Chapter 20: Divided they Fall
A flurry of blurred moves lifted with the ascension of the two fighters, as they gradually rose higher, and higher into the air. While Kale was fully aware of his surroundings, Videl was merely guided by her knack of following her target's baiting. Bait her he did; luring her high above the treetops to the open expanse of sky. Both figures illuminated the clouds with their personal auras, while sounds of their struggles cracked against the atmosphere. It was only as Kale moved to a much faster, evasive advantage, that Videl realised her mistake. Not only had she not learnt to move in blinking flashes as these Saiyans did. She was also not accustomed to this aerial combat, and so her offensive manoeuvres were quickly replaced by the sudden crashing of a foot planted at her lower back. The attack hurled her forwards; breeze cutting at her skin. Her momentum was brought to a halt by another attack, but as she flew back in the opposite direction, she managed to make use of her acute flexibility. Flipping mid-air, Videl took a moment to breathe, and then, she sensed it. The ki signature, coming from behind her. Just in time, she ducked under the wake-up call of a thrusting punch, and answered with a call of her own.
Kale keeled forwards, having certainly not expected the human to actually hit him. Now she was the one in control, as she adopted one of Gohan's favourite moves by hammering her fists down on the Saiyan's back. He hurtled south, eagerly pursued by the human in a sudden burst of ki that projected her forwards. Just as her target rolled into a stop, her elbow collided with the jugular, causing him to once again tumble south. Now it was she who baited him, not through luring though. No, Videl preferred a far more forceful persuasion. Her third attack sent the Saiyan soaring through the blanket of treetops, and crashing through the less than comforting spines of jagged bark. As the human attempted a fourth attack, she was met by Kale's swift counter. The Earthling was thrown against a fragile, narrow tree trunk, which snapped cleanly in two on impact. Two more timber neighbours followed with equal, woody cracks, until at last, the agile human managed to spring off the fourth. Dark eyes widened as she successfully jumped away from the incoming attack, which struck against the vacated tree instead. Kale became a victim of his own powerful attack, succumbing to the shadow of the large weight that suddenly toppled over him, the moment his feet touched the ground.
As her feet also found the sanctuary of solid dirt, Videl begun to wheeze with heavy breaths. Her body was being forced to work beyond its trained potential. Without the benefit of Gohan's energy aiding her, she had to clutch at what felt like a strained heart. Her palm felt the rapid pumping very clearly, as though the layers of flesh and muscle, even bone, were no longer there. A dry breath burnt down her throat, reaching pulsing lungs that begged for so much more. Yet she had to keep pushing herself, especially as her eyes met with her opponent, suddenly bursting from the collection of collapsed trees over him. Rolling to the side to avoid a projection of warm light that soared towards her, the battle for survival continued…
"This is unacceptable!"
The Saiyan congregation in Vegeta's throne room, were less than impressed. The revelation of this second half-breed only spurred further bickering amongst them. Even the unaware Raditz, was completely shocked beyond words. At first, he'd thought his mate was merely jesting, or trying to buy her time with a ridiculous joke. But now, as he too witnessed the extent of the Earthling's power, he was ultimately convinced otherwise. Kakarot turned, just as his older brother disappeared behind the collection of others. Wide eyes bewildered, yet broad shoulders carrying his intense shame. How could his mate deceive him with such a secret?
"Such sordid secrets!" Another shouted, right on cue.
..."How are we to trust our own King?"
..."How are we to trust either of them?"
..."Neither deserves the throne!"
..."What else are they hiding from us?"
Tensions rose with clear energy levels, and the royal guard along with the council, did their best to control the outrage that threatened to usurp the throne room. Several of the extremely brave even invaded the sacred circle. They were only met by the King's swift retribution, while Kari merely evaded futile attempts to end her. Her eyes wholly focused on the large screen, accompanied by a more than satisfied smirk.
"ENOUGH!" Judge Tatsoi bellowed, his hands grabbing at the neck of another intruder into the circle, and hurling them back into two more advancing nobles. Any excuse to start a riot, knowing that the fragile state of civilisation would follow in an all out, civil war. "THERE WILL BE ORDER!"
Ruta and Baga had their work cut out, while the executioner delighted in how he made two skulls smash together. It was always best to hit as many birds with one stone, or so he thought. His incredible size certainly made that philosophy rather easy to aspire to. Even Kakarot resumed his higher position of council member, if only for this one, last hour. The joint forces of the Council easily reminded the lesser Saiyan's why they held such powerful positions in the rankings. All except for Kurrat, who still sat in his chair, darkly eyeing the ignorant Kari.
"You're serious," he at last stated, eyes narrowing in her direction. "But this would go against everything we know."
"A Royal controversy," Kari agreed without tearing her eyes away from the screen.
"Yet you speak with pride! You're not ashamed of what you did? What you've covered up with lies?" A light grin spread across the woman's dark burgundy lips.
"Why should I be? The truth can hurt more than lies, Kurrat. The burden of the crown is priceless. This we have learnt, time and time again. There is that which you should never know, for your own good. And ours."
At last, her eyes slid to her new target; another opposing rebel who'd somehow broken free from the council's line of defence. Kari caught the charging Saiyan, and effortlessly flung him into the accepting arms of Kurrat. At last, the battered and bruised rebels were coming to a standstill behind both the growling council, and those who remained to see reason before acting on their more violent instincts.
"Anymore riots and I will have your tails!" Judge Tatsoi threatened between heavy breaths, and clutched the single bruise at his side. A lucky shot, as far as he was concerned. The King stumbled backwards, having barely broken a sweat during what had mostly been his unimpressed observations. Deep onyx eyes transferred to the sight of his half-sister, then to the screen she was so obsessed with. How could it be possible that the Earthling was still alive? He had been certain that Kale would easily dispose of the weakling, with Kakarot's brat to bear witness to it all. Then, Vegeta would have his darkest suspicions confirmed. It was taking far too long though, and he was losing all public favour in the process of his own little experiment.
"The law is the law!" He at last declared, declaring the attention of his people, regardless of their current state of loyalty. The importance of rank was bred within each of them, and trained to perfection at an early age. "That abomination has no place here."
"But the law applies to non-Saiyans," Tatsoi was swift to correct. "This revelation changes everything."
The King scowled further. Oh yes, he'd been watching the minor interactions between Kari and her mentor; the subtle glances and smiles. Vegeta's trust in his bodyguard and father figure, had swiftly disintegrated.
"It changes nothing! If I have to exterminate that thing myself, I -"
"You wouldn't dare!" Kari cut in, her attention at last returning to the matter at hand.
"Wouldn't I?" The King's smirk spoke more words than needed, and it was enough to tip the growling female over edge. Tatsoi placed his hand on her shoulder as soon as he saw her tightly balled fists. It was hardly enough to calm her though, as the continued snicker of the king lifted with his eyes.
"Your weak spawn isn't worth the effort! Why waste my time on what others can do for me?"
The blow hit her jaw unexpectedly, cracking her head to the side with the sheer force. Then the hand in her short hair, pulling her face forwards to connect with the raised knee. The taste of copper found her mouth as she bit her tongue with the sure crack of her nose bridge. Then the pull at her scalp, as her tormentor spun her round in two full circles, before letting her go.
Videl rolled as soon as she felt the impact of the ground, saving herself time she couldn't afford to waste on recovery. She knew what the warm, slippery substance oozing from her nostrils was. And why her eyes stung and ears rung with the pain she endured. 'Just a little longer,' she told herself, swearing her Knight in Shinning Armour would save her, just as she had saved him. The only thing that answered her call however, were her opponents persistent attacks. Desperately attempting what Gohan had barely scraped the surface with her during their training, she quickly brought her wrists together, tilted to the side lightly, and brought her elbows back. It was a move she'd seen Gohan perform, and she already knew how to make a very small ball of ki. Well now it was time to skip a lesson or two, and attempt the advanced stuff.
"HyaaaaaaAAAAAH!"
The charged energy flickered behind her, forcing her fingers to spread to the point of inflicting painful stretching of the skin joints. Upon seeing what the human was intending, Kale stopped in his advance. Freezing, he pulled just one hand behind him, and begun to form an energy ball of his own. As Videl pushed everything she had left in her into her one attack, she unleashed it somewhat prematurely, catching the Saiyan very much off guard. His attack paled severely in comparison, as it bounced off the incoming charge. Dark eyes widened before he was engulfed by the brightest of lights, blinding him until the shock of the explosion tore against him.
Videl sunk to her knees, then fell forwards onto her hands with her struggles to inhale enough oxygen. No, it wasn't enough. Not only could she not breathe, but her chest felt like it was going to burst wide open. With a pained cry, she rolled onto her back, eyes staring up at the unmoving clouds. 'Where are you,? She heaved in desperation. Her lungs convulsed, and she found herself suddenly coughing on her own churning blood. Trying to roll to her side in pained attempts, she struggled to calm her stressed and failing organs before she hyperventilated beyond control. 'Gohan!'
The demi-Saiyan in question, felt it all. The struggling ki levels, and now the struggling energy. He was so close, as he passed over the expanse of trees that reached up to him with their spindly fingers. Just a little further and he'd be passing over the valley; already he could hear the roaring river, beckoning his return. Yet time flowed against him; there was nothing he could do to stop the advancing of the third ki signature. Not yet. Not as it reappeared from the cloud of clearing smoke, breathing heavily with the various burns marking his once perfect skin. Nor as he staggered towards the female, whose injuries were mostly self inflicted.
"Pathetic," he breathed in a hoarse voice, alerting the female to his failure to die. Videl winced, trying to force herself up, at least to her knees, despite the protests of her body. 'No more,' it told her. 'Please no more!' Yet still she persisted, her brain now playing tricks on her in this disillusioned state of body and mind. The tournament crowd cheered wildly for her recovery, while the great and undefeated Yamu, advanced to her position.
"DO IT!" Spopavich jeered from the sidelines, edging his brother on to end the match already. "ENOUGH GAMES! END THIS!"
"NO!" Videl cried, just about managing to lift herself up on shaky arms. Too late. Yamu's foot slammed down on her back, crushing her against the hard ground while placing intense pressure on her spine. It slammed down once more, her cries provoking a sudden kick to her ribs, that briefly un-rooted her. She rolled along the arena stage, feeling her dented and cracked armour only adding to the pain, as jagged and sharp edges dug into her wounds. But even as the golden dong was whacked to signal the end of the match, 'Yamu' wasn't finished.
"SQUASH HER!" The brother persisted, practically drooling over his own evil fantasies. Videl found herself lying on her back, her hand reaching up to the skies where she was sure she could see a dark dot coming closer. Yet her sight suddenly blurred to the intense pain that came from the descending, overhead fist, cracking through her armour completely and pushing against her stomach muscles. Knees instinctively bent as whatever air she still had the privilege of, was ripped from her. The foot kicked her again, letting her tumble with the clear gesture of her worthlessness.
"Nothing but dirt under my feet," 'Yamu' said with a dark laugh. "Scream for me, girlie!"
There came the foot again, and again. Bashing against her gut like a hoodlum sports fanatic beating on an opposing team's fan. Hardly the actions of an accomplished warrior. Her already low energy diminished into the lowest frequency imaginable, until the final blow took the very last breath her lungs had to offer…
"NO!"
Two voices mirrored each other entirely on the opposing ends of two very different planets. The female voice in question, was accompanied by the growling force of her body tearing from the cage of Tatsoi's grasp. The King welcomed her advancing attack with taunting laughter; dodging the fist that sought the re-assembly of his face.
"BASTARD!" She screamed with her rage, as the Earthling's dot had clearly extinguished itself from the map. The King only laughed furthermore, catching her fists one after the other to meet the fury of her glare.
"The bastard would be you, Kari!" He growled his witty retort with another barking laugh. She answered with a sudden head butt; skull cracking against his nose, sending him back unexpectedly. As Vegeta swiftly sprung to his feet after an indecent fall, he met the pointed finger of his half-sister.
"You broke the laws!" She accused headedly, "you disturbed the sacred trial! You sent Kale solely after my child!"
"You broke the law first Kari!" The two Royal siblings insisted on bickering childishly for their audience to witness. Ironically it was only the times like these, that they ever appeared related. "You pushed me, and now the matter is dealt with as it should have been!"
"You coward!" She spat, drawing her fist back again. Knuckles met knuckles, as Vegeta countered the punch mid-way, with his own. The siblings were equally matched, and none dared to intervene. Not even Tatsoi. Not yet, and all for perfectly pre-constructed reasoning. "You cannot face your own mistakes and so you punish the rest of us with your insolence!"
"SILENCE!" He snapped back, hurling his alternate fist which was expertly caught by her palm this time.
"I will not still my tongue with you secrets anymore Vegeta!" The crowd stilled, as the plot inevitably thickened. Several nobles found themselves glaring at the King who they'd placed so much faith in over the years.
"It's over Kari!" He growled, leaping at her with both feet successfully knocking her back from the gut. She stumbled only briefly, regaining her footing in time to step aside to evade the incoming uppercut. Spinning, the outer side of her high-kicking leg connected with the back of the King's neck, swooping him south uncontrollably.
"It's never over!" She jumped high, over the sweeping kick that failed to uproot her. Then leaned back fluidly, out of the path of an intended uppercut. "An eye for an eye, dear brother!"
Several remaining followers of the King took timid steps forwards; fists clenched with the prospect of intervening. Yet the council maintained the defence of the circle simply with their presence alone, even the twitching brows of the re-advancing Raditz, was reluctant to see his mate meet her sudden end.
"You will not spread more lies!" Vegeta ducked under the next kick, succeeding in finding the woman's ribcage with his shoulder barge. Her feet lifted momentarily, but she took advantage of her sudden height over the slightly shorter man. The kneecap tucked neatly under his chin, and lifted him without too much effort. Kari landed as her brother's back found the floor, and his dark eyes lifted to her superior stance over him.
"You think removing my child will be the revenge you seek?" He rose with a heavy growl, already knowing where she was going with this. If only he knew the other half of it. "You think it will replace the grievance of your own human?"
"SILENCE!" She ducked once more under his thrusting arm, answering his the lifting of her elbow into his jugular. Once again, the King stumbled backwards, much to the awestricken crowd. Such secrets this family kept from them; it was only right that they both met the dishonourable end they deserved, from each other's hands.
"I will not be silenced!" Before he could regain his footing, Vegeta's feet were swept by a low kick. Kari heaved with confident breaths, as she rose from her crouched position.
"It's time everyone knew! How you craved a strong heir, just as I had! How you concealed your human bitch from us all!"
Growls grew in resonant pitches from the eavesdroppers, as Kari turned to face them with the sheer delight of the whole spectacle. Only the council remained silent and stoic, unmoved by what they already knew.
"That's right! Your precious King and his whore! Daring to mate with the very thing he banned from us all!"
The triumphant female laughed as she merely stepped aside from the second barge of the rage-driven King, blinded by hatred and swelling anger beyond any control. Yet she continued, pushing him further with the news she was just dying to reveal.
"But I knew. I knew and I helped that bitch escape. I helped her, fully aware of the unborn life that she carried inside her."
The King froze deathly still, while various dark eyes exchanged uneasy looks. This was treason, and far beyond. It was almost impossible to comprehend and yet, Kari had spoken the truth so far. Infact, only the King had spewed lie after lie from his foul tongue.
"Oh my Vegeta, you didn't know? Of course, you had no idea. You were too busy dealing with Frieza." The woman laughed, as the King shook more visibly, his ki levels unsteadily rising, even beyond her own. Still, she taunted him.
"Yes… I made sure you would never see your half-bred brat. Just as you delighted in making sure mine was taken from me. You think I'm lying, and yet you know I speak the truth. You searched fruitlessly, just as I did. And when you finally gave up, you desperately tried to replace what you had lost."
The council took one step forward each, aware of the danger they sensed surrounding the King, and fully prepared to see their plan through. All except for both Karrat and Kakarot, for two altogether different reasons. The noble struggled to comprehend words which he hoped held nothing but deceit, while the general was unnerved by the energy levels he could feel. He had sensed them before, in the most desperate of situations, against the tyrant changeling Lord.
"Celeria, Jicama, …. Tarnipa. Where are they now, Vegeta?" The relatives of the elite female names spoke, paid particular attention now. Kari swept her arm in a gesture towards them within the crowd.
"You think they all died in honourable battle, just as he told you? There is no honour in the hand of his man." The ground cracked beneath the King's feet, as his weight seemed to triple, and then some, against the solid flooring.
"He would happily state that the genophage was a blessing to us. That it would only target the weakest of Saiyans." Kari laughed, as she undoubtedly hit a very weak spot. The King's muscles bulged considerably in a sight that convinced Kakarot to take yet another step back. There it was; the second sign.
"KARI, STOP!" He shouted across to her, but she only responded with a snicker heightened by her own, powering up ki.
"How fitting then, that he of all Saiyans, should be affected by it! Our very own King, the so-called strongest of all. Incapable of ever creating another child!"
The sudden explosion of the King's energy under the force of Kari's truthful words, caused various unprepared feet to stumble back a step or two. Repetitive waves of deep red light spread from Vegeta's body in searing ripples, which collided most intensely with those standing closest of all. For the briefest moment, the council were certain that… no, it couldn't be. Surely the King's hair hadn't flashed a far more exotic, golden hue? Yet now his veins stood out clearly, as his head snapped back with eyes rolling upwards to his skull. Tightly clenched fists raised at his sides; nails digging into the thick flesh until substantial crimson seeped from the self-inflicted wounds. The first drop of blood on the white tiled floor, marked the first wave of matching crimson light that surrounding the King in fluid swirls. Yet as his voice escalated with the intensity of his wounded pride, as did his power. From the glowing crimson burst a sudden roar of pure gold. Kakarot had seen it all before, and yet he joined the many others as they shielded their eyes behind raised arms. Only Kari watched on in astonishment, as the King surpassed his own former powers, never before seen again since the fall of Frieza. It soon became apparent that it wasn't just the intense light of the golden aura reflecting on Vegeta's body. He really had ascended to the point of legendary transformation…
'Enough!' Kakarot came to his senses, shoving aside the awestruck citizens that blocked his path. He would not fall victim to the inevitable civil war, or fail to forget the very important plan both Kari and Tatsoi had discussed.
"I've been monitoring the statistics carefully," the supreme Judge had declared. Each word received by the ever attentive ears of the Royal progeny. There was little time to discuss such things, when time was moving against them. While they came closer and closer to arriving at their home planet, Kale came closer and closer to disturbing the Elite Trial.
"There is a rather interesting connection, in comparison to what we already know of Kakarot's half-breed."
"Keep going…"
"It's how he feels, far beyond what we constrain in ourselves. It's… entirely human. The Earthlings even gave it a name. They called it, 'Emotion.'"
On Gelidus, the tree of Tatsoi's discovery bore fruit. Upon witnessing at last the way Kale kicked his intended mate around as if she were nothing, Gohan experienced the most intense feeling. No, what he experienced, was the purest emotion. Something he had never felt before, provoked by another being not even fully connected to him. At least, not yet. Worse of all, it was thanks to Kale that their connection had not been completely. That was merely the icing on the giant cake.
"And?"
"Insult our pride, and we bite back. But for Gohan, there are many more buttons to push. He is a walking time bomb, and it is about time we set him free."
"How do you suggest we do that?"
"…By letting this Trial run its' true course."
"Are you insane? Kale may well be the perfect match for Gohan, but he is no match for my -" Luckily Kari was cut short, before her revelation caught her own mate's ears a little too early for comfort.
"I've seen it already Kari; the way he reacted when Nappa threatened the female. Far stronger than you would if say, your mate were threatened. The readings were off the charts." The woman growled.
"Are you saying I wouldn't defend my own mate?"
"No Kari. I'm saying this half-breed has tapped into a dormant power we have yet to fully realise within ourselves. I'm saying it would be possible, if only we could learn the secret of letting ourselves go, completely."
In his own lamentation of unleashed power, Gohan demonstrated exactly what Tatsoi had suggested. Mirroring almost the exact transformation of the King, there was no hesitation in the colour of his exploding aura however, as it immediately shone with intensely bright, golden hues. Kale gasped up at the sight above him, his foot still rested on the waist of the collapsed female. Brows shot together, and eyes squinted at the radiation of heat and light that swelled from the unnatural darkening of disturbed skies. From behind firmly grit teeth, the demi-Saiyan growled with the aftermaths of persistently escalating breaths. In a sudden submission to emotion that overwhelmed him, the peak of his transformation dawned on him. Ebony strands flickered until turning a complete shade of pure yellow, while dark eyes rolled back to a complete abyss of white orbs. When the Saiyan finally looked down on his rival, it was with eyes that shone with the clearest blue shade Kale had ever seen. Impossible even, for a Saiyan to possess such eyes and physical attributes.
"But when do we ever come close to experiencing such dire need, Kari? We have the universe at our beck and call. We have everything at our disposal. I was not the only one to identify this. The King was more silent than usual, showing great interest in the boy's statistics. He has not given up. He still searches for the power he once found, and lost."
"I'm sure there's a way to draw it out." Kari grinned to herself; oh how she'd waited for that moment. To finally reveal her most delicious acts. Her dark eyes shot to the silent Kakarot, who was struggling to maintain his stilled tongue. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you. Goku."
"It would destroy him," the Saiyan quietly admitted. "And he would destroy you. He would destroy everything, if he knew."
"All the more reason to tell him. When the rest of the planet knows what he did -"
"I won't be part of your plans Kari! There's no guarentee that this plan would… I just want to be there for my son! Drag me into this all you like, but he should not be involved."
The woman's smile faltered, turning more serious under the pressure of these altered plans. Coming to terms with allowing her own child to succumb to the possibility of ultimate defeat was bad enough, without this baka and his constant whining.
"We will do as Tatsoi suggests. Two pods will be sent to their co-ordinates. You had better hope there are two bodies remaining to occupy the pods… And Goku," he flinched at the use of his pet name, hating the sound of it on her unworthy tongue. "If you dare to even consider deserting our cause, for your own sake, you had better not return. We need you on Vegetasei. This will be our finest moment. It will be Legendary."
Yet this had never been Goku's cause. He had walked blindly into all of this, and had been wrapped into it all merely thanks to his title and social positioning. Though far more of a 'being in the wrong place and the wrong time' scenario. He should've known from the moment Kari had pressured him to accept both her and her mate onboard his ship. Her particular interest in the exploration of various galaxies had eventually been lost on him however; she'd always favoured the wonders of science, as had Tatsoi. The decision to leave now was simple, as things were heating up in the throne room. Usurping the King wasn't on his ultimate agenda, especially when he knew the result could always backfire. So he hastily descended the great staircase down to the bowels of the palace, where the docking bay still housed his guarded warship. The two guards were easily disposed of in a flurry of simple moves that rendered each of them unconscious. He had to be quick, and silent, though activating the great ship alone would be difficult. The docking bay doors opened with their usual, loud alarm, but Kakarot jumped up into the closing cargo hold of the ship before any further advancing guards could catch him. Speeding through the winding corridor, he found the still, un-repaired control room. It didn't matter; this vessel was his baby. He knew the controls like the back of his hand, and would have the ship landing on Gelidus in no time…
'Hold on Gohan.'
To be continued….