With its mouth now closed, the massive specter loomed over the group, its piercing indigo eyes alight in the darkness. As it moved closer, the salamander hissed louder, and a violet flame engulfed its body as it transformed again. The stars above reflected upon the hard scales along its body and it made a strange gurgling sound as it spat a massive black ball of saliva at the great shadow. The monster sidestepped, almost disappearing and reappearing instantaneously, and the glob dissolved against the side of the great ajisa tree with a bubbling sizzle. With a sizeable portion of its trunk eaten away, the tree shook and groaned, struggling to support the weight of its branches.
The animal let out a boisterous cry and sprinted forward with its fangs bared, and the demonic creature swiftly stretched out one long arm, grabbed the scaled creature by the throat, and squeezed tightly as it grinned maliciously. The animal tried to grab frantically at the entity's shadowy arms with its claws, but the more it struggled, the weaker it felt. Doji felt a knot form in his chest; he could tell the giant salamander was running out of breath and trembled, feeling its life energy slowly fading away, and ran as fast as he could, punching and kicking at the monster's thick legs.
"LET! MY! FRIEND! GO!" The little boy screamed in between each hit, tears streaming from his eyes. The shadow let out an annoyed gruff and smacked him aside with the giant salamander's body, throwing them both onto the grass with a loud thud. The animal landed on top of Doji, its weight pushing the air out of him, and the phantom laughed lowly as it watched him struggle underneath the massive beast.
The giant salamander slowly lifted itself and shook its head as it moved to get a look at Doji, who stood paralyzed, watching the phantom from the corner of his eye as it stood in place, breathing heavily, a horrible sharp-toothed smile showing from the darkness. The animal nudged his belly with its snout, and with another swift movement grabbed at his robes and threw him in the air. Shocked, Doji cried out as he landed on its middle, in awe of the violet flames that lapped at his body; warm, almost comforting, and shockingly harmless as they fluttered about his clothes and skin. He placed his hands underneath large scales on either side and held on as it adjusted its stance. The monster cocked its head, hummed deeply as it licked its lips, and let out another low chortle. Doji held on tighter and a warm sensation traveled through his hands, up his arms, and to the base of his skull as a gentle, child-like voice resounded in his mind.
'What now?'
Doji swallowed hard and looked down at the animal's head, his reflection peering back at him as the giant salamander huffed, black smoke trailing from its nostrils.
"Get out of there NOW," Toriega shouted. The specter paced forward once more, stretching its arms out in anticipation of its catch.
'We're dead if we don't think of something,' said the voice again. The monster's steps were getting eager.
He briefly closed his eyes and responded wordlessly, 'We need to get the others to safety.'
'Okay. Hang on!' The animal charged forward again, and the boy struggled against its momentum as he pulled himself closer until his body was flush against its back and neck. Together they ducked their heads beneath the shadow's outstretched arms and the animal struck hard into its stomach, sending the creature soaring backward into the tree. The tree swayed and creaked again, ajisa blooms falling gracefully from the canopy. The phantom growled, held its stomach, and slowly rose from the ground, its back grating against the damaged bark and splinters of wood disappearing into its ethereal flesh.
"Uh oh…" the little boy squeaked.
The giant salamander sprinted towards the others, landing on the ground just behind the elders before whipping its tail forward, tightly coiling it around Hama and Kiba's legs and throwing them onto its back. With one last bubbling hiss it spat at the ajisa tree, grabbed at Moori's overcoat and picked him up, and with thundering footfalls ran past Porunaga and Toriega to get the others to a safe distance.
The phantom's head whipped up and it sidestepped the spitball, slime sputtering against the tree as it buckled under its weight and began tumbling down with a thunderous sound, like a forest caving in. Toriega gasped and flew backward, grabbing his father and barely avoiding the tree as it crashed heavily to the ground. He landed beside the others and set Porunaga down, eyeing the giant salamander curiously before reaching out, surprised as it made a soft chuffing noise and nuzzled his hand.
"D-Do you think… that m-monster's gone," Hama asked softly, tugging at Doji's overcoat.
"I… I don't know," Doji replied, his body shaking through the adrenaline.
Toriega and the others continued to stare at the fallen tree from a distance and waited with bated breath for any sign of the demonic entity. Several Namekians had wandered out of their homes, slowly meandering closer to the center of the village.
"The rest of you, please, stand back," Moori pleaded. "Warriors, please, help us search! We cannot let it escape!"
Curious sets of eyes peered from home windows, and the children and elderly peeked from behind doors and hedges. A strange silence overtook the village as the warriors gathered at the Grand Elder's behest, lanterns held high in the darkness. Doji's father joined them, his massive frame shifting through the brush as he examined the scene. The light from their lanterns cast soft blue shadows on the ground around them, and as the silhouettes danced and swayed, Porunaga's breath hitched; he swore he could see one of the shadows begin to peel away from the ground behind the group, and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"RUN!"
Before the Namekians could move, their shadows peeled themselves from the grass and grabbed each of them in a deathly embrace. Dokira flew upwards, narrowly avoiding a wispy phantom hand as it tried to reach up and grab him through the fallen leaves and branches, and Toriega flew beside him, staring at the strange scene below. The monster reappeared behind the group of warriors as if from thin air, and laughed hideously as their cries filled the air like death whistles. Toriega could feel their energy fading, could hear their bones as they began to crunch underneath the pressure of the shadows' hold.
"Toriega, use it," Porunaga shouted as he pointed a wrinkled finger to his right palm.
The young man held his right arm steady, hand open, and aimed at the monster. A bright ball of white-hot energy filled his hand, and as he wound back to throw it, he shouted, "Hey you, up here," and hurled it forward. The monster paused and its head shot upwards, purple eyes ablaze among the lanterns that lay on the ground. The light grenade caught it square in the eye, bursting like a brilliant white firework in the night. As the phantom roared, it clutched and clawed at its face. The smaller shadows released their prisoners and as they melted back into the ground, the Namekians flew off frenetically in different directions, screaming wildly, dread seeping into their very souls. Several warriors remained behind, fighting through their pain as they joined the two in the air, looking at Dokira and Toriega for direction.
"Evacuate the village! Toriega and I will deal with this abomination," Dokira yelled to them, his eyes fixated on the writhing monster beneath them. Each nodded and flew after their remaining kin, scrambling to gather the villagers together and leave the monster far behind. Toriega's eyes shot open as he observed the monstrosity and it turned its head back up, thoroughly annoyed, a loud clicking sound resounding from its gaping mouth. As it uncovered its face, the young warrior could see something underneath the mass of shade: a single, almond-shaped eye with a cosmic purple iris and a hint of verdant green skin. Dokira saw it, too.
"Who is that," Dokira asked, gasping as he raised a brow.
"I… I'm not sure," Toriega replied.
Sensing their apprehension, the phantom grinned and jumped, reaching for Dokira, its massive arm splitting to form shadowy, sinewy shoots that wrapped around him. The warrior screamed as he fought against its tightened coils and could feel the life force draining from his body. Before it could grab Toriega, the young man flew back, narrowly avoiding the creature's grip, and screamed, "Close your eyes!" He shot several light grenades from his hand, and as they hovered in the air, he hesitated. The specter reached out once more, punching the young warrior downwards and into the ground, a plume of rock and dust rising in the wake of his sudden landing.
The monster smiled wider as it gripped the still-struggling Dokira and used its other hand to reach deep into the Namekian's body, tearing through him, dark blood streaming from the massive wound as the man's energy began to fade and he screamed one last time. It pulled out a massive blue wisp from inside the Namekian and stared at it before sucking it down greedily, its energy level quickly rising. When it finished, it threw his lifeless body to the ground, licked the blood from its fingers, and growled in satisfaction.
"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" Toriega bellowed as he rose from the ground, charging ki into his hands and shooting several blasts toward the monster. They hovered in the air around it, and one by one, the young warrior willed them to burst, and a brilliant cacophony of crackling electric explosions filled the air. The creature quickly cloaked itself in a murky orb of dark energy, and as the light grenades faded, it revealed itself once more. The phantom raced forward and punched the young man, first in the face and then in his stomach. Toriega clutched at himself and breathed heavily as he shook his head. He launched himself towards the phantom, jabbing and kicking at it with a fury and desperation he had never felt before, and gathered his ki to cloak his palms in white-hot light, his strikes releasing sparks into the air. The shadow continued its movements, dodging and parrying the Namekian's shimmering hands and lightning-fast feet as their battle continued, the two of them disappearing and reappearing across the night sky.
The others gazed at Dokira's motionless body on the ground, and Doji screamed as jumped off his steed, crying for his father, his chest heavy and his sobs so great he struggled to breathe. The little boy tried to fly to his father's body but was met with a hard pull at his overcoat and fell to the ground on his bottom. The giant salamander gazed at him with sorrowful eyes, a piece of his clothing dangling from its lips.
'I'm sorry but… If you go now,' the child-like voice sounded, '…you'll die.' Doji turned away, unable to stomach the sight any longer. Great cries racked his frame as he stood back up and hugged the giant salamander's head. His friends looked down from the animal's back, tears streaming from their eyes as their hearts broke for their friend.
"We have to do something," Moori said as he watched on. Toriega was fighting with everything he had, but it hardly seemed to affect the great shadow. Moori and Porunaga could see thin traces of blue and white light emanating from the warrior's body – like stray threads in the wind – slowly sinking into the abyss he so desperately fought against. The light he wielded was fading, and both elders realized with horror that the creature was absorbing his life essence, bit by bit.
Doji looked up and watched as Toriega fought, and for a moment, he thought he could feel the warrior's pain as if it were his; he could feel the man's ki disappear into thin air, just as it had with his father, and his fear vanished, swiftly replaced by a firm resolve to end the horrible nightmare. He wiped his tears and quickly hoisted himself up on the animal's back, his hands placed firmly underneath its scales again. Through narrowed eyes, they both looked into the sky as the warrior and his opponent continued their fierce exchange.
He held on tight and said aloud, "We're not letting this happen again. Let's set this thing on fire."
'Sounds like a plan!'
The animal bucked, and Hama and Kiba yelped as they fell to the ground, shocked at the sudden movement. The jar of fireflies shattered as it landed on the ground beside them, the insects frantically pulsing with light and flitting away in different directions.
"I'm sorry, guys," Doji said as he looked at the others. The boys stared back at home, wide-eyed and stricken with dread.
"Doji, NO!" Porunaga cried out after him.
Suddenly, the little boy and his scaled companion raced to stand directly underneath the ongoing fight. The animal stooped low to the ground before jumping high in the air right beneath the two fighters and grabbed the monster's leg, eliciting a sharp cry from the phantom as a large fang pierced its flesh and purple blood eked from the wound. The giant salamander whipped its head to the side, threw the monster back onto the ground, and landed in front of it. As it began drawing in breath, a purple spark formed at the back of its mouth. The monster rose from the ground and bellowed loudly as it launched itself towards the two, arms once again outstretched.
"Fire!" Doji cried out as he held on tight and turned his head away. With a searing, bright blast, the giant salamander unleashed its amethyst blaze at the monster, enveloping it completely. The phantom screamed horribly and grasped wildly at its body to keep its dark shroud from burning away. When the animal finally stopped, the phantom collapsed on the grass before them, the acrid smell of burnt flesh wafting through the night air.
Toriega fell to the ground softly on bended knee and breathed shakily as gathered his bearings. His body was covered in bruises and scars, and both his palms were horribly burnt. Porunaga ran to him, arms bared out to share as much energy as his body could give to ease the pain and heal the damage that had been done, and Hama and Kiba followed. Toriega lifted his head to see past the others and tried to scrutinize the form that was left behind as the dark aura peeled itself away from its host's body and disappeared into the night air. Moori quickly flew forward and stared with panicked eyes at the body on the ground. Hama and Kiba raced forward to join him, and Doji hopped down from his steed. As he, Porunaga, and Toriega joined the rest, the little boy inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with trembling hands.
Badly burned, bleeding, and barely breathing, Sanshiva lay on the ground, her tattered clothes and battered body bathed in a soft blue glow from the remaining lanterns still strewn about. Moori knelt beside her, cradling her head in his thick arms as he sobbed at the sight of his injured daughter.
"What… what happened," she asked breathily. As she looked around with tired eyes, she could make out the form of another Namekian on the ground in the distance. His energy was completely gone, and his face still contorted in a look of sheer anguish. His lifeless eyes stared back at her, and her stomach churned. For a moment, she felt the man's torture on her tongue; felt the pain in his body and the taste of his blood.
"So..." she said, crying softly, "I really am… a monster..."
And the darkness swallowed her whole once more.
Doji lay on the ground of his room, curled in a fetal position, soft cries shaking his small body as sunlight poured in from the window. His house had never felt so empty, his chest never more hollow as the memory of his father's death repeated in his head; the anguished cry, the violet blood spatter, the vacancy of energy where once there was a strong soul. Doji held himself tighter as his sobs grew louder, his heart aching more with every passing second.
The salamander – now shrunken back to its original size – had perched atop the desk and stared at the boy with small, sad eyes. It tentatively crawled down the desk leg, hopped down onto the chair, and made its way across the floor to his side. The animal slowly crawled along his back and onto his head; its thin purple tongue darted out, leaving a trail of warm slime along the base of one of his antennae. The little boy's sobs gradually subsided and he uncurled himself, tears sliding down his cheeks and onto the floor. Doji slowly reached for the animal, cupping his hand carefully, and pushed himself upright. With his other hand, he wiped his face as he fought the urge to continue crying and held up the small creature to eye level as he said, "Thank you."
The salamander's head cocked to the side again and gave Doji a curious look. 'But… what did I do?'
"You came back. You saved us. If it hadn't been for you, I think… we all would have ended up… like my dad…" His voice trailed off as tears formed again.
The salamander jumped from Doji's hand onto his robes and crawled up to his neck, nestling itself flush against him as if to offer a hug. The little Namekian began to weep uncontrollably and buried his face in his hands. The animal slid away from the boy's neck and onto the floor, and with a quick burst of its indigo flame it transformed, its massive, black-plated frame consuming a greater portion of the space left in the room. Its fiery mane stayed low and close to its body, giving the animal a soft glow, and it curled around him on the floor to hold him in a warm, scaly embrace.
Moments later, there was a gentle knock from beneath his window, just as there had been the night before. Doji's head shot up and he wiped his face quickly, his eyes straining to see through the bright light that enveloped his surroundings. He carefully stepped around the animal and let out a long sigh before reaching to open the window.
Standing just outside were four Namekians – Hama, Kiba, and two older gentlemen that he understood to be his friends' parents. Doji recognized one of them, but the other was unfamiliar, and he gave them a wary look as he sniffled and waved at them. Hama's father – a tall, lithe, effeminate gentleman draped in a royal blue training uniform, with tender facial features and a warm smile – approached the window, his hands held gently together in front of him.
"Hello Doji," said the man in a sweet voice, "How are you holding up?"
"Hello… Mr. T-Tobi," Doji sniffled, wiping his face again, "I… I f-feel..." He rested his arms and head just on the sill and stared vacantly toward the group. "I feel horrible." The word hung in the air like a miasma full of grief.
"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. The boys told us what happened, and... My condolences for your loss. To be fair, being alone probably isn't helping." Tobi reached out to wipe a stray tear from the little one's face with a soft hand.
Doji sniffled again and looked back at the giant salamander seated on the floor. "I… I'm not alone right now, though," he responded as he watched the creature. It scratched at its side with a hind leg and shook its head and shoulders vigorously before blinking back at him.
"Yeah," said a baritone voice from behind Tobi, "I heard you found yourself a new friend there." As Doji turned back to look at the others, a short, thickset man stepped forward, giving the boy a curious look. Doji hadn't seen the man very often but could tell by the maroon robes and round, jovial facial features that he was Kiba's father. "The name's Motoki. It's good to meet you in person finally, my boy's told me so much about you. I'm sorry to hear what happened, I'm just glad you three are safe."
The little one nodded, gulping quietly as he wiped the last of his tears away on his sleeve. Hama and Kiba stood behind their parents, looking at their friend nervously before turning to one another. Motoki faked a cough as if trying to cut through the apprehension that stilled them all.
"Mind bringing it with us for a walk," he asked. Doji tilted his head, and his antennae swayed in front of his eyes. Motoki continued, "I'm sure the Council would love to get a look at your discovery." His eyes met with Motoki's, and his heart skipped as a small smile formed at the edges of his lips. The boy felt he'd give anything for his father to be back, but was grateful to have something – anything – to distract him from the pain of his loss.
"I've been there before. Can I have some time to catch up with you," he asked, his sorrowful tone shifting slightly.
The four Namekians smiled back as they nodded their heads silently, and Tobi and Motoki began to walk away. Kiba hesitated to follow them and asked, "You won't take too long, right? We'll still see you there, yeah?" Doji nodded in response.
Hama cast a worried look at his friend and spoke softly as he held his hands nervously behind his back. He swayed on his feet, heel to toe as if to push himself into forming the sound behind his words.
"D-Doji, take all the time you need, but… Promise you'll be there? I heard they're bringing the dragon balls and that maybe… Maybe Porunga can bring your dad back..." Their eyes met for just a moment, but Doji flinched and looked away as if shocked by a static pulse.
Doji swallowed hard, unable to rid himself of the lump that still seemed to keep growing at the back of his throat. "I promise," he said quietly.
Hama turned away from him and nodded to Kiba, and the two of them silently raced across the grass to catch up with their fathers. Doji let loose another heavy sigh before pulling his head back inside and facing the giant animal curled up on the floor in his room.
'I have a name,' said the child's voice in his head. 'I haven't used it in a long time but… I don't like being an "it."'
His eyes opened wide and he rested a small hand on her snout. "I am so, so sorry my friend. What is your name?"
The creature nuzzled against his hand, small wisps of light grey smoke trailing from her nostrils. 'It's okay, my name is Himura. I'm a girl, by the way,' she said, pointing her tail at the entry Doji had written. 'By the way... What's a salamander?'
"Well," Doji said, "...it's a kind of amphibian, usually found in muddy, wet spots here on New Namek, like your hiding spot by the well. When you're tiny, you look just like the others I've found." Doji motioned to one of the tanks on the shelf in the room, where two small orange salamanders with large purple eyes stayed tucked under a mossy rock and stared back at Himura.
'Like them?!' Himura snorted loudly and shook her head. 'No way. I disguise myself like that when I want to hide, but…'
"Wait a minute… so this," Doji said, motioning with both hands to Himura's body, "...is your normal form?"
Himura nodded and gave Doji a toothy grin, her large eyes shining in the light, and the boy's mouth flew open as he gazed at her in awe. His mind flashed back to his dirty, wet robes and his hands in the mud as he clawed for her, showing her off to his best friends while suspending her by her delicate tail. Now that he knew what she really was, he was grateful she hadn't simply eaten the three of them instead.
"So… if you're not a salamander, and you're too big to be what we would call a lizard…" Doji tapped at his chin and vacantly stared out of the window. Himura pushed him with her head and squinted at him.
'Excuse me?!'
Doji gave her an apologetic look and said, "I didn't mean it like that, Himura. What I meant was, lizards aren't that big here. I think the biggest one I've found was maybe three or four feet in length. You've got to be something like eleven or twelve feet from nose to tail tip, and you sound very young, too, so that means you might even get bigger. If I'm editing the entry in the encyclopedia, I'll need to rename the official entry and recategorize the genus, too…" The boy's voice began to trail off as he started mumbling softly. His eyes darted to the page on the wall, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, still listing all the ways he'd have to update the entry.
Himura nudged at him again, and whispered in Doji's mind, 'Aren't we supposed to be going somewhere, though?'
He inhaled loudly as he looked up at her. "The Council of Elders!" He leaped through his doorway and raced down the hall, thundering as fast as he could out of the house and onto the grass outside. Himura followed and slammed the front door shut behind her with her tail, running close behind, using her head to scoop him up from the ground and toss him onto her back. At once, his body was enveloped in a soft purple flame, and he swiftly slipped his hands under her scales.
"This way," he said, urging her to the south where the grassy turquoise plain led to a colorful forest of ajisa trees and thick hedges with multi-colored wildflowers; a well-worn path between the trees lay just over the horizon, visible whenever Himura leaped from the ground to gain more distance between them and the village.
The warm, floral-scented air filled Doji's lungs and whizzed by his long ears as his scaled steed raced faster, and the trees got closer. For a moment, Doji thought he could feel Himura's fast heartbeat as his hands rested underneath her scales; he could feel the energy flowing through her, the sheer joy humming through her body now that she didn't have to hide in the mud. Himura sped on and the little boy released his grip on her, raising his hands high in the air to feel the leaf tips as she jumped and zigzagged along the path and into the forest. He let out a boisterous, happy cry as they sped deeper into the wood to find the others.
Moori felt beside himself, unable to stomach the constant pangs of guilt and shame for keeping his daughter's existence a secret all these years, endangering everything and everyone he loved.
He had brought Sanshiva home in the small hours before sunrise; they had stayed low to the ground, huddled together in the darkness as they made their way back through the forest, up a stray path through the heart of the mountain beyond, and arrived at the valley. A risk, considering whatever entity was a part of his daughter thrived in the very same shadows he had depended on to hide them. He clutched at his robes, his head swimming, his mouth dry, his heart breaking again. Once again, he stood outside his daughter's home, the sunlight dancing on her doorstep, the buzz of dragonflies flooding his ears. He looked to the side at the stone dais, its carved mantra no longer aglow but still visible in the daylight.
For every light there is a darkness, against every evil there will be good.
Moori knew that the Council of Elders would be gathering soon, after the news of the night's events began to spread like wildfire in the aftermath of the chaos. He knocked lightly on the door and received a scoff in return.
"You don't have to do that, you know," Sanshiva said in a dry tone as she opened the door, her head barely touching the top of the frame. She leaned against it, crossed her arms, and looked down at Moori with a stern face.
"I didn't want to be rude, is all," he said softly.
"Where's the ship?"
"We have to speak with the Council first. We only have a few at a time, you know." Moori coughed nervously and slowly shifted his hands behind his back.
Sanshiva sighed and pressed a finger to her temple as she closed her eyes. "So… time to go see the orchestra, huh?"
"The… what?"
She smirked at him and said, "I once heard from a traveler a few years ago that a group of crickets is called an orchestra."
"Sanshiva!" Moori's body went rigid, and he balled his hands into fists as he chided his daughter. "For the millionth time, do not speak of the Elders that way!"
"Relax, Father, I won't say it to their faces… yet. How many of them are there, again?"
"…There are seven of us including Porunaga and myself. The other five elders will have traveled fast and far to get here and I can't… I can't keep you a secret anymore. We need to ask Porunga where exactly you need to go, and who must you seek out to help you on your journey. I shudder to think what might happen if we were to go another year without asking him."
"Yeah, because the idea of running straight to the Earth's Guardian and his green wonder of a bodyguard doesn't exactly strike me as… productive," Sanshiva huffed, and ran her fingers through her hair as she stood straight and walked past Moori, slamming the door behind her. "So let me guess: the Council is going to need to see me as I am, right now, and not the monster I was last night." She crossed her arms again and stared angrily into the distance.
Moori blinked and his mouth gaped wide. "S-Sanshiva, that's not what I—"
"I know that's not the word you'd use for it, Father, but that's exactly what I was. I don't even remember everything that happened or what I did and I just… Now I have to go somewhere just to have a bunch of old men gawk at me?" Her eyes shifted to the ground as tears clouded her vision and her body began to tremble. "I hate this. If I'd been born normal none of this would have happened and I could just… live my damn life."
He stepped to face his daughter and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She fell onto her knees, Moori falling with her, and hugged him back as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. Moori cried softly with her, his chest tight and heavy all at once. As the wind picked up and the suns climbed higher into the sky, their tears dried, and they sat next to each other on the grass with their legs crossed in front of them. Sanshiva sniffled and rubbed at her nose, breaking the despondent silence between them.
"We're... going to be late… I'll get my things," she said.
She rose from the ground and gave Moori a sad look before stepping back into her home. A few moments later she came out with her black bag slung around her shoulder, and gently closed the door behind her.
"There's something we'll need to bring with us," Moori said as he stood up. He groaned as his knee popped, and as he stepped onto the dais, he pointed at a small star etched into the very center of the stone. Sanshiva placed her bag down and joined him atop the dais, noticing a small bit of amber light seeping through the outline of the star. She knelt and with a slender finger traced the edge of the impression before she pressed it down gently. There was a small clicking sound from deep within the dais, and a small circular outline of orange light appeared around the star. The stone inside the circle slowly shifted back, revealing a round cubbyhole carved into the dais; neatly nestled within was a single, glowing orange orb with seven red stars at its center.
"It was here the whole time," she asked as she picked it up. She stood slowly as she cradled the ball in her hands, and gasped when the sunlight caught it, the brightness catching her off guard.
"Yes. The first order of business with the Council today is to bring back Dokira," Moori said, twiddling his fingers.
"I'm sorry, who?"
"He's the one that you…"
Sanshiva's stomach churned, and her mouth went dry as the memory of the taste of blood filled her mind. 'The one that I killed,' she thought to herself. She tucked the dragon ball under one arm and walked back to her bag, picked it up, and slung it over her shoulder.
"Oh, well... Um... Let's not keep the old crickets waiting, yeah?"
Moori blinked back at her. "Sanshiva! Mind your manners!"
"I am minding my manners. You know very well I could call them at least a hundred other things that would make the gods themselves blush."
"I still don't understand why you speak that way… I didn't raise you to be like that."
Sanshiva pursed her lips and looked her father dead in the eye.
"Honestly, Father, I didn't want to get into this, but now's as good a time as any. You didn't actually raise me. I learned more life lessons and got more advice from books and the occasional space farer than I ever did from you; I got more attention from the animals here in the valley than I ever did from you; I learned how to survive on my own, how to fight and how to fly, all by myself, and not once did you ever ask me if I was actually happy. Not once were you here, with me, as any father should have been."
"My child—"
She gave him a terse look, silencing him before she continued.
"I spent the last fifteen years of my life sequestered in this valley while you got to live among our kin, and you kept your title and your responsibilities to our people far better than you ever did to me. I call you 'Father' because you asked me to, not because you've earned that title."
The Grand Elder sighed as he looked at his daughter and realized with shame that, once again, she spoke the truth. He gently took the dragon ball from her, and said sadly, "If I could go back in time and do it right, you know would. I never meant to cause you any pain, and I know now that I've been absolutely horrible as a father. But I didn't know what else to do… As you got older, you got stronger, and I noticed that meditation during the eclipse became difficult for you. You would black out and attack me, like a feral animal. One year, after your tenth birthday, you did this."
Moori used his free hand to pull at his scarf, revealing a set of dark tooth marks where his neck sloped into his shoulders. "I had tried to heal it," he said, tracing the scars with his finger, "...but even now, it won't fade."
Sanshiva shook her head and blinked in disbelief. "I thought that was a bad dream I'd had…"
"No, my child… You very nearly killed me that night. Porunaga came to check on us in the morning. I remember that when I finally came to, you were still asleep and he begged that I bring you before the Council, but I outright refused. I believed that if I revealed you then, they'd sooner have you stripped of your soul than to bother considering an alternative for you."
"They're still probably going to feel that way, you know."
Moori straightened his overcoat and gazed back at Sanshiva. "They might, but at least now you can speak for yourself." He gave her a small smile and reached up to sweep her hair away from her face. "I must bring this dragon ball to the meeting grounds. Are you ready to go?"
The young woman shook her head. "I'll just follow your energy. This is probably my last day on my home world and… I want to see it before I go. I'll try not to keep you and the other elders waiting too long."
Moori nodded and floated upwards, waving to her as he flew off towards the forest in the distance.
Sanshiva walked through the valley, the suns high in the sky as she paced along the grass and the wind ran through her hair. The tall peaks on either side sloped upwards from the ground as if stretching to touch the clouds, and she sighed as she reached the mountain pass that led into the forest. She took long strides up a hill as it careened sideways, over a sharp outcrop of rock, and down a steep embankment until the pass opened up and met with a larger road that snaked through the forest, rich with life. The smells of dew and moss wafted by on gentle breezes. The steady buzz of winged insects and the croaks of toads filled the air, butterflies and moths in bright colors flew over ferns and around wildflowers of all shapes and sizes. She inhaled deeply, savoring the pleasant assault on her senses.
She followed the path as it led to the south, and for a moment thought she heard voices a few meters behind. In one swift movement, she grabbed at her cloak, quickly covering her head and chest, and hid quietly behind a large hedge close to the road. Four figures came into focus: two children, and two adults.
Hama and Kiba walked behind Motoki and Tobi through the dense wood, their footsteps noisier amidst the crunch of dirt and gravel underneath them. Hama ran up to Tobi and grabbed his hand, flashing his father a worried look.
"Can I go back to check for Doji," he asked.
"Honey, just be patient. He probably had some things to take care of before he could join us. He has a dragon with him, I'm sure he's a lot faster on it than you think."
"He said it was a salamander," Kiba said as he sped up to walk beside them.
Tobi slowed his pace, let out a tender sigh, and shrugged his shoulders. "The way the others described it seemed more like a dragon to me. Salamanders are tiny."
As they walked past the hedge, Sanshiva lowered her energy as far as she could and covered her mouth as she clutched her bag. She didn't feel quite ready to exchange pleasantries, and her heart dropped into her stomach when one of the older Namekians – a short, stocky man with a skeptical look on his face – stopped right in front of the hedge and stared at the trail ahead.
Motoki paused on the path, his antennae twitching as he examined the scene before him. "Someone else is here," he said, peering into the forest. Up ahead, the large bushes and ferns alongside the path swayed and shook. Tobi stretched his arms out to stop the two little boys as they all stood behind Motoki, waiting with bated breath for what lay beyond.
Doji and Himura suddenly jumped up and out of the dense bush, roaring together as the four Namekians screamed fearfully. Sanshiva – still hidden behind the hedge nearby – nearly screamed, too, and pressed her hand harder against her mouth as if to stop the sound. Doji began to laugh hysterically as he jumped down from Himura and held his stomach, a tear falling from his eye as he struggled to contain himself.
"You guys should have seen your faces!" He doubled over, still laughing, Himura chuffing beside him with a toothy grin.
Hama gave his friend a critical look, "That was not cool, Doji. Not cool."
"Aw, c'mon, Hama! I think it was very cool, myself." Doji said as he wiped the tear away, still chuckling to himself.
"By the gods," Motoki gasped, marveling at the creature before him. He stepped forward, reaching his hand out to touch her. "What is it?" Himura backed away from him, insulted, and chuffed in irritation.
'If that guy calls me "it" again, I'm not having fish for dinner tonight.' Himura glanced back at Doji before returning her focus to the stout Namekian.
"She," Doji corrected, "...is a violet firedrake. Her name is Himura."
"I thought she was a violet fire salamander," Kiba chimed in, racing forward to pet Himura. She nuzzled his hand and moved forward to rest her head against his belly. The portly boy hugged her, giving her a soft scratch underneath her chin, and she thumped her hind leg in satisfaction.
Doji responded, "That's what was taking so long. We talked for a bit."
"Animals don't talk, honey," Tobi said as he stepped forward and knelt in front of the boy, picking away stray leaves and twigs from Doji's clothes.
"She does, though, I've heard her. You know… like the Elders do sometimes, where they talk to you without actually talking to you..." Doji's voice trailed off as he twiddled his fingers.
"Ah," Motoki said, "So, she uses telepathic communication."
Doji nodded, looking at Himura as she scratched at her side with her foot. Hama walked over to her, using his small nails to scratch the area, her hind leg thumping against the ground in satisfaction. 'That's the spot,' Doji could hear the thought as it left the animal's mind, and he smiled.
Sanshiva watched from behind the hedge, and as she eyed the creature, its eyes seemed to dart back and forth until they met with hers through the heavy foliage. The firedrake's eyes widened, then shifted to a squint as she paced past the Namekians and towards the young woman's hiding spot, growling softly.
'It's that… thing from last night,' Himura said to Doji, widening her stance as she stood to face the large bush. Doji hopped onto her back, hands gripping her scales, ready to give the order to fire. The firedrake took in a long, deep breath, a small purple flame gathering at the back of her mouth. Sanshiva's body quivered as she recalled the violent burning sensation that spread across her skin when the creature had let loose its purple blaze in the night.
"Wait!" Sanshiva quivered as she called out to them."I-I'm sorry... I promise I mean you no harm."
The animal paused, her head tilting to the side as the purple spark in her mouth vanished. Sanshiva let go of her bag and stood slowly with her arms raised upwards as she walked around the hedge to face them. Tobi and Motoki moved to stand at Himura's side and watched the slender stranger with cautious eyes.
"And who may I ask," Motoki began as he crossed his arms, "...are you?"
She grabbed her hood, hesitating to pull it back as her bangles clinked against each other. She breathed deeply, and said, "My name is… Sanshiva." She pulled the cloak down to reveal herself and shut her eyes briefly as she awaited their reaction.
Tobi and Motoki inhaled sharply at the sight before them. Underneath the dappled sunlight, standing slightly taller than both of them was a beautiful, green-skinned young woman with human-like facial features. They took in the visage of her almond-shaped purple eyes and thin eyebrows, her full lips, pierced ears, and slender antennae that emerged from a carefully swept tussock of violet hair. The silence seemed to grow as Tobi and Motoki admired her, their mouths slightly agape as they slowly realized she was no space-bound traveler, but one of their own. Sanshiva coughed nervously, dying to end the silence.
"I-It's nice to meet you…" She timidly held her hand out to shake Tobi's, surprised when the man held her hand lightly and bowed. As he let go, he gave her a kind smile.
"I'm Tobi, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" He gave her another big smile and stepped around her as he looked her up and down. "My, my… a female! You're absolutely stunning!"
Sanshiva blinked at him and blushed feverishly. "U-Um... Thank you, you're t-too kind."
Motoki reached his hand out and shook the young woman's. "I'm Motoki. Hope the dragon here didn't give you too much of a scare," he said, pointing to Himura.
'Not as much as she did last night,' she thought.
"N-No, not really," she lied aloud. Tobi and Motoki saw through her guise and grinned at one another.
"So, Sanshiva…" Motoki moved to turn away, "You on your way to the Council of Elders?"
Sanshiva looked down, her eyes darting across the grass. "Yes, I am. I was tracking someone else's energy to lead me to the meeting grounds."
"Walk with us, sweetheart," Tobi said as he motioned for her to come along.
Himura eyed the young woman with caution and huffed loudly, the smoke from her nostrils now a deep grey. Doji could sense his scaled companion was on guard, and for good reason; as he looked at the female Namekian, he remembered the sight of her, horribly burnt and bloody as she lay on the grass in the darkness.
'She's the monster that killed him.' Himura began to growl low again, and Sanshiva gasped as she looked at the creature, the flames on its back getting brighter and brighter.
'…No,' Doji replied, 'There must be a reason for this. Otherwise, Moori wouldn't have healed her… And there's something else different about her now…'
'Other than her maybe looking prettier? So what?'
Doji tsked softly, responding, 'Himura... They thought you were a monster, too, remember?'
The firedrake huffed again and quieted herself as she let her flames die down. Doji patted her head, hopped down, and approached the female Namekian slowly and carefully. In the darkness and covered in battle scars, she had looked frightening; in the light, fully healed and darkly dressed, she was a remarkable sight to behold. Doji held out his hand hesitantly, waiting for Sanshiva to shake it. He was surprised by the warmth of her hand, and how it gently wrapped around his small fingers.
"What's your name, little one," she asked as she bent down to greet him.
"D-Doji," he stuttered as he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. "M-my name is Doji..."
"Well, hello, Doji. It's nice to meet you." She tilted her head slightly and gave him a tender smile. He looked into her violet eyes and shied away, hiding his face behind her Himura's leg and glancing back at the female Namekian with bashful eyes.
"Hi," shouted Hama and Kiba from behind. "I'm Hama," one said as he bowed, mirroring his father's motions. "I'm Kiba," said the other as he grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously.
"Well met, Hama and Kiba! Is it alright if I walk with you," she asked kindly. The three boys nodded silently and turned to continue walking down the path. Himura huffed loudly again and gave the young woman a skeptical look as she spun away and paced behind the others.
They continued to the meeting grounds in silence, each continually stealing a glance at Sanshiva's marvelous form as she kept her eyes on the ground, still blushing underneath the mottled sunlight. The group continued down the path until they reached a deep slope that led into a clearing. The dirt path abruptly turned into squarely carved cerulean bricks leading to a massive stone platform surrounded by carefully trimmed ajisa trees. The chatter from the surrounding crowd of over one hundred Namekians, young and old alike, drowned out the natural noise of the adjacent forest. They were each to her an unfamiliar face, an energy she'd never felt before, and she felt her chest tighten as the distance closed between her and the crowd. Sanshiva gasped and grabbed at her cloak, pulling it over her head again before hiding in the shade of a nearby ajisa tree. The others melted into the gathering, gently pushing their way to the front. At the center of the clearing, talking amongst one another, were seven elderly Namekians – two of which Sanshiva immediately recognized as her father and Porunaga – and on the ground in front of them, the seven mystical dragon balls, glowing in tandem like an ethereal heartbeat. She watched on from the shadows as Porunaga said something to her father, and then turned to address the crowd.
"My brethren," he called aloud as the chatter began to die down, "We are gathered here today to ask the mighty dragon Porunga to bring our beloved Dokira back to life, so that he may live the rest of his days as he was meant to." The babbling finally died down, and the sounds of the forest formed the backdrop for Porunaga to continue. "But," he paused dramatically, "...before doing so, we must also reveal a great secret that has been kept from you all for the last fifteen years."
Sanshiva inhaled sharply before covering her mouth. For a moment, it felt like her heart had stopped, and she held her breath as she waited for the elder's next words.
"In the night, the village under my charge was visited by a great shadow, an entity that is made of and dwells within the darkness itself. This nightmarish creature swallowed Dokira's very life essence. My son fought as best he could to ensure no other lives were taken and make no mistake, had another young boy and his animal companion not intervened, we would not have survived. Doji, please step forward."
Doji gulped as he and Himura pressed on through the crowd and reached the platform, hundreds of eyes staring curiously at the strange duo. Hama and Kiba emerged at the front of the gathering to watch, their fathers standing beside them. The boy bowed to the elder, and Himura let out a soft chuff as she looked at the senior Namekian.
'Isn't he the one who wanted to get rid of me?' She eyed the elder cautiously.
Doji squinted sideways at her as he stood upright as if to shush her. Porunaga's eyes darted between them as he asked the boy, "Care to introduce your new friend?"
The boy's eyes wandered across the faces of the elders, his body slightly shaking with anxiety. Himura nudged him gently, and in the same move she had done the night before, used her mouth to grab and throw him onto her back. He held onto her gently and gulped quietly before he addressed the gathering spread out before him.
He gulped and said as loudly as he could, "This is Himura, and she is a violet firedrake; a dragon that can change her appearance at will, spit acid and breathe fire." Doji looked down at the elder and asked, "I know you wanted to relocate her but… She helped us. Please, Elder Porunaga... Let her stay with me." He laid his small hand upon Himura's head and pet her gently. "I promise, you won't regret it."
Porunaga reached out to touch the violet firedrake, and she hesitated as she sniffed at his hand. "Yes, of course, she can stay," he said softly. Himura gave the elderly Namekian a wide grin as she let his hand glide across her scaled face, and he smiled back at her. A somber look crossed his visage once more as he raised his voice to address the crowd.
"I must inform you, my brethren, that although the effort to defeat the creature was valiant, this great shadow is still alive and walks among us."
Gasps could be heard coming from the crowd. They talked amongst themselves in frenzied tones, cries of "What do we do," and "How do we fight it," filling the air.
"Now, now," Porunaga motioned with his hands for the crowd to settle. As they quieted down, the elder spotted Sanshiva in the distance and his antennae twitched. "We know that for every light, there is a darkness; the greater the light, the harsher the shadow it creates. Though we met this darkness in the flesh, our Grand Elder will present to you the light from which that shadow was cast."
Moori shifted uneasily as he stood next to Porunaga. He looked around and spotted Sanshiva past sets of curious eyes and walked forward, the sea of people parting before him. The Grand Elder reached the outer ring of ajisa trees and approached his daughter, stretching his hand out as she stood quivering behind the tree and out of sight.
"My child…" Moori said softly to her. "It's time."
Sanshiva looked at her father's outstretched hand and released her grip on her cloak. She let her bag fall to the ground beside the tree and tenderly grabbed his hand. As they made their way to the center of the platform alongside the elders, she hung her head low, her shoulders visibly shaking. Moori stood in front of her and placed a single hand on her chest, feeling her heart race on the other side of his palm. He nodded to her slowly, and she nodded back as she reached for her cloak again and pulled the material away from her head. The eyes in the crowd widened and they let out a collective gasp as they gazed at the female Namekian.
Moori reached up and caressed her cheek gently before placing his hands behind his back. "This is my daughter, Sanshiva."
Sanshiva bowed respectfully and blushed feverishly, unsure of how to react under such intense and voluminous scrutiny. The Namekians prattled amongst themselves; some gave her a look of admiration, and others a look of concern that gave way to contempt. Suddenly, a young voice cut through the soft chatter.
"How do we know you're not just going to transform again?"
Doji jumped down from Himura's back and stared at the young woman with angry eyes as he crossed his arms. "I want to know that what happened to my dad… won't happen to anyone else." He hugged himself tightly as his body tensed up. Tears formed in his small eyes, and his breath hitched as he waited for her response.
The blood instantly drained from Sanshiva's face, and she gave the boy a nervous look as she ran her fingers through her hair before sticking both hands in her pockets. "I don't know if…" She hesitated and corrected herself, "I don't know when that'll happen or how it happened in the first place. So, to keep all of you safe, I am leaving today."
Doji's mouth gaped as he was stricken by the definitiveness of her answer. As quickly as she had come, she would have to leave; no one would be able to discover anything about the only woman ever to have been born among them, and Doji's chest felt tight as he stepped toward Sanshiva and looked up at her with tears in his eyes. The Namekians watched on in shock, all at once coming to terms with the fact that the stunning woman in front of them held a dark and terrible power that could destroy them all.
Sanshiva knelt before the little boy and gently grabbed his hands as she looked back into his eyes and said, "Doji, I don't know if I can promise anyone's safety if I stay here. This is my first time seeing any of you and... it hurts because I have to leave. I don't really have a choice, here." She paused and gulped quietly, gently stroking the boy's hands with her long fingers. "But what I do know is that come hell or high water, I will learn to control this darkness inside of me, and I will come back home to my people, where I belong."
She let go of the boy's hands and hugged him tightly. At first, Doji was shocked by the gesture and hesitated to hug her back. But as he sensed her warm and bright energy encompass him – like the comforting warmth of Himura's fiery mane – he sobbed into her shoulder and hugged her back as his cries shook his little body, and Sanshiva's eyes pooled with tears as she held the boy, something deep within her aching to take the pain away.
Porunaga stepped forward and placed a wrinkled hand on the young woman's shoulder. "It is time." He turned to face the other elders and nodded.
Moori sniffled quietly as he turned away from Sanshiva and Doji and approached the dragon balls on the ground. He took a deep breath, raised his arms to the sky, and said in Namekian, "As I summon thee forth by your name, rise to grant our wishes, O Great and Powerful Porunga!"
The dragon balls began to glow brighter, their amber light encompassing the space between them and suddenly, the sky darkened. From within the center of each orb, a stream of white light coalesced and spiraled upwards, creating a bright spectral form that continued to grow as it sped away from the ground. As the harsh light faded and their eyes adjusted, the Namekians looked up at the sky in wonder; the mighty, wish-granting dragon Porunga levitated above them, his massive emerald scales and sandy underbelly leading to an impossibly long spiraled tail. Two giant black barbs sprouted from his shoulders, and they moved as he crossed his hefty arms over his gigantic chest. Atop his head were four black horns, and he peered over his wide snout to the Namekians below through glowing red eyes.
"You, who awakens me from my slumber... I will grant you three wishes," Porunga bellowed as he looked down at the crowd, his voice shaking the very ground beneath them. Sanshiva pulled away from Doji and moved to stand, her mouth open wide as she beheld the mystical dragon her father had only ever described to her in stories.
Moori gulped as he tried to formulate his wish. "Great Porunga," the Grand Elder called to him in Namekian, "I ask that you bring our brother, Dokira, back to the land of the living!"
Porunga paused and scratched at his chin with a massive claw. "I cannot."
Moori's eyes shot wide open, shock traversing through his portly frame. An uneasy silence settled among the crowd as he asked, "Why?"
Porunga hummed for a moment, and explained, "The person you seek to bring to this plane is not present in the Other World. Albeit unwillingly, Dokira's soul is now fused to hers, and has already been brought back to life once before, after the invasion of Namek."
The mighty dragon stretched out a long, gigantic finger and pointed down to Sanshiva, and the crowd inhaled sharply, eyes darting between the great dragon and the female Namekian. Doji looked up at her with tears still in his eyes, and she sighed deeply, unable to withstand the feelings of guilt and disgrace that flooded her body.
She closed her eyes briefly before she looked back up at Porunga, wiping her face as she called up to him in Namekian, "Is there no way to separate him from me? To make him whole again?"
Porunga gave the young woman a wary look. "Understand that your questions today count as wishes." She nodded back to him and awaited his answer. The dragon scratched at his chin again and said, "You must master the dark power within you, for only through success in wielding both light and darkness together will you find a way to separate his soul from yours, allowing him to enter the Other World. On Earth, you will find another set of dragon balls. You may use those to grant your wish, and bring him back from the dead."
Sanshiva hesitated, knowing that after her last question, the dragon would disappear, and the dragon balls would scatter across the planet's surface. She looked back at the crowd that surrounded her before her eyes settled on Doji, who was still sobbing as he stared up at Porunga. She felt the strong urge to hold him close again and quickly realized that it was Dokira's soul reaching out for his son. She closed her eyes again and as the words flowed from her lips, tears fell onto her jade cheeks.
"Great Porunga... I am frightened of this power; of the damage it could do and the lives it could take. But… this boy here," she paused as she motioned to Doji, "After what happened, I owe it to him to bring his father back. What must I do to master this power?"
Porunga crossed his arms again and peered down at the female Namekian. "Seek the fortune-teller the humans call Baba. It is she, alone, who will be able to light your way through the darkness, and guide you to your destiny." Sanshiva clutched at her chest and nodded to the dragon. "Your questions have been answered. I bid thee farewell." Porunga's voice boomed as his body became enveloped in a harsh white light and he disappeared into thin air as the dragon balls floated up from the ground, spun upwards, and shot across the sky in different directions. The silence that followed the dragon's hasty departure was deafening, but Doji could still be heard as he sniffled softly, his tears clouding his vision and each sorrowful breath he took echoing across the clearing.
"F-Father... Father," the boy whispered.
Sanshiva turned back to the boy and knelt again in front of him. She hugged him tightly once more and kissed his forehead, and the boy swiftly reached to return her embrace and buried his head in her chest as he cried harder. She stroked his head softly and rocked him back and forth. As she pulled away from him, she wiped the tears from Doji's cheeks and cradled his face in her soft hands.
"Doji, I'm going to promise you something, and I want you to hold me to it for as long as we both shall live."
Doji sniffled and gazed back at her, his eyes faintly red from weeping. He nodded slowly and rested his head back on her chest as he continued to hold onto her. For a moment, he felt the same balmy feeling creep over his body; a soothing sensation, a gentle energy like a warm blanket being draped carefully over his skin. As she spoke again, the gentle hum of her voice made his antennae twitch and he closed his eyes as he listened to her intently. "I promise that I will make this right. I promise that no matter how hard it might be, I will get your father back to you. Even if I completely fail at everything else…" The young woman choked back tears as she continued, and her body began to quiver ever so slightly as she pulled away to look him in the eyes one more time.
"I promise I will bring Dokira back."
