Nameksei: Before Freezer
Chapter 8
By Cremrock
Minor Warning: This chapter is a little graphic near the end. I don't think I went too overboard (In my opinion Karacol got beat up worse then this) but keep in mind it's the villain that gets hurt here, they slaughtered thousands of people, they deserve it, blah blah blah blah… If you're the squeamish type, the last part with the villains is more ironic and thoughtful then necessarily important to the story…It can be skipped (How optimistic I am, eh?). Enjoy! ~Cremrock
Muuri paced around the house, hunting for Dende. By now, the entire village had been alerted about what was going on, and now it seemed he was practically tripping over other Nameksei-jin searching for Dende. The decorating had been postponed, and from what he had heard even more Nameksei-jin from the other villages were hunting now. In fact, soon the Saichoro would be arriving himself, escorted by the Nameksei-jin from the farthest two villages. Muuri had forgotten about him before, but he knew that their elder would be able to locate Dende instantly with his telepathic abilities… he only wished he had thought of sending someone to ask.
"There's no helping that now… I wonder if he went outside of the village and Neru found him?"
Kargo started wailing from his basket, and Muuri went over to comfort him, picking up the child and rocking him in his arms a bit. The child stopped wailing and looked up with sparkling eyes, a forlorn expression on his face.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Muuri mumbled.
"Kar-kar!" The child squeaked. Muuri chuckled.
"Yes, I'm worried about him too…" Muuri muttered, he was completely missing the obvious. Kargo frowned, expecting more attention. He started tapping Muuri's arms with his tiny fists. Muuri glanced at him and trotted over to the shelf, reflexively picking up a hollow-necked baby sized jug of water, sticking it in Kargo's mouth. The baby's eyes widened, but he started drinking the water after a moment. Muuri sat down in the most comfortable chair in the house. He didn't like waiting, but the younger Nameksei-jin had said he should probably stay and look after Tuno some more. The elder Nameksei-jin still hadn't awakened, but he had never been a light sleeper. Theoretically, he could have ordered one of the younger Nameksei-jin to stay here and watch Kargo and Tuno so that he could go search himself, but he forced himself to admit that he just couldn't move around as quickly as he used to. Kargo continued sucking down the water, still looking annoyed, as Muuri steeped his hands together, sighing softly.
"It's so bothersome getting old…"
Neru was pleased that Dende had been doing so well. He was both managing to keep pace with him, and more importantly, he was talking to Karacol, who seemed to be drifting in and out of coherency, saying a weak reply the next, and babbling some nonsense the next. He had to fly faster, the Nameksei-jin was fading fast, having already been beaten to within an inch of his life. Neru shook his head as he recalled Karacol's injuries... He wished he had gotten there sooner, but it couldn't be helped now. There was always the chance that he could bind the dying Nameksei-jin's wounds better, but… he wasn't about to slow down and inspect him again. There simply wasn't enough time or materials, and his vest had already been torn to shreds. He knew Karacol was tough, indeed he had helped make him that way. Oddly enough, he smiled slightly. Nameksei-jin could certainly die from lesser injuries then the ones Karacol had, and Neru wondered if perhaps the only thing keeping him alive was will alone. That was why he had gotten Dende to begin talking with him more, so that Karacol would have something to focus on, to stay conscious. He spared a glance over his shoulder, in case Dende was having difficulty again. Beads of sweat trickled down the child's face, but he was determined to keep up.
"You two are doing fine… just a little further."
He thought. He considered shouting encouragement, but he didn't want to distract himself."Wow! You mean you really came close to beating Neru before I was born?" Dende asked enthusiastically impressed by Karacol's recent boast. Karacol shuddered; his voice a gasping whisper, but still maintaining just a tinge of humor.
"Heh… yeah… just came with- within…" Karacol's eyes closed as his face contorted in pain, and Neru felt his body tense. Dende gasped. Neru, knew he couldn't help anymore then he had, so he ignored them, focusing on his flying trying to reach the village as quick as he could. A heart-wrenching moment later, Karacol's body relaxed again as his eyes lolled open, one antennae twitching lazily. "…A stone's throw, I did!" Dende relaxed, but there was a look of despair in his eyes. He was still too young to know a whole lot about the concept of death, but he had heard stories about it… Nameksei-jin believed in educating their children about the cycle of life very early, and repeatedly. On a planet where your entire race save for one individual had been wiped out, a child might need to know these things… it had happened once, it could happen again.
This had been one of the exact reasons the Saichoro had created the Dragonballs, but they had their limitations… not to mention that no one knew where they were. The only thing that Neru knew was that they were each hidden somewhere around the villages, and not even the elders knew where they were. He figured the Saichoro would know where they were hidden… he still remembered the sight of the massive dragon, Porunga, and a part of him hoped they would never actually need to call upon him. He glanced back at Karacol again. They could always use those to help him, but… Neru had a theory. The Saichoro had seemed slightly weakened those years ago when they had been used to revive a child…
"Yes, that's the way Neru."
He thought to himself. After all, it was his sworn duty to protect the Saichoro at all costs. "Just keep that thought… the Saichoro will die if the dragonballs are used, so you have to make sure Karacol survives so that they don't need to be used…" He frowned slightly as he shook his head. He knew this wasn't true, and was having a hard time making himself believe it… He wasn't about to give up, though. The village was surely over just a few more mountains. Dende was running out of things to say, but he managed to keep Karacol talking, asking him questions like what had he done when he was three and engaging in a conversation over which water tasted the best and why… Neru smiled again, although happiness was not his most dominant emotion right now. Oddly enough, the emotion was pride in both of them."Hang on just a little longer… brother."
Muuri suddenly became aware that the cries of "Dende!" and "Where are you?" tittering around his home and village had stopped. A hope leapt into him, as he scooped up Kargo (Who was still sucking on the jug looking annoyed, although it was surely empty by now,) and dashed through the curtain he had hung over the entranceway, out into the hot Nameksei-jin suns. He glanced left, and his eyes widened, even as Kargo emitted a happy sounding shriek and threw his jug to the ground, which shattered into half a dozen large pieces. Sitting in a large, ancient-looking chair, was the Saichoro himself. He was amazed, not just at seeing their father, who sat with his patient grin, gentle eyes, and kindly (And perhaps kingly too, although Nameksei-jin didn't believe in royalty) wrinkled face. He was also astounded that they had somehow managed to land the chair without alerting him. Standing next to the chair were four warrior Nameksei-jin, the Saichoro's honor guard, although they were not his normal contingent. Neru and Karacol should have been standing in the front, but instead Tulapas and some Nameksei-jin whose name escaped him at the moment were standing there. The Saichoro himself was mumbling a few kind words to his children, before looking up. Upon spying Muuri, although his face was gentle, the Saichoro made a slight harumphing noise deep in his throat, and the other Nameksei-jin gathered around him looked at him expectantly. Muuri blinked for a moment as the others stared in silence, then it hit him.
"Of course, except for him, I'm the oldest Nameksei-jin here! It's my job to tell him what's going on!"
He stumbled up to the Saichoro's feet, still clutching Kargo, who by now was squirming in Muuri's arms, trying to break free in hopes of reaching his father's feet. Muuri cleared his throat and tried to look serious.
"Greetings, father! We're glad you could make it… I apologize for not coming out sooner, but…" The Saichoro held up a hand, understanding completely. He smiled that wrinkled grin that he had displayed so often, beaming with love and pride for his children.
"Peace, Muuri, there's no need to be so formal… after all, this is a time of celebration!" Muuri sighed.
"Things are a bit of a mess right now, sir… Dende and Karacol are missing, and Neru's out hunting for them now. You see, there was an accident… Karacol accidentally hurt Dende while Neru was teaching him, and he nearly died… " Muuri sighed, as it was difficult to tell this story. "But Neru brought him back, and elder Tuno healed him… but Dende must have slipped away because he's missing now, and Neru went out to find him while we searched the village. It's all my fault, I should have been keeping an eye on them, after all…" Muuri hung his head.
"It wasn't your fault, my son." Compassion and understanding were laced around and within the Saichoro's voice, as Muuri looked up, surprised. "Please, let me relieve you of your fears…" With that, the Saichoro closed his eyes reflexively, gripped his chair a bit tighter, and after a short pause, he opened them again and pointed to the sky at his left.
"They're coming right now, all three of them." Muuri smiled, but the Saichoro had not finished as he frowned slightly. "Something's wrong, I can feel it. Something important has happened…" The Nameksei-jin group burst into confused murmuring, wondering what could make their father so concerned. Muuri's heart pounded in his chest.
"Oh no… I hope Dende is all right. He's been through so much today…"
Kargo stopped squirming and frowned.
"Kar-kar!" He announced. No one paid any attention to him. He jabbed one of his tiny fists into Muuri's gut. "Kar-kar!" He tried again. Muuri glanced down at him.
"Not now Kargo, this is not a good time to ask for more water!" Muuri snapped. The baby hung its head, it's tiny antennae drooping down with the rest of its face.
"Kar-kar…" He said forlornly.
A moment later, his face still lined with concern, the Saichoro looked to the right, even as Tulapas (He had been standing next to the Saichoro, taking Neru's place as the honor guard.) looked up and announced stupidly,
"They're here, they're here!" Muuri saw them in the distance, a group of tiny dots getting closer. He heard a Nameksei-jin gasp, and frowned. Something was wrong…
"Curse these old eyes! I hate this…"
Muuri glanced at the Saichoro, who had given up trying to squint and was standing patiently. But gradually, as the younger Nameksei-jin began to shout and shudder, Muuri became aware that something was very wrong. A few of the adults put their hands over the eyes of the children, easing them to play in another direction. When he realized what was going on he gaped, and Kargo started wailing. Neru frowned, his eyes betraying his emotion. Dende trailed behind him, looking perturbed, occasionally wiping his eyes, as if he was about to cry. In Neru's arms, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling a mere centimeter, lie Karacol. He looked like death, ten times worse then Dende had looked earlier that day, if that were possible. Muuri found himself unnerved, and had to look away upon spying Karacol's charred stump of a leg. A moment later the Nameksei-jin in the center of the square leapt away, as Neru landed quickly on his feet. He went down on one knee, glancing up at the Saichoro, who had put one massive hand to his mouth in shock. Muuri groaned. Neru was always one to pride respect and honor, but he changed his mind when he stood back on his feet a moment later, yelling,"I need a Nameksei-jin who can heal! Now, please!" Shocked whisperings billowed through the crowd, and Neru shuddered, as Dende landed next to him, crying softly, mumbling,
"Please, please help Karacol!" Over and over again, his childish voice a mere drop in the bucket when compared to the sounds coming from the crowd. Muuri hung his head and stared at the ground… He knew more about healing then some Nameksei-jin, and it were the healers that knew this "golden rule" above all else. Never try to heal someone whose wounds are too great, or you might overexert and kill yourself. The same thing had nearly happened to Tuno earlier that day. Actually, he had spied a few hints of the arts in Dende, but such powers only came early under extenuating circumstances, although they were usually predominant when the Nameksei-jin reached maturity. Muuri would gladly sacrifice his own life to save Karacol's, seeing as it would be his duty as the elder of the village. Problem was, he didn't have the talents. And looking around the village, he soon became aware that no one was skilled enough to heal Karacol without harming, no, killing themselves. The Nameksei-jin gathered around him looked grim faced, and some of the younger children were crying softly.
Muuri pondered the terrible thought… would they be forced to watch Karacol die? Asking another Nameksei-jin to sacrifice himself for the warrior would be asking far too much… Then he realized that once again, the sounds of the crowd speaking among themselves had stopped. He glanced at Neru, whose eyes were wide, his face shrouded in shadow. Dende turned around a moment later and his jaw dropped, as hushed cries rang through the crowd. There, for the first time in years, standing on his own two feet, unsupported by subject or chair or staff, stood the Saichoro, glancing down at Neru, Dende, and Karacol, regret etched plainly and completely on his face.
"Forgive me," He murmured, "I should have been more vigilant on the going ons of the planet this cycle. (A Nameksei-jin week) He managed to find the strength to bend down slightly, putting one massive hand over Karacol, who, despite being unconscious, seemed to relax, even smile slightly at his father's touch. Neru was about to protest, not because he didn't want Karacol healed, but because he had no idea if the Saichoro's means of healing were any different then the other healers, and he wasn't five-hundred years old any more. He might be endangering his own life, and it was Neru's duty to prevent that from happening. A moment later, it was too late to protest, as from in between the massive spaces of his fingers, a ruby red, scintillating light began to shine. Every Nameksei-jin present heard a faint hum, steadily getting louder, it's chime-like resonance sounding almost like the most beautiful music any of them had ever heard. Muuri and Neru both considered stopping him for fear that the Saichoro would kill himself, until they told themselves that breaking the Saichoro out of his concentration might do the exact same thing. A moment later the light and sound stopped as the Saichoro sat back down, breathing a bit heavier, but smiling. Karacol's body was completely unscathed now, all traces of his injuries gone. He remained unmoving, however. Neru knew he was okay, and rolled his eyes, since Karacol was probably trying to play a prank by feigning unconsciousness. Kargo broke free from Muuri's arms at about the same time Dende darted away from Neru. Neru was impressed by the sidesplitting look of surprise on Karacol's face as the two tiny Nameksei-jin "Torpedoes" jumped full-force onto his chest. Karacol, ever the prankster even with this one spoiled, leapt to his feet (With a Nameksei-jin child hanging onto each arm) and raised an eye-ridge, glancing at all the smiling and applauding Nameksei-jin around him.
"Okaaaaaaaay… what'd I miss?" He requested. Muuri and the Saichoro both glanced at Neru, their dark eyes practically begging him for an explanation. Neru cleared his throat.
"Well…"
Neru told the story vividly, not leaving out any details. He told of Karacol's heroics, Dende's determination, and his own confrontation with the aliens. He knew that the other Nameksei-jin knew that he and Karacol were kind people, but he decided to stress anyway that they both had given the aliens a chance before defending themselves. Neru didn't notice it since his attention was primarily focused on addressing the Saichoro and crowd behind him, but Muuri had been surprised when Tuno, not fully recovered but well enough to walk again, had slipped up behind him. Oddly enough, during this time Dende had walked back over to Neru's side, but Kargo remained at Karacol's feet, hoping to be noticed. When the story had finally been told, the Saichoro nodded sagely, and there was a moment of silence.
It was clear that he was wrestling with a difficult decision, and was pondering his next action. Neru knew what that decision might be, even if the other Nameksei-jin didn't. They maintained a respectful silence, and he spared a glance at Muuri and Tuno. The elders knew what the decision was as well, but they did not look worried or sad in the least. Neru sighed. Whatever was going to happen next was necessary, but he did hope Dende wouldn't be disappointed.
"My children, I extend my deepest apologies, but in light of these recent events, I feel that… these matters must be discussed immediately among myself and the elders. This festival will have to be postponed for a span of ten rotations." A few of the younger children's faces fell, but other then that, there was not the air of melancholy that Neru was expecting. Indeed, some of the adult Nameksei-jin smiled, and even as the crowd burst into chatter, some of the main planners of the festival were commenting that it was the right decision, and that this way there was more time to make it enjoyable by all.
He glanced down at Dende, but there was no sadness in the child's eyes, as he looked up at Neru questioningly. There was so much more to be happy about, and a seed had been planted, a seed of maturity, of resisting hardships both emotional and physical, that neither he nor the Saichoro knew would be desperately needed in the coming years. Question wasn't all he saw in the child's eyes. He saw respect, admiration, and love… and he realized how his own emotions had changed in the recent events. He wasn't worried about the burden of guardianship now. He wanted to face a new challenge. He placed a clawed hand on the child's forehead. Dende beamed, wondering what his mentor wanted.
"Hey Dende, can you wait here a bit? I need to go talk to Muuri about something, okay?" The child nodded, and crossed over to where Kargo and Karacol were. Karacol was gazing up at the sky, and Kargo was getting restless.
"Kar-Kar!" The baby whined. Dende's eyes widened in shock, and Karacol felt the tinge of surprise and glanced down at Dende.
"H…hi Dende!" He stuttered. After all, he still felt a tinge of blame for his injuries, and he hadn't actually formally said that he didn't hate him. Dende smiled, his eyes widening with a tinge of respect, and above all, thankfulness.
"Hello! Um…" Dende glanced down at the ground, his face purple. "Thanks for saving me…" Karacol smiled.
"Don't worry about it, Dende… I'm sorry I said I hated you that one day. It was a long time ago, but…" Dende shook his head.
"Nah, you're a nice person. I'm… uh, I'm glad you're oka-"
"KAR-KAR!" Kargo interjected, and Karacol glanced down at the baby, as Dende's eyes widened again. He did, after all, live with the child.
"Ka- Kargo? When did you learn to say that?" Dende asked, bending down and looking the baby in the eyes. Karacol eyed Dende and Kargo dubiously. The baby smiled up at Karacol, finally achieving recognition. Karacol was stunned, but picked the baby up as it squealed happily. Karacol stared at him.
"Dende, what does this…" He said warily. Dende cupped a tiny hand around his chin, then finally realized it, and excitement grew in his face.
"You don't know? Karacol! That's so neat! You're Kargo's first word!" Karacol's eyes bulged, even as Dende jumped around merrily, stopping when he noticed Neru and Muuri coming up behind Karacol.
"W…what?!" A slight harumphing sound interrupted Karacol's surprise, and he turned to see the two Nameksei-jin grinning behind him. Muuri looked slightly embarrassed, as he realized that Kargo had been saying that the entire time, but he decided not to tell them. It would just make the story less enthralling when it was sure to be retold in a few years.
"I wouldn't be so surprised, Karacol. Kargo's always been crazy whenever he's seen you, he thinks he was named after you." Muuri explained, and Neru nodded.
"He…he does?" Then he grinned, reverting to his humor in a weak effort to hide his emotions. "Well?" He quipped. Neru raised an antenna, wondering what Karacol was getting at.
"Well what?" Muuri asked, not understanding.
"Was he named after me?" Dende giggled, putting both hands over his mouth, and Neru cracked a smile. Muuri glanced at both of them, then nodded.
"You can believe what you want to." Muuri grinned. "After all, we know you'll just run around telling everyone that he was named after you now anyway." At this, the entire group burst into laughter, and Muuri led the way to his home. Neru had important news to tell Dende. Karacol followed, still carrying Kargo. He had to admit he liked the idea of a child looking up to him. He glanced at Dende and Neru. The pair was inseparable, and though he knew that he had botched his chances of having the same relationship Neru did with Dende, he hoped he could be the next best thing… a friend. Kargo started playing with his antennae, and he grinned. It appeared he would have a child of his own to mentor, anyway.
The two suns shone brightly on the sparkling Nameksei-jin Lake, the luminescent light brightening the water's surface and making it look even more beautiful then it did. The crystal clear water, bright, narrow green trees, and purplish mountains in the distance made it look almost picturesque, fine enough to be adorned on a postcard, if the Nameksei-jin had believed in such things. The sky was a lovely shade of bright blue green, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen. A Nameksei-jin bird, it's stunning red and pink feathers a contrast to the beautiful yet drab greenness of the tree, alighted on a branch, and took off a moment later, startled by the battle-cries, giggles, splashes, and whoops coming from the nearby lake. It peered at the four creatures a moment as it soared off over to the horizon, it's mind not sophisticated enough to reflect on the fact that those four creatures sure were noisy.
The four of them, Karacol, Kargo, Neru, and Dende, were in and around the lake. Karacol was clad in his normal yellow vest and white pants, standing on the lakeside, preparing to launch another flurry of blows through the air, since he was training. He didn't really like immersing himself in water, and could hardly swim at all. Kargo was frolicking in the grass nearby, sweat trickling down his face. He was vestless, clad in a pair of orangish colored pants. He clearly would have enjoyed going in the water, but was content imitating and watching the events going on. Neru and Dende were both in the water, wearing identical (Albeit a bit bigger on Neru) turquoise colored shortly cut pants, the loose cloth coming down about to their knees. Neru's vest and Dende's robes were on the shore, a few meters away from Kargo. Neru was giving Dende a lesson.
Dende sputtered, coughing noisily, and Karacol was forced to chuckle slightly at the child's look of surprise. Dende managed to hear the chuckle and glanced in his direction, grinning slightly as soon as he was able.
"I don't see you trying this, Karacol!" He said jokingly. Karacol just looked smug and said nothing, concentrating on his next assault, even while Neru observed the exercise from his position in the water, about ten meters away. He watched the younger Nameksei-jin flip through the air, kicking and punching at imaginary targets, and chuckled. Both he and Dende burst into laughter a moment later when Kargo emerged from the tall grass nearby and started flailing his arms and legs wildly, before falling on his rump, trying to imitate his mentor. He started wailing, and Karacol ran over to console him, forgetting his training for the moment.
Neru reflected on the day. It was a bit of a role-reversal, since Karacol was training and he was relaxing, but he didn't mind. He still had a mission of his own to accomplish, as he turned and observed Dende, paddling to stay afloat.
"Okay Dende, remember, to float, you just have to lean all the way back, thrust your feet out, spread your arms, and try to relax. If you bend or panic you'll sink. Don't be afraid to try it, I'm right here if you start to sink." Dende nodded tentatively and tried again, the water swirling all around him. This time Neru put a hand under Dende's back when he started to sink, keeping his face above water. He pushed the child's back into a straight position, and smiled reassuringly at Dende. Dende looked a bit scared, but Neru calmed him down, saying gently, "Don't worry, I won't let you sink, nothing's going to happen… just relax." Dende nodded ever so slightly, and closed his eyes, concentrating on doing what Neru had told him. Noting that Dende was doing it correctly, he slowly removed his hand from Dende's back and watched the child float lazily.
"Dende…" He whispered, not wanting to startle the child, "You're doing it all by yourself…" Dende's eyes shot open, and he gasped,
"Really?!" Before he dropped underwater, emerging a moment later, coughing and sputtering once more, his antennae drooped over his eyes, saturated with water. He sighed, discouraged. Neru rocked his head towards the shore.
"Wanna take a break, Dende?" Dende nodded and began paddling over towards the shore Karacol and Kargo were on. Karacol had stopped his training for now and was trying to teach the one and a half-year-old to skip stones along the water. He stopped the lesson for a moment as Neru and Dende approached. The two of them plopped down on their backs, staring at the clouds, which had only recently appeared during the course of the lesson. A few moments later, Dende nodded off, snoring gently. Neru stared at the clouds, reminiscing on the past week's challenges, like moving Dende's bed into his home, finding a place for the child to be comfortable. He remembered the morning ritual of getting the child a drink, that was different, and above all, finding time to train. He also thought of Karacol's increasing relationship with Kargo, and more then once he saw a remnant of his and Dende's early days within the two. He smiled then, gazing at a cloud that looked almost like the four of them, two smaller clouds symbolizing the children, seeming to look on at the two larger clouds, which looked to be he and Karacol sparring.
He was interrupted by these thoughts a moment later, as Karacol sat down next to him, stretching his legs with one arm while holding the sleeping Kargo in the other. Neru glanced at him as he cocked his head and looked at the sleeping Dende. He chuckled softly.
"Guess the lesson's over, eh Neru?" Neru nodded slightly. The time was right to say something he had forgotten to tell his stu- no, his friend.
"I apologize for being so rude to you in the past, Karacol. I wasn't in control of myself, and in my urge to keep Dende safe, I never noticed how lonely you really were." Karacol shook his head.
"Don't worry about it Neru, that was in the past. Besides, you two were always with me, we were all just… misguided." He smiled. "Besides, I don't think I'd ever be as good at joking around if it wasn't for you guys…" Neru rolled his eyes.
"Next time one of your jokes saves Nameksei, be sure to let me know, okay?" Neru said sarcastically, letting some of his own humor seep in. Karacol ignored the rib and grinned ear to ear.
"We'd better get back, Neru, Muuri might be worried." Neru nodded, walking over and picking up his vest, putting it on. He considered throwing Dende his robe, but the child looked so tired… He slung the robe over his shoulder and picked Dende up lightly, letting him settle in his arms. Kargo nestled against Karacol's chest, still sleeping peacefully. A moment later they were gone, flying not only towards Muuri's village, but also towards the future. They had no idea how it would turn out, but both of them resolved to be ready for it. That was the best the two warriors' could do, after all. They had little idea of how cruel the future was going to be…
Ideo shivered, trying to reassure himself. It wasn't the room's temperature, which was pleasantly warm, regulated by perfect environmental controls so precise that it took five technicians to maintain. The air in the room was pure, a reassurance to almost all oxygen breathing races, especially with the difficulty that normal air pressure was maintained on a type-9 planet. Various relics, many taken from the civilizations that had been completely destroyed by the planet's owner, decorated the room. Ideo shuddered again, clad in a fresh fighting jacket and clothes. It wasn't the environment at all, it was at the prospect of having to attend an audience with him. Lord Freezer, the most powerful being in the universe, had demanded an audience with him. He wouldn't have been so unnerved if he didn't believe he had failed. It was simple. Most people who accomplished missions correctly for their lord came out from their audiences intact, and most that didn't… were recycled a few hours later.
He wished that he hadn't been reduced to waiting, but he would have killed a thousand soldiers, slaughtered his family, and been beaten to within an inch of his life rather then risk being late. He glanced down past his feet, staring at the velvety, greenish blue carpet. The color did not reassure him, as he realized with a start that it was the same color as his blood. He pondered if it was a coincidence or not.
"Don't think about that! Think about what you're going to say!"
A moment later, in front of him at the back of the room, a shaft of light pierced the dim surroundings, growing wider until the door completely opened, with three shadowy figures standing, illuminated by the light but too hard to make out. It didn't matter, as he dropped to one knee instantly, thrusting his left palm out in a fluid motion, Freezer's salute. They could only be three people. The figure on the left was as huge and powerfully built as Smetllack had been, maybe even bigger. He was certainly more terrifying. This was Dodoria the destroyer, who was Freezer's third in command and was renowned for his tales of having eliminated five populations in one day. His arms were crossed over his deep purple and black fighting uniform, and he did not look pleased. The one on the right stood protectively in front of Freezer. This was Zarbon, his pale blue skin and flowing green hair seeming to reflect an aura of confidence. He also wore a fighting jacket, but he let his arms hang at his sides. Ideo wasn't quite so terrified of him. It wasn't because of his appearance, which wasn't as frightening, it was because of his personality. Follow orders with Zarbon, and even if you failed, you had a chance of surviving. With the other two, failure typically meant death. He focused on the figure in the center, sitting in a compact, black chair, which was humming ever so slightly. Hovering about two feet off the ground was Freezer, the most terrifying one of them all.
"It's almost hard to believe he's the strongest being in the universe, he's so sho-"
He stopped thinking with a gasp. What if Freezer was telepathic? He forced himself only to think of his loyalty to the three of them. He hoped they hadn't noticed his shock. All three of them were leering coldly at him, but he felt absolutely no urge to smile back. Dodoria's grin rapidly diminished into a frown, and Ideo cringed. He had already been informed that Smetllack was missing, and though he held no respect for his underling, he had been appalled at the thought that something could manage to happen to someone of his race. He glanced back at Freezer and almost forgot to breathe, taking in the frightening, tight black lips, and the cold, calculating eyes that seemed to burn into his soul and mind. A moment later, Zarbon's expression changed as well as he regarded Ideo, not even saying a greeting."Make your report." Ideo tensed, swallowed, and began.
"Y…y… yes, my lords. Smetllack and I cleared planet 1137 of all sentient life, but in the battle our squad was lost, and our ship was badly damaged. We drifted for two weeks before we managed to get the engines to expel even a 10% amount of thrust. We had little air left and desperately needed repairs, so we landed on one of the planet's on our "ignore" list. Our records stated that its inhabitants had once been capable of space travel, before their planet went through an ecological disaster, killing most of the population. There were only about a hundred or so people living on the planet, and they should have been easy to destroy, but…"
"But what?" Dodoria interrupted, his voice lined with anger. Ideo shrank back, sweat beginning to trickle down his face. Zarbon glared, and the only being with an unchanged look was Freezer, who smiled, letting his lieutenants do their jobs.
"We… we… we had managed to partially repair the engines, when a child arrived. We saw fit to eliminate the child so that our position would not be given away, but when we attacked the child, an adult intervened. His power level was only 15,000, which isn't even as strong as my own, but he was a talented fighter, and he took us by surprise, enabling the child to escape while we dealt with this threat. He was badly hurt, and Smetllack was about to kill him when another adult arrived, whom I'm guessing was sent by the child that got away. He… he… he defeated me with one kick, and his speed matched his force! His power level must have been enormous compared to ours! My scouter had been broken with his initial blow, but I'd have estimated his ability at… at… anywhere from 30,000 to 35,000! I could only watch the battle as he defeated Smetllack with a flurry of blows… my superior didn't even lay a hand on him!
Dodoria slammed a fist down on the table next to him, his eyes bulging with anger.
"Did he kill him? Where were you?!" He screamed, a vein in his pasty pink forehead pulsing.
"I… I… I thought it would be more beneficial if I returned and alerted you of this strong individual!" Ideo gulped.
"You ran?!" Dodoria snarled.
"Y… Y… yes…" Ideo hung his head, admitting the fact. Dodoria raised a hand to surely end his existence when Freezer held up a hand, a command for him to stop. He smiled as gently as he could muster at Ideo, feigning compassion.
"Ideo, you poor soul. Don't be afraid. I would never dream of harming such a loyal servant. I understand that we're not ALL as strong as I am…" Freezer's face fell compassionately. "Just our lot in life I guess… You did the right thing to leave Smetllack there all by himself. After all, the only people one should look out for are themselves, you know? Now please, do not worry, you haven't angered me in the least." Zarbon chuckled slightly, but Ideo ignored him and swallowed his dignity. Inside, he was happy, because it appeared he might escape this audience with his life. He nodded meekly, trying his best to look like a child cowering before their over-oppressive parent.
"Th…that's my report, m'lord. May I take my leave now?" He requested. Freezer nodded, waving a hand in dismissal. Ideo turned around and started to stride away, grinning to himself as he admired a beautifully angled rock carving.
"I've done it! I've survived my audience with Freezer!"
He thought merrily.That was when the world slowed down, as he felt his body go completely numb. His vision began to swirl, and he realized he was falling towards the floor, but couldn't hold his hands out to catch himself. A sharp crack echoed in his ears as his forehead struck the carpet with a thud, his vision rolling. He soon noticed that his peripheral vision was dimming, and he began to feel light headed as his vision rolled, spinning dizzily across the room. He tried subconsciously to breathe, but couldn't even gasp or gurgle. Something was very wrong. Then, a moment later, as his rolling vision slowed down, he realized that in front of him, although a large mass was obscuring his vision, Freezer, Zarbon, and Dodoria were all grinning at him, the latter's arm outstretched in a slicing motion. He tried vainly to focus. What was this large thing obscuring his vision, and why was he getting so weak? Why couldn't he move? As these thoughts registered in his mind, he began to panic, but couldn't scream. He grew even dizzier, and tried to focus on the thing obscuring his vision. His final conscious thought was that he was staring at his own, decapitated body.
Zarbon glanced at Freezer and Dodoria, his grin rapidly diminishing. The two continued to smile, staring at Ideo's prone body, the neck of which continued to ooze gore onto the blue and green carpet, discoloring it slightly but almost blending in. Dodoria chuckled slightly, pleased with the handiwork his slicing ki beam had done. Zarbon smiled again, a hint of a jest in his tone as he regarded Dodoria.
"Did you have to be so messy?" He asked. Dodoria said nothing, while Freezer laughed at his joke. Freezer's strange voice spoke next.
"Dodoria, would you be so kind as to send for someone to clean up the mess this coward left behind?" The lumbering alien nodded, walking down towards the other door. He stopped and smiled evilly, observing the glazed, dead eyes and shocked expression on Ideo's face. A moment later, he booted the diminutive alien's head across the room, before turning again and walking out the rest of the way. Zarbon glanced at Freezer questioningly, and Freezer smiled. He liked Zarbon because he was the only person with enough guts to question him. He was obviously using some restraint when asking them, but that didn't change the fact that he was the only person brave enough, or insane enough to do so.
"Are you sure that was wise, m'lord?" Freezer turned and glanced at him sternly.
"What do you mean, Zarbon?" Zarbon looked over at Ideo's decapitated body.
"Well, the planet that Ideo and Smetllack visited DID have a high-level fighter there. Perhaps it would be worth conquering, if only to remove the threat." Freezer shook his head.
"It's a worthless planet, Zarbon. No one wants to buy a planet in a trinary solar system with a history of ecological disasters. It's not worth the effort. Besides, what could there be of value on a backwater world like that?"
Zarbon didn't argue with his master's wisdom. He was probably letting his own fears get to him, since a power level of 35,000 rivaled that of his own. Master Freezer was many times stronger then that. Clearly, Freezer had nothing to fear. The alien spun around in his chair and gazed out into space, as Zarbon turned alongside him and stood loyally. Freezer regarded the stars, and the planets so tiny that they couldn't even be seen, the way a cat stares at a mouse. Freezer was the strongest being in the universe, and it would all be his, someday. Zarbon put the final thoughts of the planet Smetllack had died on out of his mind, trusting his leader's judgement. They had no idea that in the future, the planet they had spoken of would be revealed as the key to achieving Freezer's ultimate wish…
THE END…for now.
Whoohoo! It's done! I hope that you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! To start this longer then normal, aftermath quote, I'd like to thank everyone who's given me feedback on it. Your letters and messages really really helped! As far as this N-BF series goes, I don't know how far it might go, but I'm going to go out on a limb right now and say that there WILL be a sequel, as there are definitely a few ends to tie up…^_~ Thanks again to everyone who's helped! Feel free to comment on any of it, good or bad! Any feedback will help make the next story even better! Special thanks to Tomo-chan, Dendeshe, and Neoslash for being my top three editors, tirelessly answering my constant question, "Do you think this sucks?" I don't know what I'd do without all of you! Well, I'm done rambling, after all, there's too many story ideas to spend too much time on these comments… g'bye! And thanks again to everyone for their much-appreciated support. Not to sound modest, but I just never knew if I had it in me... ~Cremrock
