The Past is the Past (part 2)

Blackfire glanced over her shoulder as the stone doors leading to the Saiyan's throne room slammed behind her exit. "Come on, kid. You're coming with me." The gruff voice caused the tiny Saiyan child to turn her amethyst gaze to her front once more. What was his name? Budosha.

"Well?" he asked, crossing his arms in annoyance. Perhaps he didn't like being charged to babysitting. Either way, it was obvious that the Royal Guard was losing his patience. Almost reluctantly, Blackfire began to walk after the taller man once more. She didn't want to walk. Every muscle in her body ached! After the cruel beating she had just received, all Blackfire wanted to do was curl up in a ball and escape to the safety of sleep. Concentrating on the ground, the small child didn't even know where she was going. She didn't really care, either. Nothing mattered to her anymore.

"You're an odd one," Budosha muttered. His gaze was fixed ahead; the guard hadn't turn his head or even slow down his long gait to accommodate for the wounded girl. When Blackfire saw that he was farther ahead of her, she quickened her pace, wincing as a throbbing pain lanced up her spine from the added effort. "I've never seen the King look like that. Whatever happened in that throne room shook him up good." Budosha came to a halt and turned around. "What's your name, kid?"

Blackfire didn't answer. Names? What was the point in that? Her entire time in the Academy thus far had been spent in solitude. Besides, she didn't really know her own name. There was nobody in that prison-like room to call out to her. The only Saiyan she knew was the one who had died. That... wolf. It had torn the man to bits. Was that the reason for all of this?

Budosha frowned as the silence stretched on. Finally, he let out a small growl of annoyance. "Fine. Don't talk." He turned and walked off once more, leaving Blackfire to catch up once more. Another shooting pain spread through her body like a spider's web. The child touched the side of her chest. That's where it was sore. Something shifted beneath her bruised skin, causing Blackfire to let out a small murmur of pain.

"This way." Budosha suddenly turned right. This way didn't lead to her room! The guard paused by a closed door and punched a couple of numbers on a computer nearby. The screen flashed a bright green color and the doors slid opened with a hiss. "I'm not taking you to the Academy yet," Budosha explained, walking into the room. Along the walls were empty tanks that stood vertically against the perimeter of the room. "You're too injured. Strip and get into one of these rejuvenation tanks," he ordered, jabbing a gloved thumb at the tanks lining the walls.

Seeing no reason to go against his will, the child slid out of her tattered rags and obliged. The Royal Guard approached as she got in and rustled with something above her. With a small grunt of effort, he yanked down a mask, pressing it against her face. Blackfire tried to flinch away, but the man was simply too strong.

"I'm not going to hurt you, idiot," he snapped. "This tank will heal your injuries. Now stop squirming!" Although panic made her heart flutter, Blackfire swallowed harshly, trying to keep her shaking legs still. With another annoyed sigh, Budosha continued with his work, wrapping the mask's strap around the child's head. A tube was connected to the instrument, leading up to the top of the tank.

"Alright," Budosha said, stepping away. "This tank is going to fill up with liquid. That mask will help you breath so you don't drown. The Bio-gen that surrounds you is a powerful enzyme. It's going to hasten your body's regeneration. By the time morning comes, you'll be at peak physical strength. When that time comes, I'll come back for you and take you to the Academy. Understand?"

Blackfire only nodded. "Right," Budosha growled, backing away from the tank. With a gloved finger, he pressed a single button. In response, the tank hummed to life. The door closed over the tank, locking Blackfire in with a loud click. A hiss resounded next as the air inside was filtered out. The tiny child flinched as her body was sprayed with a blue liquid. Soon, she was enveloped in a pool of it. Her feet left the safety of the cold ground as buoyancy lifted her skinny frame upwards.

The girl struggled briefly. Everything was dark aside from the tiny window before her. But the blue liquid made her heart beat faster with panic. She had to get out! She would drown! A banging noise alerted her as Budosha signaled to her. "Stay calm, dammit!" The guard's voice was muffled. "You can breathe, can't you?" Realizing that the mask was still on her, Blackfire drew in a deep breath. Oxygen filled her lungs, acting almost like a tranquilizer. Slowly, she allowed her body to be lulled into a limpness. The liquid... felt good.

Budosha took her response as a yes. With a small grunt, he turned around and exited the room. The door slammed shut behind him. Moments afterwards, the lights died, leaving Blackfire in darkness.

WC: 891/891

Even though Blackfire had never had a comfortable place to sleep, (or so far as she could remember) the girl would have rather slept on the cold stone floor than hanging in bio-gen. Admittedly, the gel-like liquid was warm; the young Saiyan still didn't like it much. She was certainly glad when the lights flickered on, filtering through the small window of her prison. A shadow crossed over he window (Blackfire was a bit too short to see what was going on) and beeping could be heard as someone fiddled with the rejuvenation chamber's controls. Soon, a cheerful bleep sounded out, and the tiny Saiyan could feel her weight returning. Soon, her bare feet touched down on the rejuvenation chamber's drain and she dared to open her eyes.

The girl immediately regretted it as sticky clumps of bio-gen fell into her eyes. As the stinging sensation took over, she let out a cry, trying to scoop the gelatinous substance out of her amethyst eyes. And as she opened her mouth, the bitter juice fell into her mouth as well. Soon, Blackfire was desperately spitting the disgusting stuff out. Wildly trying to free herself from the restraints, Blackfire missed the moment when Budosha opened up the door and sighed.

"Really," he groaned, grabbing the nude Saiyan by her shoulders. "Settle down!" By then, Blackfire was satisfied enough that she had torn herself free from the bio-gen. For the first time, she was aware of her wounds. Well, her lack of them, actually. The Rejuvenation Tank certainly had lived up to its name; the child's skin was as soft and new as an infant's! Budosha grunted before reaching up to fiddle with the various tubes and wires that were strapped to Blackfire. Nearby, a monitor lit up in alarm as the child's vitals could not be read any more. Cursing, Budosha abandoned Blackfire to turn the machines off.

The girl took the initiative to step free from her prison, making sure to give the white machine a glare as she left it. Her tattered clothes lay on a table nearby; Blackfire began to reach for it until Budosha's gloved hand slapped down upon her own.

"Surely you're not going to wear those rags to the Academy?" he chided her, quirking an ebony eyebrow. Blackfire drew her hand away and rubbed at it sorely, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't have any other clothes! What did Budosha expect her to do, follow him through the royal palace while nude? It didn't help that the Royal Guard stared at her expectantly for several moments after he spoke while crossing his arms.

"Oh," he growled. "You probably don't have any clothes, huh?" Blackfire shook her head in response. She still didn't feel the need to talk. "Alright, let's see what we have over here, then." The Royal Guard crossed the room to a row of lockers and began to rummage through them. Still dripping with bio-gen, Blackfire shivered, stiffing a sneeze. The bio-gen began to chill, making the tiny girl very uncomfortable. Thankfully, Budosha was quick to recover a blue jumpsuit that fit the child. After drying her body off with a nearby towel, the Saiyan girl gratefully took the clothes and slipped into them. She positioned the necklace so that the crimson gem fit over her chest and looked up at Budosha, unsure of what she was supposed to do next.

"I've been meaning to ask," Budosha seemed intent to strike up a conversation, no matter how one-sided it was. "Just why are you wearing that damned necklace?" The scarred man reached forward with a muscular arm to grab the pendent. A look of fear crossed Blackfire's face in response and she backed away, crashing her back to the wall in escape.

The man sighed once more. "I'm not going to take the damned thing away! Shit... Let's just go." The man executed a perfect about face and walked away, muttering bitterly beneath his breath. Though his voice was low, Blackfire could hear snippets of what he was saying. "...don't know why the hell... she doesn't have any fighting experience... as weak as a human child..."

Once again, Blackfire was left to her own thoughts as Budosha led her though a twisting route to wherever he was taking her. She was struggling to remember anything that had happened to her prior the fateful night where that monstrous wolf had emerged. The memory was fresh on her mind, burning the horrid scene into her conscious. But everything before that? It was blurry. Very, very blurry. It didn't help that Budosha's gait was almost thrice her's. The Saiyan child had to basically jog just to keep up with his walk.

Who was hat wolf? The only thing Blackfire knew... it had never attempted to hurt her. In fact, the exact opposite had happened. Whoever attacked her, the wolf protected her from it. She found her fingers tenderly grasping the pendent. She was unsure if it was only her imagination, but the ruby pendent glowed softly, tickling her palm with a flood of warmth.

Word of Shana: 853/1744

The seemingly never ending hike to the Saiyan Academy had taken a toll upon Blackfire. By the time Budosha slowed down to a halt, the girl's legs ached with exhaustion. The Royal Guard had escorted her out of the Royal Palace and into the capitol city of Vegeta-Sei. After that, they hiked down a long and winding road to a building nestled between two mighty mountain lines. The valley seemed peaceful at a distance, but as Blackfire looked closer, the scars of spars could be seen. Craters, burnt ground, and broken trees gave the setting an eerie feel. She was almost thankful to enter the building and put the gloomy environment behind her. The Academy was dense with a heavy scent of blood and sweat.

"Do you need to rest?" Budosha had asked her before opening a door. The girl only had stared blankly at him. After a moment, the man cursed and opened the door. "Why would I even ask?" Blackfire heard him mutter. "Instructor!" The room looked like a classroom. There were many Saiyan children sitting in desks. A hologram of a planet with lines crossing over the sphere caught Blackfire's attention, but didn't capitalize her for long. Instead, her amethyst gaze fell upon the Instructor. He was old; all of his hair was grey with age. Aside from a few black strands that spotted his beard, it was all grey. Wrinkles were present on his face, but a twinkle of life still shone in his eyes. He looked up from lecturing as he was called, looking startled.

"Yes?" he asked after a moment, standing up.

Budosha pushed Blackfire forward gently with his tail. "This is the child that King Vegeta wants brought into your care," Budosha explained, crossing his arms.

"Ah!" The Instructor's voice was cheerful. He crossed the room at a surprising speed considering his age and bent down on one knee to inspect Blackfire. His beady eyes searched her's, making the Saiyan girl squirm uncomfortably.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work, then." Budosha bowed, flicking his tail and wrapping it around his waist once more. But before he could leave, the Instructor stood up in a flourish.

"Wait one moment, please!" Budosha glanced over his shoulder, but said nothing. The instructor continued. "I need information on this girl!" he complained. "I don't even know her name!"

"She doesn't have one," Budosha said simply, beginning to walk out. "But the military dubbed her with the name Blackfire. I suppose she can change her name if she wishes when she is older." With those words, the Royal Guard vanished, letting the door close.

"But-" The Instructor was wasting his breath. He let out an irritable sigh and looked down upon Blackfire once more. "I don't have a single scrap of information on you," he muttered. "Well, I suppose I can do some research tonight." He ushered her to the front of the class. "Children, this is Blackfire. She'll be a new addition to our class. Make sure you all welcome her!" An icy silence met his words as the other children stared at the tiny female. Blackfire squirmed uncomfortably beneath the Instructor's firm hand, but couldn't help noticing that one boy had waved at her.

"Now then," The Instructor mused. "There's an open seat over there. Why don't you go sit down?" he gestured to an empty seat next to the only Saiyan who had welcomed her in any way. For some reason, the girl found herself trying to stifle a smile as she took her seat. She could feel the boy's gaze on her, but tried to focus on the Instructor.

"Now!" The elder Saiyan sat down once more with a puff. "Where were we?"

One girl in the front of the classroom waved her hand wildly. When the Instructor gestured to her, she spoke out earnestly. "You were explaining how the patrols keep Vegeta-Sei's space clear, Instructor!"

"Quite right!" the elder Saiyan nodded approvingly. He hovered his hands over the hologram of Vegeta and another sphere flickered into existence that surrounded the planet.

Word of Shana: 681/2425

"Alright! Now, our planet is surrounded by space. But high above the outer reaches of our atmosphere, we have borders that separate us from the rest of the galaxy." Blackfire found herself growing bored. She eventually let the boy's attempts at getting her attention work and glanced over at him. His grin broadened as she looked over.

"Hey!" he whispered, leaning over. "I'm Omega!" Blackfire narrowed her eyes. So his name was Omega? That seemed like a Saiyanish name. But why was he being so... friendly? Before she could respond though, (or even consider doing so) the Instructor looked up, a frown crossing his wrinkled face.

"You two!" he growled. "Save the banter for after class!" The man's anger caused some snickering from the other students, and Blackfire quickly broke eye contact with Omega, instead staring down at an invisible point on her desk. But a small smile was on her face. Before she looked away, Omega had rolled his eyes. She didn't know what about the boy had caused the smile, but she was interested in him nonetheless.

The rest of the class was rather dull, to say the least. The Instructor had moved on from how the Saiyans patrolled the planet to how the military itself worked. Eventually, he glanced at his watch and dismissed the rest of the class. As if they were all one mindless drone, the students got up and left the classroom. Blackfire was unsure of what to do, but before the Instructor could escort her anywhere, Omega grasped Blackfire's wrist.

"Come on!" he told her, dashing away. Blackfire allowed him to drag her down the hall. But when the other students turned and filed into a room on the right, Omega swept past them.

Finally, Blackfire spoke. "W-where are we going?"

Omega's eyes sparkled as he glanced over his shoulder. "I want to show you something!"

"What is it?" Blackfire protested as Omega yanked her around a turn. The girl almost careened into a male Saiyan walking down the hallway. He dropped a stack of papers.

"Watch it!" he yelled after the two. Cursing, he bent down to scoop up his report, but Omega payed the man no heed. Finally, the two children were outside the Academy. The scent of burnt earth tickled Blackfire's nose, causing her eyes to water. She wrinkled her nose.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" she complained.

Omega grinned. "Nope! It's down the valley some. It's a long hike, though."

Blackfire sighed. "Why walk?" She grasped Omega's wrist and lifted off from the ground. For a moment, the boy's eyes widened. As Blackfire lifted him off of the ground as well, a grin crossed his face.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "You can fly already?" He sounded impressed.

"Of course," Blackfire responded, quirking an eyebrow. "You can't?"

"No," Omega responded frowning as if she had asked a stupid question. We're too young! Most of us can't even channel our ki enough to focus it into an attack!"

Word of Shana: 500/2925

Even though she could fly, it didn't take long before Blackfire felt the consequences of her energy draining. By the time Omega pointed out where he wanted the girl to land, Blackfire's eyelids were starting to feel heavy with exhaustion. She was glad to land on the rocky cliff that shielded Vegeta's single landmass from the ocean. Waves crashed endlessly against the rock's face, sending sprays of salt water into the air. The sun was beginning to set, bleeding out with orange and red colors that made the sky look like a water painting. The view would have been breathtaking if Blackfire had any spare breath to give.

Omega didn't seem to see her fatigue, he ran up beside her, staring out at the ocean. "I like coming here when I can," he said. It's a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle, if you know what I mean."

Blackfire didn't think she was the sentimental type, but the scene was beautiful. No more words were exchanged for a long time as both children gazed out watching the sun fall into the watery horizon. Blackfire gazed upward at the heavens, marveling at the billions of tiny lights in the sky. It had been the first time she had been outside as far as she was concerned. The cool night air felt velvety upon her skin, and the ocean breeze swept through her long hair, making it flow outward.

"Can I ask you something, Blackfire?" Omega had turned his attention to the girl standing next to him. He was sitting down on the edge of the cliff, allowing his feet to dangle off of it. He was leaning backwards, propping his weight onto his arms braced behind him. Blackfire sat down next to him, nodding.

"Well..." Omega seemed reluctant to continue, suddenly. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Where did you come from?"

"Where... did.. I come from?" Blackfire blinked several times; the question had caught her off guard.

Omega nodded earnestly. "Before you came into the class, news passed around about you coming. And..." Omega glanced away. "Someone said that you killed an Instructor."

Word of Shana: 355/3280

A layer of sweat formed on Blackfire's brow followed by a cold shiver that traversed down her spine. A look of sorrow crossed her face. So Omega didn't want to be a friend. He was just nosy. Gripped by the curiosity of a raging rumor, he had isolated her to ask about it. Omega must have sensed the intensity of the air that had enveloped the girl in its shroud.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered, looking down at his feet. "I- you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." For an uncomfortably long time, silence gripped the night's air. Blackfire contemplated leaving Omega and flying back to the Academy. But a thought had nestled into her mind. She didn't belong there! She had already suffered enough at the hands of various Saiyans. No. She didn't want to go back. The child could feel Omega beside her; he glanced at her from time to time, but didn't maintain his gaze for long.

Every cell in Blackfire's body felt miserable. But before she could mull over her thoughts for long, a whizzing sound filled the air behind her. "Look out!" Omega suddenly yelped. He moved in a blur, shoving Blackfire away from the cliff just as a beam of energy slammed into the rock where she once sat. The girl's amethyst eyes widened. Someone was attacking? She looked up, squinting to try and see what was in the shadows above her.

Her eyes finally locked upon the attacker. Although the attacker was high enough for Blackfire so that she couldn't make out the gender, she knew that it wasn't Saiyan. The head was far too wide. Another azure blast escaped the alien's arms; this one was much larger than it's predecessor. With a yelp, Blackfire scrambled away quite ungracefully, tearing herself to the side on hands and knees. Sure, she dodged the attack, but the resulting explosion was enough to fling her aside like a rag doll. The flames licked her skin, searing her in its heat.

The girl slapped at her arms until she slammed into a nearby tree, limply sliding down its trunk. Dead leaves fell off of the overhead boughs from the force of impact, raining down upon the injured Saiyan.

"H-help!" Blackfire's eyes snapped open. That was Omega's voice! The Saiyan child looked around, pinpointing his location. But all she could see were his hands, clinging desperately to the side of the cliff.

Word of Shana: 410/3690

Blackfire scrambled to her feet, wincing as a pain lanced up her right leg. A branch had stabbed into her thigh. Torn flesh and muscle allowed her crimson blood to flow to the leafy ground. With a grunt of effort, she tore the branch out of her leg. The new pain from the removal caused her eyes to water. The pendent around her neck was glowing with a fierce light, providing the Saiyan with enough light to see the alien flicker into existence before her.

The man before her still surprised her. She let out a choked cry as his arm shot forward. Cold and clammy fingers wrapped around her neck, pulling her off from the ground. With his left hand firmly gripping her throat, Blackfire kicked out blindly, trying to free herself from his vice-like grip. Her attacker's right arm was covered in a device that Blackfire assumed was some type of energy blaster. But no, there was more to it than that. Another slot rested above the barrel of the energy blaster. And from it, a wicked looking sword of energy extended. The blue glow from it clashed with the red glow of her amulet, bathing the area around Blackfire in a purple hue.

By now, Blackfire was able to get a good look at her attacker. He was ugly. Very, very ugly. His skin was sticky, pasty, and slimy at the same time. Every now and then, his lumpy skin would shiver and shift as if were a living creature of itself. His bulging black eyes hosted no pupils, giving the bald alien a bug-like look. His mouth was small, filled with tiny, razor-sharp teeth.

"You are Blackfire, correct?" he hissed out. Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke, splashing in the Saiyan girl's face. She winced as the acidic saliva burned her skin. His breath hung around her, choking Blackfire in its heavy stench. He reeked of carrion. She didn't respond; the girl was more concerned with ripping herself free from the alien's grasp. The blade extended at her throat seemed dangerous.

"Bah!" the alien spat after the girl didn't answer him. He cocked his arm back, prepared to plunge the ki blade into her heart. "You match the description enough!"

But before he could deliver the fatal blow, a powerful roar escaped from Blackfire's pendant. Although the alien's eyes widened, the sound was more than welcome to Blackfire. Soon afterwards, a powerful azure form tore itself free from the gateway. Six inch claws sank into the bug-like alien's soft flesh. With the attack, a massive wolf materialized into existence. Blackfire's attacker let out a gurgling cry as he lost his grip on Blackfire, allowing the Saiyan to crash back down to the ground.

Word of Shana: 463/4153

The powerful wolf's massive form crashed down upon the buggy alien so hard, the ground shook. (At this point, Blackfire was trying to figure out how a wolf almost seven times her size could fit in such a tiny amulet) Either way, the distraction was enough for Blackfire to make her exit. But as she tried to clamber on her feet, the injury caused her to fall down once more. Crimson blood was seeping sluggishly out of the open wound, splattering on the ground. Pain blurred the child's vision.

"H-help me! I'm slipping!" It was Omega's shrill yell again. Shaking her head, Blackfire tried to shut the pain out desperately, pushing herself to her feet once more. Gritting her teeth, the child limped to the cliff face. When she looked over, Omega's strained face met her's. His cheeks were scratched and a gash above his right eye produced blood that ran down his face. "Help!" he cried to her. As Blackfire reached down, Omega reached up with one hand. It turned out to be a terrible decision. As his weight was transferred to one arm, the rock he had been clinging to gave way, sending the boy down into the watery abyss below. And boy, was it a long fall.

Growls and roars floated in the air as the lightning wolf continued to tear a strip into his prey. Without a second thought to it or her own safety, Blackfire leaped off of the cliff. A wail was coming from Omega's gaping mouth as he waved his limbs wildly. But Blackfire's fall was much more controlled. A steady stream of ki was concentrated in her feet, letting her fall in a head-first dive. Soon enough, she had caught up to Omega. She winced as his hand wrapped around her wounded thigh. Instinctively, she kicked him loose, causing Omega's grip to be dislodged. The sudden motion was enough to send Blackfire's control fall into a chaotic spin. Precious seconds passed until the girl could steady her fall once more.

Again, she caught up, this time taking the initiative to grab Omega first. She wrapped her frail arms around his waist and turned her body. But his weight had been unaccounted for; Blackfire found herself struggling to produce enough ki to cussion both of their weights.

"Fly!" Omega screamed.

Blackfire screamed back at him. "I'm trying!" she wailed, pushing more and more of her dwindling energy downward. The spiky rocks below were growing dangerously closer with each passing second. Blackfire screwed her eyes shut and sent out a last blast of ki desperately. Just as she was close enough to the rocky area to count the cracks in the ground, her fall halted.

Word of Shana: 453/4606

With a final pulse of ki, Blackfire shot up towards the sky once more. It was Omega's turn to grip Blackfire. His arms tightened around her waist as he struggled to stay on the ride. A trickle of sweat dripped down Blackfire's ki. Her flight began to slow just as the cliff's edge was in sight.

Running out of ki.... She reached up desperately just as her last reserves of energy were exhausted, attempting to grab at the edge. But her efforts were in vain. Blackfire was inches too short to grab at it. A wail escaped her lips as she felt her form began to fall once more. But before all hope was lost, the massive head of her wolf guardian shot over the cliff. His maw was open and he leaned down just in time to grab the scruff of her vest. At the sudden halt of motion, Omega's grip was lost, and he began to slip down.

With a twist, Blackfire managed to lean down enough to snag his outstretched wrist, leaving both Saiyans dangling within the azure wolf's grasp. But the beast didn't seem too worried. He simply leaned his weight into his back haunches and scrambled backwards, his claws tearing into the earth as he hulled both Saiyans to the safety of solid ground once more. Blackfire immediately collapsed, her breath shallow with exhaustion. But the wolf was at her side, nuzzling her to her feet. Blackfire allowed the creature to brace her weight. She was too tired to complain about anything at this point.

But Omega was staring at the wolf with fear glittering in his eyes. "It's okay..." Blackfire managed to choke out. "He won't hurt you." She flashed a glance at the muscular behemoth. At least, she hoped that the creature wouldn't harm Omega. But the wolf only flicked an ear and let his tongue come out to clean his blood-stained muzzle. Craning her neck, Blackfire saw the tattered remains of the alien that had attacked her. There was no need to check if he was dead. With grievous injuries like that, Blackfire couldn't see anyone getting up.

"T-thank you," the girl whispered out at the wolf. He glanced at her with blazing cobalt eyes.

"Such is my task, small one," he said simply. "Get on my back." Blackfire glanced at the wolf's body. The lightning once enveloping his body had died down. The creature had even flattened the quills on his back. The Saiyan scrambled on gratefully before looking over at Omega.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

It took several moments for Omega to respond. His wide eyes were still trained upon the wolf that had just averted the disaster with frightening efficency. He closed his mouth, then responded.

"I-I'm alright."

"You too," the wolf growled. "Get on. And next time, stay in the Academy. I don't want to have to come out like this again, understood?" As Omega hesitated to hoist himself upon the azure spawn of lightning, the creature snorted in impatience. He leaned forward at a speed Blackfire couldn't even track and grasped Omega's shirt between his teeth before throwing him on his back as well. With a sudden shot of speed, the wolf sprinted down the valley towards the Academy.

"Ummm, I've been meaning to ask," Blackfire started hesitantly, raising her voice to be heard over the howl of rushing air. The wolf pricked his ears to show he was listening. "Who are you?"

"That isn't important now, kid. But if you must know my name, it's Skoll."

"Skoll..." Blackfire repeated, feeling safer now that she knew the wolf's name. "Thank you again!"

"Save the sentimental bullshit for later!" Skoll growled, coming to a halt. "I will not accompany you further. We have company." With those words spoken, the wolf suddenly vanished, leaving the two Saiyan children to fall down on the ground. A trail of azure energy could be seen where Skoll once stood, and as Blackfire tracked it, she saw it siphon into her amulet once more. The ruby glowed brightly as Skoll's essence was absorbed, then it died down to the soft luminescence that it normally gave off.

Word of Shana: 697/5303

"Ouch..." Blackfire grunted as she tried to climb to her feet. The wound on her thigh was pulsating a new kind of pain. Blood still seeped from it. As she tried to limp towards the Academy, Omega was instantly at her side.

"Here," he offered, lowering his shoulder. Blackfire hesitated, startled by the gesture, but gratefully took his body as her crutch. Leaning on him, she began to limp forward once more.

Unlike her, Omega seemed to be brimming with energy. Perhaps it was just adrenaline. His eyes sparkled. "Wow! That was fun!" he exclaimed. Blackfire grimaced. 'Fun' wasn't the word she would have described the situation with. But Omega glanced at her. "Who... no, what was that-"

"What the hell!" A new voice pierced the night's shroud. Blackfire winced. She recognized that voice...

"Oh no..." It appeared that Omega knew trouble was on its way as well. He glanced up at the sky as Budosha fell to the ground before them. The ground splintered as he landed. And the look on his face? Well, it wasn't friendly. The Royal Guard had his teeth gritted together in rage. Blackfire could almost imagine seeing steam come from his ears. The thought would have been comical if it weren't for her previous experience with angry Saiyans beating her. Instinctively, she shied away from Budosha, pressing against Omega.

"I hope you two have a very good excuse for being away from the Academy's grounds at this time!" he hissed.

"Well..." Omega started. Budosha glared at the boy, and he fell silent. "Get back inside. I don't want to catch you out here again, understood!" The final word came out as a shout, and Omega flinched.

"Y-yes sir!"