces. They're waiting for me to come back! Fury wells up inside as he turns back to the grabbing shadows. Well, I won't give them the satisfaction! With that, he charges into the unknown.
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A strong lurch and Recoome suddenly finds himself tossed on a hard floor.
"Oww…." he whimpers as he slowly lifts himself onto his feet. He takes a moment to regain himself. Pain sears through his body, as if something attacked him. He looks at his arms, but sees no injuries of any sort.
"Weird…"
"Recoome!" he turns around at the sound of his name. Behind him is the way he came in, but this time he sees something other than darkness. Through the gap is hell, and directly near the entrance are Jeice, Burter, and Guldo.
"Oh shit! Where'd he go?!" Burter whimpers.
"I don't know! I don't see him!" Guldo says as he peers closer.
"I'm right here!" Recoome snaps at the others but they do not react.
"Why don't you go in and see if you can find him?" Jeice asks Guldo who stares at the opening.
"Are you kidding? I'm sure he's fine," the toad mutters to Jeice. Recoome watches with amusement. I ought to jump out at them. That'd get 'em all good. He considers this with great thought when Guldo speaks again.
"I'm also sure we'll see him soon," he turns his full attention at the entrance. "I seriously doubt he'll go through with the whole five minutes."
"True, Recoome isn't always one to follow through with anything except killing people," Jeice says as he looks away from the darkness.
"And he really isn't as brave as he makes himself out to be. I mean, he slept with a teddy bear as a kid!" Burter laughs.
"Burter…" Jeice seethes. "That…was…me!"
"Oh! Yes, but, you're, uh…you're pretty courageous, though," Burter says meekly.
Recoome glares fiercely at them unable to stomach the things they said behind his back. So what if he does say things behind the others back, but he never said things like that in their faces. Suddenly it hits him.
"They can't see me," he stands up now, "and they can't hear me." He looks at the other and smirks.
"So, they don't think I can make it. Well," he turns to leave, "see you guys in five minutes." He observes his new surroundings.
Everything is pitch black but strangely he is able to see, as it was noon in the desert. Mud brown stone pillars line up on the right and left side of the apparent 'room' he's standing in. Carved in the pillars are twisted symbols, demonic beasts, and one bizarre looking S with a line through it. Recoome places his hand on the letter to trace it. A burning fire sears through his touch and he pulls back in pain.
"Shit!" he curses out loud while clutching his hand. "Damn it!" He looks to the front of the room to realize there's an opening. Curious, he walks towards it and looks out.
Outside, there is nothing but halls with what looks like criss-crossing steel bars to hold up the unseen ceiling. Going straight is his first instinct as he roams the spacious area.
"This is so strange. I'm actually in another world, it seems," he continues walking while looking in every direction. "Is this some deeper part of hell?" A shimmer catches Recoome's eyes and he looks up to the pitch black ceiling. What the? A pulse of dark light causes the ceiling to shimmer again, but this time Recoome catches something. The light doesn't cover the whole ceiling but covers a pattern. He waits a moment when the shine flashes again. Wait a minute…those look like… Another pulse happens again.
"Words!" he gasps. "That looks like words are up there!" he stops walking just as another pulse occurs. Strange, they should be on the ceiling. It's almost like they are hidden from someone. He starts walking again while watching the message above. Damn it! What does it say? He thinks to himself as he now realizes that the words are another language then what he's accustomed to. He starts running down the hall, following the coded message to see where it leads.
"What the hell does that s!"
"What the shit does that guy think he is?!" Recoome hears someone say. The shock sets in as he swirls around on the spot towards the noise. Someone's…here? He looks frantically around for a hiding spot.
"If that bastard wasn't so important, I'd slaughter his high-and-mighty carcass to shreds!" With the voice getting closer, Recoome finally settles for pressing himself into the wall between two steel bars. The bars are thick and perfect for creating great shadows to cover him, but his back feels like it's on fire. It doesn't matter, he decides. I have to hold my position. Around the corner comes what looks to him as a demon coyote that walks on two legs. At his feet is a small bundle of fur with white legs and a horse's tail. At the moment, the demonic mutt is too wound up over matters to realize that he's about to pass Recoome's hiding spot.
"I swear, Buffer, he thinks he's sooo perfect! I'd like to see him screw up once, just once! That would be enough to satisfy me," the coyote snarls as he continues down the hall. The bundle of fur, Buffer squeaks a bark in agreement. Suddenly, he halts and bristles his fur. What is that thing…? Buffer then heads over to Recoome's hiding spot. NO! Growling like a puppy, the creature advances. Recoome presses himself tighter against the wall, but the small pet insists on finding its prey. It's not that Recoome's afraid of Buffer, but something in him is screaming not to be found by the beast's owner. Buffer is now close enough to get a taste of Recoome's foot. No choice! I'm going to have to run!
"Buffer!" the coyote snarls slightly. The two hold in their positions but only Buffer is seen. "This is no time to play with the walls, Buffer," the canine groans. "C'mon."
"Rrrrooorrr," the small animal whines.
"Buffer! Come!" After a slight hesitation, the creature turns to his owner. He starts after the canine but only after one final glance back.
"Ke-taka tay," he yelps silently and disappears with his owner. Once out of sight, Recoome slowly emerges from his hiding spot.
"Well," he says upon feeling safe again, "that was odd." He turns the corner only to come face to face with a six-legged wolf. It's covered in flame scorched fur and pieces of bone stick out where the flesh is completely burnt. It has a scar over its right eye and jagged white hair with a black stripe in it. Its jowls open in a snarl and reveal its multiplayer shark's teeth at the intruder.
"This won't end well…"
Seconds later, Recoome streaks down a hallway with the beast right at his heels. Unable to turn anywhere and unsure of where he is, he continues running in terror. He would've flown, but something holds him down. He can't decide if it's this world or his own fear, but he doesn't care. He has to lose the creature before it catches him. In an attempt to lose the monster, he fires a ki blast. The explosion hits the beast but doesn't deter it in the least. It charges forward if not closer to Recoome.
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"What is that?" Devidil mutters as he turns towards the sound. Buffer yips and runs in circles around his master's heels.
"Such an odd noise, wasn't it?" the coyote scoops up his beloved pet into his arms. Buffer lets out a strong purr as Devidil proceeds to pet his companion.
"Sounded like a…ki explosion…but that can't be," Devidil paces his area a bit, "No one here bothers with ki. No power to it, really." He stops petting Buffer which causes the small animal to whimper in question.
"Then that must mean…" Devidil's eyes narrow slightly in ferocity, "…an intruder."
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Recoome hasn't slowed an inch since the chase began. His main focus at the moment is finding a way to escape his pursuer. He barely notices his new surroundings except for the fact that the ground has changed from a hard black to a dusty earth brown. Their running stirs dust into the air and into Recoome's dead lungs, causing him to slow down from a coughing fit. The monster takes the moment to lunge at him. As a last attempt to ward of the wolf, he grabs a black stone off the dusty ground and throws it. It cracks directly against the beast's forehead and stuns it, buying Recoome a few precious seconds. Taking the brief lead, the Ginyu member quickly scans the area for an escape. Somewhere…anywhere! The more he searches, the only thing he sees near by is a large door covered in chains. He runs over there, grabs a chain, and pulls with all his might. It's hard to open as another searing pain ripples up his arms. After what seems forever, he's able to open a crack big enough to allow him to slip into the room. In this time, the monster canine regains his footing and charges over to the entrance. Recoome struggles against more pain as he attempts to close the door. He almost pulls it close when the beast slams into the door, shutting it, and knocks the Ginyu member off his feet. Immediately, the creature begins tearng at the door to open it.
"Not good, not good…" Recoome mutters as he backs away from the door. He then feels something wet hit his shoulder. Placing his hand on the spot, he pulls back a hand full of a warm, thick substance. Ugh! Disgusting! He tries to shake his hand dry. Feels just like… A low growl rumbles from above. He slowly looks up to see the wolf demon from before perched on a sandy cliff, drool dripping from its fangs. This one has a scar over its left eye and black hair with a white stripe through it. Recoome eases backwards when a shattering blow against the door snaps his attention.
"There's two of them?!" he screams out. The black haired wolf leaps down at the red head. On reaction, Recoome jumps away just as the white haired beast broke in. The two collide and upon recovering, start tussling as if blaming each other for the incident. Recoome takes this diversion as a chance to escape, but the only direction he can go is deeper into the cliff covered room.
Both fears of being caught and lost urges him further than he originally intended when he first entered this dark place. A howl rips across the cliffs telling Recoome that the beasts have settled their differences and now are hunting together. He looks forward for a good spot to hide and watch for those creatures. Then he sees the perfect spot ahead. A large cliff towers over the room giving a grand view of its contents from the top. Best of all, there is already a path leading up and making the cliff easy to climb. Recoome jumps onto the path and starts up the immense rocky side. As he continues his charge up the cliff's face, he starts wondering if this road leads to the monsters' home. A chilling howl rips through his spine. Can't worry about that now! He thinks to himself as he goes further up the path. Besides, their home would probably be the last place they'll look for me. That'll give me plenty of time to escape out of here. He finally reaches the end of the path by almost running off it.
"Yipe!" he brakes at the cliff's edge just before falling off and jumps back. "Shit! That was close!" Taking a moment to relax, he gets down on his knees and peers over the side. This is perfect! I can see everything from here! Now, all I have to do is watch for those beasts to stray away from the exit and I'm outta here! Recoome looks around the various cliffs and frowns. Question is, where are they…? A small growl sends shockwaves down his spine as he turns to see the origin of the noise. Behind him isn't the demon wolf he was expecting, but a cave that he never noticed earlier. Once again, his curiosity gets the best of him and he hesitantly wanders in.
Wandering deeper into the cave, Recoome notices more strange symbols covering the wall. This time, though, he feels a difference in the writing. Instead of a hidden message, these seem to feel like a hex. As if they are a caging curse to keep something in. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes he saw the same words on the door and a few on the pillars in the halls. The narrow cave walls suddenly give way to a large hollow opening. The heart of the cave. There are bones and pieces of flesh scattered across the ground, and blood smeared everywhere. In the back center of the room is a stone slab raised and is the size of a decent bed. On this stone bed is a curled up shape covered in shadows.
"What…is…that?" Recoome whispers as he inches closer to the shadows. He mentally prays that it's not another one of those wolf beasts. Suddenly, the figure moves scaring Recoome enough to let out a small scream. He quickly clamps his hands over his mouth hoping nothing heard him, whether it's this creature or the wolves outside. The figure stirs slightly but doesn't come near him.
"Wait…is it…?" he inches closer to see if he's right. The creature doesn't even tense in defense and its breathing is slow. It's asleep! Recoome smiles thankfully. He then gets a second look at the creature.
"Wait a minute…he looks…familiar," he finally stands above the snoozing beast. "He looks like…the wizard?!" Recoome stands dumbfounded. But it can't be… he thinks to himself nervously. I don't recall him having wings…or fur…or a tail… He shifts his sights to a sword hilt hanging above the slumbering monster. Oh shit! That sword?! Memories of Captain Ginyu being skewered, Burter being dismembered, and even Cell's downfall come flooding back. It is that sword! Then this is…
"So this is where you disappeared to…" Recoome mutters out loud. It's been weeks, but that sick feeling of something being wrong returns. "I shouldn't be here. I need to get out of here." He almost turns to leave when a glint of light catches his attention.
"What is that?" he whispers as he leans dangerously close to the monster. Upon closer inspection, he sees light shining off a black metallic object. A pendant, actually. It looks like an eye… The demon's wings twitch slightly before folding against his back again.
Recoome shakes off his curiosity. What am I doing? That…thing could wake up any second. I have to leave! Now! He starts for the entrance of the cave. I have severely overstayed my welcome! Besides, I can't wait to tell the others about this… His walk slows down to a weak pace, before stopping right at the entrance. That's if…they believe me… He reviews over the events he's just experienced. A dark world with light, a coyote with a pet hairball, hidden words on the ceiling, demon wolves that tried to kill him, and someone that sort of looks like the wizard, Babidi, resting in a room full of cliffs! It sounds so…crazy!
"I need proof! But what…?!" A thought hits him…an extremely insane thought. Recoome returns to the stone slab and stares at the mutated wizard.
"I shouldn't, but then again…" a devilish smile appears, "I doubt you seriously need this." He cautiously reaches down and lifts the chain off the back of beast's neck. Nothing. Next, he proceeds to steadily remove the chain away. So far, so good. The beast stretches much to Recoome's surprise and fear. Holding his spot, the creature returns back to its curled position. Recoome lets out a silent, but strong, sigh of relief and resumes the delicate process of removing the chain. He finally slips the chain off and brings the pendant up to his face.
"Ha! Gotcha!" he whispers. Recoome takes one last glance at the slumbering beast and laughs slightly. "Hope you don't mind if I take this. See ya!" Recoome heads to door. I believe this is all the proof I'll need for the others to believe me. He stares at the pendant. Damn! I've never seen something of this design in hell. They'll have to believe me!
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" a voice growls behind. Oh shit… Recoome peers over his shoulder. Curled in the same position as before is the twisted Babidi look-alike…only this time his eyes are open.
"Well?! I asked you a question!" the long tail falls off the slab and curls at its base. "Where are you going?!"
"H-hell…I'm going to hell." He doesn't know why, but Recoome just says his location. It's strange to open up to a stranger that way. Then again, fear does many strange things.
"Hell?" the creature looks confused. "You can't be from hell."
"Why…why not?"
"Any outsider who enters this realm without proper escort has their soul shredded or burned upon entry," the creature slowly sits up on his hands and stretches a bit like a feline.
"How did you get through?" the beast growls lightly. It suddenly makes sense to the Ginyu member. All the pain he felt when he entered and the burning pain he experiences whenever he touches anything here. It's all this realm's doing…but…how is he still in one piece? And the chain…why doesn't it hurt him?
"Answer me! Who the hell are you?" Recoome looks to the creature upon command.
"I'm Recoome of the Ginyu force." Unlike usual, he didn't think it would be appropriate to break into a pose this time. The beast's eyes flash a fierce fire red. It seems a streak of anger shown through upon hearing the name.
"What did you say?"
"My name is Recoome," he says a little more boldly now. "Now, who are you? Where am I? And how do I get out of here?" For a moment, the creature seems furious at Recoome's attitude, but the anger soon turns to blunt amusement.
"Me? My title is Soul. I belong within this area by the title of Hellon. As far as your escape goes…" the creature smirks slightly. "Who said you were leaving?"
"What?!"
"You're a very curious specimen…" the creature starts to rake its claws against the stone in thought. "In fact, you're the only unescorted soul to enter in one piece. I sense burn marks on your soul, but it's nothing that can't heal. Not to mention, I've seen much worse," Soul hisses with delight. Recoome stands there in disturbed silence. It takes him a moment before speaking again.
"I-I don't think I'm a-a good specimen," Recoome stutters before a new thought hits him, "but as to why I'm here in one piece, I don't know. On the topic, though, I have a better question." He looks at the pendant in his hand before continuing. "I mean, look at this!" he holds up the pendant, "I'm able to hold this. If it's from this place, shouldn't it be hurting me too?" Soul tenses up with shock.
"Yeeeah! Anyway, of all the things I've handled down here, this is the only thing that doesn't hurt me. Weird, huh?" It's then he notices that Soul is barely paying attention. Instead, he looks down and then towards Recoome with an expression that's barely amusing.
"What are you doing with that?!" Soul hisses. Recoome reverts back to his fearful mode as the beast takes the sword hilt down.
"Oh? Oh! This!" he laughs slightly. "This is yours?! Well, damn, isn't that funny! I didn't…I didn't know this belonged to anyone! I just found it outside and said 'Hey! Uh…look at this!' But I honestly didn't know it belonged to someone. My, my, how embarrassing!"
"You stole that! From me?!" Soul tears the sword out of its cover.
"Hey, now that is a false accusation!" Soul lets out a roar as he leaps off his resting area, sword in hand and aimed at Recoome. The red head jumps back and starts for the entrance.
"Oh no!" The two wolves appear at the opening and lunge at him. At the last second, he hits the ground and the two beasts collide with their master. Recoome pushes himself back onto his feet and charges out of the cave.
"Get off of me, you bastards! Get him! GET HIM!!" Recoome hears from the distance. Without much thought, he plunges off the side of the cliff. He braces himself as he lands on his feet. The Ginyu member stifles a scream from the pain and tears forward into the cliffs.
The further he runs, the more he hears snarls, howls, and the scraping of claws echoing everywhere. In time, the sounds seem to creep closer. Fearing the worst, he reassures himself. Okay, don't look back! Don't look back! He quickly glances over his shoulder to see all three of the monsters catching up to him. Damn! I shouldn't have looked back! Up ahead, he sees the chain door. He slams right into it, numb to the burning pain, and forces it open. Almost immediately, he runs to the other side and starts closing the door. C'mon! C'mon! Close! He looks into the opening and sees the trio closing in. Most importantly, he sees Soul getting closer, fury lining his body.
"CLOSE!" Using every trace of energy in his body, he slams the door shut. Soul's pets try to stop, but come short and smack directly into the wood. Soul leaps up onto a cliff and climbs to the top where there is an opening in the wall.
"So close…" Recoome pants as he leans against the door. "So…very close."
"There you are!" Recoome looks directly up to see Soul glaring down from a hole.
"YAH!!" he screams as he jumps up and runs; just seconds before Soul lands onto the ground. His dead heart racing, Recoome runs down a random hall. Everything is the same as the hall before only this time the walls are lined with worn and faded wood doors, each in a different twisted design. The only thing they all have in common is that each one is held closed by a large chain wrapped around a brass ring on the door.
"I'm gonna find you, and when I do…!"
"Please don't finish that sentence!" Recoome whimpers. A crash from short distance away signals how close the hunter is. He's getting close! Need a hiding spot! He looks to the doors on his left. Might as well. He stops, jerks a door open, and runs in. Upon closing the door, he presses an ear against it to listen. The scraping of claws and vicious growls tell Recoome that Soul is just outside.
"He's been here…" the creature hisses while walking down the hall. Recoome's spying is cut off when he hears the rustle of metal behind him. He turns around only to see a disheveled old man with skin barely hanging off his bones. He has crude, thick chains on his arms, legs, and neck that limit his movement. The captor stares at the newcomer with pale, wide eyes and a trembling lower jaw. When Recoome moves, he starts to whimper slightly.
"No! No…" Recoome whispers as he puts a finger up to his lips. "Shh…" The old man stares pitiably.
"Good…" Recoome whispers. As if on cue, the old man lets out an inhuman shriek that vibrates off the walls.
"What the?!" Soul turns back to the doors he's passed. In the room, Recoome covers his ears in an attempt to block out the painful sound. Finally, out of desperation, he bursts through the door and back into the hall. He looks to the left and sees Soul coming straight at him.
"Shit!" Recoome takes off down the hall. I've gotta find a way outta here! He looks around in hopes of seeing something familiar. Something that will show him the way out. Recoome suddenly lets out a blood curdling screech of pain as Soul's claws rake down his back and stay in the flesh.
"Time for you to dissipate, Hellion!" the beast screeches as he raises his one free hand; in it is his twisted sword. "Now, cease to exist!" In a desperate attempt, Recoome reaches back and snatches Soul's tail. With one painful pull on the both of them, Soul's claws detach from Recoome's spine. The beast is so shocked he never recovers quick enough to stop the red haired titan from throwing him away. With an insidious crack, Soul hits head first on a 'wall' and falls limp. Instead of waiting to see what would happen next, Recoome decidedly does a wise move and leaves.
"Now, how do I get out of here?" he whimpers as he runs down a hall.
"Why don't you go the same way you came in?" a voice from the shadows stops the Ginyu dead in his tracks.
"Wh-what?" he says while keeping his guard completely up.
"Simple, you just leave this place from which you entered…" Recoome then realizes this isn't Soul he's speaking to. The voice is much different.
"Do you understand, now?" the voice asks. "Or shall I make this much more elementary for you?"
"No!" a growl from the shadows quickly reminds him of his place in this conversation. "No, I understand completely."
"Much better," the voice snaps. "If you wish, I can tell you where you are and where you need to go to get out."
"And what's in it for you?" A hate-filled snicker emits from the shadows, sending a shudder down Recoome's bleeding back.
"Oh, believe me. You'll be helping just by leaving," the voice says. "That will be all you owe me." Recoome stands his ground but finally decides he has no choice.
"Fine," he mutters. "Tell me, where am I?" Recoome is confident that the figure is smiling as it speaks.
"You are in the Hall of Rot. Souls here are good for nothing less than our meals. The place you exited was the Condemned Line. Every soul we get here goes there. I believe you've met one of our better tenants?" Recoome thinks back to the disheveled old man and shivers on the memory of his scream.
"So far, you are on the right track, but lost too. You are to go straight, regardless of what you hear or see, until you come to a split. Go right towards the Hall of Shadows. Don't worry about the lack of light. If you go straight through without the slightest turn, you won't get lost." The voice takes a moment to review its thoughts.
"Still with me?" the figure asks.
"Yes…continue."
"You'll break into light again, signaling you've successfully made it through. But don't be fooled once you exit there. You'll find the Hall of Lies. Since this will be your first and probably last time to enter it, you probably shouldn't have too much deceit in words. To leave, you have to listen for things that don't satisfy or seem truthful to you. If done correctly, you'll make it to the Main Hall. I believe you've seen it before?"
"You mean the place with the steel bars?"
"Precisely," the voice smiles again. "If you look towards your left you should see the opening to the Grand Meeting Section Twenty-One. Just try not to confuse it with the other fifty-four Grand Meeting Sections."
"What?! And just how do I do that?!" Recoome says in shock.
"Believe me, you'll know it when you see it," the figure in the shadows shifts slightly. "Well, that's it. You better get started, too. You're little playmate from earlier should be awakening soon. And he'll be furious, that I can promise you." Recoome stands his ground in a deep thoughtful silence.
"What's wrong? Don't you trust me?" These words snap the Ginyu back to his senses. As if he has a choice!
"Alright then…" he says while staring at the ground. "I'll take your word for it, but you better not be wrong!"
"For the sake of the both us, you better not get caught," the voice replies and disappears into silence. Without any reassurance of safety or honesty, Recoome plunges down the hallway on instinct alone. Once gone, a small Buffer leaps from the shadows, snapping at the soul who left. Right behind him, Devidil emerges from the same shadows with a twisted smile on his face.
"Things are about to take an interesting twist, no?" Buffer rubs against his master's legs in agreement. The moment Devidil lifts up his beloved pet into his arms Soul comes down the hall snarling.
"Devidil!"
"Hmm?" the larger beast barely shows interest in the new arrival. "Oh, why Soul!" he says shocked. "Whatever brings you out of your area? Already aching for a mound of flesh? Good timing really. We have some choice corpses hanging out. I really recommend"
"SHUTTUP!! That's not what I'm here for!"
"You don't have to scream," the coyote huffs. "Well, state your business. It seems pretty important if have to break the sound barrier."
"It is! Have you seen a large human-like hellion with red hair?"
"A hellion? That can't be possible, you know that," Devidil strokes Buffer's hair. "I recommend you sleep more. It's obvious you've been seeing th"
"Devidil!!" the coyote looks slightly surprised by the outburst. Finally, he props his left arm in his right hand and stares at the ceiling in mock thought.
"Let's see…let's see…red- haired human…hmm…"
"DEVIDIL!!"
"Don't rush me!" After another second of strained silence, a look of remembrance appears. "Ooooh! Yes! I remember! He went that way," he points to the correct trail. "Said something about finding an exit?"
"Exit? He's leaving?! No!" Soul runs down the following hall. "I can't let him escape!" Soul disappears into the far distance leaving a heavily pleased Devidil alone.
"Of course," Devidil chuckles slightly to himself, "After all, we are forbidden to cross spiritual lines. And you? You may never leave before your time. And with statistics like that, how can you possible retrieve your trinket then?"
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This hall is well deserving of its name. Regardless of the shadow's words, Recoome can't help but glance to his sides slightly. Chained against the walls are corpses, living corpses with their intestines falling to the floor. The putrid scent of rotting flesh and fresh blood mingle in the air. Screams echo into every empty crack and proclaim the chained souls' pain. Up ahead, Recoome sees the split.
"Finally," he says in relief. Turning a quick right, he starts down another hall. At first nothing seemed different. Then, slowly the hall starts growing darker and darker until there is no light at all. For a moment, Recoome slows in his run allowing him a chance to absorb how dark it is. What's even worse, he swears he can hear breathing.
"Lost?" a voice chokes out.
"Who's there?"
"We're all lost in shadows…"
"I said…who is there?!"
"Wouldn't you love to be lost in the shadows too…?" Something among the dark, possibly a hand, grips Recoome's shoulder. His initial reaction is to just run blindly in any direction to escape. At last second, though, he remembers the warning given to him.
"If you go straight through without the slightest turn and you won't get lost."
"Stay with us shadows, newcomer…" Recoome tears away from the unknown grip and charges on. He continues down the Hall of Shadows, not realizing that a new figure has entered the room.
"I'll find you, hellion! No matter where you've gone! Even if I have to search this entire realm!" Soul plunges headfirst into the darkness with no hesitation and starts the time consuming task of scanning the shadows.
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Up ahead, Recoome notices a small break of light ahead. The exit leading to the Hall of Lies! Finally! In a flash, he's broken from the shadows and stands in a new room. Once his eyes adjust to the light, he welcomes a new sight. He's now standing on the ceiling of a room with thousands of doors littered everywhere. Grotesque furniture resembling such from an abandoned home hangs from the floor above and off the walls. Some pieces float before his very eyes. Then, more voices appear.
"Freedom! Freedom! You seek freedom!" says a small voice resembling a small child's.
"Yes…" Recoome mutters. "Yes, I do!"
"I can help you find freedom!" the voice squeaks. "Just open a door and you'll find yourself home!" Recoome stands there.
"Which door?"
"Why any door, silly!" the little voice giggles. Recoome looks around at the many types of doors. They are worn, shredded, aged, and stained various colors. A few even are stained from blood splatters.
"But which door?" he stresses aloud.
"Does it matter?" a singer croons above the others for the moment.
"Yes, pick a door," a vixen sounding woman's voice coos. "It all leads to home…especially me…"
"No! No! I do!" A madman's voice screeches and laughs devishly.
"An exit! Come to me, the exit!" the child squeals. Recoome hears these comments and shakes his head.
"No…no, this can't be right. Lies! These are all lies!" he screams in fury. "How am I supposed to find the truth in a room full of lies!"
"After all, your friends can't wait for you to return," a lower voice states. "…especially since you've been among us for much more than five minutes."
"Who said that?" Recoome turns in shock.
"Why me!" the voice soothes from a distance. "You're quite the know it all, I can tell."
"Who's there?" the Ginyu member snarls.
"Hey! Hey! I'm still here!" the small voice screams.
"And definitely have quite a know how of this area…congratulations…"
"Duh! He has to if he exists here!" a voice befitting of a biker snaps.
"Leave him with me! I'm trying to get him out!" the child screams.
"Ridiculous! You're just leading him to our Realm! I know you! Hey buddy! I know the way out!" the biker laughs.
"And of course, you've had little problems. Nothing you can't handle," the smooth gentleman praises on. Over time, more and more voices join in helping to create a thunder of opinions. Recoome pays no attention to any of them. Instead, he walks forward and stops at an upside down door with a rusted copper frame and made entirely of aged wood panels.
"You!"
"Yes?" the gentleman barely shows interest.
"You're the way out. Admit it!" Silence echoes throughout the room.
"That's your call, not mine. I could lead out or I could lead to nothing more than insufferable pain. Decide," the voice actually growls.
"No doubt I will," Recoome grabs and twists the corroded handle and pulls the door open. A door slams behind him. Recoome turns around to see nothing but a steel door fixated to a wall covered in criss-crossing steel bars.
"The Main Hall? I made it to the Main Hall!" he sighs in relief. "Alright, to the left!" he walks towards a large opening on the left wall. Inside is a hall still covered in steel bars on the sides and openings everywhere. Inside the openings are rooms, all containing the same mud brown pillars he saw when he first fell into this abyss.
"I'll know it when I see it…I'll know it when I see it…I'll know it when I see it… I'll know it when I see it…Well, I'm not seeing it!" he screams out.
"Recoome!"
"Oh no! More voices!" he groans.
"Damn it! How long can he stay in there?" Recoome suddenly senses a familiarity in the voice.
"Jeice?" He takes a few more steps forward.
"Maybe he's never coming out…"Guldo's voice agitatedly points out. Recoome stops at one opening and looks into it. There they are…Guldo, Jeice, and Burter stand a few feet from the opening staring in.
"Well, I believe he has definitely gone beyond the five-minute point," Burter notes.
"Shuttup!" Guldo growls, a sign that he's not looking forward to the future should Recoome appear.
"It's them! It's the exit! I found it!"
"I found you!" A voice roars as Recoome feels cold steel stab into his shoulder. He lets out a scream as Soul removes the blade and prepares to stab again. This time, Recoome is a little faster as he leaps away and heads for the rip.
"No you don't!" Soul swings out to stop the escapee. After all, he can't pass through the rip. This is his last chance to get what belongs to him back. The blade reaches out and slices into the back of Recoome's legs. The sudden new pain slows the Ginyu down to a hurried stagger. With a continuous burning pain surging through his legs, back, and up to his shoulder, he finally hits his knees to the ground.
"Exist no more!" Soul lunges forward with his blade aimed straight at Recoome's dead heart. Using his every bit of his strength left and ignoring every bloody injury, he leaps straight for the rip.
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"I tell ya, he better not be staying in there just for dramatic reference," Burter growls impatiently.
"Personally, he can stay there for eternity!" Guldo mentally prays to himself.
"I don't know, guys," Jeice says. "True, Recoome does take his time with things, but this is longer than usual. Even for him."
"Maybe he's dead…" Guldo mutters.
"You can't die again!" Burter snaps then stops. "Can you?"
Suddenly, Recoome flies out of the black void and lands before them. He slowly stands erect, his clothes torn and blood heavily dripping from his wounds. The other Ginyu force members stare in shock.
"…hey…" Recoome manages to weakly say.
"OH SHIT! RECOOME DIED AND HAS COME BACK TO HAUNT US!!!" Guldo screams sending panic through all three of them. In an attempt to flee, they all turn around at the same time only to run into each other at the same time. Recoome lets out a disgruntled sigh.
"Hello! I'm already dead, you morons!" Recoome snarls. "I just ran into a little trouble in there." The three quickly untangle themselves and look back to their other member.
"What in hell is in there?!" Burter says, still in shock of the sight of Recoome's wounds. A weak but cocky smile appears on the red head's face.
"Thought you'd never ask," Recoome holds up the pendant. "Alright, you're never going to believe this but I think you should know that!"
Everyone falls silent. Jeice, Burter, and Guldo stare in horror. Recoome stands, a look of pain stretched onto his face. The only thing holding his body up is the steel blade through his chest. Black blood drips from off the tip and from the huge wound. Soul's stolen pendant falls from Recoome's weakening grasp and hits the red soil of hell. With a swift jolt, the sword is removed and Recoome collapses onto the ground.
"RECOOME!"Jeice screams out. Free from the corpse, the sword slides down and through the chain. Carefully, the chain is lifted off the ground and quickly pulled back into the hole.
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"Hmm…So, since you were unable to follow the little bastard out, you use your sword to get what you want?" Devidil says as Soul drops the pendant into his hand.
"It worked, didn't it?" Soul sheaths his sword and slips the pendant back onto his neck.
"Feh! You think you're so creative!" Devidil spats in disgust. The larger beast looks back through the rip at the small crowd.
"Idiots! Bastard hasn't got a chance."
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Recoome feels a new sensation crawl into his dead body. The best way to describe it would be an 'empty numbness.'
"Recoome…what…what's happening…to…you?" Burter stutters with no answer from Recoome. He manages to turn his head slightly to look at himself. While the black blood pools around him, he sees a shocking sight. He's disappering, no, dissolving from the inside. What started from his wound is slowly spreading to his outer flesh. His skin becomes more translucent with every second.
"Oh hell, he's dying again…" Guldo whimpers.
Dying? No…it isn't dying…Recoome knows he can't die again. This is different. Terribly different. Finally, the last shade of his outline faded from hell. Recoome is gone…but not dead. You can't kill what doesn't exist and the red haired titan, Recoome, is now nonexistent.
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Pawsy: Well, that's it. Ginyu fans…pleeeeaaaasssseeee don't kill me! .:looks at story again:. Holy freakin' cows! Did you know this chapter was 18 pages long! I don't think any of them have hit this mark! I don't think the next chapter is going to either…
Frieza: Good luck. .:silence:.
Pawsy: .:stares:. Are you still mad about that little gay reference?
Frieza: One minute, I'll answer that as soon as I finish writing your address on this poster board for everyone to see.
Pawsy: You wouldn't!
.:Silence as the two stare at each other. Frieza goes back to writing. Pawsy lights a match, places on the corner of the poster board, poster board burns, and turns to ashes. Once over the shock of what happens, Frieza turns his back to Pawsy:.
Pawsy: Anyway, next episode, we hear from one soul on how he became a part of Hellon. Now, before you think it sounds boring, keep in mind that we'll see another familiar face of DBZ.
Frieza: And it's--
Pawsy: Well that's all the time we have for today, folks! Til next time!