Her Return

Chapter Twenty Nine

The Pendulum training was over. Now it was time for Vegeta and Aya to head off to go face Areiko. Aya was nervous, really nervous. She was standing on the lookout deck waiting for Vegeta to go with her. While she was standing there, her hands were shaking, and shaking badly. What if the training that she did wasn't enough? What if she can't get through to Areiko? What if she accidentally kills Areiko? What if Areiko accidentally kills her and Vegeta? What if Kira kills them all?

Vegeta stepped out and looked at Aya. Even though Aya was trying so hard to hide the fact that she was nervous, Vegeta could see it, and sense it too. He approached her and called out her name since her back was facing him.

"Aya."

Aya turned to look at him.

"Are you alright?"

Aya nodded her head stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Y-Yeah…" Vegeta approached his daughter and placed his hand onto her shoulder. Aya glanced at his hand and looked back up at him.

"It's okay," Vegeta said to her, "we'll save Reiko."

Aya could see the confidence that Vegeta had in his words. She smiled and lunged herself on him, hugging him tightly. Vegeta blinked a few times, taken aback by her sudden hug. She was holding him pretty tight, it kind of made Vegeta wonder what Aya had planned.

'Just in case this is the last time I get to hug you…' Aya thought to herself hugging Vegeta even tighter. Vegeta felt Aya's hug turn into a squeeze; there he knew that something was wrong, so he hugged her back rubbing her back a little bit. Aya smiled gently closing her eyes.

Aya let go Vegeta after a few moments. Vegeta looked at her about to ask what that was all about, when suddenly the look of fear took over Aya's face. Vegeta started to turn around slowly, fear taking over his looks as well.

There sitting on the steps of the lookout was Areiko. She wasn't actually sitting, more like lying up against a pillar. She had her left leg crossed over her right knee, bouncing it. Her right hand was behind her head as she picked at the claws on her left hand using her claw that was on her thumb. She looked actually quite calm. Nothing on her face or any physical features told her that she was nervous about this fight. She turned her head looking at Aya and Vegeta with a smirk on her face. She sat upright and then stood.

Aya moved back a little bit, and so did Vegeta as Areiko walked towards them. Vegeta moved himself in front of Aya. She stood behind him as Areiko just looked at them. He then walked around them and walked towards the edge of the Lookout. She turned her head to look at the two fighters standing there behind her, watching her closely.

She waved her hand, as if she wanted them to follow her. Vegeta and Aya watched closely as she jumped up into the air and shot herself down towards the ground.

"Well… we might as well follow her." Aya said walking to the edge.

"Wait for a minute." Vegeta said to her standing in his spot. Aya turned to face the saiyan prince looking at him a bit weirdly.

"But if we don't go now we'll—"

"I'm sure she'll wait." Vegeta interrupted. "I only have one question for you."

Aya nodded, "Ookay… and what's that…?"

"What was that hug all about?" Vegeta asked. Aya looked at him. She turned her head away a little bit and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know," she answered, "just something that I felt like doing. Now come on," Aya turned towards him again. "Let's go before we lose her." She jumped off of the side of the lookout, and plummeted herself to the ground.

Vegeta stood there for a few moments before he decided to follow Aya and Areiko.

The three of them landed somewhere out in the deserts. Areiko turned and pointed to her left. Aya and Vegeta looked over to see Bulma, Videl, and Chichi sitting down. They were chained together and Kira was standing behind them. Chichi's face was cleaned a bit, they made sure that it looked like no harm was done to her.

"Bulma!" Vegeta called out, about to walk over to her when suddenly a ki beam cut him off. He turned his head looking at Areiko who shook her head. Kira smirked as she walked around the women heading towards Bulma. She knelt down by her side and smirked.

"Say it."

Bulma looked at Kira. She sighed and turned to Vegeta and Aya. "These are the rules."

"There are rules?" Aya repeated shifting her eyes around.

Bulma nodded, "yeah… Aya fights Areiko, and Vegeta… you have to fight Kira."

Vegeta and Aya stood there silently. They then looked at each other, before they could say anything; Areiko came out of nowhere slamming her shoulder right into Aya's chest. Vegeta turned toward her. He was about to go after her till Kira came into his view. Vegeta's eyes widened a little bit as she smirked.

"What's wrong?" Kira asked suddenly punching him. "Surprised?"

Blood quickly splattered out of Vegeta's mouth. Before Kira could get another hit on the saiyan prince. He flared his ki, throwing her back. Kira slid on her feet with a smirk on her face. She looked up at Vegeta to see that he was in his super saiyan form. He wasn't going to be fooling around in this match.

"So serious now." Kira mocked. Vegeta growled and got into his stance.

"Just fight me already," Vegeta barked.

"Fine."

Kira lunged forward.

Aya was backing away from Areiko as she swung her claws a little wildly. The Pendulum Room did exactly what Aya was hoping that it would do. Teach her how to fight back with Areiko's wild side, to bad it didn't teach her how too bring the real Areiko back to the surface.

"Areiko stop!" Aya shouted barely dodging her claws. "This isn't like you to be attacking me! Please! Stop!"

Areiko roared loudly, hoping that it would frighten Aya, which it did. Aya jumped a little and leapt back so that only her shirt was caught by her best friend's claws. Areiko lunged forward. Aya didn't see this one coming. Areiko placed her hands right onto Aya's shoulder and dug her claws within her flesh. Aya flinched as she stumbled backwards then fell to the ground. She opened her eyes to see Areiko right on top of her growling.

Aya reached up and grabbed onto Areiko's side, causing her best friend to turn away from her and look at her hands.

"Areiko stop!"

Areiko stop!

Areiko moaned and rolled over. Aya's voice echoed within her ears.

Cut this out! I don't want to hurt you!

"Hurt me…?" Areiko started, her eyes opening and then closing. "W-Why… Aya…?"

Please Areiko! Me and Vegeta are here to help you! We want Kira dead just as much as you! But we don't want you dead! Please snap out of this! You're my best friend! My other half!

"Other… half…?"

My sister!

"Sister…?"

You're the entire reason why I kept living when you disappeared!

"M-Me…?"

Do you know how badly I wanted to rid myself from this world when you left? When you left Areiko… you took me with you! We were always together doing so many fun things! Think about everything that we did together!

A smile crept across Areiko's unconscious face, "p-pranked Vegeta… played with Goku…"

"P-pranked Vegeta…" Areiko's eyes widened realizing what was going on. "Played with Goku…"

Aya smiled nodding her head. "Yes Areiko! We pranked Vegeta and played with Goku!"

M-Messed with Goten, Trunks, and Gohan…

"M-Messed with Goten, Trunks, and Gohan…"

Areiko's evil half found herself repeating everything that the real Areiko was saying to Aya. This wasn't good, she was waking up. This was ruining her plans. She wasn't supposed to wake up so soon!

Aya nodded her head. "Yes Reiko-chan!"

R-Reiko-chan… m-my… n-name….

Areiko growled trying to stop herself from repeating the words within her head. "R-Reiko-chan… m-my… n-name…"

"Areiko! Stop it! Don't talk to her!" Her dark half shouted growling in Aya's face, smelling her wonderful blood within her flesh. "She's trying to fool you!"

F-Fool me…?

"Yes! She's only doing this so that you would help her and Vegeta get rid of Sister Kira."

I want… her gone.

"And you'll get your wish, I'll do it for you. Embrace Areiko."

Embrace?

"Yes, it's the only way to go. It's the only way that you can escape this horrible destiny that fate has set aside for you."

Destiny… fate….

"Yes Areiko, those are the things that are against you right now. Vegeta and Aya are only part of your destiny that was made up by fate. You really mean nothing to them. You mean nothing to fate. You're just another puppet for it to play with."

P-Puppet…

"I'm you're only escape."

Escape…

"That's right… just go back to sleep and continue bracing."

Continue… bracing…

Areiko's evil half felt her light sister fall back into a deep sleep, once again giving her full control. The funny thing is that the whole time that her evil side was talking to her. Aya was talking as well, trying to get Areiko off of her and to help her.

Areiko dug her claws deeper. She then suddenly stood up and tossed her like some gorilla or animal that she was. Aya hit the ground hard, creating a small chasm as she continued to skid across the ground. When the dust cleared around Aya, all the short teen saw was Areiko's fist hitting her face.

Vegeta took his eyes off of Kira for a split second to check on Aya, bad idea. Kira slammed her knee right into the prince's stomach. Saliva came out of the saiyan's mouth as she tumbled backwards on the ground. Kira walked over to him bending down looking into the saiyan's face as she coughed and rolled over so that his back was facing his enemy.

"You're starting to bore me."

"Bore you huh?" Vegeta said turning his head enough to see Kira. "I wasn't trying to entertain a maggot like you."

Kira growled. She suddenly latched her hand onto Vegeta's throat and gripped tightly. "Maggot huh?" Kira smirked. "Let's see what this maggot can do to you…"

Vegeta grabbed onto Kira's wrist. A bright white ring appeared around Kira's midsection and started to separate, changing her appearance. Vegeta watched as Kira's pale skin started to turn white and purple. Vegeta knew what was going on.

"Hello again Vegeta."

Vegeta smirked. "Nice try K-Kira…" Vegeta said. "Frieza's been dead for years…"

"Have I?" Kira asked. "I seem to feel very alive." Kira placed her hand onto Vegeta's stomach, feeling the stitches. "What's this?"

Vegeta looked down from the corner of his eyes. She was going for his stitches. He needed those to stay alive and to stay alert in this battle.

"When did you get stitches Vegeta?"

"Stop your a-act…" Vegeta demanded. "F-Frieza's dead…"

A smirk came across Frieza's face. "Really?" Kira's voice came back, coming from Frieza's mouth. "How about this then." The white ring appeared again. As the rings separated, they began to show royal saiyan armor. Something that Vegeta hasn't laid eyes on in a long time.

Vegeta's eyes widened coming face to face with his father, King Vegeta. He narrowed his eyes down, reminding himself that this was Kira and not his father. "F-Fuck… y-you…"

"Is that anyway to speak to your father, Vegeta?" a smirk appeared on King Vegeta's face. Vegeta then spat at Kira.

She growled and transformed back to her normal self. "You're a smart monkey."

"T-Technically you're a monkey as well, just not completely since you carry the blood of that pathetic excuse of a v-villain."

Kira laughed. "Now Vegeta, that wasn't very nice. I never insulted your father, what gives you the right to insult mine?"

"You just did insult my father by taking his form." Vegeta spat. "And I'm not insulting your father… I'm only speaking the truth."

Kira narrowed her cat-like eyes on the saiyan. "Let's see if you're still going to be talking once I…"

Suddenly Kira ripped her claws along Vegeta's stitches, tearing them open. Vegeta's eyes widened, feeling the pain that it was causing him when his skin started to pull apart. Kira smirked as she left her claws at the end of the hole in Vegeta's stomach, she felt his crimson saiyan blood drip.

Bulma's eyes widened catching on that something had happened to her husband. "VEGETA!"

Hearing Vegeta's name caused Aya to turn and look, possibly causing her own doom.