Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Time & Tide ❯ To Save the People ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve

Frieza was floating still again, heaving from agony and lack of energy, coughing up blood every once in a while as he tried to regain his breath. Sdhoirm had ceased his game, growing tired of the ridiculous weakness of his opponent. The wild Saiyan was a few feet away from Frieza, glowering down at him with his blood-red eyes and snarling fangs. Zafira watched from her original spot a few yards away, breathless with shock at what she was witnessing.
Frieza gave Sdhoirm a look of utter hatred and loathing. Sdhoirm hardly noticed. He was scowling right back.
"You are pathetic," he hissed to the fallen tyrant. "I was under the impression that you were this great warrior...feared galaxies over for your power and cruelty. Everywhere I went, you were mentioned in loathing and terror. But here I find that the mighty Frieza has no more greatness to him than a child's plaything."
"How...DARE...you...!" Frieza snarled, pulling himself upright to face Sdhoirm, boiling with rage and barely able to keep it contained. "I AM the greatest in the universe! There is not a civilization in this dimension that does not tremble at the sound of my name! And what are you? Just a stupid monkey with stolen powers! You don't belong anywhere. I know about you now, Saiyan. You have no real home, so you roam other worlds searching for a place to stay. You don't even fit in with your birth race. You are a disgrace to your species."
Zafira's eyes were wide; she didn't know how Sdhoirm was going to react to this. To her utter surprise, he began to laugh. It was merely a chuckle at first, but it grew louder and louder until finally he doubled over and roared with laughter. Frieza was confused.
Finally, Sdhoirm managed to respond. He threw his arms wide and threw his head back to the stars. "I...a disgrace to my race? That is absurd! I have SURPASSED every one of the Saiyans! Even my best friend, the King of Vegetasei, bowed to my power! There is not a Saiyan alive who does not know me! I am not just any Saiyan. I am the STRONGEST Saiyan! And even the infamous Lord Frieza is unworthy!"
Frieza was dumbfounded; his eyes were wide with horror. But not just him. Zafira was shocked. This was so far beyond the Sdhoirm she knew, that she wasn't even sure she recognized him anymore. The pride and arrogance displayed by the Blood Wolf was incredible, and she was stunned.
Finally, Sdhoirm lowered his arms and his head once more. He stared Frieza right in the eyes, lowering his brow and narrowing his eyes in a fierce scowl. "Now..." he whispered. "Transform."
Zafira gave a start. Frieza didn't think he had heard correctly.
"What...did you say...?"
Sdhoirm bared his fangs in anger. "You heard what I said! I want to see your final form! This one is no challenge to me. So do it! NOW!"
Frieza hesitated; then it was his turn to laugh. The sound was terrible to hear, for every ounce of evil in his being could be heard inside of it. Zafira shivered in anticipation. Sdhoirm made no move, did not change his hard expression in the least.
Frieza floated backwards a few feet and bowed his head once in Sdhoirm's direction. "As you wish."
Then he started to glow...

~*~
Sdhoirm stared at his newly-transformed opponent in disbelief. He looked harmless! He had traded his tall, lanky and hideous form for a small, doll-like one with his tail newly regrown. Sdhoirm wanted to laugh until his sides ached, but he knew better. Many had underestimated him because he was such a peaceful and friendly person, but Frieza was no one to underestimate and he could tell the Tsiru-jin was at full power now. Frieza smirked, "No quick-witted back-talk I see. Perhaps 'the STRONGEST saiiyan' has finally realized he's been bested?"
Sdhoirm snorted. "Not remotely. I just couldn't decide which insult to use. So many choices...I cannot pick." Frieza glared, but then caught himself before going into one of his hissy fits. He took a deep breath and merely smirked, "Silly, silly little monkey. You have no idea what kind of odds you are up against...or how many liabilities you have.." Without another word, the Tsiru-jin phased out of Sdhoirm's sight. The saiiyan searched frantically for his opponent, and was none so pleased at where he found him. The bastard had the queen in his death grip, one of his arms wrapped around her waist, pinning her broken arms to her sides. She didn't even bother struggling, it hurt too much for her limbs. He had his free hand a few inches from her face, a tiny ki ball between her face and his palm, glowing dimly but probably packing enough power to send her to her maker. Frieza smiled maliciously and broke out into laughter, "You see! I always have a trump card!"
Sdhoirm's heart stopped, and he froze. For the briefest second, a silhouette of fear crossed his face. Then it darkened again and his eyes began to smolder. "If you harm her in any way, I swear to Hell I'll make you pay for it," he hissed softly, just loud enough for Frieza to hear. Frieza merely chuckled evilly, "I don't think so Sdhoirm! You of all people are in no position to be making threats! Especially idle ones..."

Sdhoirm's breath was beginning to grow rapid. His mind flew through his possibilities, trying to find one that would help him...
He put his hands together in front of him and closed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Frieza sneered. "Praying won't save you or your queen now!"
Sdhoirm made no reply. Instead, he softly began to chant. What he was saying, Frieza couldn't hear, because his voice was too low to pick up. Frieza watched the Saiyan carefully with growing suspicion, preparing himself for whatever attack Sdhoirm was planning...
Suddenly, Zafira disappeared from his grasp.
"What the...?!" Frieza cried, frantically turning every which way in search for his captive. Finally, he found her...in Sdhoirm's arms.
"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" Frieza roared, too confused to attack just yet.
Sdhoirm was frowning angrily, but he replied, "I believe that would be one of my "stolen powers"."
"Trickster! You're no warrior! You use cheap...magic tricks to fight me!" Frieza said, completely irate before phasing out and phasing back in before the warrior holding his mate in his arms as if holding out his own weakness bare and naked before the enemy. Frieza smirked, believing the saiiyan would be harder to fight with this handicap.
Sdhoirm thought fast once more. Finally he chanted a few more syllables.
"Mist," he whispered, and then breathed out, blowing an icy haze from his mouth. The mist swiftly increased, surrounding Sdhoirm, Zafira and Frieza in a fog that was impossible to penetrate with vision.
Frieza growled with fury. His prey had disappeared from his view again, ad he couldn't find them.
"Damn Saiyan...stupid monkey...!" he hissed to himself. "I'll get him for this!"
Sdhoirm looked down at his mate. Zafira was resting unconscious in his arms, her own arms bruised and purple from Frieza's roughness. He growled low under his breath. He would make sure that prick never ever touched her again.
Suddenly, Sdhoirm picked up a wave of anger that was not his own. He recognized the feeling as that of Vegeta. His soul-son was so furious that he was sending...and Sdhoirm could guess that Vaya probably was as well. He could not afford to have them there, because it was too dangerous.
Vegeta...
Sdhoirm? Vegeta replied. The prince's relief flooded the mind of his soul-father, mixing with his anger.
Vegeta, you must do what I say. Get Vaya and leave. Go back to the battle, and take the troops to Vegetasei. Wait for us there. If we don't come back...
Sdhoirm hesitated. Vegeta didn't interrupt, but Sdhoirm could sense his soul-son's agitation. He took a deep breath.
...You're the new king.

~*~
Vaya and Vegeta had reluctantly left the battle scene as quietly as possible to venture to the battle between the troops and the small remainder of Frieza's ships. Debris was slewn all over the place, floating due to the gravity and still the oozaru troops were still roaring for more opponents. The ships' firepower only managed to tick off the saiiyans who turned on them and fired blasts from their mouths. Vegeta turned to Vaya with a sort of half-smile. She slowly returned it and then the two zoomed off into battle letting the changes of the oozaru take over them as well.

~*~
"I will find you saiiyan! You can't hide from me!" Frieza yelled as he started firing ki blasts all around in him in hopes of striking or at least grazing his target. Sdhoirm had to surpress a chuckle. His aim was completely off. But he had to find a safe place to set Zafira down...it was impossible for him to fight will carrying her. And if Frieza found them before he could decide...
He shuddered.
Finally, he directed his attention to the direction of Frieza's large ship, his blood-colored eyes acting as infra-red through the dense fog. He had made his plan. He would put her inside Frieza's chambers, in a hidden spot. Then he would try his best to lure Frieza away from the ship.
Quickly he shot forward, passing through the broken airway, ignoring Frieza's blasts and roars of frustration. The floor was littered with debris. Over in a corner, a large and bent piece of metal was crumpled against the wall.
Sdhoirm flew over and kicked the metal against the wall, so that it formed almost like a little cave. Gently he kneeled down next to it and lay Zafira down beneath it with infinite care.
As he took off, Zafira began to stir and he stopped, looking back at her. "Sdhoirm..?" she mumbled. He couldn't help but smile at her resilience and walked back to her, kneeling before her, holding her face gently in his hand.
"Come out and face me saiiyan!!!" they heard Frieza yell in the distance. Sdhoirm looked back at Zafira whose tired face still showed pride, "Give him one for me." Sdhoirm could only nod and gave her peck on the lips before leaving as swiftly and discreetly as he came.

~*~
Frieza couldn't see him. He didn't have the slightest clue where he was. Sdhoirm was sure of that. But there was still the prospect of fighting someone who clearly hadn't been bluffing about his power.
What fun!
Sdhoirm's repressed Saiyan savagery pulsed through his body, and he felt only wild excitement for the coming battle. He was not afraid in the slightest that he might be outclassed. All that mattered to him was that he was in for the best fight of his life.
Frieza was cursing and hissing off to his right. Radar-vision pierced the fog, and ivory-white fangs glistened as the Blood Wolf smirked eagerly. He covered one hand with the other, gathering energy to create a tiny little ball in the palm of his hand. Although the sphere was small, it was made of lightning, and had power equal to a thousand ki balls.
Snickering with anticipation, Sdhoirm pulled his arm back, and lobbed the lightning ball right through the mist towards Frieza. It struck him right in the center of his spine and exploded.
Frieza roared and yelled in pain and rage as the ki shot through his body like a live wire. When the smoke cleared, he was shaking, but not just from the attack, he was definitely out for blood now. This damned ape wasn't about to show him up, not with his troops losing to the saiiyans! He had to win this battle! His fists were balled so tight that he was drawing blood from his palms, his teeth were gritted to a point where they would crack, his eyes were bloodshot. He was huffing insanely until it eventually clicked. Of course! How could he have been so STUPID! No wonder this ape was making him appear so foolish! He was letting his rage cloud his better judgment. He took a deep breath and exhaled, letting out as much anger as possible. This was the same tactic he used on silly rebels that had been crazy enough to defy him and actually attack him head-on. He smirked, the monkey was a smart one. Of course, he, Lord Frieza, was smarter. He would not be tricked and defeated by this bastard. He would destroy him. And perhaps after breaking every bone in the saiiyan's body, he'd let him watch as he did justice to his queen. He couldn't help but chuckle, already reveling in the thought of her screams. He had calmed himself down, finally getting a good look at the warrior before him. Warrior, pfeh. He would defeat this...weakling. And without another word, phased out of place and reappeared behind Sdhoirm, striking his fists at lightning speed.
"Oh, you think?" Sdhoirm whispered sarcastically before backflipping over Frieza's head out of the way. If he wasn't strong enough to attack the Tsiru-jin with fists, he would focus instead on staying out of his way, and using the so-called "magic tricks". And Sdhoirm had a million of them.
Upside down behind Frieza, Sdhoirm instantly prepared a fireball in his palm. As soon as Frieza whipped around to face him, Sdhoirm flung the fireball right in his face. Frieza screeched with rage and pain as the explosion scorched his head.
Sdhoirm took the opportunity of Frieza's temporary incapacitation to utter another incantation. Suddenly, Frieza was caught completely by surprise with a barrage of sparkling white stardust rays. He was flipped all the way around and his skin was sliced by the sharp ki energy.
Sdhoirm smirked proudly, and zipped past Frieza to a safer vantage point...
Without warning, he was snapped to a grinding halt as something whipped out and caught him by the neck.
Oh NO! Sdhoirm gasped. I can't believe I forgot about his TAIL!
Frieza cackled with cruel joy as his tail tightened ruthlessly around Sdhoirm's throat. The Saiyan tried desperately to pry the appendage off, but he wasn't strong enough, and his efforts merely caused Frieza to laugh harder.
"Well well well! What now, Saiyan?" Frieza crowed. "I'll bet you are a bit more respectful now that you are inches from death, are you not?"
"I've been closer to death than this, Frieza. You haven't won yet..." Sdhoirm choked out angrily.
Frieza's smile disappeared. "Foolish to the last..." he hissed softly. "I don't think you get the idea that I hold your life in my hands! And once I'm through with you, all of Vegetasei will crumble before my power!" He added a burst of pressure to his tail, and Sdhoirm made a choking sound. His hands dropped limply to his sides. The blood-red eyes clouded.
But although he could barely breathe, and he was having a hard time staying conscious, Sdhoirm managed a grim smile.
"Confidence is ignorance, Frieza..." he whispered, his smooth voice hoarse and weak. "If you're feeling cocky, it's because there's something you don't know."
With a roar of anger, Frieza squeezed still harder on Sdhoirm's neck. "At last you die, Saiyan!" he screamed with mad triumph, which was quickly turned to distress as he felt something sharp shoot through his tail, separating him from his favored appendage. The still-wiggling tail loosened its grip around Sdhoirm's neck as he coughed and gasped.
"YOU!" Frieza practically yelled as he came face-to-face with his opponent. "After the thorough beating I gave you, I thought you would've learned your lesson and left!" Sdhoirm was, needless to say, shocked to find Zafira holding Frieza at knife-point. She held, clenched in her hand, a very familiar-looking double-edged sword, the sharp end gently poking at Frieza's exposed throat. The Tsiru-jin was obviously afraid of having his throat slit, but it was combined with the rage and shock of being caught off-guard again! She was panting, her hands clenched tightly around her weapon, cuts and bruises adorning her body and her face glowering.
"Zafira! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Sdhoirm said with worry, though it was cleverly masked by anger. His eyes were nearly as wide as saucers, not expecting her to be up so soon, and saving his neck (literally) so fast. Her glaring eyes remained on her hated enemy, "He was about to kill you. The same way he nearly did to me." Frieza slowly began to chuckle, grabbing Sdhoirm's attention.
"Tell me, Zafira my dear, how long do you think you can hold that sword against me? After all, I practically broke your arms and they look terribly bruised and purple. Perhaps you'd like to sit down and rest for a bit longer. I'm sure you're tired," Frieza said in a soothing tone, that sadistic grin still on his face. The sword merely inched closer, gently pricking his ivory skin and drawing a tiny bead of blood.
"I don't want to hear another word from you. I will see you dead or I will die fighting you," Zafira said in a deathly calm tone. "Zafira! You're in no condition to fight!" Sdhoirm yelled. Zafira made the mistake of looking towards him, giving Frieza the perfect opportunity to raise his fist and strike...nothing.
"Have you lost your mind, woman? He would've killed you back there!" Sdhoirm gently scolded his mate as he held her gently in his arms. His scolding expression morphed into a smirk, "You took my sword." Zafira couldn't help but smile, weariness already beginning to claim her as she rested her head against his chest. No! She had to see this fight to the end. She shook it off and looked at him with determination.
"Zafira...I know that look. No," Sdhoirm said with authority. Zafira gently pushed out of his grip. She knew how much he cared for her and wouldn't dare to see her harmed further, but that bastard had to pay! She could only smirk, "You'll have to catch me first."
In half a second, she was zooming towards the Tsiru-jin and throwing punches and kicks at him. Unfortunately, Frieza dodged every punch, narrowly avoiding her kicks.
Frieza could tell that Zafira's strength was getting slim. Her attacks were slowing down, and although they had lost none of their force, any connection would hurt her broken bones as well as him. He knew this very well, and he found it marvelously amusing.
"Really, Zafira, I thought you would know better than to take on an opponent who is obviously superior to you in every way...and, I might add, in better physical health..." he sneered, before smacking Zafira away from him, drawing back his fist for a hammer punch to her face. His fist flew forward.
Suddenly, there was a flash and Frieza's fist was gone. In its place was blood everywhere and it was not Zafira screaming in pain from a punch, but Frieza instead. He cradled his severed wrist and glared through pure hatred and agony to see Sdhoirm, sword back in hand, the razor blade bloody from slicing Frieza's hand off. Sdhoirm had placed himself directly between Frieza and Zafira, acting as a barrier to protect his mate.
Sdhoirm and Zafira watched for a moment as Frieza screamed and writhed in pain, his eyes bulging and veins in his forehead throbbing. Sdhoirm raised an eyebrow.
"Wow. Wish I had some popcorn."
Frieza finally ceased screaming, turning instead to seethe with rage at the two Saiyans. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DO?!"
Sdhoirm smirked. "What the hell did I just do? Such a wonderful set-up. Why am I at a loss for a reply?"
"How DARE you cut off my HAND!" Frieza roared.
"It's always one damn thing after another with you," Sdhoirm snorted. "I'll bet you think it's much more fascinating when it's happening to someone else."
Frieza hissed and spit some more. "You are going to PAY DEARLY FOR THAT!"
"Really," Sdhoirm murmured. He raised the sword so that his arm was fully extended, with the tip of the blade pointed right at Frieza. Suddenly, he let go of it, so that it was drifting in space, and stretched his arms upward. Sdhoirm whispered a few more words and then blew sharply outward.
Instantly it seemed as if his whole body had caught fire, and lit up as energy flames licked his black clothing. Sdhoirm took an expert fighting position. "I'm ready for you any time."
Zafira came up beside him, already prepared to fight. "Interesting trick," she whispered to him as Frieza tried to calm himself down enough to fight well, his wrist still flowing blood. "But just what the hell do we do now?"
"Just kill him like anything else. Rip out his heart and show it to him," Sdhoirm replied softly.
"Sounds easy enough," Zafira smiled evilly.
Sdhoirm glanced sideways at her, and grinned very slightly. "Eating the heart is optional."
"Yeah, I'll pass on that, thanks."
Then Frieza charged them, and they had no more time to talk.

Without another word, the mated couple powered up to the highest extent of their powers and rushed towards Frieza at blinding speeds, though Zafira was still weakened from her broken bones. The two each threw lightning-quick punches and kicks at the hated Tsiru-jin and he found it hard to keep up, what with missing his tail again and now losing a hand. He could only punch with one and his missing tail threw him off-balance.
Zafira made sure to only kick at Frieza while Sdhoirm did likewise as well as punch. The tyrant couldn't keep up and his pale, porcelain skin was quickly becoming marred with purple bruises and cuts. Zafira gave him a swift-kick into his gut, causing him to double over while Sdhoirm phased behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him flying. Zafira phased in front of Frieza and fired a large ki blast, knocking him back to her mate, and another game of "Tsiru-jin tennis" ensued.

Although they were doing well, Sdhoirm and Zafira knew that they couldn't keep up their advantage for long. Although Zafira had done well to cut off Frieza's tail, and Sdhoirm to sever Frieza's hand at the wrist, their own energy was quickly depleting. They had just enough power left for one drastic action, and they both knew what it was...but they were still not sure if it was worth the risk.
Both Saiyans had enough energy left to perform their signature moves at full power one last time. However, there was the risk that in doing so they would use up their last reserves...leaving them with not even enough strength to live. They were in danger of death.
Neither Zafira nor Sdhoirm was afraid of dying for their battle. But what they were worried about was that if their attacks did not succeed in finishing Frieza for good, there would be no one left who would be strong enough to face him. Not even Vegeta or Vaya had reached that level of power.
As they knocked Frieza back and forth between each other, the mated Saiyans conversed with their eyes about what they should do. But finally, they realized that there was no other way. They would do what had to be done.
Zafira took a swipe at Frieza that sent him flying, not towards Sdhoirm, but in the direction of the ship, as Sdhoirm zipped to get hold once again of his drifting sword. Before the Tsiru-jin had time to gain control of his flight, Sdhoirm pulled his sword arm back behind his shoulder, and whipped it forward again. The motion sent the weapon flying straight as a dart to catch up with the evil tyrant, spearing him through the right shoulder against the side of his own ship.
Frieza screamed with renewed agony. He had never anticipated any of this from these two Saiyans. Zafira had been his own general and he had treated her like royalty. Sdhoirm was supposedly such a pacifist that he had never even showed up in the records before. But suddenly, here they both were, with powers at astronomical heights, and a fierce hatred for him, for which they were willing to fight to the death.
Frieza tried to dislodge the double-edged weapon, but it had wedged itself in his shoulder blade and would not break free. There even seemed to be some sort of ethereal power holding the sword in place.
While struggling frantically with his burning and bleeding shoulder, Frieza happened to glance up at his two tormentors, who hovered only yards away from him in the starry expanse of sky. What he saw made his blood chill and his body freeze.
Zafira and Sdhoirm were completely still. Zafira's hands were above her head, circling radiant blue ki. As he watched her, the blue ki gathered together into a ball of immense proportions. It was clear that she was powering up for the Final Flare.
Sdhoirm had remained motionless beside his mate, his still blood-red eyes intense and dark. Suddenly he raised his hands in front of him, touching only his fingertips together and forming a sphere shape with his palms. Very softly he muttered something.
"Venom Pulse."
His body became outlined in a fluorescent green glow, which began to throb like a heartbeat. A small green ball appeared between his hands.
Zafira had finished gathering her ki, and had pulled her arms back in preparation to hurl the Final Flare at her former master. Frieza's heart beat faster and faster as he desperately tried to free himself...he knew the odds of surviving her blast were slim to none. And then with Sdhoirm readying some secret attack of his own...
There was a brief moment when time seemed to stand still. Tsiru-jin and Saiyans regarded each other with icy gazes, thick with hatred, one side with frantic desperation, the other with maddening calm.
Then Zafira hurled the Final Flare. Frieza had just enough time to gasp before the blast engulfed him in a blaze of fire.
Zafira and Sdhoirm watched as the Final Flare caused the Tsiru-jin's ship to begin to explode from the inside out. The explosions intensified and they could still hear Frieza's shrieks of pain. But the Saiyan duo wasn't finished. Sdhoirm's body was still glowing green, but now the iridescent light began to travel down his body, and four thin green lines connected from the energy around his hands to the green ball in the center. The ki around Sdhoirm was rushing to join the center of the sphere, which didn't grow, but pulsed and shimmered.
When all the energy had gathered, the ball immediately disappeared. A millisecond later, a brilliant, needle-thin streak of green ki shot from Sdhoirm's hands to connect with the exploding vessel. For another second, nothing happened.
Then the huge Tsiru-jin vessel, which was already in the process of detonating itself from the inside out, suddenly shattered into trillions of pieces.