Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Forced Beginnings - Black Flowers ❯ Or Is This All There Is... ( Chapter 18 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Klara in flares 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Mystery / Hentai / Drama / Angst / Action / Sci-fi | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.03.2002 | Updated On: 06.24.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Psychological / Mystery / Hentai / Drama / Angst / Action / Sci-fi | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.03.2002 | Updated On: 06.24.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
'http://groups.msn.com/HerebeBlackFlowersOnline', a Black Flowers inspired MSN Group.
Black Flowers - Klara_in_flares
Black Flowers ; chapter 18, 'Or Is This All There Is...'
*_Flashback - the past_*
Trunks glanced at Pan's rounded form. She was a week away from birth. He could hardly believe it was his child. He wanted so badly to touch her rounded abdomen, feel the baby kick as even Goten had had the chance to do. She still held coldness in her eyes when she looked at him. He had hurt her deeply that day. How ironic that had also been the day their child had been conceived. He had fell from her favor. Something he had never believed possible. She had forgiven him from that very same day, in words and actions. She treat him like she always had... but held back part of herself from him, that she had offered to him, all these years. All the time he had been too foolish to realise, too foolish to take. Instead he had caused her deep hurt, taken advantage of what she offered him. She didn't know it, that he hurt inside as well as her. That he hurt because of her... and for her. Had she seen him watch her, these endless days? Had she not felt the love growing within his cold heart for their unborn child? The love growing for her? The dark haired Saiyan that had captivated him, and slowly enthralled the young Saiyan prince.
He stood from his resting place on the bed as she walked past him. She glanced at him, almost yearning, but straining to tear her eyes away.
Trunks caught her by the arms, pulling her form near him. He gazed meaningfully into her eyes. "You're right." He confessed huskily. "I am lonely! I'll always be. I can't love anyone, I don't know how… I'm a lost cause." He looked away from her, his hands still holding her.
Pan was taken back. After all this time. Why now? "Trunks…"
Trunks gazed at her, his face pained and full of sorrow. "…I hurt you." He admitted simply. His voice was struggling, guilt raked.
Pan softly gazed at him. She let her eyes and mind wander, as if memorizing every look, every emotion. "You're not lost..." She whispered. She saw him glance back up to her. "I won't let you be."
"Pan...I love you." Trunks confessed softly. His eyes were pleading.
Pan gazed at him, her once magnetic eyes now seemed so tired of this life. "It's taken you long enough to decide you loved me." She said with a weak laugh.
The couple fell into each other's arms, holding each other like they would never let go. He wrapped his arms around her soothingly, and Pan put her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent. He drew back and kissed her softly, his mouth warm against hers. "Pan." He said again. He fumbled in his pocket. Pan looked as he drew something out in his partially clenched fist. He turned his hand over, and opened his palm. In his hand, sat a silver locket, with a black gem. "It's for you." He said huskily. Pan reached her hand out tentatively, and ran her finger along the polished metal. Trunks hand moved, and he opened the locket. Inside, was a picture of her, and on the other side was a picture of him. Their faces were laughing and full of hope.
"It's beautiful…" Pan said with awe.
"I wanted to give you this for your Birthday." Trunks said, gazing at it in his hand. "But I never had the chance. I can't believe I managed to keep it safe for all these years. It's taken me this long to have the courage to give it to you. Because... it meant something more than I once thought it did." He gently ran his hand through her hair. His hand paused. "Hold still." He whispered. Pan did, and she felt a small tug. Trunks brought his hand away with a couple of strands of her hair. He placed it in the locket beside her picture.
Pan looked at him and smiled. She reached her hand forward, and gently took some of his lavender strands. She put his in with his photograph. He closed the locket carefully, and moved to fasten it around her neck. He pulled back, and gazed warmly at how it looked on her. He leaned forward to kiss her again, long and lingering. Pan was pulled against his warm body, and the comfort he brought. "I love you Pan." He said again.
"I love you too, Trunks." Pan replied, a smile on her lips.
__1 year later__
The door to the cell was opened and everyone leapt up in confusion. I.R.Evil strode right in.
Vegeta growled viciously, scrambling up from where he was resting. "What do you want?" He snarled.
I.R.Evil didn't seem to hear him. If he did, he didn't acknowledge him. "Enjoying your stay?" He asked. His eyes gazed around the living quarters. "You certainly have made yourselves at home, Saiyans." He mused.
"This isn't home… this is hell." Bra said hollowly. I.R.Evil pretended to be taken back by this.
"My dear, this is your home." He purred. "Forever more."
Goku frowned deeply. "Let them go." He pleaded. "The youngsters. Please. They have lives to lead…families. Please let them free, to live full lives and to be happy. Not this..." He finished the last words staring out into the blackness of space. "Bra is right. This isn't home. This is not even life anymore. I'd rather be in hell."
I.R.Evil considered this. "Never. This is your home now." He said cheerily. He paused. "I almost feel sad for bringing you a surprise too." He stepped to the side, and the others watched as two toddlers were stood in the doorway. They were both dressed in tiny black training gi's. The little boy had black wild hair like Goku's, but that swept to the side with dark thick strands of hair that fell over his black eyes. The little girl had shoulder length straight hair with a blunt fringe (bangs), and black eyes too. "Arienne and Rhiamon have come to visit…"
"You kept their names… " Pan said with amazement.
I.R.Evil smirked. "I was never that creative…" he said absently. "Besides, it seemed fitting to be named by their own blood."
The children looked nervously at the group of strangers. I.R.Evil pointed into the room. "Go and bond children... these are your parents, after all…" He swept out of the door then, the door once again sealing.
Pan froze, looking at the little girl. Her daughter… it was her daughter! "Arienne!" She cried, running forward, sweeping the girl into her arms. She wept into her dark hair. Arienne wriggled, and pulled away to look at Pan's face, a Vegeta like frown on her face. Pan stayed still as Arienne ran her tiny hand over her face, across her jaw, her cheek and her lips. She ran her little paw through her Pan's hair too, feeling how it slipped in dark strands through her fingers. "…Mommy?" She whispered innocently. Her frown turning to hope.
Pan hugged her tightly again.
The little boy didn't move. Gohan couldn't help but stare at him. He looked so much like Goku, but so much like him too. It was almost impossible to tell Bra was his mother. Bra moved forward too, she glanced at Gohan. Gohan walked to the little boy, kneeling to his height. "I'm... I'm your father." He said. Bra shyly approached behind Gohan. Gohan took Bra's hand, pulling her softly down to the same height. "And this is your Mom. I'm sorry... if it's sudden. We understand."
The little boy eyed them curiously. Suddenly, he held his arms open wide. Gohan laughed happily, and swept the boy into his embrace. Bra hugged him too over Gohan's arms, kissing the boy's hair.
Vegeta snorted. He looked over to his own infant. Pan looked up at him through tearful eyes. "It's our daughter." She sniffed with happiness. Vegeta looked critically at the little girl. He felt his heart soften the tiniest bit. The little girl had the same stern stubborn look of Bra when she was born. Both Bulma and Pan shared the same determination and stubborn streak to make the girl frighteningly similar to his other little princess. "I'm a mother…" Pan murmured. "This is unreal. She looks so much like us."
"You gave birth to the brat." Vegeta snorted critically. "How can you not have accepted it's existence yet?"
Arienne met Vegeta's gaze, and the two stared at each other. It was almost like a competition, her curious but dark eyes locked with her father's. "You're my Daddy?" The girl questioned suspiciously.
"Yes, so wipe that disrespect off your face. I am the prince." Vegeta growled, maybe hoping such a young specimen of the sparse remaining Saiyans may actually accept his birthright authority.
"You have no power over me! I serve the empire superior." Arienne said in a clear, almost political way. Such words coming from a toddler's mouth were almost unreal.
"Serve? What is this 'empire' you serve? Besides, you are merely a brat." Vegeta snorted angrily.
The little girl wriggled from Pan's grasp. She stood on her own two feet, squarely. Her eyes were cold as she craned her neck to even hold any sort of eye contact with the short prince. She raised a gloved hand and aimed her palm clearly at him. "The penalty for treason against the empire is death." She announced coldly.
In any other situation, such a ridiculous scene would be hilarious, but here, it was silent. "And how many have you killed at the tender age of 3?" Vegeta snarled, his temper flaring now.
"…I wouldn't upset the little miss." I.R.Evil slunk back into the cell. "Her training missions have shown great potential so far." He grinned. "She is quite the little soldier."
Gohan's eyes widened. "You have them fight? At this age?" He accused.
I.R.Evil merely smirked. "She is a true warrior. I sent her to Jurok… too many rebels trying to plot some... 'little take over' scheme." He waved his hands with a complacent sarcasm. "…The mission was successful. They were wiped out, and it's all thanks to our little gem here…" He pulled Arienne towards him, ruffling her black hair with a false affection.
"You've had them kill...? But they're only children!" Gohan roared. He was enraged to the extreme. No one had the right to destroy a child's innocence like this!
"She's...she's…" Trunks stuttered.
"A killer? Yes, that's what she was bred for." I.R.Evil smirked. "You should be proud…"
__*__
*_Present day_*
Rhiamon flinched, a lost memory almost resurfacing, skimming his subconscious. He tried to remember exactly what it was, but found he couldn't. He felt the small shiver run up his spine. He was broken out of his thought stream by the appearance of a lot of the others. Things had relaxed briefly, but by no means enough, since Rayne had been able to give good information on what Raven was intending to do with the army, and his future plans. He was worried for his sister though... she seemed distant. But for good reason. Her relationship with Raven had ended abruptly. It had been hard for her to learn of his lying and betraying ways. But she was quick to forgive, believing in his offer of friendship and penance for his betrayals after the broken relationship. His final deal seemed to seal that. They had gotten away because of it. But how far had it been a gesture of friendship and maybe love to Rayne? Why did it feel so much more than that… something... not quite right. What if they were... meant to get away? What if Raven truly had turned on her and them?
He was hunting them. His penance to her and them had been paid, and Rayne had found an enemy in the man she believed to love. He knew it hurt her to have to hate him, and believe in his intentions to destroy them.
"Rhiamon? What's up?" Goten asked. "Man, you looked deep in thought there."
"It happens." Rhiamon answered.
"I've at least got some idea, like a timeline of events from your time." Gohan spoke up. "You took out the Eastern quadrant of the galaxy… didn't you? Over the span of about 18 years."
Rhiamon nodded. Goten was gawping like a goldfish. "Quadrant? How big is a quadrant? We're talking a galaxy here?" he said with confusion.
"What I'm concerned about… The empire took out its primary enemies, 17 years ago." Gohan explained. "The last known survivors of the race were residing on the planet Jurok. They were wiped out."
Arienne and Rhiamon froze, looking deeply regressed. "Jurok?" Arienne repeated faintly.
Rhiamon frowned. "That was us." He confessed. "I wasn't sure whether it was true or not, it's like a lost memory."
"For that to be true, you had to have been merely three years old." She challenged them.
Arienne fixed her dark eyes on the android. "…We were."
_*_ Marron let herself into the Corp, no one answering her knocking. She heard a collection of voices coming from down one of the hallways. A strange feeling went through her when she heard the low tones of Rhiamon's voice. She followed the voices, and it led her to the doorway of one of the Corp's lounges. No one noticed her appearance and she silently listened, smiling.
"You were killing at three?" Krillen tried to confirm. "What were those guys? Were they crazy? You were only toddlers!!"
"We were trained to eliminate threats to the empire. To be perfect soldiers. Cold and powerful. And we carried our lives out I accordance to that. We killed thousands of races without a second thought. You gave to understand, we didn't know anything else…"
"You've murdered innocent people?" Marron cried with disbelief.
Everyone spun to see the blonde in the doorway.
"I thought you explained everything to her?" Krillen hissed to his wife. "She doesn't already know?"
18 shrugged complacently. "I spared her the less appealing details…"
Rhiamon's eyes widened. "Marron…I…" He tried so desperately to explain.
"Don't come near me!" She said with a shrill cry. "I would never be with a man who hurt anyone like that! I can't believe it…" She began sobbing. "I find the perfect guy…someone I can trust finally… and he's a cold blooded killer. You're nothing but a monster, an unfeeling monster!" She cried, then turned and fled the room in floods of tears.
Rhiamon stumbled back a step, his eyes wild with upset. He began shaking slightly.
Goten shook his head. "That was harsh…" he managed to choke out with sorrow.
"Oh Dende… Rhiamon…" Bra began soothingly. She tried to put a hand reassuringly on his arm, and he shrugged her away, turning his face away with shame.
"She thinks I'm a monster…" Rhiamon stuttered with realisation. He clenched his eyes shut. "Oh God… I wish I was unfeeling! I wish I was cold!" He cried. "But I feel! I wake up every day seeing their faces, it kills me a little more each day… I can't stand the pain, the guilt! … I wish I didn't feel!"
"That's all in the past now." Gohan tried to reassure him.
Rhiamon growled. "Do you know how many thousands of people I've slaughtered? How much blood I've spilt?"
"It's something we have to live with." Cadell said wisely.
"What if I can't?" Rhiamon demanded. He gazed for a few moments at Cadell, before striding from the room.
__*__
Rhiamon swung his legs over the cliff edge. He looked out to sea, his mind plaguing him. How can he forget? How can he forgive himself? He growled. He should have known she would think he was a monster. What person wouldn't? He just wished he could get her kind face and soft blonde hair out of his mind. He replaced the mental image with the sight of her hurt and disgusted face. It made him shudder.
"Boy." Said a gruff voice. Rhiamon turned and looked up at the Saiyan Prince. He was staring out to sea. He must have been too focused to sense Vegeta's ki.
Rhiamon gazed back to the waves himself, curious at Vegeta's sudden presence. "You have feelings for that blonde offspring of Baldy?"
Rhiamon looked confused. Baldy? Vegeta smirked. "A long time ago now, it seems." He explained.
Rhiamon looked own. "His offspring has a name, 'Marron'." He defended her.
Vegeta let a smirk appear on his face. "You wish to mate this onna?" he asked.
Rhiamon blushed. "Maybe…" He smirked himself, surprising Vegeta. But Vegeta quickly looked pleasantly surprised.
"Baldy won't like it. Neither will his hellcat of an android wife." The prince mused.
Rhiamon paused. "Neither will she." He admitted. "You heard her today."
Vegeta let out a laugh. "Boy! You have too much of kakkorrot's blood." He accused the demi-Saiyan.
There was another awkward silence between the two. Rhiamon growled. Enough of the entertaining small talk already! "Why are you here?" he asked Vegeta bluntly. "If you've come to give me a prep talk on mating, I'm sorry but you're a few years too late."
Vegeta shot his gaze to Rhiamon with horror, but then saw the youth's smirk. Maybe he had inherited sufficient royal blood after all? He smirked back. "I assume you know the basics of mounting." He agreed. "But I'm here for other reasons."
Rhiamon frowned again. "What then?"
"Don't you think I know what it is like, boy?"
"...What?"
Vegeta folded his arms across his chest. "I too, was trained from a young age to be the ultimate fighter." He said, his chin lifting a little with pride. "I was known across galaxies. My name struck fear into the heart of warriors and weaklings alike."
"I know your reputation." Rhiamon snapped. "...How can you speak about what you did with such pride?"
"You baka! I don't look upon my killings with pride. But I don't let such a past mar my pride. You treat such undesirable aspects of your past with dignity." Vegeta gave a snort at Rhiamon. "Not in the highly emotional state you're running around in."
Rhiamon leapt to his feet. "Not feel anything? That's your great answer?" he demanded.
Vegeta growled. "You don't understand at all! It is part of you. You cannot bury your past, your doings. They are a part of you. What you must learn is to control them, not let them control you!" He snapped. "Believe me boy, I understand more of your situation than you can comprehend!"
Rhiamon flexed his muscles with irritation, but reluctantly calmed. What the prince said made sense. But Marron... How can accepting his past let her accept it?
"Go to her." Vegeta said simply. Rhiamon looked at him with surprise. How did he know what he was thinking...?
"I could tell you were thinking of the female with that dazed pathetic look in your eyes." Vegeta snorted.
"She won't accept me." Rhiamon said with pain. "Won't accept what I am."
Vegeta looked thoughtful. "My onna accepted me." He said. "Go to the brat. If she has interest in you, she will reconsider." Before Rhiamon could say anymore, Vegeta raise his ki, and exploded into the darkening sky.
Rhiamon paused, staring back out at the ocean.
__*__
Cadell: *wearing fluffy rabbit ears *
Chibi-Cadell: *Does another handstand, then trips over his tail, tumbling over and over like a little kitten *
Cadell: *Tears off rabbit ears, throwing them away with frustration. Glares at younger self *
Chibi-Cadell: *Stares innocently, blinking *
Cadell: He's onto me… damn. He's too good!
Klara *puts face in hands and sighs loudly, shaking head. *
__*__
Black Flowers - Klara_in_flares
Black Flowers ; chapter 18, 'Or Is This All There Is...'
*_Flashback - the past_*
Trunks glanced at Pan's rounded form. She was a week away from birth. He could hardly believe it was his child. He wanted so badly to touch her rounded abdomen, feel the baby kick as even Goten had had the chance to do. She still held coldness in her eyes when she looked at him. He had hurt her deeply that day. How ironic that had also been the day their child had been conceived. He had fell from her favor. Something he had never believed possible. She had forgiven him from that very same day, in words and actions. She treat him like she always had... but held back part of herself from him, that she had offered to him, all these years. All the time he had been too foolish to realise, too foolish to take. Instead he had caused her deep hurt, taken advantage of what she offered him. She didn't know it, that he hurt inside as well as her. That he hurt because of her... and for her. Had she seen him watch her, these endless days? Had she not felt the love growing within his cold heart for their unborn child? The love growing for her? The dark haired Saiyan that had captivated him, and slowly enthralled the young Saiyan prince.
He stood from his resting place on the bed as she walked past him. She glanced at him, almost yearning, but straining to tear her eyes away.
Trunks caught her by the arms, pulling her form near him. He gazed meaningfully into her eyes. "You're right." He confessed huskily. "I am lonely! I'll always be. I can't love anyone, I don't know how… I'm a lost cause." He looked away from her, his hands still holding her.
Pan was taken back. After all this time. Why now? "Trunks…"
Trunks gazed at her, his face pained and full of sorrow. "…I hurt you." He admitted simply. His voice was struggling, guilt raked.
Pan softly gazed at him. She let her eyes and mind wander, as if memorizing every look, every emotion. "You're not lost..." She whispered. She saw him glance back up to her. "I won't let you be."
"Pan...I love you." Trunks confessed softly. His eyes were pleading.
Pan gazed at him, her once magnetic eyes now seemed so tired of this life. "It's taken you long enough to decide you loved me." She said with a weak laugh.
The couple fell into each other's arms, holding each other like they would never let go. He wrapped his arms around her soothingly, and Pan put her head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent. He drew back and kissed her softly, his mouth warm against hers. "Pan." He said again. He fumbled in his pocket. Pan looked as he drew something out in his partially clenched fist. He turned his hand over, and opened his palm. In his hand, sat a silver locket, with a black gem. "It's for you." He said huskily. Pan reached her hand out tentatively, and ran her finger along the polished metal. Trunks hand moved, and he opened the locket. Inside, was a picture of her, and on the other side was a picture of him. Their faces were laughing and full of hope.
"It's beautiful…" Pan said with awe.
"I wanted to give you this for your Birthday." Trunks said, gazing at it in his hand. "But I never had the chance. I can't believe I managed to keep it safe for all these years. It's taken me this long to have the courage to give it to you. Because... it meant something more than I once thought it did." He gently ran his hand through her hair. His hand paused. "Hold still." He whispered. Pan did, and she felt a small tug. Trunks brought his hand away with a couple of strands of her hair. He placed it in the locket beside her picture.
Pan looked at him and smiled. She reached her hand forward, and gently took some of his lavender strands. She put his in with his photograph. He closed the locket carefully, and moved to fasten it around her neck. He pulled back, and gazed warmly at how it looked on her. He leaned forward to kiss her again, long and lingering. Pan was pulled against his warm body, and the comfort he brought. "I love you Pan." He said again.
"I love you too, Trunks." Pan replied, a smile on her lips.
__1 year later__
The door to the cell was opened and everyone leapt up in confusion. I.R.Evil strode right in.
Vegeta growled viciously, scrambling up from where he was resting. "What do you want?" He snarled.
I.R.Evil didn't seem to hear him. If he did, he didn't acknowledge him. "Enjoying your stay?" He asked. His eyes gazed around the living quarters. "You certainly have made yourselves at home, Saiyans." He mused.
"This isn't home… this is hell." Bra said hollowly. I.R.Evil pretended to be taken back by this.
"My dear, this is your home." He purred. "Forever more."
Goku frowned deeply. "Let them go." He pleaded. "The youngsters. Please. They have lives to lead…families. Please let them free, to live full lives and to be happy. Not this..." He finished the last words staring out into the blackness of space. "Bra is right. This isn't home. This is not even life anymore. I'd rather be in hell."
I.R.Evil considered this. "Never. This is your home now." He said cheerily. He paused. "I almost feel sad for bringing you a surprise too." He stepped to the side, and the others watched as two toddlers were stood in the doorway. They were both dressed in tiny black training gi's. The little boy had black wild hair like Goku's, but that swept to the side with dark thick strands of hair that fell over his black eyes. The little girl had shoulder length straight hair with a blunt fringe (bangs), and black eyes too. "Arienne and Rhiamon have come to visit…"
"You kept their names… " Pan said with amazement.
I.R.Evil smirked. "I was never that creative…" he said absently. "Besides, it seemed fitting to be named by their own blood."
The children looked nervously at the group of strangers. I.R.Evil pointed into the room. "Go and bond children... these are your parents, after all…" He swept out of the door then, the door once again sealing.
Pan froze, looking at the little girl. Her daughter… it was her daughter! "Arienne!" She cried, running forward, sweeping the girl into her arms. She wept into her dark hair. Arienne wriggled, and pulled away to look at Pan's face, a Vegeta like frown on her face. Pan stayed still as Arienne ran her tiny hand over her face, across her jaw, her cheek and her lips. She ran her little paw through her Pan's hair too, feeling how it slipped in dark strands through her fingers. "…Mommy?" She whispered innocently. Her frown turning to hope.
Pan hugged her tightly again.
The little boy didn't move. Gohan couldn't help but stare at him. He looked so much like Goku, but so much like him too. It was almost impossible to tell Bra was his mother. Bra moved forward too, she glanced at Gohan. Gohan walked to the little boy, kneeling to his height. "I'm... I'm your father." He said. Bra shyly approached behind Gohan. Gohan took Bra's hand, pulling her softly down to the same height. "And this is your Mom. I'm sorry... if it's sudden. We understand."
The little boy eyed them curiously. Suddenly, he held his arms open wide. Gohan laughed happily, and swept the boy into his embrace. Bra hugged him too over Gohan's arms, kissing the boy's hair.
Vegeta snorted. He looked over to his own infant. Pan looked up at him through tearful eyes. "It's our daughter." She sniffed with happiness. Vegeta looked critically at the little girl. He felt his heart soften the tiniest bit. The little girl had the same stern stubborn look of Bra when she was born. Both Bulma and Pan shared the same determination and stubborn streak to make the girl frighteningly similar to his other little princess. "I'm a mother…" Pan murmured. "This is unreal. She looks so much like us."
"You gave birth to the brat." Vegeta snorted critically. "How can you not have accepted it's existence yet?"
Arienne met Vegeta's gaze, and the two stared at each other. It was almost like a competition, her curious but dark eyes locked with her father's. "You're my Daddy?" The girl questioned suspiciously.
"Yes, so wipe that disrespect off your face. I am the prince." Vegeta growled, maybe hoping such a young specimen of the sparse remaining Saiyans may actually accept his birthright authority.
"You have no power over me! I serve the empire superior." Arienne said in a clear, almost political way. Such words coming from a toddler's mouth were almost unreal.
"Serve? What is this 'empire' you serve? Besides, you are merely a brat." Vegeta snorted angrily.
The little girl wriggled from Pan's grasp. She stood on her own two feet, squarely. Her eyes were cold as she craned her neck to even hold any sort of eye contact with the short prince. She raised a gloved hand and aimed her palm clearly at him. "The penalty for treason against the empire is death." She announced coldly.
In any other situation, such a ridiculous scene would be hilarious, but here, it was silent. "And how many have you killed at the tender age of 3?" Vegeta snarled, his temper flaring now.
"…I wouldn't upset the little miss." I.R.Evil slunk back into the cell. "Her training missions have shown great potential so far." He grinned. "She is quite the little soldier."
Gohan's eyes widened. "You have them fight? At this age?" He accused.
I.R.Evil merely smirked. "She is a true warrior. I sent her to Jurok… too many rebels trying to plot some... 'little take over' scheme." He waved his hands with a complacent sarcasm. "…The mission was successful. They were wiped out, and it's all thanks to our little gem here…" He pulled Arienne towards him, ruffling her black hair with a false affection.
"You've had them kill...? But they're only children!" Gohan roared. He was enraged to the extreme. No one had the right to destroy a child's innocence like this!
"She's...she's…" Trunks stuttered.
"A killer? Yes, that's what she was bred for." I.R.Evil smirked. "You should be proud…"
__*__
*_Present day_*
Rhiamon flinched, a lost memory almost resurfacing, skimming his subconscious. He tried to remember exactly what it was, but found he couldn't. He felt the small shiver run up his spine. He was broken out of his thought stream by the appearance of a lot of the others. Things had relaxed briefly, but by no means enough, since Rayne had been able to give good information on what Raven was intending to do with the army, and his future plans. He was worried for his sister though... she seemed distant. But for good reason. Her relationship with Raven had ended abruptly. It had been hard for her to learn of his lying and betraying ways. But she was quick to forgive, believing in his offer of friendship and penance for his betrayals after the broken relationship. His final deal seemed to seal that. They had gotten away because of it. But how far had it been a gesture of friendship and maybe love to Rayne? Why did it feel so much more than that… something... not quite right. What if they were... meant to get away? What if Raven truly had turned on her and them?
He was hunting them. His penance to her and them had been paid, and Rayne had found an enemy in the man she believed to love. He knew it hurt her to have to hate him, and believe in his intentions to destroy them.
"Rhiamon? What's up?" Goten asked. "Man, you looked deep in thought there."
"It happens." Rhiamon answered.
"I've at least got some idea, like a timeline of events from your time." Gohan spoke up. "You took out the Eastern quadrant of the galaxy… didn't you? Over the span of about 18 years."
Rhiamon nodded. Goten was gawping like a goldfish. "Quadrant? How big is a quadrant? We're talking a galaxy here?" he said with confusion.
"What I'm concerned about… The empire took out its primary enemies, 17 years ago." Gohan explained. "The last known survivors of the race were residing on the planet Jurok. They were wiped out."
Arienne and Rhiamon froze, looking deeply regressed. "Jurok?" Arienne repeated faintly.
Rhiamon frowned. "That was us." He confessed. "I wasn't sure whether it was true or not, it's like a lost memory."
"For that to be true, you had to have been merely three years old." She challenged them.
Arienne fixed her dark eyes on the android. "…We were."
_*_ Marron let herself into the Corp, no one answering her knocking. She heard a collection of voices coming from down one of the hallways. A strange feeling went through her when she heard the low tones of Rhiamon's voice. She followed the voices, and it led her to the doorway of one of the Corp's lounges. No one noticed her appearance and she silently listened, smiling.
"You were killing at three?" Krillen tried to confirm. "What were those guys? Were they crazy? You were only toddlers!!"
"We were trained to eliminate threats to the empire. To be perfect soldiers. Cold and powerful. And we carried our lives out I accordance to that. We killed thousands of races without a second thought. You gave to understand, we didn't know anything else…"
"You've murdered innocent people?" Marron cried with disbelief.
Everyone spun to see the blonde in the doorway.
"I thought you explained everything to her?" Krillen hissed to his wife. "She doesn't already know?"
18 shrugged complacently. "I spared her the less appealing details…"
Rhiamon's eyes widened. "Marron…I…" He tried so desperately to explain.
"Don't come near me!" She said with a shrill cry. "I would never be with a man who hurt anyone like that! I can't believe it…" She began sobbing. "I find the perfect guy…someone I can trust finally… and he's a cold blooded killer. You're nothing but a monster, an unfeeling monster!" She cried, then turned and fled the room in floods of tears.
Rhiamon stumbled back a step, his eyes wild with upset. He began shaking slightly.
Goten shook his head. "That was harsh…" he managed to choke out with sorrow.
"Oh Dende… Rhiamon…" Bra began soothingly. She tried to put a hand reassuringly on his arm, and he shrugged her away, turning his face away with shame.
"She thinks I'm a monster…" Rhiamon stuttered with realisation. He clenched his eyes shut. "Oh God… I wish I was unfeeling! I wish I was cold!" He cried. "But I feel! I wake up every day seeing their faces, it kills me a little more each day… I can't stand the pain, the guilt! … I wish I didn't feel!"
"That's all in the past now." Gohan tried to reassure him.
Rhiamon growled. "Do you know how many thousands of people I've slaughtered? How much blood I've spilt?"
"It's something we have to live with." Cadell said wisely.
"What if I can't?" Rhiamon demanded. He gazed for a few moments at Cadell, before striding from the room.
__*__
Rhiamon swung his legs over the cliff edge. He looked out to sea, his mind plaguing him. How can he forget? How can he forgive himself? He growled. He should have known she would think he was a monster. What person wouldn't? He just wished he could get her kind face and soft blonde hair out of his mind. He replaced the mental image with the sight of her hurt and disgusted face. It made him shudder.
"Boy." Said a gruff voice. Rhiamon turned and looked up at the Saiyan Prince. He was staring out to sea. He must have been too focused to sense Vegeta's ki.
Rhiamon gazed back to the waves himself, curious at Vegeta's sudden presence. "You have feelings for that blonde offspring of Baldy?"
Rhiamon looked confused. Baldy? Vegeta smirked. "A long time ago now, it seems." He explained.
Rhiamon looked own. "His offspring has a name, 'Marron'." He defended her.
Vegeta let a smirk appear on his face. "You wish to mate this onna?" he asked.
Rhiamon blushed. "Maybe…" He smirked himself, surprising Vegeta. But Vegeta quickly looked pleasantly surprised.
"Baldy won't like it. Neither will his hellcat of an android wife." The prince mused.
Rhiamon paused. "Neither will she." He admitted. "You heard her today."
Vegeta let out a laugh. "Boy! You have too much of kakkorrot's blood." He accused the demi-Saiyan.
There was another awkward silence between the two. Rhiamon growled. Enough of the entertaining small talk already! "Why are you here?" he asked Vegeta bluntly. "If you've come to give me a prep talk on mating, I'm sorry but you're a few years too late."
Vegeta shot his gaze to Rhiamon with horror, but then saw the youth's smirk. Maybe he had inherited sufficient royal blood after all? He smirked back. "I assume you know the basics of mounting." He agreed. "But I'm here for other reasons."
Rhiamon frowned again. "What then?"
"Don't you think I know what it is like, boy?"
"...What?"
Vegeta folded his arms across his chest. "I too, was trained from a young age to be the ultimate fighter." He said, his chin lifting a little with pride. "I was known across galaxies. My name struck fear into the heart of warriors and weaklings alike."
"I know your reputation." Rhiamon snapped. "...How can you speak about what you did with such pride?"
"You baka! I don't look upon my killings with pride. But I don't let such a past mar my pride. You treat such undesirable aspects of your past with dignity." Vegeta gave a snort at Rhiamon. "Not in the highly emotional state you're running around in."
Rhiamon leapt to his feet. "Not feel anything? That's your great answer?" he demanded.
Vegeta growled. "You don't understand at all! It is part of you. You cannot bury your past, your doings. They are a part of you. What you must learn is to control them, not let them control you!" He snapped. "Believe me boy, I understand more of your situation than you can comprehend!"
Rhiamon flexed his muscles with irritation, but reluctantly calmed. What the prince said made sense. But Marron... How can accepting his past let her accept it?
"Go to her." Vegeta said simply. Rhiamon looked at him with surprise. How did he know what he was thinking...?
"I could tell you were thinking of the female with that dazed pathetic look in your eyes." Vegeta snorted.
"She won't accept me." Rhiamon said with pain. "Won't accept what I am."
Vegeta looked thoughtful. "My onna accepted me." He said. "Go to the brat. If she has interest in you, she will reconsider." Before Rhiamon could say anymore, Vegeta raise his ki, and exploded into the darkening sky.
Rhiamon paused, staring back out at the ocean.
__*__
Cadell: *wearing fluffy rabbit ears *
Chibi-Cadell: *Does another handstand, then trips over his tail, tumbling over and over like a little kitten *
Cadell: *Tears off rabbit ears, throwing them away with frustration. Glares at younger self *
Chibi-Cadell: *Stares innocently, blinking *
Cadell: He's onto me… damn. He's too good!
Klara *puts face in hands and sighs loudly, shaking head. *
__*__