Post by Emperor Ninjin Hattori on Feb 25, 2015 22:43:47 GMT -5
“You’ve surpassed even Tsyuo you know.” Vil remarked as the sweat beat down his bald head and splashed against his bare torso. The dead Saiyan was, by any and all accounts, a mammoth of a man. The very tip of his bald head just breached the seven foot tall line. It was not an easy feat to make the former Saiyan king feel small, but Vil managed to each and every time they stood near one another. In a way it made Ninjin feel like he was a child again.
The light of Heaven illuminated all around them, and the dead Saiyan remarked for the umpteenth time how happy he was to be there. It was eternal paradise after all. Still there was a feeling he could not shake. One of… apprehension. What did he have to worry about? He was dead. Ua’s words from the other night came back to him. Was it really possible for those who were dead to come back to the world of the living? There were legends, myths, but forever Ninjin had believed them tall tales. Then again he had believed that when a soul died they were simply dead too. He could admit when he was wrong, and perhaps he was wrong once more.
The duo stood on the side of a mountain. They were climbing to the top, not allowed to use the power of flight. Vil had offered to ascend with Ninjin, finally happy to have a chance at some training that didn’t involve directly fighting the Super-Saiyan. Vil was a proud warrior, and would readily admit that he taught the red-clad Saiyan most of what he knew, but he wasn’t too proud to admit when he was out-matched. Despite being a mountain, it seemed to get hotter the closer they got to the peak. Perhaps that was intended. Ninjin’s skin was slicked with sweat and it clung to the inside of his clothes. The heat almost made wearing his heavy armor unbearable, but he had worn it in worse.
“We haven’t spoken of my father much.” Ninjin said the words as his hand found purchase on a stone. He hoisted himself up to a ledge and turned to help his massive compatriot up. It was true. Whether it was he or his former bodyguard who was hiding from the topic he wasn’t sure, but since his arrival in Heaven the duo had spoken very little of his parents and their whereabouts. Vil sighed and puffed out his cheeks, running a hand the size of a frying-pan over his shiny bald head.
“Yes… That’s well…” Vil stuttered and stammered. It was very out-of-character for the bodyguard to be at a loss for words. Ninjin had always known him to be wise and collected and it made him uncomfortable to see his friend and mentor in the state.
“We don’t have to start now.” Ninjin offered. Vil’s mouth formed into a crease and he looked away embarrassed. They stood high above the plains that they had camped in and been training in for what seemed like a long time. How long had Ninjin been dead at this point? Moreover how much time had passed in the realm of the living? The rolling plains stretched out before them and Ninjin thought he could see a flag from the Eternal Tournament somewhere in the distance.
“Forgive me Nin. Your parents… They were… The words are hard to find.” Vil turned and hoisted himself up another rock ledge. They were steep but not impossible to climb with nothing more than hand-and-foot especially for two trained Saiyan warriors. Ninjin suspected there was more to this training session than merely climbing up a mountain with his heavy armor on, but he said nothing and continued all the same. His instructors knew combat, and though he prided himself on being trained, their age and experience outclassed him. The former prince was not so arrogant to think that he couldn’t improve himself.
“That my parents are hard to describe you need not apologize to me for. They were, and will continue to be. I shudder to think of their continued existence in eternal damnation.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to lead off with, but it was how he was feeling. The thought… it kept him from finding true peace, from finding true joy in Heaven. It was not his fault that they had taken the actions that they had, yet his heart hurt when he thought of it. Would his sister fall to the same fate? What of Nasu? His brother Leke was in Heaven as well, and he took some solace in that. Still the rest of the Hattori’s… what of them?
“Forgive me once more Nin, but I overheard your conversation with Ua the other morning.” That came as a bit of a surprise to Ninjin, but did not anger him. Those words were said in the company and privacy of friends, and there were few that Ninjin would consider a greater friend than Vil. He told the bodyguard so, and despite being red from the exercise Vil’s face deepened in color.
“ I too fear for Akassa and Nasu. Akassa… I knew you both when you were quite little.” Vil took the chance at an offered subject change greedily. It was perhaps not the greatest of topics that he could switch to, but it was greater than the eternal damnation of Ninjin’s parents. Nasu and Akassa could still be saved.
“Do you think it’s possible for someone to return to the living from the realm of the dead?” Ninjin turned and offered his hand to his former bodyguard. Far below him stretched the plains, and now he could fully make out all of it. The plains they were in was more of a very large valley, surrounded by a ring of mountains. Whatever lay beyond? Perhaps Ninjin was about to find out. Vil grabbed his wrist and hoisted himself up. They were nearing the summit.
“Yes. I do. Ua has been around a very long time. If he says it’s possible then I have no reason but to believe him. There are ways to return to the world of the living if he says there are. I have heard of rumors of it happening, but haven’t experienced it in my time here. Obviously.” He added the last bit with a chuckle. With a sigh he sat down on the ledge and looked out over the plains of Heaven.
“It makes New Vegeta seem lackluster in comparison. And yet I still can’t help but long for home.” He patted the ledge next to him and Ninjin took a seat. Ninjin had to admit that the view before him was unlike any he had ever seen. The beauty was indescribable. And yet he knew exactly what his bald friend meant.
When he had lay dying in that crater on Mement Mor he had thought of home, and how he would never see it again. Even though for the majority of its existence it had simply been the Earth’s moon, New Vegeta had become something much more and something far greater. It was the home of the Saiyans. It was his home. There was a feeling in his stomach, a homesickness that he wondered would ever go away or not. Vil patted him on the shoulder lightly.
“Let’s talk kid. I owe you that. Tsyuo, Natisha, Akassa, whatever you want to talk about you let it out. I’ll give you the truth as best I can.” Vil turned his head to look at Ninjin.
“Did my parents deserve to go to Hell?” Ninjin knew it may be cruel to take so advantage of Vil’s offer so greedily, but he needed to know what his bodyguard thought. There were few who knew the workings of the palace as his bodyguard had, and none who had been closer to the prince. When Ninjin was a child he hardly remembered spending much time with his parents, though the time they did spent together was treasured memories. Were those merely facades that his parents had constructed in front of the crown-prince?
Vil closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of mountain air.
“Yes.” He said the word finally and it hung in the air before them. Ninjin nodded and bit back the tears that threatened to come. So they were… they did…
“I do believe they genuinely cared for you however.” Vil offered, though it meant little solace to Ninjin. His parents were where they genuinely belonged. Hell.
“Your mother had many killed, your father just as many, for different reasons. They mostly did what they thought was right for the kingdom on that level, but they had severe lapses in judgment on many occasions. They were selfish and prideful. Your parents were… not good people. But they made a great person. A couple of them.” Ninjin nodded. It wasn’t as if he didn’t believe it. There had been flashes of the true characters of his parents shown in the moments leading up to their deaths. Ninjin’s final few months of interactions with his parents had not been pleasant.
“And what of Akassa?” Vil took in a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. Flashes of their final few months of interactions flashed through Ninjin’s mind. Their battle in the tournament had been vicious and widely broadcasted. The things they had said to each other could not be taken back, but that felt like lifetimes ago. He was not that punk kid any longer. They had forgave each other and had fought side-by-side in defense of their home against one of his long-time enemies.
After the attack on New Vegeta his sister seemed…. Changed. Gone was her arm and with it her sense of loyalty to the Hattori name apparently. The scene in the war council came to Ninjin’s mind. That Akassa had killed both of his parents and Leke. Was there anything of the girl he once knew to save? In their childhood they had been friends, but Ninjin had allowed his mother to poison him against her. That had been his own fault and he would make it up to her, if there was any of the old Akassa left.
“The road she’s walking down leads to the same destination as your parents.”
Hell then. No doubt. Whatever else she had done, she had killed Leke. There was none more innocent in Ninjin’s mind than his younger brother. Still…
“Do you think she can be saved?” Vil turned and stood from the ledge. The kid was certainly not asking any easy questions. Once more he ran a large hand over his bald head.
“I don’t know Nin.” He said reluctantly at long last. “Can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, can’t save someone who won’t admit that there’s a problem.” Vil said the words and as soon as he did Ninjin wished he hadn’t.
His sister had always been stubborn. Always. It was a trait that she had no doubt inherited from the Hattori side of the family. If this new change, this new increase of power, meant anything for Akassa it probably meant an increase in her stubborn nature. There was a highly likely chance that Ninjin was not going to be able to convince his sister that she needed to change her ways. She would no doubt see it as a ploy for the throne. Ninjin simply nodded at his former bodyguard and said nothing else.
They finished the climb to the summit in short time. Alexandria, Volg, and Ua were all waiting for them when they arrived. Ua clapped his hands and spread his arms wide. Ninjin was honestly surprised at what they found. It was a large palace. The style was reminiscent of an Earthen style that Ninjin remembered. The roof was the dominant feature, large and gently curved with pinched corners. Paper walls were beautifully decorated and lined the structure.
“What… what is this place?” Ninjin asked marveling at the structure in front of him. It had seemed like there was no room on the top of the mountain for a building of this size, but it was Heaven after all. Ua smiled. Ninjin turned at Vil who simply shrugged and looked up at the building as if too seeing it for the first time.
“Welcome to ‘Hall of Heroes’” Ua turned and walked through an open door on the side of the building. Ninjin curiously followed after his elephantine friend.
Inside the building was much different than the exterior. Though they had entered through a side-door, Ninjin would have guessed they entered through the front. A long hall stretched out in front of them with huge statues dominating most of the space. Massive marble columns stretched from the floor up to the ceiling, which was far out of sight above them. Each statue depicted a different being. Some of the species Ninjin recognized, others were strange and alien to him. The statues were life-like, reminding Ninjin of a wax-figure a merchant had once brought of his father into the royal palace of New Vegeta.
“Hall destroyed in war. Rebuilt.”
“Knowledge of many of the most ancient and celebrated of heroes was lost during the conflict. Names are added to the running records on the walls constantly. Others are being removed.” She said the last bit pointedly and Ninjin turned with a mocked-hurt impression. Despite herself she cracked a smile.
“This is certainly impressive.” He stopped in front of a statue and looked up at it. Bale Ironhanded, read the inscription. Ninjin looked up at the impressive figure carved in stone. Bale was as tall as Ua but his skin was as dark as space. Tiny streaks of blue ran down his head and shoulders looking very much like glowing cracks of energy in his skin. They tapered off at his pectorals and biceps. The reason for his last name was undoubtedly the prosthetic he had replaced his right hand with. It was a menacing thing, but in the prosthetic he gently held a flower. In his other hand he gripped a hammer.
“So… Are these heroes still around?” It was an honest question. This was Heaven after all, there were presumably no more steps after this one. There was no way to die in Heaven right? So feasibly the greats of the greats still hung around. Alexandria bit her lip and Ua merely shrugged.
“Heaven is… big place.”
“Some of the heroes pair off and go train, never to be seen by another again. That’s their Heaven. Other’s go and train with some of the gods. Others compete forever in the Eternal Tournament. Some would rather be left alone and meditate for the rest of eternity. This is Heaven, there’s a lot that you can do with it.”
Ninjin looked up once more into the face of Bale. Was he somewhere out there training? Did he wander off into the vastness of Heaven to explore for Eternity? Or was he fighting in the Eternal Tournament. If so he was no doubt someone that Ninjin would like to test himself against. With a start he looked up and realized that Ua and Alexandria were much further down the hall then he. Quickly he caught up. The hall continued as far as the eye could see.
“What are we doing here?” Ninjin asked as they passed impressive looking hero after impressive looking hero.
“Is meeting.” Ua said matter-of-factly.
“Meeting? Who in the universe are we meeting in the back of the Hall of Heroes.”
“Me.” A voice called out. It was rich and full, and for some reason strangely familiar to Ninjin. It wasn’t that he had heard the voice before, he hadn’t. It was more than that. Something deep within him recognized the voice. A figure jumped from one of the pedestals nearby them and the being landed lightly on his feet before them.
His armor was crimson, bordered in gold. It was very familiar looking, and a familiar crest sat directly on the left breastplate. Ninjin stared in awe as if looking into a mirror. Sure there were subtle differences. The goatee for one. The silver streak in the hair for another. Still the similarities were striking.
“Ninjin Hattori? Allow me to introduce myself.” He said the words with a sweeping bow. “I am Yasai Hattori. I am your Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather.”
Ninjin’s jaw nearly dropped. Of course he had been concentrating on his immediate family. He had all but forgotten that there might be other Hattori’s from his extended family around. Yasai Hattori? Truthfully Ninjin had heard little of his four-time great-grandfather, but the fact that he was standing in front of him now filled him with hope. Vil burst out laughing. Ninjin and Yasai turned towards him in synch.
“What is so funny?” Ninjin asked, and if he didn’t know any better he could have sworn that Yasai asked at the same time. Vil bit his bottom lip.
“You have a twin!” He got the words out before he started laughing again. Ninjin and Yasai turned towards each other once more and began inspecting each other as if in a mirror. They were very similar Ninjin had to admit.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you grandfather.” Ninjin bowed as he said this, Yasai bowed in return and then turned to Ua and Alexandra.
“This punk is the Super-Saiyan?” Ninjin was immediately taken aback. His four-time great grandfather just said what? Ninjin gritted his teeth and activated his Super-Saiyan form. His aura surged to life all around him and whipped hard against the statues. Yasai brought a hand up to cover his eyes.
“If I had known that was all it was going to take I would have opened with that.” Yasai chuckled and walked around Ninjin inspecting him. “Very impressive very impressive. We didn’t have one of these in my time I can assure you of that. Then again my time was relatively peaceful. I’m sorry if I offended you Nin, just a little teasing.”
Ninjin raised an eyebrow and immediately felt foolish for letting his anger get the best of him. Still he could attribute it to the Super-Saiyan form itself. Ever since he had achieved the form it had been easier for others to anger him. He tried to keep it in check but the part of his brain that responded to anger seemed over-stimulated recently. Then again this was Heaven… what in the world would he be doing if he wasn’t in such a calming place?
“It’s obvious that he still needs training. That raw power sure is something though.” His four time great grandfather turned and addressed Ua. Ua nodded with a smile.
“Is talent. Raw talent, but is talent.”
Yasai put his hand on Ninjin’s shoulder once again and the duo began walking back towards the front of the hall.
“Someday you’re going to be a statue in that hall Ninjin and all of Heaven will be yours to explore. Your existence will be yours to do what you wish with it.” When they got to the door of the hall Yasai patted Ninjin on the shoulder once more and then shoved him roughly through. Ninjin rolled through and turned surprised, only to find that he had passed through the door and they were now… In the arena? He turned to face his ancestor only to find him charging.
A right hook knocked the taste out of his mouth and he only had time to stumble back slightly before a drop-kick took out his knees and he slammed jaw-first into the ground. Tiny birds tweeted as they flew around his head in circles. Yasai circled Ninjin as he lay on the ground and inspected him. Ninjin had rolled over onto his back and worked his jaw back and forth. Then he heard a sound he hadn’t been expecting to hear. A crowd? With a groan the dead prince sat up and looked around. Sure enough the stands were packed with spectators.
“If you want to use the Eternal Tournament’s arena, you have to put on a show.” Ninjin nodded and stood as he wiped the blood off of his mouth with the back of his right-fist, dismissing and resummoning the gauntlet of his heavy armor with a thought. They wanted a show, Yasai wanted a show? Fine. They would get that. Ninjin activated his true power and Yasai chuckled.
“I have existed for a very long time. It will take more than your True Power to test me.” Sure enough even as he said it he surged forwards almost faster than Nin could detect. His knee roughly found Ninjin’s stomach and the crimson-clad Saiyan found himself flat on his back once again. The crowd oooh’d in suspense. Some had seen Ninjin Hattori fight four others in this very arena to outstanding victories. Here he was being manhandled worse that what had happened with Ua. His four-time great grandfather was certainly powerful. There was, however, one thing that he was not.
Ninjin leapt to his feet and just barely had time to duck back down under a roundhouse kick. Without thinking he shot himself backwards away from his ancestor using his bukujutsu and assisted by two ki blasts at their feet. The former prince backflipped in the air and landed in a three-point stance. His hair began to stand on edge and he let out a scream as he activated his Super-Saiyan form.
Yasai, who had been crouched in a fighting stance after recovering from the blasts, abandoned what he was doing and stood in awe. It had been a very long time since Super Sayians had existed. Yasai like many had heard the myths and fables, but here was a living breathing one standing before him.
“That… That is something.” Ninjin smiled at his four-time great grandfather’s lack of ability to describe the true awe that the form inspired. There were others out there that Ninjin knew of. Conri lane had too ascended to the form, meaning that half-blooded Saiyans could as well, or perhaps not. However if Akassa too had ascended to the form that very well meant that that was possible. Or maybe Conri was a bastard Hattori.
Yasai stepped back into his fighting stance. His own aura flared up widely. He did not transform into a Super Saiyan, but his already considerable power doubled. Ninjin stared wide-eyed at his great-great-great-great grandfather who smiled back confidently.
“Let’s test this Super Saiyan.” His ancestor rushed at him with more speed than Ninjin had been expecting or prepared for. Before he knew what was happening Yasai had lifted him off of the ground and his armored body slammed into the ground once again. Yasai was good, good enough that he could fight the Super Saiyan. The crowd gasped. This was not something they were used to seeing, though they had only experienced the Super Saiyan form a few times.
Ninjin’s leg shot out and kicked Yasai’s own out from underneath him. His grandfather slammed hard into the ground much as he originally had. Ninjin rolled over and the back of his fist smashed a crater into the ground where Yasai had been seconds before. He rolled once more but his great-great-great-great grandfather was proving to be quite agile. Yasai lifted his foot high up into the air and brought it down with a smash of his own, creating a crater much larger than the ones Ninjin had left. Ninjin, however, had leapt high into the air, kipping up and using his bukujutsu to propel him into the air.
Yasai turned and threw a ringed disc of ki at Ninjin. It sailed through the air quickly and Ninjin just barely had time to flip backwards out of the way. It cut through a portion of his shoulder pauldrons. Another one quickly followed after it. Ninjin spiraled mid-air avoiding the discs and launched a shirishiri cannon at his four time great-grandfather. It exploded against the ground and Ninjin wasted no time. His hand came out in a claw in front of him and orbs of ki appeared above the smoke that was created from his full-powered energy wave. With a growl he clawed through the air and the balls fell to the earth, crashing and exploding as they did so.
The crowd roared with excitement as Yasai appeared behind Ninjin and sent him spiraling into the ground with a kick to the side of his head. Ninjin’s mind went reeling at the same time his body did. How had he managed to not only avoid the Shirishiri cannon, but the after avoid his Prince’s Degeneration? Not only manage through them somehow but the attacks carried the might of the Super Saiyan behind it. And then he had sent the same Super Saiyan spiraling through the air and crashing into the hard arena floor below. Yasai was smart, and quick to follow up his attack. Small blast after blast of red ki energy collided with Ninjin’s body as he lay against the cold arena floor and a crater formed as the steady force of them drove him further and further into the ground.
Ninjin felt his body press further and further into the ground. The blasts stung but his armor kept them from burning his skin and they didn’t have the power to blow through his armor. With all of his might Ninjin turned over but not before summoning his helmet. A blast smashed right into his face seconds after he did so and he was thankful, his nose had broken so many times… Ninjin brought his hands together in front of him and launched a beam of energy at Yasai, who spiraled out of the way and swooped down to resume his machine-gun like barrage of ki-blasts. They cut through Ninjin’s after-image and Yasai swore as Ninjin brought his knee hard into the side of his great-great-great-great grandfather’s ribs. Ninjin spun and brought the side of his legs into Yasai’s back and sent him spiraling into the ground.
It was the first good bit of offense that the former Saiyan prince had been able to get off. The crowd ate it up roaring and stomping their feet. Yasai picked himself up and dusted himself off, turning to look at his ancestor with a smirk of surprise.
“Perhaps there is some of me in you after all.”
Almost quicker than the eye could track Yasai was on the offence again, launching blast after blast as he ascended towards his kin. Ninjin batted them away and awaited the assault from the front that never came. Instead a flash of movement alerted the Super Saiyan and he had just enough time to bring his forearm up to block a swift kick to his head. His other fist came over lighting quick and there was a sickening snap as it was buckled from place by the sheer power of the Super Saiyan. Yasai screamed in pain and quickly snapped his leg back into place after readjusting his tendons with whirring finger motions.
Ninjin’s eyes widened in surprise as Yasai summoned a blade of ki in his hand and cut him hard across the face. He stumbled backwards through the air and flipped over in the air. As he righted himself he found Yasai coming at him once more. Another ki blade had joined the first and he was duel-wielding them with expertise. Ninjin deactivated his bukujutsu and fell like a stone under a slash that still managed to take off a chunk of hair. As he slammed into the ground he rolled through and turned. This was a technique that his ancestor had used earlier in the fight. Ninjin grabbed his right wrist with his left hand to steady his aim and then attempted to fire machine-gun like bullets of ki at Yasai.
It was true that tiny amounts of ki shot out of his outstretched palm, but they fizzled and faltered in the air. Ninjin swore and shook his hand, as if that would somehow help. Yasai righted himself and simply watched his ancestor as Ninjin attempted to utilize the technique.
“Focus Ninjin.” Yasai spoke the words, but they carried down to Ninjin all the same. Ninjin gathered his ki to his hand and focused, using his left hand to steady himself. Yasai had utilized the technique with ease, and he had seen others use similar maneuvers. A machine-gun like barrage of ki could be deadly if used properly, and could be very useful otherwise. Ninjin gritted his teeth and tried to utilize the move.
A few ki blasts shot out rapidly, but it was more of a three-round burst than a machine gun. Yasai slapped the ki blasts aside and laughed heartily. Ninjin cursed under his breath and tried to center himself. Ever since he had unlocked the Super Saiyan form, and whenever he utilized it, he found that his temper seemed to want to get carried away from him. It made it hard to focus sometimes, impossible at others. But he was the Super Saiyan damn it. If anyone could do it he could.
With a roar he surged his hand forwards a third time and put all his focus into it. He was certain that it was going to work this time. It was surprising then, when it didn’t. The crowd looking on laughed as more sparks shot out of the Saiyan’s outstretched hand. Ninjin cursed. Apparently Yasai had had enough of Ninjin’s attempts and surged forwards towards the ground where Ninjin stood. Ninjin roared with frustration and leveled his held and steadied hand at Yasai, who had flown close to the ground and was coming at the crimson Saiyan fast.
This would work. Or he was about to get tackled. A splattering of red ki came from Ninjin’s hand the exact moment he notice a familiar looking object in his great-great-great-great grandfather’s hand. It was a crystal, smaller than his closed fist. An image projected and stood next to Ninjin only a moment before nearly taking his head off with a spinning kick. As Ninjin sailed through the air he had only seconds to process what had happened before he slammed violently into the ground. Yasai had just summoned Akassa using the projection crystal. Now there were two of them against him. Some in the crowd gasped at seeing Akassa appear there.
The sight of Akassa sent an unexpected shock through Ninjin’s body. So many feelings threatened to erupt. There was anger. Oh how he was angry at her. The anger was magnified by the Super Saiyan form and it was all Ninjin could do to keep himself from leaping at her and trying to rip her apart despite knowing full well that she was merely a clone. Still the way that she was looking at him was an exact double of his sister, and the fighting stance she fell into was one that Ninjin had seen countless times. There were other emotions there too. Guilt was another strong one.
For a long period of their lives Ninjin had been a terrible brother to his sister. A proverbial douche. Yasai looked from his great-grea-great-great grandson to his great-grea-great-great granddaughter. Akassa’s eyes did not move from Ninjin. Ninjin did meet his grandfather’s gaze.
“Oh boy I’m sensing a lot of tension here.”
“She killed my brother, mother, and father.”
Yasai whistles through his teeth.
“That is a doozy. Still I knew she was a smart one to summon. ”
Akassa rushed at Ninjin obscuring his view of Yasai, but not before Ninjin saw him bring up the crystal once more. A patch of blue fur was the last thing Ninjin saw before Akassa was in front of him. The clone fought exactly like his sister, vicious and not holding anything back. Still she wasn’t in her Super Saiyan form, something that Ninjin had never seen. Her clone’s power was impressive nonetheless. A massive paw swiped at him and Ninjin just barely had time to stumble backwards.
His grandfather touched down in front of him. Clones of Truffle and Akassa stood in front of him and soon one of Nasu came from the crystal to join the others.
“Show me what you can really do Ninjin.” His grandfather said the words and a mischievous smile danced on his face.
Ninjin gulped. He was in for it now.
(PL please. Heavy Weights in effect)
Technique acquired:
Ki-Storm barrage: Ninjin holds his right arm steady with his left arm, pointing his open palm at his target. From his open palm a burst of machine-gun like fire of small red ki orbs is shot forth.
The light of Heaven illuminated all around them, and the dead Saiyan remarked for the umpteenth time how happy he was to be there. It was eternal paradise after all. Still there was a feeling he could not shake. One of… apprehension. What did he have to worry about? He was dead. Ua’s words from the other night came back to him. Was it really possible for those who were dead to come back to the world of the living? There were legends, myths, but forever Ninjin had believed them tall tales. Then again he had believed that when a soul died they were simply dead too. He could admit when he was wrong, and perhaps he was wrong once more.
The duo stood on the side of a mountain. They were climbing to the top, not allowed to use the power of flight. Vil had offered to ascend with Ninjin, finally happy to have a chance at some training that didn’t involve directly fighting the Super-Saiyan. Vil was a proud warrior, and would readily admit that he taught the red-clad Saiyan most of what he knew, but he wasn’t too proud to admit when he was out-matched. Despite being a mountain, it seemed to get hotter the closer they got to the peak. Perhaps that was intended. Ninjin’s skin was slicked with sweat and it clung to the inside of his clothes. The heat almost made wearing his heavy armor unbearable, but he had worn it in worse.
“We haven’t spoken of my father much.” Ninjin said the words as his hand found purchase on a stone. He hoisted himself up to a ledge and turned to help his massive compatriot up. It was true. Whether it was he or his former bodyguard who was hiding from the topic he wasn’t sure, but since his arrival in Heaven the duo had spoken very little of his parents and their whereabouts. Vil sighed and puffed out his cheeks, running a hand the size of a frying-pan over his shiny bald head.
“Yes… That’s well…” Vil stuttered and stammered. It was very out-of-character for the bodyguard to be at a loss for words. Ninjin had always known him to be wise and collected and it made him uncomfortable to see his friend and mentor in the state.
“We don’t have to start now.” Ninjin offered. Vil’s mouth formed into a crease and he looked away embarrassed. They stood high above the plains that they had camped in and been training in for what seemed like a long time. How long had Ninjin been dead at this point? Moreover how much time had passed in the realm of the living? The rolling plains stretched out before them and Ninjin thought he could see a flag from the Eternal Tournament somewhere in the distance.
“Forgive me Nin. Your parents… They were… The words are hard to find.” Vil turned and hoisted himself up another rock ledge. They were steep but not impossible to climb with nothing more than hand-and-foot especially for two trained Saiyan warriors. Ninjin suspected there was more to this training session than merely climbing up a mountain with his heavy armor on, but he said nothing and continued all the same. His instructors knew combat, and though he prided himself on being trained, their age and experience outclassed him. The former prince was not so arrogant to think that he couldn’t improve himself.
“That my parents are hard to describe you need not apologize to me for. They were, and will continue to be. I shudder to think of their continued existence in eternal damnation.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to lead off with, but it was how he was feeling. The thought… it kept him from finding true peace, from finding true joy in Heaven. It was not his fault that they had taken the actions that they had, yet his heart hurt when he thought of it. Would his sister fall to the same fate? What of Nasu? His brother Leke was in Heaven as well, and he took some solace in that. Still the rest of the Hattori’s… what of them?
“Forgive me once more Nin, but I overheard your conversation with Ua the other morning.” That came as a bit of a surprise to Ninjin, but did not anger him. Those words were said in the company and privacy of friends, and there were few that Ninjin would consider a greater friend than Vil. He told the bodyguard so, and despite being red from the exercise Vil’s face deepened in color.
“ I too fear for Akassa and Nasu. Akassa… I knew you both when you were quite little.” Vil took the chance at an offered subject change greedily. It was perhaps not the greatest of topics that he could switch to, but it was greater than the eternal damnation of Ninjin’s parents. Nasu and Akassa could still be saved.
“Do you think it’s possible for someone to return to the living from the realm of the dead?” Ninjin turned and offered his hand to his former bodyguard. Far below him stretched the plains, and now he could fully make out all of it. The plains they were in was more of a very large valley, surrounded by a ring of mountains. Whatever lay beyond? Perhaps Ninjin was about to find out. Vil grabbed his wrist and hoisted himself up. They were nearing the summit.
“Yes. I do. Ua has been around a very long time. If he says it’s possible then I have no reason but to believe him. There are ways to return to the world of the living if he says there are. I have heard of rumors of it happening, but haven’t experienced it in my time here. Obviously.” He added the last bit with a chuckle. With a sigh he sat down on the ledge and looked out over the plains of Heaven.
“It makes New Vegeta seem lackluster in comparison. And yet I still can’t help but long for home.” He patted the ledge next to him and Ninjin took a seat. Ninjin had to admit that the view before him was unlike any he had ever seen. The beauty was indescribable. And yet he knew exactly what his bald friend meant.
When he had lay dying in that crater on Mement Mor he had thought of home, and how he would never see it again. Even though for the majority of its existence it had simply been the Earth’s moon, New Vegeta had become something much more and something far greater. It was the home of the Saiyans. It was his home. There was a feeling in his stomach, a homesickness that he wondered would ever go away or not. Vil patted him on the shoulder lightly.
“Let’s talk kid. I owe you that. Tsyuo, Natisha, Akassa, whatever you want to talk about you let it out. I’ll give you the truth as best I can.” Vil turned his head to look at Ninjin.
“Did my parents deserve to go to Hell?” Ninjin knew it may be cruel to take so advantage of Vil’s offer so greedily, but he needed to know what his bodyguard thought. There were few who knew the workings of the palace as his bodyguard had, and none who had been closer to the prince. When Ninjin was a child he hardly remembered spending much time with his parents, though the time they did spent together was treasured memories. Were those merely facades that his parents had constructed in front of the crown-prince?
Vil closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of mountain air.
“Yes.” He said the word finally and it hung in the air before them. Ninjin nodded and bit back the tears that threatened to come. So they were… they did…
“I do believe they genuinely cared for you however.” Vil offered, though it meant little solace to Ninjin. His parents were where they genuinely belonged. Hell.
“Your mother had many killed, your father just as many, for different reasons. They mostly did what they thought was right for the kingdom on that level, but they had severe lapses in judgment on many occasions. They were selfish and prideful. Your parents were… not good people. But they made a great person. A couple of them.” Ninjin nodded. It wasn’t as if he didn’t believe it. There had been flashes of the true characters of his parents shown in the moments leading up to their deaths. Ninjin’s final few months of interactions with his parents had not been pleasant.
“And what of Akassa?” Vil took in a sharp intake of breath through his teeth. Flashes of their final few months of interactions flashed through Ninjin’s mind. Their battle in the tournament had been vicious and widely broadcasted. The things they had said to each other could not be taken back, but that felt like lifetimes ago. He was not that punk kid any longer. They had forgave each other and had fought side-by-side in defense of their home against one of his long-time enemies.
After the attack on New Vegeta his sister seemed…. Changed. Gone was her arm and with it her sense of loyalty to the Hattori name apparently. The scene in the war council came to Ninjin’s mind. That Akassa had killed both of his parents and Leke. Was there anything of the girl he once knew to save? In their childhood they had been friends, but Ninjin had allowed his mother to poison him against her. That had been his own fault and he would make it up to her, if there was any of the old Akassa left.
“The road she’s walking down leads to the same destination as your parents.”
Hell then. No doubt. Whatever else she had done, she had killed Leke. There was none more innocent in Ninjin’s mind than his younger brother. Still…
“Do you think she can be saved?” Vil turned and stood from the ledge. The kid was certainly not asking any easy questions. Once more he ran a large hand over his bald head.
“I don’t know Nin.” He said reluctantly at long last. “Can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, can’t save someone who won’t admit that there’s a problem.” Vil said the words and as soon as he did Ninjin wished he hadn’t.
His sister had always been stubborn. Always. It was a trait that she had no doubt inherited from the Hattori side of the family. If this new change, this new increase of power, meant anything for Akassa it probably meant an increase in her stubborn nature. There was a highly likely chance that Ninjin was not going to be able to convince his sister that she needed to change her ways. She would no doubt see it as a ploy for the throne. Ninjin simply nodded at his former bodyguard and said nothing else.
They finished the climb to the summit in short time. Alexandria, Volg, and Ua were all waiting for them when they arrived. Ua clapped his hands and spread his arms wide. Ninjin was honestly surprised at what they found. It was a large palace. The style was reminiscent of an Earthen style that Ninjin remembered. The roof was the dominant feature, large and gently curved with pinched corners. Paper walls were beautifully decorated and lined the structure.
“What… what is this place?” Ninjin asked marveling at the structure in front of him. It had seemed like there was no room on the top of the mountain for a building of this size, but it was Heaven after all. Ua smiled. Ninjin turned at Vil who simply shrugged and looked up at the building as if too seeing it for the first time.
“Welcome to ‘Hall of Heroes’” Ua turned and walked through an open door on the side of the building. Ninjin curiously followed after his elephantine friend.
Inside the building was much different than the exterior. Though they had entered through a side-door, Ninjin would have guessed they entered through the front. A long hall stretched out in front of them with huge statues dominating most of the space. Massive marble columns stretched from the floor up to the ceiling, which was far out of sight above them. Each statue depicted a different being. Some of the species Ninjin recognized, others were strange and alien to him. The statues were life-like, reminding Ninjin of a wax-figure a merchant had once brought of his father into the royal palace of New Vegeta.
“Hall destroyed in war. Rebuilt.”
“Knowledge of many of the most ancient and celebrated of heroes was lost during the conflict. Names are added to the running records on the walls constantly. Others are being removed.” She said the last bit pointedly and Ninjin turned with a mocked-hurt impression. Despite herself she cracked a smile.
“This is certainly impressive.” He stopped in front of a statue and looked up at it. Bale Ironhanded, read the inscription. Ninjin looked up at the impressive figure carved in stone. Bale was as tall as Ua but his skin was as dark as space. Tiny streaks of blue ran down his head and shoulders looking very much like glowing cracks of energy in his skin. They tapered off at his pectorals and biceps. The reason for his last name was undoubtedly the prosthetic he had replaced his right hand with. It was a menacing thing, but in the prosthetic he gently held a flower. In his other hand he gripped a hammer.
“So… Are these heroes still around?” It was an honest question. This was Heaven after all, there were presumably no more steps after this one. There was no way to die in Heaven right? So feasibly the greats of the greats still hung around. Alexandria bit her lip and Ua merely shrugged.
“Heaven is… big place.”
“Some of the heroes pair off and go train, never to be seen by another again. That’s their Heaven. Other’s go and train with some of the gods. Others compete forever in the Eternal Tournament. Some would rather be left alone and meditate for the rest of eternity. This is Heaven, there’s a lot that you can do with it.”
Ninjin looked up once more into the face of Bale. Was he somewhere out there training? Did he wander off into the vastness of Heaven to explore for Eternity? Or was he fighting in the Eternal Tournament. If so he was no doubt someone that Ninjin would like to test himself against. With a start he looked up and realized that Ua and Alexandria were much further down the hall then he. Quickly he caught up. The hall continued as far as the eye could see.
“What are we doing here?” Ninjin asked as they passed impressive looking hero after impressive looking hero.
“Is meeting.” Ua said matter-of-factly.
“Meeting? Who in the universe are we meeting in the back of the Hall of Heroes.”
“Me.” A voice called out. It was rich and full, and for some reason strangely familiar to Ninjin. It wasn’t that he had heard the voice before, he hadn’t. It was more than that. Something deep within him recognized the voice. A figure jumped from one of the pedestals nearby them and the being landed lightly on his feet before them.
His armor was crimson, bordered in gold. It was very familiar looking, and a familiar crest sat directly on the left breastplate. Ninjin stared in awe as if looking into a mirror. Sure there were subtle differences. The goatee for one. The silver streak in the hair for another. Still the similarities were striking.
“Ninjin Hattori? Allow me to introduce myself.” He said the words with a sweeping bow. “I am Yasai Hattori. I am your Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather.”
Ninjin’s jaw nearly dropped. Of course he had been concentrating on his immediate family. He had all but forgotten that there might be other Hattori’s from his extended family around. Yasai Hattori? Truthfully Ninjin had heard little of his four-time great-grandfather, but the fact that he was standing in front of him now filled him with hope. Vil burst out laughing. Ninjin and Yasai turned towards him in synch.
“What is so funny?” Ninjin asked, and if he didn’t know any better he could have sworn that Yasai asked at the same time. Vil bit his bottom lip.
“You have a twin!” He got the words out before he started laughing again. Ninjin and Yasai turned towards each other once more and began inspecting each other as if in a mirror. They were very similar Ninjin had to admit.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you grandfather.” Ninjin bowed as he said this, Yasai bowed in return and then turned to Ua and Alexandra.
“This punk is the Super-Saiyan?” Ninjin was immediately taken aback. His four-time great grandfather just said what? Ninjin gritted his teeth and activated his Super-Saiyan form. His aura surged to life all around him and whipped hard against the statues. Yasai brought a hand up to cover his eyes.
“If I had known that was all it was going to take I would have opened with that.” Yasai chuckled and walked around Ninjin inspecting him. “Very impressive very impressive. We didn’t have one of these in my time I can assure you of that. Then again my time was relatively peaceful. I’m sorry if I offended you Nin, just a little teasing.”
Ninjin raised an eyebrow and immediately felt foolish for letting his anger get the best of him. Still he could attribute it to the Super-Saiyan form itself. Ever since he had achieved the form it had been easier for others to anger him. He tried to keep it in check but the part of his brain that responded to anger seemed over-stimulated recently. Then again this was Heaven… what in the world would he be doing if he wasn’t in such a calming place?
“It’s obvious that he still needs training. That raw power sure is something though.” His four time great grandfather turned and addressed Ua. Ua nodded with a smile.
“Is talent. Raw talent, but is talent.”
Yasai put his hand on Ninjin’s shoulder once again and the duo began walking back towards the front of the hall.
“Someday you’re going to be a statue in that hall Ninjin and all of Heaven will be yours to explore. Your existence will be yours to do what you wish with it.” When they got to the door of the hall Yasai patted Ninjin on the shoulder once more and then shoved him roughly through. Ninjin rolled through and turned surprised, only to find that he had passed through the door and they were now… In the arena? He turned to face his ancestor only to find him charging.
A right hook knocked the taste out of his mouth and he only had time to stumble back slightly before a drop-kick took out his knees and he slammed jaw-first into the ground. Tiny birds tweeted as they flew around his head in circles. Yasai circled Ninjin as he lay on the ground and inspected him. Ninjin had rolled over onto his back and worked his jaw back and forth. Then he heard a sound he hadn’t been expecting to hear. A crowd? With a groan the dead prince sat up and looked around. Sure enough the stands were packed with spectators.
“If you want to use the Eternal Tournament’s arena, you have to put on a show.” Ninjin nodded and stood as he wiped the blood off of his mouth with the back of his right-fist, dismissing and resummoning the gauntlet of his heavy armor with a thought. They wanted a show, Yasai wanted a show? Fine. They would get that. Ninjin activated his true power and Yasai chuckled.
“I have existed for a very long time. It will take more than your True Power to test me.” Sure enough even as he said it he surged forwards almost faster than Nin could detect. His knee roughly found Ninjin’s stomach and the crimson-clad Saiyan found himself flat on his back once again. The crowd oooh’d in suspense. Some had seen Ninjin Hattori fight four others in this very arena to outstanding victories. Here he was being manhandled worse that what had happened with Ua. His four-time great grandfather was certainly powerful. There was, however, one thing that he was not.
Ninjin leapt to his feet and just barely had time to duck back down under a roundhouse kick. Without thinking he shot himself backwards away from his ancestor using his bukujutsu and assisted by two ki blasts at their feet. The former prince backflipped in the air and landed in a three-point stance. His hair began to stand on edge and he let out a scream as he activated his Super-Saiyan form.
Yasai, who had been crouched in a fighting stance after recovering from the blasts, abandoned what he was doing and stood in awe. It had been a very long time since Super Sayians had existed. Yasai like many had heard the myths and fables, but here was a living breathing one standing before him.
“That… That is something.” Ninjin smiled at his four-time great grandfather’s lack of ability to describe the true awe that the form inspired. There were others out there that Ninjin knew of. Conri lane had too ascended to the form, meaning that half-blooded Saiyans could as well, or perhaps not. However if Akassa too had ascended to the form that very well meant that that was possible. Or maybe Conri was a bastard Hattori.
Yasai stepped back into his fighting stance. His own aura flared up widely. He did not transform into a Super Saiyan, but his already considerable power doubled. Ninjin stared wide-eyed at his great-great-great-great grandfather who smiled back confidently.
“Let’s test this Super Saiyan.” His ancestor rushed at him with more speed than Ninjin had been expecting or prepared for. Before he knew what was happening Yasai had lifted him off of the ground and his armored body slammed into the ground once again. Yasai was good, good enough that he could fight the Super Saiyan. The crowd gasped. This was not something they were used to seeing, though they had only experienced the Super Saiyan form a few times.
Ninjin’s leg shot out and kicked Yasai’s own out from underneath him. His grandfather slammed hard into the ground much as he originally had. Ninjin rolled over and the back of his fist smashed a crater into the ground where Yasai had been seconds before. He rolled once more but his great-great-great-great grandfather was proving to be quite agile. Yasai lifted his foot high up into the air and brought it down with a smash of his own, creating a crater much larger than the ones Ninjin had left. Ninjin, however, had leapt high into the air, kipping up and using his bukujutsu to propel him into the air.
Yasai turned and threw a ringed disc of ki at Ninjin. It sailed through the air quickly and Ninjin just barely had time to flip backwards out of the way. It cut through a portion of his shoulder pauldrons. Another one quickly followed after it. Ninjin spiraled mid-air avoiding the discs and launched a shirishiri cannon at his four time great-grandfather. It exploded against the ground and Ninjin wasted no time. His hand came out in a claw in front of him and orbs of ki appeared above the smoke that was created from his full-powered energy wave. With a growl he clawed through the air and the balls fell to the earth, crashing and exploding as they did so.
The crowd roared with excitement as Yasai appeared behind Ninjin and sent him spiraling into the ground with a kick to the side of his head. Ninjin’s mind went reeling at the same time his body did. How had he managed to not only avoid the Shirishiri cannon, but the after avoid his Prince’s Degeneration? Not only manage through them somehow but the attacks carried the might of the Super Saiyan behind it. And then he had sent the same Super Saiyan spiraling through the air and crashing into the hard arena floor below. Yasai was smart, and quick to follow up his attack. Small blast after blast of red ki energy collided with Ninjin’s body as he lay against the cold arena floor and a crater formed as the steady force of them drove him further and further into the ground.
Ninjin felt his body press further and further into the ground. The blasts stung but his armor kept them from burning his skin and they didn’t have the power to blow through his armor. With all of his might Ninjin turned over but not before summoning his helmet. A blast smashed right into his face seconds after he did so and he was thankful, his nose had broken so many times… Ninjin brought his hands together in front of him and launched a beam of energy at Yasai, who spiraled out of the way and swooped down to resume his machine-gun like barrage of ki-blasts. They cut through Ninjin’s after-image and Yasai swore as Ninjin brought his knee hard into the side of his great-great-great-great grandfather’s ribs. Ninjin spun and brought the side of his legs into Yasai’s back and sent him spiraling into the ground.
It was the first good bit of offense that the former Saiyan prince had been able to get off. The crowd ate it up roaring and stomping their feet. Yasai picked himself up and dusted himself off, turning to look at his ancestor with a smirk of surprise.
“Perhaps there is some of me in you after all.”
Almost quicker than the eye could track Yasai was on the offence again, launching blast after blast as he ascended towards his kin. Ninjin batted them away and awaited the assault from the front that never came. Instead a flash of movement alerted the Super Saiyan and he had just enough time to bring his forearm up to block a swift kick to his head. His other fist came over lighting quick and there was a sickening snap as it was buckled from place by the sheer power of the Super Saiyan. Yasai screamed in pain and quickly snapped his leg back into place after readjusting his tendons with whirring finger motions.
Ninjin’s eyes widened in surprise as Yasai summoned a blade of ki in his hand and cut him hard across the face. He stumbled backwards through the air and flipped over in the air. As he righted himself he found Yasai coming at him once more. Another ki blade had joined the first and he was duel-wielding them with expertise. Ninjin deactivated his bukujutsu and fell like a stone under a slash that still managed to take off a chunk of hair. As he slammed into the ground he rolled through and turned. This was a technique that his ancestor had used earlier in the fight. Ninjin grabbed his right wrist with his left hand to steady his aim and then attempted to fire machine-gun like bullets of ki at Yasai.
It was true that tiny amounts of ki shot out of his outstretched palm, but they fizzled and faltered in the air. Ninjin swore and shook his hand, as if that would somehow help. Yasai righted himself and simply watched his ancestor as Ninjin attempted to utilize the technique.
“Focus Ninjin.” Yasai spoke the words, but they carried down to Ninjin all the same. Ninjin gathered his ki to his hand and focused, using his left hand to steady himself. Yasai had utilized the technique with ease, and he had seen others use similar maneuvers. A machine-gun like barrage of ki could be deadly if used properly, and could be very useful otherwise. Ninjin gritted his teeth and tried to utilize the move.
A few ki blasts shot out rapidly, but it was more of a three-round burst than a machine gun. Yasai slapped the ki blasts aside and laughed heartily. Ninjin cursed under his breath and tried to center himself. Ever since he had unlocked the Super Saiyan form, and whenever he utilized it, he found that his temper seemed to want to get carried away from him. It made it hard to focus sometimes, impossible at others. But he was the Super Saiyan damn it. If anyone could do it he could.
With a roar he surged his hand forwards a third time and put all his focus into it. He was certain that it was going to work this time. It was surprising then, when it didn’t. The crowd looking on laughed as more sparks shot out of the Saiyan’s outstretched hand. Ninjin cursed. Apparently Yasai had had enough of Ninjin’s attempts and surged forwards towards the ground where Ninjin stood. Ninjin roared with frustration and leveled his held and steadied hand at Yasai, who had flown close to the ground and was coming at the crimson Saiyan fast.
This would work. Or he was about to get tackled. A splattering of red ki came from Ninjin’s hand the exact moment he notice a familiar looking object in his great-great-great-great grandfather’s hand. It was a crystal, smaller than his closed fist. An image projected and stood next to Ninjin only a moment before nearly taking his head off with a spinning kick. As Ninjin sailed through the air he had only seconds to process what had happened before he slammed violently into the ground. Yasai had just summoned Akassa using the projection crystal. Now there were two of them against him. Some in the crowd gasped at seeing Akassa appear there.
The sight of Akassa sent an unexpected shock through Ninjin’s body. So many feelings threatened to erupt. There was anger. Oh how he was angry at her. The anger was magnified by the Super Saiyan form and it was all Ninjin could do to keep himself from leaping at her and trying to rip her apart despite knowing full well that she was merely a clone. Still the way that she was looking at him was an exact double of his sister, and the fighting stance she fell into was one that Ninjin had seen countless times. There were other emotions there too. Guilt was another strong one.
For a long period of their lives Ninjin had been a terrible brother to his sister. A proverbial douche. Yasai looked from his great-grea-great-great grandson to his great-grea-great-great granddaughter. Akassa’s eyes did not move from Ninjin. Ninjin did meet his grandfather’s gaze.
“Oh boy I’m sensing a lot of tension here.”
“She killed my brother, mother, and father.”
Yasai whistles through his teeth.
“That is a doozy. Still I knew she was a smart one to summon. ”
Akassa rushed at Ninjin obscuring his view of Yasai, but not before Ninjin saw him bring up the crystal once more. A patch of blue fur was the last thing Ninjin saw before Akassa was in front of him. The clone fought exactly like his sister, vicious and not holding anything back. Still she wasn’t in her Super Saiyan form, something that Ninjin had never seen. Her clone’s power was impressive nonetheless. A massive paw swiped at him and Ninjin just barely had time to stumble backwards.
His grandfather touched down in front of him. Clones of Truffle and Akassa stood in front of him and soon one of Nasu came from the crystal to join the others.
“Show me what you can really do Ninjin.” His grandfather said the words and a mischievous smile danced on his face.
Ninjin gulped. He was in for it now.
(PL please. Heavy Weights in effect)
Technique acquired:
Ki-Storm barrage: Ninjin holds his right arm steady with his left arm, pointing his open palm at his target. From his open palm a burst of machine-gun like fire of small red ki orbs is shot forth.