Revelations: Shana/Trunks/Sayuri

There it is... Shana's brown eyes locked onto the relatively large Saiyan War Ship parked on the island west of Senton City. Even though Blackfire had been on Earth for almost a month, it seemed that the Saiyan had no repercussions for blatantly parking on such a planet as Earth. Of course, Earth's sensors were hardly going to detect a Saiyan War ship with a good cloaking field on it. Even if it was parked in the open.

Blackfire had instructed the human to go home but Shana was feeling too antsy to simply relax after the battle she had with the time traveler, Trunks. Adrenaline still rushed through her veins. She dropped from the sky, landing on the grassy ground below. A small stagger later, and the child was standing firm. Her limbs still ached a bit, but it was only a mild annoyance if anything. She checked the sky above. The rain had eased off several minutes prior. With clear azure skies, it was almost impossible to detect that it had rained aside from the swampy ground. The ship's door was closed tight, not much surprise there; Blackfire still seemed awkward having a human child stuck to her side. It didn't take long for Shana to figure out the controls. Pressing her palm against the reader nearby, the door slid open with a small hiss. Jets of mist escaped vents on either side of the doorway as the ship pressurized itself with Earth's atmosphere. As soon as Shana stepped inside the small and cramped entrance, the main door slid closed. Another hiss followed as the room drained of air.

Shana was already used to the procedure. It was nothing more than a safety precaution for hostile environments that housed dangerous gasses. As the air was pumped out, fresh air was filtered back in, and the inner chambers opened, allowing Shana access into the bridge. What Shana didn't expect, though, was Blackfire's looming form at the entrance. She stared down at the smaller child with stern amethyst eyes.

"I told you to go home." The Saiyan tapped lightly on her right elbow with a finger through crossed arms. Her hair was dry, same with her clothes. The host of lightning had bathed and changed already, no doubt. Shana was still soaked and bone-cold from the storm earlier.

The human diverted her brown eyes. "I wanted to make sure Trunks was okay... I didn't mean to..."

Blackfire's stern look softened, albeit only a little. "I have him in a rejuvenation chamber. You worked him over pretty good, but he'll be fine. He should only require a few more minutes, actually."

She turned away, walking across the bridge purposely. With nothing else to do, Shana followed, skipping the first few steps to catch up. Blackfire continued talking, ducking slightly through a doorway. "You did good. You surprised me, actually." Was that wariness in her voice? After the spar, even Okibi seemed quieter than usual; the god of fire didn't offer much aside from a few disgruntled comments when Shana asked him a direct question.

"You're hiding something," Shana dared to say, stopping in her tracks. The Saiyan paused in turn, glancing over her shoulder slightly. But to the human's surprise, it was Skoll who spoke through the Saiyan's gateway. The powerful god of lightning... Shana hadn't seen him but once, and it was only a glance. But there was no denying the wisdom that he held. That all of the feral gods held.

You shouldn't have been able to manipulate your element that easily. Actually, you shouldn't have been able to manipulate it at all. Okibi hasn't been infused within your spirit, yet.

His words were ominous, causing a chill to traverse down Shana's spine. In the heat of battle, she wasn't even sure how it happened; it just came out of nowhere, almost like second nature.

"Is that bad?" she asked.

I don't know. But I'd rather that-

"We'll talk about this later," Blackfire interrupted, narrowing her eyes. She turned away and continued walking, leaving the human behind. Once again, Shana scampered to keep up with the Saiyan's longer gait. She spoke no more, and part of Shana was content with the silence. It allowed her to collect her thoughts.

As the two Vessels crossed from room to room, Shana couldn't help but wonder where Blackfire was leading her. Soon though, the answer became obvious. Blackfire opened another door, moving over slightly to allow Shana access to the kitchen. Her stomach growled; she hadn't eaten at all. Blackfire had shuffled her out of the house before she could get breakfast or anything!

Word of Shana: 770/770
TTC: 770

Sayuri looked at the clock nervously; it had been almost 2 hours since Trunks was supposed to return. Something is wrong. He never misses lunch, she thought. Normally Sayuri wouldn’t have been too concerned. But the note she woke up to this morning sent a chill down her spine.

Sayuri,
I have some pressing business to attend to this morning. I do not want to worry you, but if I am not back by lunch, there is an island west of Senton City. Look for a ship that seems out of place, if all else fails, follow the rain. Be cautious.
Trunks

Not able to wait a moment longer for fear of jumping out of her skin, she headed into her room and grabbed her oversized bag. She buzzed around the house packing some minor first aid supplies, a few large bottles of water, 5 sandwiches, and some fruit. After a brief pause she headed back towards Trunks’ room.

She walked across the plush blue carpet and gingerly opened his dresser drawers. She had hoped he wouldn’t be angered at her invasion of privacy. She pulled out a fresh change of clothes and shoved them into her bag. On her way out she grabbed the map off of his dresser and smiled at the bottle of cologne she noticed getting low. She made a mental note of picking up some more as a thank you gift later on for all of his teachings.

After running through a mental check list of all her supplies she burst out of the front doors of the Kame House. It wasn’t long before she was flying over the open ocean with no land in sight. She glanced down at the compass around her neck making sure to stay on course. If it weren't for the strenuous circumstances she might have enjoyed the trip. The smell of salt grew thicker with each breath, and the reefs seemed to shimmer behind their clear veil of crystalline water. Every now and then she saw the ominous shadows of sharks patrolling for their next meal

After about an hour she knew she must be nearing the right island. The temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees and the waters became rougher. Storm clouds seemed to slowly retreat as if opening their darkened gates, and thunder roared in the distance. She noticed an unusual amount of lightning in the clouds.

Sayuri could feel her anxiety rising. What the hell am I doing. I don’t even know what I am facing. Her thoughts raced. It took another hour of searching before she was absolutely sure she had found the right place, but what struck her as odd wasn’t the fact that it was a foreign ship. Sayuri watched cautiously from afar as a small framed child approached the ship. The girl could not have been all but twelve, but instinct and training from Trunks had taught her not to let looks deceive.
Sayuri watched the girl check for signs of being followed and wondered what she was hiding from.

After a brief movement Sayuri couldn’t distinguish the ships door hissed open and the girl disappeared from sight. Sayuri approached the ship cautiously. There were no handles to get in, no keypads to type on, only a small smoothed spot for a hand to be pressed upon. Hopeful there were no traps, Sayuri scrunched her eyes in fear and pressed her hand upon it. She opened one eye a second later, nothing's happening, she let out a dejected sigh.

Knowing there wasn’t any other choice, except maybe sitting outside like an idiot, she mustered up whatever courage she had left and banged hard on the door as loud as she could.

“HELLO,” she yelled. “I’M HERE TO SEE TRUNKS. IS ANYONE THERE?”
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Word Count:632
Saga Total:1,402

The rejuvenation tank let out a low beep, letting the the non-existent medical officer know that the healing process was complete. Trunks was suspended half naked within the blue liquid called Bio-Gen, his mouth hooked up to a respirator. The lavender strands of his hair were floating in all directions. With each breath a torrent of bubbles came out of the mask and rose up to the top of the tank. The vicious burns that he had on his arms and legs were gone, leaving nothing more than tender new flesh.

The automatic release kicked in and liquid began to drain. Within a few seconds he was no longer submerged and dangled in the harness, dripping wet. Jets turned on, spraying him with fresh water to clean of the sticky Bio-Gen. An immense whirring noise filled the chamber as a set of driers kicked on, blasting Trunks with warm air, evaporating the remaining moisture off of his flesh within a few seconds.

A hydraulic hiss indicated the front hatch opening. It was a minute or two before Trunks came to, his blue eyes flicked open slowly. His mind was dull—almost like a radio filled with static. As he drew upon his memories, they were hard to grasp, as if his brain was struggling to find a station.

Carefully, he removed the respirator, spitting out the strange iodine tasting slime coating his mouth. In the fog of his confusion, he struggled with the buckles and straps holding him in the harness. After releasing the final strap he fell to the floor of the chamber.

He staggered out, rubbing his eyes free of the goop stuck in him. After fighting through blurry vision he looked around. It seemed he was in the medical wing of some building or ship. The air inside was cool and nipped at his flesh. On a small stainless steel table next to the rejuvenation tank he saw his what was left of his clothes. They were tattered and burnt to a blackened crisp. A clean white bathrobe robe sat next to them, neatly folded. On the breast of the robe was the insignia of the the Saiyan Army, King Vegeta's own logo.

It was then his brain finally found the station it was looking for and his memories came flooding back. Mainly images of an immense pillar of fire and Shana's expression of deadly determination.

“Looks like I lost,” Trunks said to no one in particular.

Perhaps he had been fooling himself when he thought he could defeat a Vessel in battle. It proved their strength, that was sure. Shana was a budding Vessel, who barely knew how to manipulate her ki enough to fly. Yet, she had proven that beating a warrior of his caliber was child's play. Trunks grimaced at the thought of being out of the league when it came to warriors such as Komand'r and Shana.

Donning the robe, he tied the belt and walked out of the medical wing, heading down a long corridor. His bare feet padded on the cool tiling. He was somewhat familiar with the layout of a Saiyan Warship and after a moment was able to get his bearings.

Trunks entered the bridge, stumbling upon Komand'r and Shana in mid conversation.

"Is that bad?" Shana said.

"We'll talk about this later," Komand'r said.

Stretching his stiff arms, he paused at the entrance. “So, that was a nice little swim in the rejuvenation tank. Man, Shana, that fire technique was wild. I never expected you to be so strong. Good job.”

Before Trunks could say anything else he heard a loud banging sound. It was coming from the bridge's entrance hatch. The armored hull of the warship was thick, so he only heard a muffled voice on the outside. Not bothering to wait for Komand'r, he crossed the room, punching a button on the hatch's control panel. A small screen flickered to life, showing the imagine of another girl with long raven locks. She was wearing a jacket and jeans, with a raggedy patched up purse hanging from her shoulder..

“Sayuri?” Trunks muttered in confusion, and then remembered his note.

He sighed in embarrassment. When he had wrote it he doubted he was going to lose to little old Shana, but had left information on where Sayuri could find him encase something like this really did happen. Hitting the activation switch, the hatch hissed open and the ramp extended onto the soft ground. Humid air caused the scent of rain and forest to flood his nostrils as he gazed down at Sayuri.

It was then he realized his condition. Here he was wearing a bathrobe, with two young girls behind him. No doubt Sayuri would see the deep reddening of his cheeks.

“Ah glad do see you found the place,” he said to her before glancing back at Komand'r. “This is Sayuri, a martial arts student that Master Roshi has me tutoring. I told her to come after me if I didn't return for lunch.”

He ushered Sayuri inside with a hand gesture. “Forgive my appearance,” he said and pointed to Shana. “I just got out of a healing tank. That little girl right there whooped me pretty good in a practice battle.”

---

Post WC: 879
Trunks WC: 879
Thread WC: 2,281

OOC: I am sorry for posting after Trunks a second time Shana. He said you wouldn't mind because it was easier to set myself into the RP that way. Plus you were sleeping

Sayuri had half a mind to turn around and leave. The sudden hiss of the opening door caught her off guard. Locking her legs to keep her knees from shaking at the fear of what was coming next she watched a tall figure slowly come into focus.

“Trunks!” she shouted almost leaping towards him. She quickly regained her composure becoming fully aware of the situation. His cheeks began to redden deeply. Sayuri raised a confused eyebrow upon noticing his clothes were instead replaced by a soft white robe.

“Ah glad do see you found the place,” he said to her before glancing back at the two females behind him, one of which she noticed to be the small child she had followed. The other woman chilled Sayuri to the bone. “This is Sayuri, a martial arts student that Master Roshi has me tutoring. I told her to come after me if I didn't return for lunch.” He ushered her inside with a hand gesture. “Forgive my appearance,” he said and pointed to Shana. “I just got out of a healing tank. That little girl right there whooped me pretty good in a practice battle.”

Sayuri sighed unable to control her grinning as she followed Trunks into what looked like a galley. “Honestly you’d be lost without me,” she said dropping her large purse on the counter. She began pulling out items. “When you didn’t show I took the note and came looking, but I thought I’d be smart and pack in case you got into any trouble.”

She looked at the two women with a smile, and returned to her mother henning of Trunks. “Anyways, I brought your lunch. Four sandwiches for you, one for me and a ton of fruit. I wasn’t expecting you to be with anyone, so I guess two for you and one for each of us will have to do.” Reaching all the way to the bottom of her bag with a little effort she finally retrieved the spare outfit and tossed it at Trunks.

“Looks like you need these. I hope you don’t mind me going into your room. Why don’t you go get dressed. Then if it’s ok we can eat some lunch, and maybe you can tell me what’s going on?”

As he walked away she suddenly realized she was alone with the two girls. Not daring to look at the older of the two she focused on the child. Sayuri was in awe and confusion on how the tiny framed child could have such power.

She picked up two sandwiches and extended her arms in a sort of peace offering. “I hope you like chicken salad. I made sure to keep them cool on my way over. I am awfully sorry for the intrusion.”
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Word Count: 463
Sayuri Count: 1,095
Saga Total: 2,744

"Yo-you're okay!" Shana exclaimed as Trunks walked into the room donning a white robe. His body seemed to be as good as new.

"Of course he's okay. If anything, your little beat down activated his Zenkai and made him stronger than you." Blackfire's eyebrow twitched slightly, causing Shana to frown. Something was biting the Saiyan, Shana was sure of that. But what was it?

“So, that was a nice little swim in the rejuvenation tank. Man, Shana, that fire technique was wild. I never expected you to be so strong. Good job.”

"I-it was nothing. Blackfire trained me a lot..." Shana had little time to dwell upon Trunk's praise as a muffled knocking echoed through the Saiyan War ship. Trunks brushed past Shana and quickly crossed the room to punch a few commands into a control panel.

It didn't take long for the door to open, granting access to another woman who entered the bridge. Shana didn't recognize her, and judging by the stone-like look on Blackfire's face, the Saiyan neither knew or cared for the visitor.

Trunks greeted her briefly before turning around. “This is Sayuri, a martial arts student that Master Roshi has me tutoring. I told her to come after me if I didn't return for lunch," the Half-Saiyan introduced the woman.

Shana bowed her head slightly, but Trunks started to talk to Sayuri before the human could introduce herself. The newcomer produced a stack of clothes, tossing them to Trunks. He seemed a bit embarrassed to Shana, but took them gratefully. He walked away, disappearing down a hallway. Shana couldn't help but squirm slightly under the woman's gaze. She seemed fixated on the child, ignoring (or at least trying to) Blackfire completely.

She held out some sandwiches. “I hope you like chicken salad. I made sure to keep them cool on my way over. I am awfully sorry for the intrusion.”

"No, it's fine, really-" the host of fire trailed off as Blackfire let out a small snort, turned around, and walked off. She disappeared down the same hallway that Trunks had just taken, entering a separate door and closing it behind her. What's wrong with her? Ever since Shana had won against Trunks, the Saiyan had seemed angry.

Shana turned her attention back to Sayuri. "Sorry..." she decided to apologize for Blackfire, wishing that she could understand what was troubling the Saiyan. "My name is Shana." The girl dipped her head to the female. She paused to flick a bang of ebony hair that crossed her face, tucking it behind her ear neatly. Her hair was begining to dry now that she was in the warm Saiyan War ship, but part of the girl wanted to get out of her tattered clothes.

Of course, she couldn't leave the woman here alone. Thanks to Blackfire's sour attitude, she wouldn't be able to make her leave until Trunks came back...

Word of Shana: 488/1258
TTC: 3232

The head (the ship's bathroom) was illuminated by blinding fluorescent light. Trunks removed his white robe, standing in nothing more than his plaid boxers. He examined the tender flesh on his forearms and legs. The Bio-Gen bath had done his body well, but because the flesh was so new, he didn't even have any hair. He was smooth as a baby. He had to be grateful for his condition, however, as it could have been much worse. In an Earthling hospital, they would have had to use archaic skin grafting surgery to cover the destroyed flesh, and would have left him terribly scarred. A little pink hairless flesh was far less a punishment than the latter.

Still, it was a bit haunting how powerful little Shana had been. He didn't hear the full conversation that she and Komand'r had when he walked in, but he figured it had something to do with their little battle. At first his pride had been a bit wounded, but he realized he was looking at it all wrong. Yes, he had been defeated by a young girl, but, she was not just any girl. She was the Vessel of the God of Fire, Okibi, a being that was had existed for eons and had been hosted in some of the most powerful warriors the universe had seen. Hell, it was an honor to face such an opponent. To think, he had even stood his ground too.

Within a few moments he had pulled on his trousers, pulled over a new tank-top and slipped on his favorite dark blue Capsule Corporation jacket. Finally dressed, he took one final look and felt proud of his appearance, and then left the head. Sayuri had picked out a fine outfit for him.

Komand'r was not present within the galley. It was just Sayuri and Shana standing there, awkwardly. Trunks walked over and pulled out a chair, before taking a seat. Sayuri had brought him some lunch, chicken sandwiches, which had been a better idea than she most likely knew. The Bio-Gen treatment sped up his metabolism, thus leaving his body starved for nutrition. Just looking at the sandwiches made him salivate. He didn't want to seem to eager, but he snatched the first sandwich and removed the plastic wrapping.

He took a bite and chewed. “Wow Sayuri, this is really good,” he said after swallowing. “Thank you for bringing these. And my clothes too. It's like you knew...”

“I'm sorry that I didn't disclose exactly what I had been doing this morning,” Trunks continued. “But, I how else do you tell someone that you're going to fight a little girl?”

Trunks couldn't help the sheepish grin that crossed his face. Without even realizing it, he was done with his first sandwich and unwrapping the second. He glanced over to Shana. She looked rough and he kind of felt bad for the damage he had done to her. When she wasn't surrounded by a pillar of fire, she looked rather vulnerable and scared.

“Well, not that you aren't a worthy opponent. But, you know how the whole stereotyping thing goes. Little girls aren't usually as powerful as Vessels.”

The second sandwich tasted even better than the first. It was halfway gone before a minute was up. “Where did Komand'r go? I wanted to ask her something.”

---

WC: 549
Trunks WC: 1,428
Thread WC: 3,781

Sayuri watched as the older woman gave a rude scoff and stomped rather childishly off to another room. “Geez, what’s her deal?” she said turning to the child. Quickly resenting not holding her comment to herself she added “Looks like it was a rough day for everyone.” She set the sandwich down and decided to let the girl take it on her own. Sayuri noticed the level of uneasiness in the room. Something definitely is strange here, and why was he fighting someone so young?

"Sorry..." the child said in a small voice after a few moments of awkward silence. “My name is Shana," she said wiping a small strand of bangs from her face.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Sayuri said smiling warmly at Shana. Not able to hold back her hunger any longer, she unwrapped a sandwich for herself and took a bite. “Feel free to have one,” she said motioning to the sandwich she had left next to Shana. “You look like you had a rough fight.” She paused then added with a grin, “So, you whooped Trunks pretty good huh? I’m impressed; it’s about time someone brought that ego down.”

At that moment the echo his heavy footsteps resonated from the hall. “Speak of the devil,” she said and turned to greet him. He walked over and took a seat next to Sayuri. She felt a slight heat rise in her cheeks as she caught herself staring at how handsome he looked. The outfit she grabbed suited him well. Sayuri watched as Trunks snatched his first sandwich and took half of it in one bite.

“Wow Sayuri, this is really good,” he said after swallowing. “Thank you for bringing these, and my clothes too. It's like you knew...”

“Well, you did leave a note. I was worried about coming into your room without your permission but it looks like my intrusion on your personal space will have be over looked after this. Honestly Trunks, what would you do without me?” she said grinning.

After pausing a moment she gave him a stern look. “You know, if you trusted me enough to come looking for you, the least you could have done was offered me to come along. Don’t you think it could have been a good learning experience? I mean, I kinda would like to know what I am going to be up against if I am eventually traveling with you. Not to mention I don’t like having worry all day then come searching for you,” she lectured.

Trunks spoke between bites. “I'm sorry that I didn't disclose exactly what I had been doing this morning,” he continued. “But, I how else do you tell someone that you're going to fight a little girl?” A sheepish grin crossed his face and he reached for the second sandwich. “Well, not that you aren't a worthy opponent,” he said looking at Shana. “But, you know how the whole stereotyping thing goes. Little girls aren't usually as powerful as Vessels.”

Sayuri raised an eyebrow.”Aaaannnnd you lost me.” She looked at Shana puzzled a moment before asking “What is a Ves-”

“Where did Komand'r go? I wanted to ask her something.” Trunks interrupted looking around.

“If by Komand’r, you mean the brooding storm cloud that seemed to be riding an air stream of rude, she went down the hall into another room. Is she always this pleasant?” Sayuri looked at Shana and sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I seem to be on the same rude front. I guess she could have kicked my ass rather than let me in.”
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Word count: 600
Sayuri Count:1,695
Saga Total:4,381

Shana watched as Sayrui put the sandwich down. She was hungry, but not too fond of chicken, much less chicken salad. Not wanting to be rude, she started to reach for one, but was saved by Trunks showing up once more in a clean change of clothes.

The human dipped her head, getting ready to dash down the hallway when Trunks' spoke. “Where did Komand'r go? I wanted to ask her something.”

"Uhhh, I'll go see," Shana said, shifting from foot to foot eagerly before dashing off. Her long black hair flowed behind her as she vanished down the hall, giving one final wave of farewell. Her scuffed school shoes echoed as they pounded on the titanium alloy of the ship's floors. Soon, the two visitors were behind her and Shana slowed to a walk. The massive war vessel was easy to get lost in if one were to traverse carelessly. But somewhere around here was the room that Blackfire transferred most of her belongings into.

As she passed one room though, she could hear Blackfire's voice as the Saiyan talked quietly through what may have been a communicator for all Shana knew.

"What's the deal?"

"Deal?" The voice was feminine, but strong. Shana didn't recognize it, though. She leaned in closer to the door, careful to not let her shoes scrape against the floor. The last thing Shana wanted was to alert Blackfire of her presence. She doubted that the Saiyan would appreciate her eavesdropping on a conversation.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Blackfire snarled out, sounding legitimately pissed. "That girl! What the hell is she?" There was a long pause. Shana could hear that the other woman was talking, yet she couldn't make out the words. "I know she's a Vessel! I'm not stupid! But I also know that she's eleven! I've been training my entire life. Since I was four! Yet this girl..." Blackfire trailed off.

"What about her?"

"You're the god, aren't you? You should already know what I'm referring to..." The other female spoke again, yet her voice was almost lost to the girl's ears. Several seconds of silence seemed to drone on, then Blackfire sighed. "I'll talk to you later." Shana quickly scrambled away from the door, turning to find an escape. She wasn't quick enough. "People with big ears sometimes hear things they don't want to listen to."

Shana flinched. She'd been discovered. Of course she had been discovered. "I can sense you out there, Shana. Come on in!" The tiny human let out a sigh, being sure that Blackfire could hear it through the thick door. Sliding her hand to the panel, she let herself into Blackfire's quarters. To her surprise, the Saiyan didn't seem too angry. The Saiyan was dressed in a lilac tank top and jeans with a hole showing her right knee.

"Who were you talking to?" Shana asked without preamble. She searched behind the Saiyan with her brown eyes, but the screen was shut off, giving no clues.

"Her name is Alexstrasza. She's the leader of the Conclave... You'll meet her soon enough, though." A distant look crossed the Saiyan's face and she frowned slightly.

"What is it?"

Blackfire sighed. "I suppose that I owe you an apology. I haven't been in the best of moods as of late. There's just been a lot of things troubling me. There's murmurs traveling around." The Saiyan reached over to the nearby counter, picking up what looked to be the remains of some kind of machinery. Shana couldn't even begin to guess what the use of it was.

"Such as?" Shana pressed Komand'r further.

The teen shook her head as if to clear her mind. "Don't worry about it. We just need to get started on your training. Go get changed and-" Before Blackfire could finish, the lights flickered, blasting a harsh red color. Alarms blared loudly, causing Shana to wince. What was going on? The look on Blackfire's face was not reassuring at all. "Get to the bridge!" she barked, dashing out the door. Her form had become little more than a blur, causing the air to stir and whip; Shana's hair blasted to the side as the Saiyan tore out of the room.

The human had little choice but to follow the host of lightning. She had no clue what was transpiring, but it couldn't have been good. Nor could it have been a drill. There was no denying the urgency in both Komand'r's face and voice.

It didn't take long to make her way to the bridge. Blackfire was already there, frowning over the display. Her fingers flew over the controls, tapping wildly on the console. With each stroke, more pictures and graphs came up on the display. Shana couldn't make sense of any of it; even the writing was foreign. Perhaps it was in the Saiyan language? Did Saiyans have a different language?

Blackfire paused in her typing to look up at the screen. Her face seemed to drain of all color. "We're under attack! We have twenty seconds! Get off of the ship!"

Word of Shana: 847/2105
TWC: 5228

“If by Komand’r, you mean the brooding storm cloud that seemed to be riding an air stream of rude, she went down the hall into another room. Is she always this pleasant?” Sayuri said and Trunks aw her look over at Shana and sigh. “I’m sorry. I seem to be on the same rude front. I guess she could have kicked my ass rather than let me in.”

"Uhhh, I'll go see," Shana said, before darting out of the galley down the hall.

With Shana gone, it was just Trunks and Sayuri left in the galley. He had finished his sandwich and grabbed the bottle of water she had provided for him. After taking a long drink he let out a whistle of refreshment. It was nice to wash the food down after chewing.

He gave her a half smirk, before looking her straight in the eyes for sincerity. “You're right, I should have given you a chance and brought you with me so you could see the fight. I guess...”

He gulped, not sure how else to put it. “I feel very protective of you. I was afraid being in the middle of a battlefield would be dangerous for you. I would have spent most of the time worrying that my attacks might come to harm you somehow. I guess, I wasn't really thinking like a teacher should. I care a lot about you Sayuri. You have treated me so well and have been a true friend., something I forgot about in the long years of running away from the Vora.”


Reverse thrusters roared violently as they tried to slow the ascent of the massive cruiser. The behemoth hammer-head shark shaped Battle Cruiser looked like a burning meteor as it tore through the upper reaches of the Earth's atmosphere. Any Earthling standing on the ground might think it was the end of the world. A sonic boom resounded in the sky, shattering windows and ear drums for miles. Eventually the cruiser came to a grinding halt, floating above the small island nearby Senton City.

On the bridge, a reptilian Xeno with a scouter over his left eye studied a holographic map of the island. His long claw-like fingers tapped on the console below as he zoomed in on his target, a smaller warship hidden among the trees.

“Sssire, target acquired,” the Xeno officer said, his voice a low rasp.

“Good, fire a Hunter-Seeker missile when you're ready,” a deep voice said from the command chair, which was turned around.

“Aye, ayeeee.”

The Xeno flipped open a small hatch on the console, revealing a pulsating red button. He turned a few knobs next to it and pushed up a slider, which produced a low rumble in the decks deep below him.

With excitement filling his little beady black eyes, he slammed his palm onto the button. From the belly of the cruiser, a single missile launched, leaving behind a curly white trail of smoke in its wake.


The blushing of Trunks's face was, without warning, erased when the room became bathed in a crimson glow. Alarms sounded and the Half-Saiyan jumped to his feet suddenly. It could mean only one thing, the ship was being targeted.

“Hurry,” he shouted and gently tugged Sayuri's hand. “Come with me!”

He led her on a wild charge through the winding halls of the ship. Coming upon the central corridor, he slid to a stop and turned, towing Sayuri with him. They were now behind Shana and Komand'r, who were also headed towards the bridge.

Trunks arrived to see Komand'r already tapping at the console. He let go of Sayuri and walked over, peeking over her shoulder at the display. The radar showed an incoming projectile, moving fast... too fast. The blinking text bubble next to the blip was an indication from the passive scanner, a Hunter-Seeker was headed their way.

"We're under attack! We have twenty seconds! Get off of the ship!" Komand'r shouted.

Trunks wasted no time, whirling around. Moving so fast he was nothing more than a blur, he vanished from his position and appeared next to the hatch controls, hitting the activation switch. The amount of time it took the hatch to open and for the ramp to extend, seemed like an eternity.

Sayuri and Shana were the first ones down the ramp, making a beeline towards the trees. Komand'r was next, Trunks merely feeling a whoosh of displaced air as she passed him.

Trunks didn't even bother shutting the hatch, he simply fled as fast as he could, boots on ground. Before he could take cover behind the line of trees, the ship erupted into a pillar of flames and burning hot metal. The explosive shock wave knocked him off of his feet and he landed among some soft ferns.

Pieces of white shrapnel rained down all around, cutting cutting the forest to tatters. Shards of leaves and splinters of wood littered the air, spiraling down onto the underbrush. One large limb nearly landed on Trunks, but he managed to roll out of the way at the last second. His ears were ringing from the sound of the explosion. He sat up, looking around for a sign of the girls. All he saw were falling pieces of plant matter and dancing flames, before visibility vanished from cloud of hazy black smoke. it was thick and putrid and caused him to burst into a fit of coughing.

---

WC: 914
Trunks WC: 2,342
Thread WC: 7,570

“I’ll go see,“ Sayuri watched as Shana bolted out of the room with her raven locks trailing behind. She gave a small smile and shook her head. I remember when I used to be like that.

She looked over at Trunks worried her recent scolding might have put a damper on his mood. She was pleased to see quite the contrary. She watched him take a bottle of water from the table and open it eagerly. He took a few long slow gulps and made a grateful sound for the refreshment. He turned to Sayuri and gave her a small smirk. After a moment his face became suddenly sincere.

“You're right, I should have given you a chance and brought you with me so you could see the fight. I guess...” He took a nervous gulp. “I feel very protective of you. I was afraid being in the middle of a battlefield would be dangerous for you. I would have spent most of the time worrying that my attacks might come to harm you somehow.”

Sayuri felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she avoided his gaze. “I-I’m…” She stammered unsure of what to say.

“I guess, I wasn't really thinking like a teacher should.” Trunks continued. “I care a lot about you Sayuri. You have treated me so well and have been a true friend., something I forgot about in the long years of running away from the Vora.”

I care about you too, but I won’t tell you in a place like this, she though thinking of Komand’r in the other room. She let out a small sigh and looked at Trunks with a sheepish smile. “Well, I guess that makes since,” she said. “I would feel the same way too,” she added quietly after a pause, but her words were quickly lost.

A loud screeching noise make Sayuri wince in fear as the ship became bathed in an earie red glow. Of all the timing. The next few minutes were an eternity and a blur mixed in one.

“Hurry,” Trunks said grabbing her hand. He lead her through a maze of halls at a dizzing pace. They fell in pace behind Komand’r and Shana ending in what she guessed to be the bridge. Sayuri stood off to the side willing herself to remain calm. She watched as Trunks headed to peek over Komand’rs shoulder as her fingers were traveling in a flurry over some strange screens.

"We're under attack! We have twenty seconds! Get off of the ship!" Komand'r shouted.

Without skipping a beat Sayuri watched as Trunks headed to a small control pannel and opened the hatch. Making sure Shana was on her way down the ramp first she followed running towards the only cover she could see available, the trees ahead.

And then her world was a deafening blast of sound and heat. The shock wave sent her flying to the ground with a hard thud. Ignoring her throbbing knee, Sayuri curled in an almost fetal position and covered her head with her arms. She could feel burning bits of glass and metal sear the back of her hands and heard thudding debris all around her. When the solid shower had ceased, she rose to her feet checking over her injuries and searching for her purse remembering the first aid supplies. She let out a deep sigh as it lay in a pile about 3 feet away tattered and on fire. She turned to look at the destruction behind her. The ship was an unrecognizable heap of hollow twisted metal.

Something tells me we got off easy, but I doubt this is the last of it

Sayuri snapped to attention frantically aware that she could not see her comrads. “Trunks!” she screamed into the dust. She heard a rustle and saw shadows to her left as the dust began to clear. Sighing in relief she made her way towards Trunks, Shana and Komand’r. After a once over to make sure everyone was alright she finally spoke.

“Not that I didn’t sign up for the whole help fight to save the world cause, but will somebody please tell me what the HELL is going on here?”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Word Count:700
Sayuri Word Count:2,395
Saga Count: 8,270

The explosion was massive. If it hadn't been for Blackfire grabbing Shana in mid-flight, she wondered if she would have survived at all. The heat and intensity of the fiery inferno of flames and twisted metal was an impressive display of destruction. As the four of them took cover in the thicker part of the woods, Blackfire got up, shock lining her features. Shana propped herself against the trunk of one tree, rubbing at her shoulder. Something had slammed into it in the girl's hasty escape, leaving it sore to the touch. As she looked around, she could barely make the form of Trunks several yards away. Where was the other woman?

She couldn't find her! Had they split up too much in the evacuation? “Not that I didn’t sign up for the whole help fight to save the world cause, but will somebody please tell me what the HELL is going on here?” The voice sounded out behind Shana. She could see Sayuri picking her way across the ruined terrain. She didn't seem to be harmed either. Before Shana could respond, Blackfire had leaped up to a thick branch overhead. Leaves rustled violently as the Saiyan landed awkwardly on the bark.

"No...." The area before her was ruined. Utterly ruined. One would never guess what once stood there; the maze of twisted and charred metal looked nothing like the powerful warship that once stood there. "Who would have done this?" Her voice was a mere whisper, almost lost in the fury of flames that still crackled violently before them. The Saiyan's question did not go unanswered for long. The host of lightning suddenly jerked her head up to look at something in the sky.

Shana followed the Saiyan's gaze, and her brown eyes widened further. "Wha... What is that?" The heavens above seemed to be on fire. Even the sky itself was a deep crimson color. The color of blood. From the stained clouds, a single orb of powerful flames seemed to fall gracefully from the atmosphere. Only when the flames died down, could Shana see what was inside. It appeared to be a war ship, but on a much larger scale than Blackfire's. This powerful piece of machinery loomed dangerously over the wrecked island. The metal began to dull as the red-hot color drained from it.

"It's a Royal-class Behemoth Saiyan Cruiser..." Blackfire answered tersely. "But what the hell is it doing here?" Her voice was strained, eyes narrowed in confusion. But something was bothering the Saiyan. It wasn't the ship itself, either.

For what seemed to be an eternity, the invading cruiser just hovered over the ruined island, giving no signs of moving. Below, the giant crater from the Hunter-Seeker Missile was quickly filling with salt water from the nearby ocean. Birds scampered about, calling to each other in panic and confusion. They were lucky to have survived at all. Even the nearby trees had suffered from the attack; twisted metal had been embedded into the trunks, letting out a bitter sap from the plants.

"Something's coming out!" Shana exclaimed, watching as a circular door on the belly of the cruiser opened. A hissing sound could be heard as the air pressure from the ship equalized with the air pressure on Earth. And then, something that Shana could only describe as a swarm emptied out. Hundreds, no thousands of beings fell from the hatch with a single and mingled roar.

Shana let out a startled cry as a wave of aliens tore through the forest. Blackfire gritted her teeth, slipping into a stance. An amethyst aura erupted around the Saiyan, so great in power that it pushed the trees back. However, to Shana's confusion, the mixed aliens didn't attack. They simply rushed past, seemingly taking no notice of the four fighters perched in the trees.

"What was that all abou-"

"Be quiet!" Blackfire cut her off, looking back at the ship. A single figure had emerged from the same opening. Shana couldn't make out any of the details aside that it was a male, but Blackfire seemed to be able to see him just fine. Her face seemed to drain of all color. "Omega?"

Two more figures appeared. One male, one female. "Oh no..." The host of lightning stood up from her branch, balling her fists.

"Blackfire? What's going on? Who are they?" Shana still didn't have a clue what was going on.

"They're Saiyans," Blackfire explained, heaving a sigh. "No doubt coming for me. There's nothing to do at this point, they already know I'm here. Follow me, and for goodness sakes, let me do the talking!" She raked the whole group with an icy stare to make sure they were all on the same page. It was obvious that Blackfire didn't want a fight. After a few moments, she floated up into the air.

With little choice, Shana followed as Blackfire slowly ascended. Now she could see the figures much more clearly. The one in the center looked young. He couldn't have been any older than his mid to late teens. His ebony hair was spiky, clumped up almost unruly. The other two looked to be older. The male had his long hair tied back in a pony tail much like the female. There was something dangerous about the look in their eye. Every now and then they would turn to each other, whispering something under their breath; Shana couldn't make it out. But the younger male had a face that looked to be etched out of stone. There was no emotion visible on his face; he only watched Blackfire coolly as she approached.

A silence seemed to stretch out as she came to a halt several yards away. Shana squirmed uncomfortably in her flight; unsure of what was going to happen, she glanced at Blackfire. There was a frown on her face. Finally, she spoke.

"Omega. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Is that the kind of greeting I get, Blackfire? After almost a year? You sound so accusing."

"You blew up my ship!" the host of lightning snarled. "Do you realize that you could of killed me and several civilians?"

To Shana's surprise, Omega only chuckled, reaching up with gloved hand to push a lock of hair away from his face. The arm movement revealed a red insignia embroidered on his right breastplate.

"Fl-fleet Master?" Blackfire choked out, looking surprised. "When did you..." The look on her face hardened. "Is this a declaration of war, then?"

"I guess you could call it that, yes. You're as sharp as ever, Blackfire. And as an answer to your previous question, you're quick on your feet. There's no way in hell that that Seeker Missile would have caught you in its blast. I merely wanted to draw your attention," Omega spoke, crossing his arms. A sneer crossed his face. Even though Shana could not detect energy, there was no question that this man was strong. Perhaps as strong as Blackfire. He seemed confident in facing her, at least.

"If King Vegeta sent you to resale this planet, then he must know..."

"On the contrary, the King knows nothing of your little escape from the Saiyan Empire, Blackfire. It was by luck that I managed to grab this mission, actually. It's hard to leave Planet Vegeta with my position, I'm sure you understand. You were the Commander of the Saiyan Army, in fact."

His words caused a chill to crawl down Shana's spine. Blackfire was the Commander of the Saiyan Army? She had never spoken of her past much, but it still was a shock.

"You're here to resale this planet, then..." Blackfire accessed, narrowing her eyes. She turned to the male next to Omega. "Jagex..." Her head turned to the female. "Serina..." They both looked a bit uncomfortable being addressed by Blackfire.

"Sorry, Comman- Blackfire," Jagex quickly corrected himself, scratching his head a bit. "Orders are orders, though."

"We all have the power to choose our own destiny. You can forge your own path, or let others forge it for you. Is this what you really want?" Blackfire's words were thick of a meaning unknown to Shana. Jagex didn't reply, and the tension in the air seemed to thicken.

"Enough!" Omega's voice was sharp. "I doubt you'll simply back down, Blackfire. I've known you for too long. So instead, I'd like to ask a question before we start - Why did you abandon the Empire? You were at the prime of your career! You were next in line to become the Saiyan Overlord!"

Blackfire only sighed. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it all, Omega. You always have been simple-minded though."

"What was that?"Omega's voice got deeper as anger charged his voice. But Blackfire took no notice of it. Perhaps she didn't care. Shana could only watch as the former Commander took up a stance. The very air seemed to distort around the Saiyan. Her power must have been increasing.

"I don't have time to explain the cosmos and its workings to you, Omega. So for your sake, I'm going to finish this quickly!" There was a thick threat accompanying Komand'r's words. Shana watched in awe as her hair stood on end. A golden color flashed through it and a yellow aura exploded around the teen. Jagex and Serina's eyes went wide; both Saiyans backed up a pace, looking at the transformation with fear. Even though Shana had already seen Blackfire's ascension thrice, the human couldn't help but share the same fear. The power flooding off of the woman was incredible.

Shana didn't miss Omega's reaction, though. Well, to be more specific, it was his lack of reaction that disturbed the human more than anything. Blackfire's glow reflected off of his ebony eyes. A knowing look seemed to cross his features. "So... you are a Super Saiyan. I shouldn't be surprised."

"Back off," Komand'r commanded, balling her fists. "I don't want to have to hurt you unnecessarily. Call your troops back and go home!"

Omega began to laugh. He laughed! Jagex and Serina seemed to be as lost as Shana felt. Surely he would show fear, respect, something? But when Omega looked down, a smile was broadening across his face. "And here I thought that this battle would be boring. I'm impressed, Blackfire. I truly am. But did you really think that you were the only one to achieve that legendary status?"

"What? You- No! You couldn't have!" Blackfire sounded flustered. Her response only served to strengthen Omega's smile.

"Watch closely, Blackfire. I'll drag you back to the Saiyan Empire even if I have to break you first!" He let out a low growl that began to intensify as the ground below him shook. Blackfire gritted her teeth, letting out a hiss as Omega began to radiate with a golden hue. His muscles expanded slightly, and his hair took on a different shape. When Shana looked closely at the Saiyan's eyes, they were a similar green hue to Blackfire's.

"Impossible..." Blackfire choked out. But there was no denying the fact. Especially when it was right in front of them, viewed by seven witnesses. Omega had ascended into a Super Saiyan.

Word of Shana: 1873/3978
TTC: 10143

“Trunks!” Sayuri shouted. Trunks was glad to hear her voice through the thick black smoke. “Not that I didn’t sign up for the whole help fight to save the world cause, but will somebody please tell me what the HELL is going on here?”

The smoke eventually cleared enough that he could make out her hazy from standing among the ragged ferns and tattered trees. He jumped to his feet and darted over to her, passing through a wall of flames. It was just in time too, because Sayuri started to collapse. Trunks caught her, with gentle hands and corrected her, holding her up by slinging his arm around her waist. He looked down at her right leg and spotted a large circle of crimson spreading on her knee. Looking down, he could see the glint of metal sticking out of the flesh. Looking her into eyes he grimaced and could finally see the evidence of pain.

“Your knee,” Trunks said. “Dammit.”

"No," Trunks heard Komand'r say and when he looked over he saw her standing one of the only surviving tree branches. "Who would have done this?"

She was obviously surveying the destruction. Since it had been a Hunter-Seeker missile that had destroyed the warship, he doubted there was anything left except for a smoking crater.

"Wha-what is that?" Shana said, looking towards the sky, when the mother of all warships appeared, hovering over the island, casting a dark shadow.

“It's a Royal-class Behemoth Saiyan Cruiser," Blackfire said "But, what the hell is it doing here?"

“Great,” Trunks said with disgust. He spotted the spiky red symbol of Vegeta marking the hull. He whispered into Sayuri's ear. “The Saiyan Army is here, and they just blew up Komand'r's ship. I wonder what sort of loose ends she forgot to tie up.”

"Something's coming out!" Shana shouted.

Trunks saw the legions of soldiers flooding from the belly of the beast, flying down towards the island. Within seconds they had formed a proper perimeter around the island and began to infiltrate the forest, most likely sweeping for survivors. It would be moments before they were on them.

The Half-Saiyan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The situation wasn't good, not at all. If he had been alone he would have stood and faced down the entire legion, as stupid as that might have been. But, with Sayuri here, and now injured, he knew the best bet was to get her out of the battle zone. A moment later Komand'r started to power up, and he knew the shit was about to hit the fan.

“Komand'r, I'm getting Sayuri out of here, her knee is messed up pretty bad,” Trunks said.

“Come, let's go” he said and scooped Sayuri up with his arms. “It-it will be faster this way.”

In a blink of the eye, he was gone, zigzagging through the trees at inhuman speeds. As he neared the forest's edge, he could see the glinting sapphire line of the beach. From both his left and his right he heard shouts and dozens of feet padding through the underbrush. With a growl of frustration he picked up the pace, until he was out of the trees and bounding across the sand.

A yellow ki blast sizzled through the air past him, nearly clipping Sayuri's shoulder. Trunks skidded to a stop, kicking up a huge wave of sand. A quick glance to his left and right revealed they were now in the center of a ring of Saiyan warriors. All of them were dressed head to toe in Flexweave armor, with scouters over their eyes.

Their leader, a grizzly Saiyan with a bushy mustache stepped forward and clicked a button on the side of his scouter. “What do we have here?” the he said. The scouter was making low clicks and growls as it ran through calculations.

Trunks gently set Sayuri down in sand and took a defensive stance. The Saiyan's scouter finally stopped beeping and he let out a low harrumph.

“Their battle powers are barely worth mentioning. Kill them.”

A large brute charged in fromTrunks's flank, attempting to bowl him over. Standing his ground, Trunks turned his body and threw a heavy elbow into the brute's gut. The impact was so great that it stopped him dead in his tracks. Trunks looked up to see the brute's eyes roll in the back of his head. He let out a low wheeze before collapsing to his knees. A huge hole was left in the center of his armor. Blood pooled in the hole, before pouring out, staining the sand red. Trunks threw a front kick into the center of his chest, knocking him over.

“You shouldn't trust those scouters,” Trunks said as he turned around to face the leader again. A cocky grin crossed his lips and he stood up tall. “They don't always indicate a warrior's true power.”

Some of the Saiyans took a few steps back, but their leader stepped forward. He removed his scouter and tossed it into the sand. With a roar of frustration he stomped it with the heel of his boot. Twisting his foot, he ground it into the sand.

“Get him!”

Trunks heard some movement behind him, but didn't have time to react. All he saw was a blinding light at the corner of his eyes.

---

WC: 904
Trunks WC: 3,256
Thread WC: 11,247

“What the HELL is going on here,” Sayuri let out a cry of pain as she felt her right knee finally give way. Trunks had his arm around her waist before she had time to hit the ground, and for that she was thankful.

“Your knee, dammit,” he said in a voice etched with frustration and worry. Sayuri followed his gaze down to finally taking a look at her injury. Her jeans were ripped and she felt the warm flow of blood seep down her leg. She winced as she tried to straighten and felt a sharp piece of shrapnel slice deeper.

"Wha-what is that?" Shana said, looking towards the sky.

“It's a Royal-class Behemoth Saiyan Cruiser," Blackfire said.

Sayuri’s mouth hung agape ad the large ship descended. The markings were strange to her but she knew either way this meant trouble. BIG trouble.

“Great” Trunks spoke in disgust. Sayuri felt herself begin to shake as he leaned into her ear and whispered. “The Saiyan Army is here, and they just blew up Komand'r's ship. I wonder what sort of loose ends she forgot to tie up.”

So these are Saiyans, this is what Trunks is. She shook the thought of a malicious Trunks from her head.

“Something’s coming out!” Shana shouted.

Sayuri tried to focus on what Shana was talking about, but the beings were far too fast. She heard a series of wooshes. She guessed they were going to surround the island, but had no idea what the meaning of all this was.

“Komand'r, I'm getting Sayuri out of here, her knee is messed up pretty bad,” Trunks said. “Come, let's go” he said and scooped her up into his broad arms, she tried not to let him see her face riddled with pain. “It-it will be faster this way.”

Knowing that this was not the time to protest, Sayuri wrapped her arms around Trunks neck and buried her face into his shoulder to shield from branches as he ran. She could hear them being pursued through the thick vegetation and senseed Trunks’ growing frustration as he let out an animal like growl. It wasn’t long before the sound of breaking branches stopped and the smell of the ocean permeated her nose. She could hear the steady pace of Trunks’ boots in the sand and decided it was safe to look up just in time to see a blast of Ki headed straight for them.

The blinding yellow light of the Ki whirred past Sayuri’s face and barely missed her shoulder, causing her to let out a surprised yelp. They were surrounded, but Trunks showed no fear. He set her down gently and stood in front of her making it known he was her guardian. She had never felt so helpless or frustrated to make matters worse she was becoming dizzy from the hellish throbbing from her wound that grew wider with each shift in movement. She had to think of something fast, she refused to be a sitting duck.

A man that Sayuri guessed to be the leader spoke in a voice resembling a hiss. “What do we have here?” the he said. His face was aged and wrinkled like leather, he was harsh like a rusted razor, and by the looks of his muscles just as deadly. “Their battle powers are barely worth mentioning. Kill them.”

The first of the Saiyans charged towards them. Sayuri felt her panic rise, desperate for some freedom from her injury she reached down to her leg and with a guttural cry yanked the 2 inch piece of metal from the wound. She felt a warm oozing from the blood seeping out. Knowing she didn't have much time she cupped the metal between her hands and began to charge it with Ki, keeping her eye on Trunks’ form towering in front of her.

It was at that moment she was exposed to the raw power the half Saiyan beheld. With one hard blow of his elbow to the gut, Trunks’ enemy slumped to the ground, his internal organs ruptured and blood pooling from the impact site as well as his mouth.

She shuddered at the site and kept working on heating the piece of metal. Sayuri was getting weak from the loss of blood and knew she would be passing out soon if she didn’t stop it. When the Ki between her hands was at an unbearable temperature, she finally grabbed the piece of shrapnel from the suspended field. Sayuri gritted her teeth as the skin on her fingers seared away. With silent tears pouring down her face she thrust the metal against her knee cauterizing the wound closed. She stifled a silent scream praying no attention had been drawn and looked towards Trunks.

“You shouldn't trust those scouters,” Trunks said as he turned around to face the leader standing tall. He began to walk towards him with a cocky grin across his lips. “They don't always indicate a warrior's true power.”

He is off his rocker egging this man on

Sayuri looked in horror as the remaining warrior had already anticipated his commander’s order. He was slowly sneaking behind her guardian, who was oblivious due to his own ego. Trunks wouldn't see it coming, and she was too far away to fight. In a moment of desperation Sayuri focused her Ki into a bright ball, working at lightning speed manipulating it into the shape of an archery bow. She formed a small spear out of more Ki manipulating the magnetic fields to enable her shooting to have extra power.

With a roar of frustration the leader shouted to his remaining warrior “Get him!”

“No!” Sayuri screamed as she pulled back as far as she could and released the spear. She watched Trunks stiffen and turn in a defensive stance as her makeshift arrow hit the aggressor in the middle of the back. The stunned man was rendered motionless. Trunks finished him off with a charged Ki blast to the stomach. Sayuri shut her eyes from the gruesome after math. The vision of the hole through the man’s stomach would haunt her for weeks.

Blinded with rage the leader charged for Trunks at full power. With their movements blurred it was hard to see the punches being thrown, but Sayuri could certainly hear them connecting. The pace of the fight began to slow and Sayuri could see Trunks beginning to tire. She knew he wouldn’t last long. Aware she didn’t have enough energy for another attack with the magnitude of her arrow she searched the sand for the piece of metal, letting out a sigh of relief as her fingers closed around it.

“You might have strength,” the withered man hissed. “But without years of endurance training you are nothing weakling.”

Sayuri charged the small piece of metal with her last ounce of strength. As the man charged towards Trunks, his back became her open target. She threw the shrapnel like a shuriken and watched it sink into the base of his skull. The man crumpled instantly, and Trunks stared at her with a stunned expression.

“Rule number one, never underestimate an injured opponent,” Sayuir said with a drained smile just before her world went black. She passed out into the soft sand.
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Word Count: 1,215
Sayuri Count: 3,610
Saga Count: 12,462

Shana was having difficulty keeping her flight up in the middle of two Super Saiyans. Their powerful auras blasted at her in different angles, causing her hair to blow this way and that. Gritting her teeth, the human managed to keep her wits about her, even going as far as to ball her fists slightly. She wasn't sure if she'd be any help against power this great, but she would try.

The knowledge that they were split apart from Trunks and Sayuri seemed to be a very moot point by now. She could see her own shock reflected on the two Saiyans accompanying Omega. It was quite obvious that this turn of events had not been in their plans. A shudder of dread crept down Shana's spine. In the face of all of this power, she felt useless. Finally, Blackfire seemed to get over her choked silence.

"Omega! When did you?" The host of lightning shook her head as if to clear it.

"Yes, I was rather surprised myself, Blackfire. I'm not sure how it happened. But when you failed to kill that renegade Saiyan, I had little choice but to look for you. King Vegeta was quick to dismiss you as dead, but I knew better than that. You wouldn't just curl up and die that easily. When I came, I found you. But just like that, you hid from me."

Blackfire's green eyes widened. Her next question was a whisper, almost lost in the roar of her aura. "You knew where I was... Why didn't you confront me then?"

It was Serina who pipped in next. "Yes, that's what I would like to know!" Her voice was accusing. "You told me yourself that you couldn't find her! You were dejected about it, in fact!"

Omega's shoulders hunched slightly. "Yes, I lied about it. I would of liked to convince myself that it wasn't Blackfire that I saw. I didn't want to believe that she'd abandon the Saiyan Empire. I didn't want to believe that she'd abandon me..."

Shana narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, the threat of Omega reselling Earth seemed to be in the distant path. She could detect a thick tension running through the air. Something was amiss. It was something that Shana couldn't quite grasp.

Blackfire let out a small sigh, loosening her tensed stance. "I see what this is about now. You aren't here to resell this planet. It's hardly your first objective, at least," she scoffed, crossing her arms. "How you convinced King Vegeta to send you here is a mystery to me."

Shana almost let out a yelp of surprise as Omega's golden aura suddenly exploded violently outward. A blast of dust slammed into the tiny human. Even Blackfire barred an arm up to block the cascade of power that had ignited from the Fleet Master. "No!" he roared, "My primary objective is to use this planet as Resale! You are of no concern to me!"

"Oh?" Blackfire hissed, quirking an eyebrow. "And what will you do if I try and stop you? Kill me?"

"If necessary, yes," Omega growled, clenching his fists.

"Liar!" Blackfire shot back. "I don't believe you! Fool! You just said how well you know me! Don't you think I'd know you too? We've been together since we were toddlers! You couldn't kill me even if it was your last option to survive!" Fire flashed in Blackfire's green eyes. Anger charged her voice and her words seemed to cast a dreary silence over the air. Omega seemed to be at a loss for words.

His gaze hardened. "Then I'll break your body and drag you back to the Empire alive if I have to." He took up a stance once more, and what appeared to be a brief hesitation, Blackfire followed suit. With a gulp, Shana took up a stance. It was not overlooked. Omega raked the tiny girl with a green gaze. "Don't meddle in these affairs, child. You'll only get yourself killed."

"Shana. Go find Trunks and Sayuri. They're East of here, fighting grunts." She brought her arm up and an ebony cloak seemingly materialized within her grip. The Super Saiyan paused to reveal a small spray bottle filled with an azure liquid. She tossed it to Shana. Unprepared for it, Shana juggled it in her hands slightly as she attempted to catch it, almost letting it drop to the ruined forest below. "Go support them. If either of them are injured, administer that. Now go!"

"I'm not leaving you alone with these guys!" the host of fire protested hotly. But Blackfire flashed her a look through blazing green eyes. They warned the human not to argue.

"I'll be fine... I said go!" Shana backed up slightly, gripping the bottle in her hand tightly. She hesitated, but then blasted off, leaving the terrifying scene behind. What would happen if two Super Saiyans began to fight? One was powerful enough already, but two? It left the human wondering if anything would survive such a tsunami of power.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Shana to locate Trunks and Sayuri. The grunts were making enough ruckus, that was for damned sure. The human nearly got hit by a stray yellow beam of ki; Shana had to spiral to the left, losing control of her flight and landing awkwardly in on a thick tree branch.

Be careful, dammit! Okibi's voice reverberated within the human's mind as the god of fire chided his host. Pressing her back to the trunk, Shana tried peering through the thick bough of branches and leaves below her. It was a fruitless attempt. Only the sounds of battle could be heard. But just as the human were about to leap in blindly, she could hear the sound of flesh being ripped open. It was a disgusting sound, but as a heavy thud sounded, Shana could hear Sayuri's weak voice.

“Rule number one, never underestimate an injured opponent."

There was a chilled silence, and as Shana shifted, the human lost her footing. She crashed through the canopy of leaves and fell to the earth with a thud. "Ouch..." she muttered, picking herself up with an embarrassed look crossing her face. She could hear Okibi sighing.

The human looked around. To her dismay, Sayuri was on the ground, blood seeping out of her leg sluggishly. Trunks was nearby. Shana was no doctor, but he seemed to be in okay shape. At least, from what she could see. More importantly, there were the bodies of both Saiyans and other aliens littered about the forest floor.

I was too late. Is she.... But her thought couldn't complete. She could detect the faint rise and fall of Sayuri's chest. Finally, something was going right! Producing the canister of azure liquid, she ran over to Trunks, holding it out.

"Blackfire said that this was some kind of first aid," she gasped out breathlessly. "Blackfire is a Super Saiyan! So is that other Saiyan! They're about to-"

Just then, as the word 'fight' left Shana's lip, a massive explosion roared in the distance. Shana glanced over in time to see a huge dome of amethyst energy rip through the forest, disinigrating everything in it's destructive path. A single shock wave ripped from the attack in its aftermath, causing the trees to bend from the sheer power. Shana could only watch in awe. What was about to happen?

Word of Shana: 1232/5210
TTC: 13694

“No!” Sayuri screamed. Trunks spun on heel, jerking himself around. He was just in time to see a blue-white light filling his vision. When the light receded, he spotted a Saiyan warrior standing there wide-eyed with pain. Sayuri had landed a solid blast in the center of his back and Trunks knew he was hurting.

Not wanting to give him time to recover, Trunks gathered his own ki into yellow sphere in the palm of his hand. Dashing forward, he brought his arm up as if he were throwing an undercut. Instead of a punch, he shoved the charged ki into the Saiyan's gut and let loose. Ki erupted out of his back, along with a shower of blood and guts, which were quickly disintegrated by the super-heated energy.

Hearing the dull thud footsteps in the sand, Trunks was in mind turn when a fist cracked him across the jaw. It was the Saiyan leader, and he was delivering a tenacious salvo of blows. A second punch landed in Trunks;'s sternum, knocking him off his feet. Fighting through the splitting pain resonating in his chest, Trunks jerked himself around and landed on his feet, his feet digging deep into the sand. He blocked a kick aimed at his throat and next he had to duck beneath a heavy hay-maker.

The leader howled in anger as he shifted his stance, trying a power roundhouse this time. Trunks twisted his body, rolling out of the way. The heel of the leader's boot barely grazed his nose. His spinning landing brought up a huge plume of sand, but he was safe from harm.

“You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to land more than a sucker punch on me,” Trunks said.

“You might have strength,” the Saiyan said, his voice filled with venom. “But without years of endurance training you are nothing, weakling.”

“Hmph. You have no idea the sort of training I endured,” Trunks said. It was time to step it up a notch.

Before the leader could finish his next punch, Trunks had already interjected with an elbow into his gut, causing him to double over. Not wasting the advantage, Trunks brought his knee chin into the the leader's chin. Trunks heard the crunching of broken teeth and watched the leader stumble back, dazed.

Shaking it off faster than expected, the leader charged again. Moving so fast they were nothing more than a blur, two entered an exchange of rapid blows. Trunks played the defensive mostly, knocking his fists away with swift blocks, elegant parries, and harsh rebukes. The leader's agitation grew and Trunks just waited for him to make another mistake and drop his guard, for the finishing blow.

Just as Trunks was about to lay into him, the Saiyan stopped dead in his tracks. Trunks saw his eyes bulge and then he collapsed, face first, into the sand. Behind the Saiyan, he saw little Sayuri standing there with her arm extended and a weary expression across her face. Glancing down, Trunks spotted shard of shrapnel protruding out of the base of the leader's head.

“Rule number one, never underestimate an injured opponent,” Sayuri said before collapsing into the sand.

Jumping over the newly anointed corpse, Trunks dashed for Sayuri, sliding down next to her. He checked her pulse first. When he found a steady heartbeat, he sighed in relief. Sayuri was still a novice warrior. It was most likely that a combination of her wound and ki use, had been a bit too much for her little body.

A loud crash made Trunks nearly jump out of his skin. Controlling his fear, he jumped up and lowered into his stance automatically. However, he relaxed when he realized it was Shana, covered with leaves beneath a broken branch.

"Ouch..." Shana muttered.

Trunks didn't even bother to ask if Shana was OK. The girl had defeated him in battle, so he was sure a little tumble through the tree canopy wouldn't harm her. She got up and walked over, offering him a canister of azure liquid.

"Blackfire said that this was some kind of first aid," Shana said.

Trunks took it from here. “I think it has some Bio-Gen in it. Yes, it will help Sayuri. But, we're far from safe here.”

"Blackfire is a Super Saiyan! So is that other Saiyan! They're about to-"

A cataclysmic explosion shook the entire island, following by a shock wave that nearly knocked Trunks off his feet. Hurricane force winds threw plant material and debris across the beach. Trunks was pelted by the storm of objects, but stood over sentinel over Sayuri. The last thing he needed was her harmed even further in her incapacitated state.

“Let's get out of here!” Trunks shouted to Shana His voice was muffled by the booming of the two Super Saiyans exchanging blows in the distance.

He scooped Sayuri up in both arms. A white aura crackled around him as he blasted of in the direction of the mainland. He didn't bother to look back. The sky was darkened by their exchange of power. Thick black clouds lingered at the edge of the battlefield. Pulses of light, so bright and so immense, seared sunspots into Trunks's sight. He felt increasingly frustrated with the gusts of wind that battered him, making him have to adjust his course every few moments. He feared that Shana, who had just learned the ability to fly with her ki, was doing worse.

By the time he even thought to set down, he was over the largely uninhabited Senton City. A single Vora had feasted upon most of its population, leaving barren street, desolate shops, and empty homes. He spotted a supermarket with a flat roof and landed there, gently setting down Sayuri down on the warm tiles.

On the horizon flickers of light through the clouds made it seem as if there was a thunderstorm brewing. But, Trunks knew better than that. Two Super Saiyans were duking it out. He found himself gritting his teeth in frustration. He had been training for a long time to become a Super Saiyan, yet he was no where near accomplishing that goal. He was jealous of their power and so damn tired of feeling helpless in the wake of greater warriors.

Turning to Sayuri, he used the Bio-Gen, slathering it on her knee wound. It would seal up and repair her flesh somewhat, but he knew it would be a bit longer before she finally woke up again.

“This is a pointless battle. Stupid grudges—they don't mean a thing,” Trunks said to Sayuri and Shana. He didn't know if either were listening. Maybe he was just saying it aloud, to himself. “When the Vora come they will swallow entire worlds whole and we'll all regret tearing at each other throats, then, when we're scrambling to muster our forces and drive them back.”

---

WC: 1160
Trunks WC: 4,416
Thread WC: 18,110

“Never underestimate an injured opponent,” Sayuri said before everything went black.

The combination of the wound and the massive amount of energy she drew from her key attacks had finally overtaken her. Out of the blackness a faint blue light began to emerge. She knew this wasn’t the waking realm, she was beyond that, but the light began to grow harsher. A dull roar increased in volume as the blur began to focus.

It was then the ocean consumed her. She felt her body being taken by waves; unable to breathe she struggled against the currents. Her ears flooded with the sound of screams and explosions. She felt frightened and alone. Just when she thought she was going to die the world became black once again.

As she slowly came to reality she could hear rumbling thunder in the distance.
All at once the memory of the ship’s explosion and the fight on the beach came rushing back and she bolted upright. After a quick scan of her surroundings she looked to be on the roof of some building. The city was merely a ghost town with the sun setting red in the horizon.

She stretched carefully extending her knee and winced slightly. The pain had been relieved almost tenfold and the wound seemed to be healing at an accelerated rate. She knew, however, that it would be a while until she could use it properly again.

She looked to her left and saw Trunks and Shana, their faces both etched with worry towards the horizon. “This is a pointless battle. Stupid grudges—they don't mean a thing,” Trunks said to what seemed like the air. “When the Vora come they will swallow entire worlds whole and we'll all regret tearing at each other throats, then, when we're scrambling to muster our forces and drive them back.”

Sayuri cleared her throat uncomfortably to grab their attention and sheepishly said “How long was I out for?” After a moment she notice BlackFire was nowhere in sight. "Where's Balckfire?" But before she could get an answer Sayuri finally put two and two together. Her face drained of color. “That’s not a storm is it? Are we going to be okay?”

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WC:368/3,978
TTC:18,474

“Let's get out of here!” Trunks had already scooped up Sayuri in his arms. They hybrid was still unconscious; she offered no resistance. The time traveler's aura leaped to life as he began to soar away. But Shana couldn't leave just yet. With brown eyes wide, the human could only watch in awe as explosion after explosion rocked the island. Trees around her were ripped clean from their roots as the discharged energy began to spike to an uncharted threshold. The ground crumbled, the sky darkened, and the clouds were swept away.

Move! Okibi's roar was an incentive enough. A crimson aura enveloped the human as she leaped up into the energy-dense air, headed after Trunks with all of the speed she could muster.

With that kind of power... they'll destroy everything!

It didn't take too long for Shana to catch up, Trunks had landed on the roof of a building. Before the human could land, a huge shock wave buffetted her, causing the human to lose control once more. Thankfully, she was close to landing; the crash didn't hurt.

Getting up with a sheepish look, Shana swiftly dusted herself off. “This is a pointless battle. Stupid grudges—they don't mean a thing. When the Vora come they will swallow entire worlds whole and we'll all regret tearing at each other throats, then, when we're scrambling to muster our forces and drive them back.”

Another explosion. Shana could hear the building's windows shattering from the resulting ripple of heated air. She gritted her teeth. "I'm not sure that it's just a grudge," she said. "There seemed to be something more about the whole thing..."

She turned her head as Sayuri began to stir. “How long was I out for?”

"Not long," Shana answered. "Trunks took you here, but I'm not even sure if we'll be safe here. I think that their power is becoming even more unrestrained." It didn't make any sense to the human. Surely the two Super Saiyans would get weaker as the battle progressed? Unless... No, the thought was horrific. Both of them had been holding back from the beginning? If that was true... then the planet of Earth was in for a rocky ride as the two superpowers began to show their full power.

"Where's Blackfire? That’s not a storm is it? Are we going to be okay?”

"She's fighting those Saiyans. I don't think we're safe here, Trunks. We should keep moving!"

I have to agree, Okibi's voice resounded loudly through Shana's necklace. There's no telling how much more power that those two have.

"We should get to West City," Shana decided, taking one last look over her shoulder. To the human's surprise, a dead silence had enveloped the area they had just left. "That's odd..." A faint breeze ruffled against the human's skin. The torrent of power had just... stopped.

The human glanced over at Trunks. "They couldn't have already concluded the battle, could they?" Shana furrowed her brow confused as the silence stretched on.

Word of Shana: 504/5714
TTC: 18978

Trunks looked up to see Shana walked across the roof. She was so small, so innocent looking. Her tattered appearance kind of reminded him an old war movie. She was the little girl who had survived her town being bombed only to be thrown into a concentration camp.

“How long was I out for?” Sayuri said. "Where's Balckfire?" He looked down and saw her ocean blue eyes set upon the chaotic horizon. “That’s not a storm is it? Are we going to be okay?”

“You're awake,” Trunks said and touched the side of her face softly. “I was worried about you. You took that Saiyan down like a champ though.”

"Not long," Shana answered as well. "Trunks took you here, but I'm not even sure if we'll be safe here. I think that their power is becoming even more unrestrained."

“I have to agree,” the ominous voice of the lion Okibi resonated through the air. “There's no telling how much more power that those two have.”

“Unfortunately, I do know how much power they have,” Trunks said followed by a growl. “Nowhere on this planet is safe when two Super Saiyans are fighting it out. Earth could easily get destroyed if they get out of control.”

Trunks couldn't sense their ki signatures. For the first time since his fight with Vora, he realized that his senses were out of whack. No matter how much he tried to reach out, too feel, he was blocked. Sensing ki had been something so innate within him, that he had never thought twice about it. But, now that he was putting the conscious effort into it, he was failing. He stood up and clenched his fists.

“Dammit,” he said. It felt like he was adjusting the rabbit ears on an old television set, but still not getting a picture. “I can't feel anything at all. What did that Vora do to me?”

"We should get to West City," Shana said.

Trunks grimaced at the thought of going to West City. That had been his home for so many years. It was the headquarters of the Capsule Corporation, his family's multi-trillion zeni business. It had been the one thing he had been avoiding since arriving on Earth. It was also the one thing he wanted more than anything. To see his mother, his Grandfather, his Grandmother—everyone that he loved and cared about. They wouldn't know him though. He was just a kid during this time peroid. Some little twerp who thought he was better than everyone. No, Trunks of the future would be nothing more than a purple-haired stranger.

“I don't know about that Shana,” Trunks said. “I-I can't go to West City.”

"That's odd," Shana said. At first he thought she was referring to his statement, but she wasn't even looking at him. He focused his gaze once more upon the faraway sky. She was right, the swirling storm of power had stopped. The clouds were beginning to disperse and he could even see the slender form of the Saiyan Cruiser hovering in the sky. It was truly a massive warship, even from this distance.

"They couldn't have already concluded the battle, could they?"

“I don't know,” Trunks said shaking his head, his irritation was reaching a new height. Sensing ki was such a simple ability, yet he couldn't scratch the surface of it. “All of sudden, I can't sense a damn thing!”

WC: 582
Trunks WC: 4,998
Thread WC: 19,560

“How long was I out for?” Sayuri asked groggily. Her head was spinning and she felt like hell. Her body ached all over as if she were hit by a bus. Not a bus, an exploding ship you idiot. she thought to herself

"Not long," Shana answered with tension in her voice. "Trunks took you here, but I'm not even sure if we'll be safe here. I think that their power is becoming even more unrestrained."

“Their power?” She looked around and realized Blackfire was not with Shana. “Where’s the Komand’r?” Sayuri said as the color drained from her face. “Are we going to be okay?”

“I was worried about you.” Trunks said as he walked towards her side. “You took that Saiyan down like a champ though.” He said as he touched the side of her face softly. Such an gentle gesture was new to her, especially from him.

Sayuri blushed profusely and resisted the urge to lean into his affections. “I just….. did what I had to do. I wanted everyone to be okay.” She looked off into the distance worried for Blackfire. They might not have had the most ideal first meeting but Sayuri would never wish her harm. Anything that was strong enough to make that amount of damage would surely be a challenge. She was starting to worry she wouldn’t see the brooding girl ever again.

“I have to agree,” an ominous voice resonated through the air. “There's no telling how much more power that those two have.”

“Unfortunately, I do know how much power they have,” Trunks said immediately with a growl.

“Nowhere on this planet is safe when two Super Saiyans are fighting it out. Earth could easily get destroyed if they get out of control.”

“What was that voice?!” Sayuri said in shock. It seemed to be coming from Shana’s direction, but no one was there. Sayuri shook her head confused. “I must have hit my head on a rock when I passed out,” she said rubbing her temples as if trying to stir away confusion.

Less than a year ago she was swimming in the river of a small village. Now she was dealing with what seemed like a whole new universe. Now her world was littered with terrifying creatures that were going to destroy her future, powers that were something out of an ancient myth, and time travel. She had been so blind until meeting Trunks. Sometimes she wished she could go back to it. Her life gave life to the meaning ignorance is bliss.

“How could two people not realize they are destroying a planet with thousands of innocent people, even if they are mad?” She said distressed.

“Dammit,” Trunks said. “I can't feel anything at all. What did that Vora do to me?”

"We should get to West City," Shana said.

Sayuri saw Trunks wince at Shana’s statement. She knew he wasn’t ready to see the people he had lost so long ago. To them he would be a stranger, just a child in her world. She felt horribly sorry for the pain he had to endure. She walked placed a hand on his back and rubbed it gently in a comforting manner. Knowing vocalized sympathy was the last thing he was looking for, Sayuri kept silent.

“I don't know about that Shana,” Trunks said. “I-I can't go to West City.”

"That's odd," Shana said. Sayuri and Trunks followed her direction of sight. The mass of swirling clouds and lights had finally ceased. It was as if the dust was settling after a harsh windstorm. She could see the massive warship hovering in the distance. She felt a small rush of panic.

"They couldn't have already concluded the battle, could they?" Shana asked.

“What if Blackfire is hurt,” Sayuri said her voice cracking.

“I don't know,” Trunks said shaking his head, his irritation was visibly reaching a new height. “All of sudden, I can't sense a damn thing!”

Reaching a breaking point with his attitude Sayuri shot him a quick smack across the back of his head. “Just because you are mad at your lack of powers doesn’t mean you need to be a jerk about things. We get it. You’re angry. But you’re also the most experienced here and you need to act like it.” She paused for a moment before adding. “Sorry for the smack.”

She gazed back out to the ship and was terrified to see it growing larger in the distance. “I think it’s coming this way!” Sure enough, to her horror she was right. Within minutes the massive ship was over them, taking up what looked like half the city. A loud hiss made Sayuri jump and she noticed a small hatch lowering.

She watched as two figures leapt towards them and landed with loud thud on the roof. She broke into a weary grin, “Blackfire,” she said. “I’m glad you’re alright!”
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WC: 823/ 4801
TTC: 20,383

“How could two people not realize they are destroying a planet with thousands of innocent people, even if they are mad?"

I don't think that they emitted enough energy to cause much damage, thankfully. I'm sure Komand'r has it under control. Shana wished she could share Okibi's confidence. If it was confidence. For all she knew, the god of fire was only feigning it to calm the hybrid down.

Shana's eyes widened as a loud rumbling seemed to fill the entire world around her. The sun overhead that had only just broke through the storm clouds was swallowed up once again as a massive form blotted everything out. “I think it’s coming this way!” Sayuri's cry was almost lost in the storm of noise filling Shana's senses. Her black hair was blown back as the the Saiyan Cruiser lowered slightly. For a single horrifying moment, the human thought that the behemoth of metal was going to drop from the sky and crash down upon her and the others. Thankfully, it seemed to come to a grinding halt.

The human hardly dared to breathe as a hatch opened from the belly of the ship. A harsh light shone from the entrance, showing the silhouette of two figures. Shana recognized one of them a second before Sayuri greeted her.

“Blackfire,” she said. “I’m glad you’re alright!” The Saiyan looked anything but alright to Shana. The Saiyan gave the woman a brief nod; Shana suspected that the curtness was more out of exhaustion than anything else, though. She bore what appeared to be some kind of armor upon her chest. The material was burnt, cracked... hell, it was even missing the shoulder piece on the Saiyan's left. The material looked like it had simply been broken off at one point. Her jeans sported holes in the material, and one leg had been incinerated completely off, revealing a leg soaked in blood that seeped sluggishly from her knee. The gash there was deep, and it appeared that Blackfire couldn't put much weight on it; she was actually floating a bit, holding the injury up carefully.

Just as Shana opened her mouth though, the second silhouette came into view. It was Omega! He looked to be in no better shape. His face was streaked with bruises and blood that seeped from the corner of his mouth. The entirety of his armor had been blown away, including the undergarment itself, revealing a bruised chest. His eyes were fixated on Blackfire; he didn't acknowledge the rest of the group with so much as a glance.

Komand'r landed on the ground, wincing slightly as she landed, then glanced at Shana, Trunks, Sayuri, and Omega in turn. "Did you call off the attack?" she asked Omega.

Omega started slightly, reaching up to his ear. He pressed down on a button, speaking roughly to an unseen receiver. "This is Fleet Master Omega. I want everyone back to orbit. Get ready to warp back to Vegeta-Sei."

"I'm glad you all are okay. This shouldn't have happened." Though the first statement was aimed towards Shana and the others, the second held a harsh aim towards Omega. The Saiyan did not miss it; flinching slightly, the male turned his head away, unable to meet the host of lightning's gaze.

You didn't calculate your chances of success, and payed for it. Many of your men have perished because of your poor decision... It took a second for Shana to recognize the deep and reverberating voice of Skoll. Omega frowned further at the god's voice, but before he could respond, Blackfire glanced at the necklace she wore.

"Enough. You've chided him already, Skoll. This battle is over."

"This is goodbye, then?" Omega's voice was heavy. Shana detected a thick amount of sadness in his question. Once again, the air seemed to shimmer with an emotion unknown to the tiny girl.

"Yes." Blackfire's voice was unhesitating. Shana saw Omega flinch as if she had raked claws across his face. The host of lightning didn't even glance at him. Her amethyst eyes were fixated on Shana, and the human found herself squirming slightly under her careful gaze.

"We are ready for launch, Fleet Master." A new voice rang out, and a Saiyan landed on the ground. Shana recognized him as the one facing Blackfire before: Jagex. He turned to Komand'r. "It was good to see you alive and well, Blackfire. I'm sorry you won't come back to the Empire, but it's all the same anyway you look at it." A small smile crossed his face as he barred an arm across his chest in salute. "And don't worry about King Vegeta! I, for one, never saw you here."

Shana's head seemed to reel in confusion. What was the man talking about? She had certainly missed a lot of the action when Blackfire sent her away! But the host of lightning nodded at Jagex. Omega was still brooding; his frown never left his face, just as his eyes were homed in on Blackfire. But with a gentle nudge, Jagex led him back to the ship.

Just as Jagex vanished into the hull, Omega turned back once more. "I'm sorry about your ship," he called to Blackfire, scratching his head slightly. "I'll send you a new one."

His statement seemed to catch Blackfire off guard; she spun around on one heel, nearly toppling over. "Don't!" she called out, "Haven't you put your position in enough strain as it is?"

Omega's stern look was adamant. "No, I owe it to you. I've caused you enough trouble as it is. Goodbye, Blackfire. Even if we never meet again, I'll always be with you."

The hatch closed behind him, and after a brief pause, the ship shot up into the atmosphere once more. The clouds broke apart, then swirled back together in a ripple-like motion. And just like that, the whole ordeal was over. Blackfire stared up in to the sky for a few more moments before sighing heavily. She sunk to the ground with a small groan. Even if Blackfire had won, Shana couldn't help but wonder if she had been victorious at all.

Word of Shana: 1028/6742
TTC: 21411