Winter's Fall

A Test of Power

Before she knew it, two hours had passed. Soldiers rushed from the ship, but Winter hesitated to follow. She looked out at the planet, it was lush and green, and had great opportunities for food growth of all kinds. There were beautiful rivers and lakes, and the water was clean. This planet was indeed worth a lot, but she still couldn't stand to take it away from the people that inhabited it. Zira soon passed by her while heading out of the ship but stopped, looking at her.
"Winter? We're heading out, you should follow us before Frieza notices you!" Winter looked down at her feet, not responding. "Winter I know it's hard to take a planet away from someone, but we're not destroying it! That should make you happy! Come on!" Zira ran off and Winter realized she was right, if she was going to survive this, she would have to shake away all emotion or sympathy from view. She dashed to follow the others in fear of Frieza catching her, preparing herself for the mission at hand. A higher up member of the army led the group through the planet, their goal to find whoever led it. They came across a village and they entered it, and Winter watched as the others searched the area. They threatened villagers, even injuring some to get information, but Winter stayed back, unable to shake emotions like she said she would. She just stood and watched, unable to interfere without risking her life. The fighting soon stopped, and everything went silent until one villager told them where to go to find the leader, and then died on the ground. The rest flew off, but Winter stayed, approaching the remains of the helpless town. She saw dead bodies line the ground, and those that were alive sitting next to them and crying. She got choked up at this sight as she realized she would have to watch this from now on, and it was now her job to cause this. Her thoughts had a constant battle as she approached them, if she was caught she would die, but she wanted to help these people. When she got close a mother help her child to her chest, hiding his face.
"What do you want?! Are you one of THEM?!"
"No, no I just...I can't..." Winter sighed and held her head down. "Yes." She flew off to follow the others and soon caught up, seeing the battle already won and the main soldier holding the planet's leader by his throat.
"You are defeated, this planet now belongs to Lord Frieza." The leader tried to fight the soldier's force, but failed, going still, nearly dead. The soldier smirked and threw him down to the ground, leaving him unconscious and telling the others to head back to the ship. They all left and Winter trailed behind, taking one last look at the planet. Some of the green trees were knocked down now, and a village now destroyed, everything had seeming to have frozen still, the trees no longer swaying and little sound coming from anywhere. It was as if the planet itself knew what had happened. Winter sighed, seeing the ship on the ground below her and landing, slowly walking back into it after taking a deep breath. Who knows how long it would be before she could take a breath of fresh air again.
*****
After a while of the ship being landed and Frieza heading in and out, the ship finally flew off into space once more, Frieza now having arranged an agreement with the planet's leader. Winter watched as they flew off and when they were headed off she went back to her bed, tired, but surely not able to sleep. She just laid there, staring at the bunk above hers and thinking. She sighed, beginning to talk to herself.
"I'm so pathetic. I have to live this life now and not only am I scared to try i'm too scared to do anything at all. Not even watch..." Winter sighed again and attempted to close her eyes, but it was as if something was prying them open, as every time she tried to sleep, she found herself awake again. Nothing would work, nothing would calm her raging thoughts, so she stopped trying, and just laid still, silent and staring.
*****
Zarbon slowly walked into the room, looking in the doorway and seeing Winter still laying there, and he entered, speaking loudly.
"Winter, Lord Frieza wishes too see you, he demanded that I bring you to him immediately." Winter sat up, looking to him confused.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure, but I cannot deny his orders, and you shouldn't either." Winter sighed and got up from her bed, walking over to Zarbon but stopping as he tried to lead her. "Winter?" He turned to look at her, "you should follow me please before Lord Frieza wonders where we are." Winter got closer to him and looked around to make sure they were alone.
"Zarbon, why do you follow his orders?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why follow Frieza's orders? He has plenty of other soldiers."
"Winter I don't think you quite understand, I do not follow orders of my own will, like many here, I follow orders because I value my life. And I assume you do too, so you should follow me immediately."
Winter followed, thinking about what Zarbon had said as they walked down the hall and once again into Frieza's room. He was standing now, looking out the window and Winter noticed that the ship had landed on a planet, something she somehow hadn't noticed before. Frieza turned slightly to look at them, smirking as he saw Winter.
"Ah yes Zarbon, thank you for bringing her here, you are dismissed." Zarbon nodded and left the room, Frieza now turning fully around. "Winter, you are a member of my race, so I wish to test you in a more...Proper way than before."
"Proper way?"
"A spar. Just you and me. To test your strength and prove to me that you're worth something."
"Wh-what?"
"Do you not understand? Because I assure you Winter I do not like to repeat myself."
"I understand but-"
"good! Now, we have landed on a barren planet, this will be our battlegrounds, follow me." Frieza walked past Winter, leaving the room as Winter reluctantly followed. They soon reached the ship's main hatch, which was open to show a view of a barren planet, almost like a desert, with a dry and cracked ground and few plants anywhere. The sky was grey, as if the planet itself knew it was miserable. Frieza stepped out onto the planet but Winter hesitated, slowly stepping her feet onto the terrain as if her bio-armor wasn't there to protect them. As she walked onto it, the ship's hatch closed, leaving only her and Frieza. He stared into her eyes, a smirk soon forming on his face. "I doubt I will have to use even a shred of my full power, but who knows, you could surprise me." He flew off, and Winter gasped and gave chase. They flew and the ship left sight, and even then they flew further. When Frieza landed, he looked to Winter as she landed as well. "No hesitation? Interesting. Now that we're further away from the ship, we can begin." Frieza chuckled and fired a simple ki blast at Winter from his hands, and Winter quickly dodged it, rushing to attack him with her own. Frieza deflected it with the bio-armor on his arms and attacked Winter again, rushing forward to punch her. She moved to dodge and threw him down to the ground. He looked up and her and growled, rushing to attack her again. Winter attacked back, their fists clashing, causing them both to jump back. Frieza chuckled, "I suppose I underestimated you."
"I'm much more than you think I am!" Frieza smirked,
"well, then why don't you try this?" Frieza extended his arm and pointed his index finger at Winter. Before she could think a thin beam of ki was shot at her, she moved out of the way but it managed to pierce a hole through the shoulder of her bio-armor. Frieza continued to fire the beams, moving his aim every time Winter dodged. Winter flew higher into the sky, confusing him as she flew down and soon kicking him in the back as she flew back down, causing him to fall to the ground. She then attempted to mimic his attack, but instead of a small beam she shot a larger one, it hitting Frieza as he got up. He emerged from the blast slightly injured, but not immobilized. He looked up at Winter, who was still holding her arm out, frozen. To her surprise, he began to laugh. "Well well well! You surely have surpassed my expectations! We will continue this later on, for now you have proven your worth." With that he flew off, leaving Winter alone until she decided to head back with him. She was still shocked over that blast of power she used, could she really have so much power? She flew back to the ship and walked inside, her thoughts running through her head about the battle.