A Forgotten Life

Chapter Thirty Four

I struggled to my feet, pulling myself out of the new crater in what used to be my front yard. Dammit! I stood there for a moment, trying to steady my labored breaths, but it seemed impossible.

Blood ran from various wounds, mixing with the rain that fell in sheets from the sky. The battle seemed to speed up around me as I looked around. Goten and Aki lay on the ground, unconscious. I felt a pang of guilt as I looked at my younger brother. I hadn't been able to save him as Xicor rendered him unconscious. My blue eyes flicked to Aki, and I felt the same wave of guilt.

My gaze turned upwards. Trunks, Bulla, and Gohan fought bravely against Xicor. But it didn't take long for him to knock Bulla from the sky. Trunks turned only momentarily to look at his sister, giving Xicor the chance to send the lavender haired Saiyan spinning to ground after the blue haired one. Gohan was the only one left.

I wanted to scream out for my brother to move. I wanted to yell in anger and attack Xicor for knocking Trunks to the Earth like he was a fly. I wanted to move in general, but I felt paralyzed. My arms wouldn't move, my hands wouldn't form fists. My lower body felt like lead, weighing me down. Even my tail felt like it had become a cinder block.

A scream tore me from the thought. My head snapped in the direction.

Momma stood in the doorway, looking up at the sky, her hand outstretched. Time no longer seemed to moving fast. Now it was agonizingly slow as I blinked, looking to where she pointed.

Gohan was floating mid air, looking as beat up as I felt. His breathing was ragged and he held his side. An eye was swollen closed with a gash bleeding profusely above it. But that's not what caused my heart and stomach to switch positions.

Xicor was floating thirty feet away, laughing. His arms were crossed, but he was relaxed. There was barely a single scrape or cut on his person.

"Are you done yet, brother?" he questioned, a glint in his eyes. It sent a shiver down my spine. Never once, not even in Buu, had I seen such a light. I could only describe it was pure and utter evil. My eyes briefly flickered to Lila, who was floating behind her son. She was watching me intently and I could see the same evil glint in her eyes.

Xicor looked down at me. "What about you, little sister? Have you had your fill? Or do you wish for more?" When I didn't answer, Xicor smirked, looking back up at Gohan. My body tensed.

"Well, I for one am bored with this little skirmish. I came here searching for our father, not to waste my time on his pathetic excuses for heirs. Goodbye, Gohan Hokusai. Be sure to say hello to your wife in the Otherworld." Immediately, I knew what was going to happen. I had watched as Xicor did the same thing to Videl.

Slowly, victory already showing on his face, Xicor brought his hand forward, curling his fingers slightly. The same I did when using Stellar-Wise. Laughing, Xicor formed his black death-ball. Gohan, unable to move to get out of the way or deflect it, floated right in the way, defiance on his face. He wasn't scared.

"NO!" Seeing his face finally allowed me to move. I couldn't let my older brother die this way. I wouldn't.

Faster than I ever thought possible, I used Instant Transmission, appearing in front of Gohan. I heard his startled gasp right as Xicor let his blast go. It barreled at me with sure purpose. Quickly, I spread my arms out to prevent it from hitting anyone else.

I don't think I had felt a greater pain before in my short life. I also don't know how to describe said pain. But it's not something I'm likely to ever forget.

The ground rushed up to meet me as I fell. I cried out as the cold, hard earth touched my back. Instantly, I went numb all over. For the second time today, I found myself unable to move. A sort of calmness swept over me. The rain still came down heavily, and I could still sense my family and friends lying dead or wounded around me. But it didn't fill me with anger or even sadness. I was as impassive as ever.

To say Momma screamed would be a great understatement. The noise that left her mouth made it seem like she herself was the one dying, or worse. It lasted only a moment after I hit the ground, and in the next moment she was knelt beside me.

"Moona, please no! Not you too!" she sobbed, her hands flailing around widely. Bulma had been able to hold her back when Goten and Aki fell; but after three children my mother was able to break free.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay," she said, over and over. Her hands had disappeared, but I'm guessing they were somewhere on me, petting my soaked hair, or trying in vain to stop a wound from bleeding anymore than it had. I tried to give her a smile, but I don't know whether or not it worked.

"I couldn't let him hurt Gohan, Momma. I couldn't." I sounded like a small child, but at that moment, that's exactly what I was.

Momma choked on her tears. I think it was supposed to be a small laugh.

"You're so much like your father."

Again, I attempted a smile. "I know. And I'm proud of it." The words had barely left my mouth when I was transported back in time, the memory taking over abruptly. I was back in the West City arena during my first World Martial Arts Tournament. Spopovich and Yamu had just taken my energy. Momma and I had said the exact same things then as we just had now. It seemed like a million lifetimes ago now. I was so young. I still am.

Suddenly, Momma was thrown from my vision. I tried to call out, but all that came from my mouth was a gasp.

Xicor replaced her, standing over me with an amused smile. "Well, that's more than I was expecting out of you, little sister. Perhaps I underestimated you." He lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

"Go to Hell," I spat weakly at him. My eyes were starting to close. I made an effort to open them once more, but it didn't work. Xicor laughed again.

"On your deathbed and you still find time to threaten me?" He laughed harder. "Yes, I underestimated you, not by much, however. You have potential, though. Is there more, I wonder?" Suddenly, I was lifted into off the ground until I was eye level with my "brother". My body hung limp. My eyes were almost entirely shut. I saw Xicor's cruel, cold smile.

"You're coming with me, Rosamoona," Xicor said in a low, dangerous voice. But his smile never faltered. With his telekinesis to keep me afloat, Xicor jumped into the sky. I was faced towards the ground, giving me one last fleeting look at my home. Bodies lay on the ground, both dead and alive. I spotted Gohan among them.

"Don't look so sad, sister," Xicor chuckled. "We'll be back." He raised his voice for anyone still conscious to hear. "I'll give everyone time to strengthen from this encounter. And when I'm back, I expect to face my father, Goku, for title of strongest in the universe. When I come back, everyone on this miserable rock will die. And you, dear sister, will be the one to end them."