Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Thicker Than Blood ❯ To The Death ( Chapter 9 )

The crowd gathered looked mostly female from Piccolo could see, a few males walked about the circlur stadium and served drinks or food to the seated woman. Most would take what they wanted from proffered trays and ignore the men holding, but a few had flirty half-grins and half-closed eyes that held promises of other other peasures elsewhere and more private.

Alaura had stayed home, not wishing anymore involvement in `such needless bloodshed' and he ached at not having her at his side where he'd grown used to feeling her. Neko perched on his knee and gazed out and down at the large field-like place of battle where she knew in moments her friend Mira would be facing off against her older sister. Her small heart hammered in her chest in part fear, part excitement. Tae had stayed at home to tend to Alaura, also not as into combat as he was into the more gentle art of the dance.

"Some place, huh, Piccolo?" Gohan sat next to him, also nearly bouncing in his seat as if he wished he were the one about to fight and not some point-eared girl, "This ship is so huge I almost feel as if I'm not even ON a ship!"

"Indeed, Gohan." Piccolo agreed, but the closeness of other bodies making him feel a tad but claustophobic, he hoped this was over soon so he could get back to things a little less…crowded.

"Ooh! Da! Something's happening down there?" Neko pointed to below where they could make out a dark shape walking onto the field, looking around the stadium and pausing with arms raised high. "Well, this is it." Piccolo said softly.

"Da?" Neko turned to look at her father, into his dark-on-white eyes, "Mira won't really be hurt, will she?"

"I thought you understood, Little One." Piccolo said, looking into her own wide dark eyes, "This battle between Larajin and Mira is to the death."

Neko gasped and cried out, tears flooded her eyes and streamed down her cheeks, "No! No one told me THAT! She can't! Da! You have to do something! She can't die! Mira can't!"

"Shh!" Piccolo said, half in scolding, half in an attempt at comfort, "She's made this decision for herself, daughter. There isn't anything I…we can do. You must be brave, now and do not shame her with your tears."

"But…" Neko sniffled, holding onto the front of Piccolo's white cape with two small fists, "It's…not…FAIR!"

"Life is rarely fair, daughter." He said, disengaging her fingers from his clothing and turning her around to face the battle below. "That is the first lesson we must learn, however difficult it may be."

Sniffing yet no longer hysterical, Neko watched her friend Mira and Mira's older sister Larajin exchange blows below them with a blank stare as if she were suddenly determined not to allow her emotions to flood over ever again. She watched the fight with unblinking eyes, giving away no clue as to her innermost thoughts and fears.

Even when she saw her friend fall and not rise up as she had several time before, did she look concerned. She simply sat, her hands clasped around the tip of her tail, watching, silently watching. She watched as Larajin raised her hand upwards, the glint of a knife sharp in the bright light around the stadium, and slashed downward, cutting into Mira's throat and spilling her crimson life's blood upon the floor. She watched without moving as Larajin sliced through muscle and bone and finally, her foot braced upon the younger girl's shoulder, yanked hard, pulling Mira's head completely free of her body.

Holding the head of her slain sister up by the hair like a gory trophy, Larajin turned in place, proclaiming her victory for all to see, daring anyone to challenge her now. Neko watched in silence, but deep within her heart of hearts, something cracked.