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Just as Taliyah blacked out, her husband Jutus could no longer just sit and watch this occur before him. He slowly began to power up to his Super Saiyan level, rage burning in his heart at the thought of his beloved being tortured before his very own eyes. Jutus felt the energy slowly move up from his feet to the very tips of his fingers as his shoulder length silver hair began to waft in the wind that was being created from around him. He bared his teeth in anger as the power continued to increase until suddenly the ground began to tremble from all around him and little clods of earth started to tear from the ground and surrounded his body.
Cougar's ears perked up and she slowly let her large paw fall to the ground, causing only the unconcious Taliyah to quiver just slightly. The feline's red eyes narrowed as the slit started to thin even more, making it seem almost invisible against the red. She watched as the Saiyan warrior, who seemed to have been the dying Saiyan's mate and perished Saiyan boy's father, power up as the ground began to tremble from his overwhelming strength.
Jutus had had just about enough of all this. Had it not been for that damn feline and her ability to transform and double in size, Taliyah would've killed her long ago. But maybe he was just getting his hopes up, for he didn't even know if he could stand against this monster alone. Taliyah and himself were practically even when it came to strength and fighting. But with strategies it was hard to tell because both parent had an awesome amount of skill and attack methods it was difficult to decide who was the better fighter strategically.
The silver-haired Saiyan continued to power up, the Dragon Tear glowing wildly in the earring he had created it into. It flashed and beamed from dull ivory to a radiant white. He felt the waves of energy flow over his body and indeed, the clear ki flames started to pour over his body in a delicate falling motion. He raised his arms in the air, hands curled in a claw-like formation above his head as the energy continued to gather. All the while Nina and the others watched from below. The young Saiyan girl, who seemed like the only one capable of taking out the mercenaries, clentched her fists in a tight ball and felt her nails digging into her palms. She was aggrivated at her parents' headstrong will to fight alone! There was no way they could defeat the adversary alone, and her mother was already down for the count. What chance did her father have?
Jutus glared down at the gigantic feline and suddenly his eyes flashed red, a same fiery bold red that Cougar's showed. Just then, a pale image of talons from a bird's appeared and were curled in the similar style that Jutus' were. He flexed his fingers and everyone watched as the ghost talons followed in motion. Jutus curled his legs back and was about to commense his assault.
"RAVEN," he began slowly, but in a bold and aggressive tone. Then he flew forward, the talons prepared to strike and you could've sworn you heard a bird caw out to the night. "CLAWS!" Jutus finished and suddenly the ghost talons sailed down toward the huge mountain lioness.
The claws knocked the feline off her feet and sent her colliding into a mountainside, full force. But the mountain was strong and so it only cracked as the top of the mountain shifted its shape. Cougar slid down the mountain and fell onto her side when she suddenly felt something ripping into her flesh with terrible swipes and rushes, as though her own sharp claws had turned against her and decided to tear her limb from limb. The feline looked up, dazed, and saw that the ghost talons were tearing at her. So Cougar watched in horror as she saw her own red blood spill out across the land. She tried to swipe a paw at the ghost talons, but her paw went straight through. She tried again, and again and with each attempt there was a failure.
Cougar struggled to get up, regardless of the attacks being laid upon her. She looked around her for an escape, any mountain or rock slide she could find but there was none in site except for the mountain she had crashed into and by the looks of it, the elevated landform wasn't going to last much longer anyways, not after how hard the feline crashed into it. But Cougar continued to search the area and thought about taking off to the sky when she caught site of the Saiyan warrior who had unleashed the attack on her from the beginning. Jutus was moving his arms and imitating the very same movements as the claws were doing to her very flesh.
Forgetting about the pain almost instantaneously, she licked her lips and whiskers in delight. She had figured out a way to get rid of the ghost talons. Suddenly a talon swiped over her face and then uppercutted her by vertical slashing her chin. She fell backwards and landed with her paws in the air, they fell to the ground and then she clambered up. Cougar knew what to do. She would take out the puppeteer controlling the marionettes. Cougar shot straight forward and opened her mouth wide, energy gathering inside. Boiling red and orange energy.
Jutus' eyes widened in distress and he stopped his movements. "Oh hell, she's found me out!"
Nina gasped. Trunks was immediately at her side and was shaking her, trying to get her out of the trance she was in. "Nina! Nina what is it?! NINA!" he screamed at her, but she didn't even blink.
Her eyes sparkled with no emotion as she stared at nothing. Expressionless, blank, petrified.
Oh no.....Daddy.....no.
* * * * * *
"Damnit! Damnit! DAMNIT!"
Jarvus cursed out over King Kai's planet in utter rage. He was furious, angry at the fact that even though all this was happening down on Earth and he could see it, Jarvus was of no use to anyone as a dead spirit. He paced back and forth, swearing under his breath like a lost soul in darkness. Each time the words rang out, King Kai would flinch from the vulgar disgust of each sylable.
Jarvus unsheathed his wooden rod and as it touched his fingertips, it blazed silver and electric shocks automatically encircled his body. His silver hair rose from his neck as the thick loose locks of his hair rose as well. King Kai's mouth began to widen as he felt the surge of power unleash before him. A low growl escaped the boy's throat as he bared his teeth, eyes flashing from violet to green, hair changing from silver to gold. Radiant flames of energy erupted from around him and suddenly he threw his arms back, letting out a tremendous yell. A yell so powerful it shattered the very ground he stood on and just then the area of land he was standing on began to rise into the air.
King Kai went into a fit of hysteria. "Ahhh! Calm yourself boy! Jarvus! Calm yourself! This is no time to get rash!" North Kai pleaded.
Jarvus glared down at him, jumped off the ledge that he had created with his own power and stomped over to King Kai. "Calm myself? CALM MYSELF?! My mother is practically dead, my father is about to die, not to mention I'm dead and you want me to Calm Myself?!" he bellowed at the North Kai.
"Take it easy chum! There's no need to shout! But yelling and tearing up my planet isn't going to help you save them is it?" questioned King Kai.
Jarvus gripped onto the metal rod and a wave of lightning surrounded him, then died down. "No, it won't. But I have got to do something! I hate being dead!"
King Kai sighed. "Well, there's nothing you can do."
In his fit of rage, Jarvus shouted out again and threw his metal rod into the ground. It transformed back into a wooden pole and he flopped onto the ground, eyes narrowed. "Damn." he muttered.
* * * * * *
Nina watched the scene take place before her. Trunks continued to shake her body, hoping to bring her back into reality but there was no use. And just when it was about to happen, an image flashed through her thoughts.
It was just a simple photo, of her and Trunks, Goten and Lei. Everyone else was there. Vegeta was in his usual mood, grumpy and stiff as Goku had his arm over Vegeta's shoulder in a friendly way. A speck of rosiness was showing on the Saiyan Prince's cheeks. Bulma and Chi-Chi, Videl and Pan, Gohan and Yamcha, Tien and Chaotzu, Krillin and 18, Marron and Samuel, Kino and Jarvus, her mother and father, Taliyah and Jutus. Everyone was there, even Piccolo and Dende. They were older, and they had a family. They were alive and well, everyone was so happy.
And she was determined to make that image a reality.
Nina's eyes narrowed. "I won't let them win!" she muttered under her breath as her ki began to rise dramatically.
Trunks felt the change of power and he smiled, realizing that she had snapped back into the situation at hand. "Thank goodness you're okay Nina."
She gave a quick smirk, but then resumed her emotionless expression, her eyes revealing anger and integrity. "I'm fine."
Cougar roared and out shot the blast of lava and within a flash, it consumed Jutus. The feline smiled triumphantly, but Nina could only watch in horror as well as the others. As the blast faded, a figure could be seen falling from the sky, smoke sweldering from his body as the raw skin was shown.
Kino gasped with terror. "FATHER!"
Nina shot into the air, a tear stream glittered from her eye but her face was still emotionlesss. She caught her father in her arms and suddenly flinched from the heat pouring from his body. The blast was so hot that it made his body hot as coal. There were raw spots all over his body and his forearms were ashened from where he had blocked his face. Tears were in his eyes as the tips of his silver hair had been burned solid black. Despite the emmense pain it caused him, Jutus hugged his daughter around the neck. Suddenly all 4 Dragon Tears glowed and the one hanging on Jutus' ear snatched itself from the chain and found its way onto Nina's necklace. Finally the glowing dimmed and he fell into a deep sleep.
Nina, tears in her eyes, floated down to the ground and gently placed her father onto the cool grass. It instantly began to heal his skin as the steam rose from the wet grass. The young Saiyan flickered from view and then reappeared next to her mother who was lying unconsious on the ground. Blood was dried around her cheeks and it was starting to flake off, dark crimson blood. There were many gashes all over her body and it pained Nina to see her mother like this. The strong woman she had only just begun to know in a few days. Nina kneeled down and lifted Taliyah off of the ground, blood instantly staining her arms. The Dragon Tear that hung as an earring on Taliyah's ear glowed and flashed over her body. The gashes were no more and there were only smudges on her body. The healing had been done, but she still needed treatment. The stone also managed to find its way onto Nina's necklace and all this time, she had never taken not of it.
Nina placed her mother next to Jutus and they lay there, sleeping in peace but still barely alive. All that had to be done was for them to be protected. If they were to get caught up in another struggle they would surely die. The Saiyan girl looked to Vegeta and Goku for reassurence and they both picked up the Saiyan girl's parents and flew off to Capsule Corp. where Bulma and Chi-Chi were waiting for them in case someone needed to be healed.
Kino touched her little sister gently on the shoulder and gave a comforting smile. "This battle is yours little one. As much as I'd like to help, I know you will not let me will you?" she asked, hoping she was wrong.
Nina smiled, an empty one. "That's right. You get outta here and make sure everyone is taken care of."
Samuel ran to their side. "No Nina! You can't! You can't do this alone!"
Trunks' ears perked up as he heard what Sam had said and also ran to their side. "Nina, are you crazy?! There's no way I'm letting you do this alone!"
"Yeah Nina! I'll help! You're not the only Saiyan y'know!" Pan snapped.
The other Z fighters followed suit. 18, the beautiful android whom Nina considered an older sister, placed a hand on Nina's head and stroked through her hair. Everyone was shocked at the sympathetic gesture. "Yeah Kid, and I'm an android so I don't think that they'd be able to brush me aside so easily." 18 said comfortingly. She had gotten used to calling Nina "Kid" and was probably one of the few people she had gotten close to.
Nina shook her head roughly. "No, you can't stay here." She paused and then stood up from the ground, the wind gently blowing her skirt and brown hair with it. "You guys are my friends and I care for you alot. This is not your fight, but it is mine. So," Nina turned her head to look at the Z Warriors. "I'll do all I can to keep you and the Earth from being harmed, whether I live or not."
She turned herself completely around just as everyone began to protest, but her look quickly silenced them. Nina smiled. "Now go while you still have the chance. Go!"
One by one the Z Fighters departed until finally there was only Trunks and Pan left. Pan quickly ran to Nina, gave her a strong hug and began to hover in the air. The demi-Saiyan wiped a hand over her eyes as tears surfaced in them, the sparkling drops falling to the ground. Then, with a quick burst of white ki she took off after the others.
Trunks and Nina remained. The lavender-haired Saiyan approached Nina as the wind continued to encircle them, gentle and beckoning. He placed his palm tenderly against her cheek and she sighed with a bit of remorse in the gesture. She placed her hand over his and hugged him, her body warm against his. Trunks wrapped his arms about her and she held his shoulders, cherishing the moment. But there was no time, so Nina pulled herself away, kissed him quickly on the lips and with an eruption of red ki flames around her, she turned and flew off into the night sky, away from him and the others.
Trunks rubbed a hand through his lavender hair. "Goodbye Nina, or rather, see ya later."
Meanwhile Cougar began to pace her way towards Rowan and the unconcious Tessay, her large paws causing the ground to tremble from each step. She looked down at him and he smiled with relief.
"I think she's coming out of it." Rowan said, then paused as he felt a power heading in their direction. "The Saiyan is coming."
Cougar quickly turned her head as she saw Nina's ki flames in the dark night sky. The mountain lioness smirked, white fangs glittery. "I see. We'll have to kill her fast and then blow up this planet. Although it is a shame we must, I actually came to like the terrain here." she remarked.
Nina landed on the grass, her heavy boots making a nice and quiet sound against the moist blades. She glared up at the large feline and tightened her fists, the Dragon Tears beginning to glow. The wind caressed itself against her cheek and bare legs, but she hardly felt the touch. Her dark brown hair waved in motion as the gusts of air made them flutter. Nina's power began to climax and ripples of her golden ki began to disperse from her. She had had just more than she could take and she refused to just stand by and let this nonsense continue on. Her will to make sure everyone else survived was what made her determined to defeat the mercenaries. She wouldn't watch this anymore.
Cougar crouched down on her forepaws and smiled, the air from her nostrils causing the Saiyan's skirt to fly backwards. "Well now look here. It's the little monkey to the rescue. After what you've seen done to your family, is that what you want for yourself? To fight a battle that is futile? To die a meaningless death?"
The words slowly poured over Nina in a wave of contempt, but she did not answer.
Cougar slinked down onto her stomach, reached out her paw and placed a sharp, black claw under the Saiyan's chin, the spear about 5 feet long. She smiled. "I won't lie to you Saiyan child, I love my work. I love what I do because I enjoy killing. I'm a wild beast craving for blood, any blood I can claim. An innocent life means nothing to me." The feline paused as she lifted the Saiyan's head higher. "I have no family. Why should I care? It's kill or be killed, the strong survive and the weak perish. That's how it goes in the real universe." Cougar's red eyes blazed with excitement. "Now you have a choice. You can either come with us and live, or fight and die. Which do you choose?"
Nina's eyes narrowed, brown eyes burning with anger. She slowly raised a hand to the massive black claw, clasped her hand around it tightly and began to pull it upwards. Suddenly Nina could see the distress in the feline's eyes as she placed more pressure against the claw. Nina moved her chin from under the sharp point of the black spear, eyes narrowing to tiny slits until finally she growled and broke Cougar's claw. Little bits and pieces of the spear began to fly in different directions. The enormous mountain lion suddenly leaped up, roaring in pain and anger. She slowly licked her tongue over the one claw she had missing and then glared at the incompetent Saiyan girl who continued to hold her missing claw high in the air.
Nina threw the black spear to the side and it landed with a thud on the ground. In a flash of light she had transformed into a Super Saiyan and the golden ki flames surrounded her, the winds causing her skirt to hover a bit from the ground. She spread her arms out and felt the power of her 5 stones glowing as one, the charms practically luminous in themselves. Fire was seen in her emerald eyes.
"I've had enough! I will not allow this!" she declared and took a step forward. "You've corrupted your judgement, mutilated your heart, annihilated your soul and well-being! You murdered my brother and for that it will cost you your life! You're lust for killing ends here!"
Nina pulled back her fist and was about to charge when she felt a twinge of cold nip at her mind.
'Nina, you don't have to do this. Why don't you join us? All 4 of us could team up and conquer the universe! It'd be fun!'
It was Rowan.
Of all times, he had to talk now. Nina was infuriated by this and instead of responding in the mind, she decided to do it verbally. "I would rather die a thousand deaths than slay thousands of innocent people for just territorial means! So many lives lost for your fun! I detest bloodshed! I will not watch it continue! I won't watch this ANYMORE!"
Nina finished on a full-on battle cry. Her power began to climax rapidly as the 2 remaining mercenaries were at a stand-off with the Saiyan. She could feel the earth tremulous around her. She was gonna make sure that she was victorious in the end.
Or die trying.
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