310Chapter 3: Whole Once More
Age 762 - Cartoras Mountains, Planet Petram
"Seluba, this is crazy! We have to turn back!"
Despite the howling winds of the Cartoras Mountains, Seluba Blattodea could just barely make out the desperate pleas of his remaining guard. Their ascent to the summit of Cartoras, the titular tallest mountain on Planet Petram, had been a grueling endeavor. The air around the ascending pair was thinning by the minute, making something as simple as breathing a laborious chore. To compound their difficulties, the savage winds had whipped up a chaotic maelstrom within the mountain range and made flying by vehicle or their own strength completely impossible.
Faced with no other alternative, Seluba ordered the group to land as high as they could and from there, they began their daunting climb up the sheer cliffside. That had been over thirteen hours ago and all but Seluba and his chief of security, a young Brench named Odaito, had turned back.
"We're almost there, I can see the summit!" Seluba shouted back, feeling the air being ripped from his lungs upon opening his mouth. Reaching up with one of his four, clawed hands the insectoid Seluba pulled his tired body up a few more inches so that he could set his clawed feet on a small ledge and catch his breath.
As a member of the insectoid Crodan species, Seluba stood just over five feet tall with a hairless body covered in a dull brown, mottled carapace to protect vital areas such as his chest, back and head. His mouth was surrounded by a series of spindly mandibles and rather than teeth and tongue, his species utilized a radula to break down food for consumption. However even more striking a feature was his pair of compound eyes which stretched all the way to either side of the insectoid's triangular head.
Despite his own determination to reach the summit, Seluba was forced to pause and use his second pair of arms to tighten the thick orange parka around him for warmth. Being a cold-blooded species, the Crodan was having a particularly difficult time dealing with the frigid temperatures that came with being over thirty kilometers in the air. If the mountain was any higher, it would have pierced through planet Petram's stratosphere, at which point one would need an environmental suit just to survive.
"Sir, you can't keep this up" Odaito gasped, clamoring onto the same ledge that his superior had taken refuge on. Like his superior, the green skinned Brench was covered from head to toe in a thick, red coat and like Seluba, he was doing his best to stave off the intense cold. Hailing from a tropical planet, Odaito was simply ill prepared for the frigid and harsh climate of a planet like Petram.
Regarding his companion wearily, Seluba could see that the lack of oxygen was taking a heavy toll on the man. His chest was heaving dangerously fast, his eyes were unfocused and his once vibrant green skin was slowly turning a dull shade of purple as his body struggled to maintain its oxygen levels. Seluba knew that he didn't look much better, however his species was far superior at processing oxygen so though he was still short of breath he was far from succumbing to oxygen deprivation, unlike his companion.
"Head back down, I'll continue the rest of the way" Seluba ordered, placing a bracing hand on the young Brench's shoulder.
"I can't do that sir!" Odaito shouted back immediately and grabbed hold of the side of the cliff to stave off another burst of wind. "My orders are to stick with you and make sure you make it back to the camp!"
Rubbing his mandibles together in thought, Seluba was silent for a moment before squeezing Odaito's shoulder. "Your girlfriend's going to kill me if anything happens to you but I have to get to the summit, it's too important" Seluba stated, giving his companion his last chance to turn back. Without allowing his companion the chance to respond, Seluba began climbing once more, all six appendages working in tandem to pull him towards his destination. If they dallied any longer, night would be upon them and that would spell absolute disaster for the pair as it was reported that temperatures on the mountain could plunge to sixty degrees below freezing.
"Sir! What if he's not even here!?" Odaito shouted from below. When he received no response back, the frostbitten guard could only sigh to himself and after a brief glance back the way they came, began climbing after the headstrong Crodan. He knew that they were ill prepared for a climb like this, they had limited supplies and no local guides to help steer them in the right direction. Odaito had voiced his desire to obtain the assistance of some of the local monks that resided at the foot of the mountain but Seluba had vetoed the idea, choosing instead to immediately head for the summit of the mountain that locals claimed to touch the heavens themselves.
The reason for Seluba's silence was mostly to preserve precious oxygen that would otherwise be wasted answering Odaito's depressing hypothetical question. So, ignoring the stinging pain and the biting cold, the insectoid man chose to press on, unnerving eyes focused on his goal above him.
Choosing not to answer the question though did not mean Seluba could ignore it. Truthfully, the thought had been eating away at him since they began this journey, what if his quarry wasn't at the top of this death trap of a mountain? Months of searching the galaxy and countless dead ends had tested the Crodan's resolve and could very well have been for nothing. Any sane man would have called it quits four star systems ago. But Seluba knew that if this latest endeavour was a dead end, he would simply march back down this accursed mountain and find the local who had pointed him in this direction and resume his tireless search.
Another burst of wind buffeted the climbing duo and threatened to tear them from the mountainside. Digging his claws into the stone of the cliffside, Seluba braced himself against the piercing cold and hurricane force winds. Using his second pair of arms he held his thick coat tighter against his body to keep his blood flowing. The gust lasted for what felt like an eternity however once it finally died down, both Seluba and Odaito were able to press on, the later moving at an even slower pace.
Glancing up, the insectoid climber could just make out the summit above him. At their current rate it would be another hour before they would reach the precipitous peak. Despite the daunting prospect, Seluba pushed on, keeping his exoskeleton pressed as close to the cliff as possible.
After another grueling five minutes, the pair had almost made it to the next ledge they could plant their feet on. Each foot of progress proved to be more dangerous than the last as the ever-strengthening winds threatened to rip them from the mountain and dash them against the rocks. Tired though they were, Seluba felt a burning fire within him, his goal was within sight and nothing in this universe would stop him. His spirits were only raised further as Odaito finally caught up to him, the tireless youth doing his best to keep pace with his senior officer.
Suddenly, over the calamitous roar of the winds around them, a deafening crack echoed across the mountain range. Unsure of where the noise came from, Seluba turned his head to look out at the vastness of the Cartoras Mountains. Aside from the whirling snow and endless stony crags nothing really seemed out of place to the Crodan.
"Watch out!"
Taken aback by the outburst, Seluba couldn't react in time as his chief of security lunged towards him, pushing him to the side and onto a crumbling shelf. Scrambling to his feet with a fire burning in his two compound eyes, Seluba was ready to fight off whatever had chosen to attack them on the mountainside. What he wasn't ready for was the emptiness before him, there were no enemies in sight but neither was Odaito.
Using one clawed hand to grasp an outcropping of rock for support, Seluba peered over the edge of the shelf he had been pushed onto. His compound eyes allowed him to see better than most beings in the universe and even from such a far distance Seluba could clearly see the body of his security chief sprawled out amongst the shattered remains of a boulder, one that he had pushed Seluba out of the way of.
Rubbing his mandibles together thoughtfully, Seluba let out a tired sigh before turning his attention from his subordinate to the task at hand. If he stopped now then Odaito would have truly died for nothing. Surveying the rest of his climb however left an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his gut, Seluba realized he was in a precarious position.
"This ledge won't hold my weight much longer but climbing could just as easily be a death sentence. One rock like that last one would smear me across this damn mountain."
Turning his attention to the howling winds that swirled around the mountain, Seluba had to take a moment to compare it to what little strength he had left in him.
"It's a gamble but at this rate I may not survive the climb."
Clenching all four of his fists together, Seluba's silver aura exploded around him sending pieces of his small outcrop tumbling down the mountainside. With a strained cry, the determined Crodan rocketed upwards towards his goal. No sooner had he left the outcrop than a burst of wind slammed against him, forcing him back into the side of the cliff. Spinning around just in time, Seluba cried out as his body was smashed against the rocky surface, his hardened carapace taking the brunt of the impact.
Before he could begin moving upwards again the wind changed directions once more, this time pulling Seluba away from the mountain and out into the vast expanse of the open air. Dizzy from the impact against the mountain and his own diminishing energy, Seluba locked his eyes on the edge of the summit and with every ounce of power left in him, exploded forward, a silver comet piercing through the mountain's maelstrom.
With vision blurred from sheer exhaustion, Seluba desperately reached out with his clawed hands and grasped at the edge of the summit as he slammed into it, expelling all the air from his lungs in the process. Gasping and clawing his way upwards, Seluba pulled his worn-out body onto the flattened rock of the mountain's peak, his two hearts hammering in his tympanal organ.
Expecting the wind to once again attempt to sweep his tired body from the mountain, Seluba dug his claws into the dirt and braced for the next burst. When none came, Seluba let out an exhausted gasp and slowly brought himself into a kneeling position so that he could take in his surroundings.
Rather than a barren, rocky outcrop at the top of the world, the weary Crodan found himself standing in a lush pasture brimming with life. The entirety of the peak was covered in thick grass and dotted with peculiar orange shrubs that the Crodan realized must have been native to this world as he had seen others back at their base camp.
Looking around in disbelief, Seluba quickly realized why the wind hadn't swept him away as he had been expecting. The entirety of the mountain's peak was encased in a barrier of sorts. It wasn't exactly an energy field like those he had seen countless times before but instead it almost seemed like an invisible force that prevented the blowing wind from getting through. Even the sound of the wind was muffled to the point where it was barely audible over the sound of his own hammering hearts.
Taking a tentative step forward through this surreal discovery, Seluba tried to steady his breathing. There was so much air in that strange dome that it was almost too much for the Crodan to handle, the last few hours of ever thinning oxygen had been hard on his lungs and breathing in such refined air took the insectoid man by surprise. He could even stand to unbutton his thick coat as the temperature within the dome was kept at what most would consider room temperature.
Creeping through the vegetation, Seluba brushed aside a particularly large shrub only to come to a sudden halt. There sat in a meditative state, was a man garbed in a pair of simple white robes that covered his pectorals but still revealed the bare chest underneath as well as his exposed arms. The flowing garments were held in place by a black sash that was wrapped around his waist and kept the man's flowing white pants secured.
Seluba had never seen a being quite like him before. His skin was a deep forest green in colour, his rectangular ears were flat against the side of his head and he had absolutely no nose to speak of. There also didn't appear to be a single hair on the man's body, the only colouration to break up the sea of green were several black spots that dotted the man's bare head and seemed to form the shape of a diamond.
Stumbling forward in shock, Seluba almost sprinted towards the man until he spotted what was lying at his feet. "Odaito?" The Crodan gasped, unable to believe his eyes.
"I retrieved your companion after he was struck by that rock. It was very brave of him to sacrifice himself for you."
Seluba looked up in shock, part of him hadn't expected the meditating man to actually speak. His deep voice was smooth and exuded a serenity that Seluba had only ever heard from monks and priests. In a strange sense it matched their current surroundings well, a calming sound that seemed to drive away the harshness of the world around it.
Once the sound of the man's voice passed, his words finally seemed to register with the weary Crodan and the insectoid being's nostrils flared in agitation. "You knew we were climbing up? You watched that boulder come at us?" Seluba accused, pointing a clawed finger to Odaito's prone form.
"Not quite, I could feel your energy as you climbed the mountain. At first, I thought you were monks from the local monastery so I didn't intervene, they regularly climbed this mountain as a form of pilgrimage. I learned a long time ago that they don't particularly like it when I interfere" the man stated his unflappable calm nearly diffusing Seluba's anger.
Taking another look at his surroundings, Seluba turned his gaze back to the meditative man and the body of his compatriot. "I've been searching for so long, are you actually him? Are you Shuyo the Wanderer?" Seluba questioned, holding his breath in anticipation for the momentous response. The silence that followed was deafening and for a brief moment Seluba believed that perhaps he had found the wrong person.
"Not many know my name and fewer than that have come to visit me" the man called Shuyo chuckled warmly. Gesturing to a patch of grass in front of him and Odaito's body, the green skinned man tilted his head ever so slightly to ask his visitor to have a seat.
Looking at the prone form of his chief of security, Seluba let out a tired sigh before addressing the man he had been searching so long for. "Thank you for retrieving his body" Seluba muttered causing the meditative man's eyes to snap open and reveal his golden irises. His vibrant eyes had taken Seluba completely off guard as they seemed to stare directly into the Crodan's very soul.
"Your friend is not dead, close, but he is made of sterner stuff than you give him credit for" Shuyo stated, placing a hand over Odaito's head. "If I had not intervened and retrieved him from the mountainside, he would have died but I was lucky and able to stabilize his condition" the verdant monk continued, his eyes never leaving Seluba's.
"But how? He was crushed under that boulder" Seluba questioned in disbelief.
"The same way that all of these plants are thriving here at the top of the world" Shuyo replied, glancing at all the vegetation around. "Most see Ki as just an energy source to wage war, so few realise what it truly is" Shuyo explained, placing his left hand down on the ground beside him. "I try to teach those that I can that Ki can be used for more than just fighting and it can be used..." Shuyo trailed off, a small smile breaking his otherwise stoic facade as a small flower began to bloom before the pairs' very eyes.
Staring at the flower that had just sprung to life before his eyes, Seluba realised his search had not been in vain. The strange dome around the peak, the thriving plant life and even the temperate climate all stemmed from the man before him, the man he had spent months searching for. "Part of me didn't think you would be real but it's exactly like the rumors said" Seluba whispered, his mandibles rubbing against one another in excitement.
Before Shuyo could respond, the weary Crodan leapt to his feet with barely contained excitement, the fatigue of his arduous climb all but forgotten. Slamming his two right fists against his chest in a salute, the revitalized insectoid addressed the ever calm Shuyo with a glint in his compound eyes. "I apologize I did not introduce myself sooner, I am Seluba Blattodea, commander of Galactic Freedom Movement, I desperately need your help" Seluba announced, his mandibles skittering over each other in excitement.
Without missing a beat, Shuyo let out a small sigh before placing both hands on his crossed legs. "While I appreciate the lengths you have taken to find me, I will have to ask you to leave" Shuyo stated, keeping his piercing eyes fixed on the Crodan before him.
Taken aback by such a blunt statement, Seluba took a shaky step forward, he couldn't be denied, this mission was too important. "You haven't even heard what I've had to say" Seluba countered, his mandibles now grinding over one another in agitation.
"I didn't need to, don't get me wrong, I respect what your movement is looking to accomplish but you've started a guerrilla war with Frieza's empire" Shuyo responded coolly, checking the pulse of the still unconscious Odaito at the same time. Once certain the Brench was still in stable condition, Shuyo returned his piercing gaze to Seluba.
"I am a keeper of the peace, not a soldier."
"But what about that band of raiders that had been attacking Planet Vosh, your defeat of Warlord Toruk, the way you quelled the Tirk uprising at the battle of Oit?" Seluba questioned, unwilling to back down from the unflappable monk. "Everywhere I looked for information about you I would get back a dozen recounts of your exploits!" Seluba exclaimed, clenching his clawed fists together.
Unfazed by the Crodan's outburst, Shuyo slowly got to his feet, that Seluba only then realized were bear. Standing over a full head taller than his insectoid visitor, Shuyo began walking amongst the plants of his small enclosure. Coming to a halt before a wilting bush, Shuyo ran a hand through its orange foliage which in turn seemed to breathe new life into the plant.
Turning to face Seluba once more, Shuyo regarded him slowly, his piercing golden eyes searching every inch of the Crodan's carapace-enclosed body. When it seemed like he would get no answer from the verdant monk, Seluba opened his mouth to speak once more only to be cut off by the smooth voice of the man before him.
"I travel the universe to test myself. If I happen across some injustice then I work to stop it, that much you should know from the stories you've heard" Shuyo stated but before Seluba could respond the verdant monk pressed on. "As I said before, I respect your movement for what it desires to achieve but your methods have plunged the galaxy into a state of turmoil that hasn't been seen since King Cold first rose to power" Shuyo concluded, crossing his arms and cocking a questioning eyebrow to his unexpected visitor. The silence that followed was broken only by the muffled howl of the blowing wind outside of Shuyo's barrier.
"I understand where you're coming from however, I'm not asking you to wage a war" breaking the silence, Seluba leveled his steely gaze on the man before him.
Garnering his attention with that last statement, Shuyo continued to keep his piercing gaze fixed on the stalwart Crodan. "Your organization is at war, you've climbed the highest mountain in the sector just to find me and you don't want me to fight for you?" Shuyo questioned with a somewhat bemused smirk. "We've been rallying dozens of star systems to our cause, we have an army capable of going blow for blow with the Frost Empire when the time comes" Shuyo countered with a click of his mandibles. Fishing around in the thick jacket he had worn during the climb up Cartoras, the GFM commander retrieved a worn rectangular datapad and handed it to the verdant monk.
Shuyo took the device from his determined visitor cautiously, unsure of what information it would contain. Glancing down at the cracked screen, Shuyo's eyes widened in surprise at the three figures staring back at him. Looking to Seluba, whose mandibles were once more sliding over one another in trepidation, Shuyo actually didn't have a reply for the sheer magnitude of what was being asked of him.
"We can wipe out their armies and liberate every planet under their control but until Frieza, Cooler and Cold are dead, there can be no peace for this universe" Seluba growled, knowing that he had now entered the most difficult aspect of his journey. Climbing the highest mountain in the entire star system would seem like child's play to anyone compared to the terrifying prospect of being asked to fight Frieza and his family, at least there was a chance of surviving the climb.
Finding his voice once more, Shuyo slowly handed the handheld device back to its owner before exhaling softly. "So instead of a soldier, you would have me be an assassin and you want me to take on Frieza, his brother and father all on my own?" Shuyo questioned. He had taken on more than his fair share of difficult and unusual tasks during his travels but to take on the three most powerful beings in the universe alone wasn't an undertaking, it was suicide.
"No no no, I wouldn't send you out there alone! We need a leader, someone who has experience fighting powerful enemies" Seluba explained, waiving two of his arms in dismissal while the other two tapped out information on the datapad. "We've been acquiring the strongest warriors in the universe to combat the Frost Demons, anyone with a desire to free the galaxy, anyone with a grudge against Frieza and his family. We're forming an elite strike team to take down the three of them and we want you to both lead and train them" Seluba concluded, holding his ground against the golden eyes of the stoic monk before him.
"You say strike team, I hear hit squad" Shuyo countered, turning to pace around his peaceful enclosure. "That also doesn't change the fact that I am not an assassin... and I'm certainly no leader" Shuyo chuckled, the smooth sound echoing across the enclosure. "You would be far better off going to the Galactic Patrol, from what I hear they're pretty thinly spread but they may have a few operatives willing to lend your cause a hand." This only seemed to set the Crodan off though as he angrily threw his hands into the air at the monk's suggestion.
"The Galactic Patrol signed a non-aggression pact with the Frost Empire and Frieza Force over a year ago. It's because of those cowards that the GFM had to step in. They aren't willing to get their hands dirty against those damn Frost Demons so we had to rally the galaxy and fight for our own damn freedom!" Seluba exclaimed, his mandibles grinding against one another in agitation. Tapping on his datapad once more, Seluba pulled up star charts and satellite footage he had been able to compile during his search before thrusting the device back into Shuyo's hands. If the stories about the man were true, he wouldn't be able to say no to this.
"Every day that those bastards are left alive puts billions of lives at stake. Last week, Cooler launched an attack against Planet Pavides, they refused to join the Frost Empire and so Cooler was sent in to subjugate them" Seluba explained, showing Shuyo footage of a barren lifeless world. "We were able to fortify the Pavidens with weapons, soldiers, supplies and our troops fought off the invasion brilliantly until Cooler got involved. He scorched half the planet in a rage and killed over three billion innocent civilians in the process" the Crodan growled, taking a step back to survey the verdant monk whose eyes were transfixed on the footage in front of him.
"Then there are the reports we intercepted that Frieza just destroyed a planet called Namek. Our information on that one is spotty at best but from what we gathered only Frieza and one other survivor made it off that planet before it blew up" Seluba continued unwilling to let this go, he could see the uncertainty begin to creep into Shuyo's eyes and the Crodan used this doubt to push his case.
"I understand you have your morals but if you're not fighting their empire, then you're allowing these atrocities to continue" Seluba stated, his mandibles now fixed in place and unmoving. "We all have our duty to make this universe a better place, no sacrifice is too great if it means cleansing this universe of Frieza and his wretched family." The fiery passion that Seluba had previously displayed was now replaced with stony determination and a somber scowl.
"I'm asking you to prepare a group of freedom fighters and lead them when the time comes to overthrow a family of genocidal tyrants and rid the entire universe of their evil, please we need you" Seluba pleaded, the genuine emotion catching Shuyo's attention.
Staring at the Crodan once more with his piercing eyes, Shuyo took a moment before sighing to himself. "Master, give me strength" the verdant monk whispered softly before closing the gap between himself and Seluba. Extending a hand to his insectoid visitor, Shuyo was completely uncertain of whether this was the correct course of action to take, but the insectoid commander had sold his case well if nothing else.
"I will help you overthrow the Cold family, no more no less."
Age 762 – The Palace of Criostail
Being tasked with overseeing Frieza's surgery had been a monumental responsibility, however despite this, Nadan had followed through to the best of his considerable abilities. With the aid of his team and Frieza's own resilient nature, they managed to set the molecular sutures into place and reattach Frieza's lost limbs. With the dangerous part out of the way all that was left was the part Nadan hated most, the waiting.
Following the operation, Frieza was secured in his own private medical wing where he had been submerged into a rejuvenation chamber. Nadan's sutures may have reattached the severed pieces of Frieza's body but in order to repair the bruising, internal bleeding, broken bones, ruptured organs, concussions, burns, cuts and the myriad of other trauma inflicted on the Frost Prince over the past few days, the rejuvenation chamber would be needed to ensure a speedy recovery. The restorative enzymes that comprised the majority of the chamber's teal fluid quickly got to work undoing the significant damage that Frieza's body had been subjected to however the process was a lengthy one.
The process had begun three days ago and Nadan was forced to change out the fluid in the chamber no less than four separate times. Other than that, there wasn't much for the Malakan prodigy to take care of aside from staying by his lord's side. With little else to do and the rest of his team sent away to rest, Nadan attempted to keep himself busy, and awake, by doing paperwork and reviewing medical charts to help pass the time in-between. The Malakan may have been confident that the operation was a success but he wasn't about to leave Frieza unmonitored during the healing process.
"You know, you're not gonna be much good to anyone if you're a sleep deprived zombie."
The sudden voice, as familiar as it was, still caused Nadan to jump in surprise. Spinning around in his chair, Nadan was met by his ever-present companion leant against the ovular entrance to the medbay. Once the surprise had passed, Nadan let out an exasperated sigh before turning back to his work. "You know for a chef you don't spend a whole lot of time in the kitchens'' Nadan grumbled, trying to avoid direct eye contact with the silver-haired Konatsian.
"Well I would spend a little more time cooking but most of the people I served died on that mission to Namek. As it stands, the only two people I have left to cook for have been locked up in here for three days" Tukkan retorted, somewhat sourly. Pushing off the wall to leisurely stroll over to his overworked friend, Tukkan glanced around at the sterile medbay that smelled faintly of antiseptic. The chef had never been a particular fan of medical facilities least of all when those close to him were put into them.
Nadan and his team always kept their workspaces clean and tidy so it was something of a surprise to see the chaotic mess of paperwork strewn across Nadan's desk. Plucking one of the medical charts off the table, Tukkan ran a cursory appraisal of the document to see how his boss was fairing. Tukkan knew that when it came to Frieza, Nadan would sooner work himself to death rather than fail the Frost Demon.
Tukkan's curiosity turned to confusion which then shifted to exacerbation of his own as he looked over the document in his hand. "Nadan this isn't Frieza's chart, who the hell even is... R. Nakao?" Tukkan questioned, slapping the document back down into the pile of other charts Nadan had acquired. When the Malakan prodigy didn't answer, Tukkan shifted through more of the scattered charts to confirm his suspicions.
"L. Young, C. Ayers, D. Mills! Nadan why are you giving yourself extra work?" Tukkan exclaimed, pulling up a chair to sit beside his friend. "I meant what I said man, you haven't dumped your brain into a robot yet so you still need to sleep" Tukkan pressed, giving his friend a pat on the back to try and stir him from his half comatose state.
The small impacts seemed to do the trick and roused the beleaguered scientist from his exhaustion, if only temporarily. "I already reviewed Lord Frieza's data this morning, his vitals are stabilized and he's entered a form of short-term hibernation while his body recuperates" Nadan explained. Taking a moment to dig through the pile of papers, Nadan retrieved a thick folder and laid it out between the pair. Opening the folder and retrieving a series of graphs, the tired Malakan passed the sheets over to Tukkan who reviewed them with a raised eyebrow.
"Not sure what I'm looking at here but these numbers are too damn high" Tukkan admitted, tilting the graphs to see if it would help. The Konatsian chef may have picked up quite a bit from his scientifically inclined friend over the years but that didn't change the fact that Tukkan's expertise lay in the kitchen. There was still a large amount of Nadan's day to day work that went right over Tukkan's head.
"Those are Lord Frieza's recorded energy levels as his body began regaining its power. It was going well but I eventually had to disconnect the energy scanner" Nadan commented and upon noticing the questioning brow of his friend was forced to explain further. "The scanner was about to overload and explode, this form Frieza's in is absurdly powerful, more than I ever could have predicted. His power level skyrocketed past one million in the first hour, I can't even begin to comprehend how high it's gotten to now" Nadan explained, lifting his head to look his silver haired friend in the eye.
Taken aback by Nadan's bloodshot, unfocused eyes, Tukkan immediately moved with a swiftness few could have expected of the lanky chef. Before the exhausted Malakan could react, Tukkan looped his arm around his friend's waist and hoisted him under his own arm.
"Gah! Tukkan what are you doing!?" Nadan yelped, trying to smack his abductor with his exhausted arms. The strikes had little effect on the silver-haired chef who used his free hand to quickly tidy up the mess of notes and papers littering the table Nadan had been using. Spinning around, Tukkan walked over to the rejuvenation chamber that housed the slumbering Frost Demon and lifted Nadan a few more inches so he was now face to face with the despot.
"Say goodnight to Frieza, you're going to bed" Tukkan chuckled at the fruitless struggles of his exhausted companion.
"I can't leave, idiot! What if Lord Frieza needs me? What if he wakes up? Who's going to watch over him?" Nadan shouted only to have Tukkan's free hand close over his beak-like mouth, silencing the incensed scientist.
Turning towards the entrance to the medbay, Tukkan began walking with Nadan still held under his arm. "The only idiot in this room right now is you. Frieza's going to be fine, the surgery went great he just needs to rest, kinda like you" Tukkan reasoned with an air of maturity the playboy rarely exposed.
Passing Nadan's work table and giving it one final cursory glance, Tukkan shifted his struggling friend into a more comfortable position before finally letting go of his mouth. "I mean it, Frieza's going to be fine, this entire floor is crawling with Commander Ricot's boys and he's got Privates Granate and Pomme watching the door. Nothing's getting in or out without them giving it the ok" Tukkan explained while using his free hand to hit the light sensor by the door which dimmed the room's lighting.
Letting out a defeated grumble, Nadan slumped down in his friend's grip, the fight finally leaving his overworked body. "Can you please put me down?" Nadan pleaded lamely as the pair went through the medbay's exit.
"No can-do buddy" Tukkan laughed, letting the motion sensor open the air tight doors to the hallway outside and a pair of curious guards. "Hey Pomme, told you I'd have to carry him out!" The uproarious laughter that would follow was cut short when the doors to the medbay sealed shut. Once more leaving the sterilized room in near silence save for the steady beeping of Frieza's vitals.
Confined inside the rejuvenation chamber, Frieza floated within the medicinal fluid, passing in and out of consciousness. Nadan had been absolutely correct in saying that the procedure would be painful. Having his limbs reattached had almost been as excruciating as losing them in the first place. The Frost Prince had been more than up to the challenge however and had toughed out the pain which would have had lesser beings screaming in agony.
Despite this resilience, in those brief moments of lucidity, Frieza's recuperating body was wracked by a dull pain and stiffness that brought a pained grimace to the despot's face. Unconsciousness wasn't much better however as Frieza's mind was assaulted with old memories and more recent visions of his recent failure on Namek. At a point Frieza almost welcomed the pain of the waking world over the bitter thoughts running through his beleaguered mind.
"Shut your mouth Cooler!"
The indignant cry of the youngest Frost Prince echoed across the botanical gardens of Criostail, shattering the serene tranquility that could only be found at the very top of the monumental palace. Bursting through the secured entryway to the gardens, a white and purple blur streaked across the gardens. Shredding the precious plants that had been collected from across the galaxy, the speeding blur slammed into the ornate parapet with a thunderous crash. Miraculously the marble structure held firm against the brutal impact and kept the injured figure from falling over the edge to a thousand-foot drop.
Slowly getting to his shaky feet, a young Frost Demon placed a bracing hand on the shattered remains of the parapet to steady his unsealed form. Still unused to accessing his full power, Prince Cooler looked over his bright purple skin and the ivory bio-armour that covered his chest, forearms and shins with a grimace. Bruises and welts littered the young boy's body and small hairline cracks could be seen spreading across the prince's chest where he had slammed against the side of the marble structure.
"I don't get it! I've been working so hard! How can that twerp be so much stronger?" Cooler hissed, running a hand over the navy-blue bio-gem in his head to check for damage. Taking a few tentative steps forward, the young Cooler was suddenly halted in his tracks by an incredible invisible force.
Turning his burning red eyes upwards, Cooler's heart caught in his throat at the sight before him. His little brother, with hand outstretched and an angered snarl across his face, marching towards him. Every step the angered Frost Demon took was punctuated by a bolt of crackling purple energy arcing from his petite body in an uncontrolled burst. Even as a child and in his fully sealed form, Frieza's power was monstrous and few knew that better than the older Frost Prince.
"Call me a twerp one more time Cooler, see what happens" Frieza demanded, coming to a halt in front of his much taller sibling. Despite being more than a head shorter and nearly five years younger, Frieza still exuded a menacing presence that put his brother on edge. However, despite this unsettling feeling, Cooler was never one to back down from a challenge, he was Fuaran royalty as well and he refused to let Frieza forget that.
"I'm sorry you'll have to repeat that, I couldn't hear you down there, twerp" Cooler mocked through gritted teeth. The telekinetic pressure his brother was subjecting him to was horrendous but the older prince wasn't about to let Frieza get his way.
Somewhat taken aback by his brother's defiance, Frieza regarded him with a scathing glance allowing Cooler to do so in kind. The skin of Frieza's sealed form was still a subtle shade of pink, a clear sign of just how young he still was. The black, pointed horns on either side of his head were just barely three inches long and his tail was only half the size that it would one day grow into. He truly was a spitting image of their father from when he was a child and the comparison only served to leave a rotten taste in the older brother's mouth.
Cooler's scrutiny of his brother was short lived however and before he could react, the invisible force that had seized control of his body slammed him face-first into the marble floor of the gardens with a sickening crunch. "You would think by now you would understand your place, brother" Frieza drawled, trying to keep his turbulent temper under control. Regarding his sibling with a look of disdain, Frieza released the telekinetic hold and turned to walk away to leave his battered sibling in the hole he dug himself into.
"So, is that what father's been teaching you? To run away from a fight like a coward" Cooler gasped, struggling to get back to his feet. He wasn't about to let his brother walk away from this, the elder Frost Prince's own stubborn ego would never allow it.
Goading the volatile youth had yielded the expected results and Frieza turned back to his brother with murder in his eyes. "I'll make you pay for that!" Frieza screamed, lunging forward with his fist cocked back.
Expecting the wild swing, Cooler took advantage of his brother's inexperience and predictable nature and darted to the right at the last moment. Left off balance and swinging at air, Frieza was not prepared for a violent knee from his brother that slammed into the youth's gut causing him to retch. Coughing out a wad of phlegm and staggering back, Frieza held his stomach where his brother had kneed him. Looking from the small bruise forming on his skin to his cautious brother, who had now sunk into a fighting stance, Frieza's power exploded around him shaking the entire palace down to its foundations.
"That hurt! That really hurt!" Frieza screamed in outrage. Raising both hands over his horned head, the diminutive Frost Prince brought both hands down and unleashed a ferocious blast of uncontrolled energy that swept over the gardens incinerating everything in its wake.
Acting on pure instinct, Cooler thrust both hands down and fired a Ki blast of his own. Using the force of his own attack to propel himself into the air, Cooler watched from above in horror as his little brother's monstrous power reduced the majority of their mother's treasured garden to ashen cinders.
Seeing that Frieza had expended more energy than he intended, Cooler took the opportunity to rush his panting brother. Diving straight back down and landing on the now blackened and shattered floor with a resonant crash, Cooler wasted little time in charging Frieza head on. Running through the devastation left in his foolish brother's reckless wake only served to enrage the elder Frost Prince, knowing that their mother had devoted years to cultivating the collection.
Still caught off guard by his own excessive use of power, Frieza was not prepared to deal with his brother as the larger Frost Demon tackled him to the ground. "Idiot! Look what you did!" Cooler shouted, raining punches down on his brother who was attempting to regain his composure. That would prove to be an impossible task for the young prince and Cooler was instead quickly blasted off of an enraged Frieza with a burst of purple Ki.
Rising into the air to look at the devastated gardens, Frieza fixated his furious scowl on his brother who was slowly getting back to his feet once again. "This is all your fault Cooler!" Frieza yelled down to his fellow prince.
"My fault!? You're the one who blasted the gardens, twerp!" Cooler fired back unwilling to let his brother pin the blame on him.
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Frieza screamed back, his skin darkening from its pinkish hues to a darker red as the young prince became more and more flustered. Rising further into the air, Frieza pointed his index finger straight up and at its tip a shining sphere of brilliant orange energy began to form.
Staggering backwards in shock, Cooler was horrified by this newest revelation, was their father stupid!? Had he really shown Frieza, an easily enraged and petulant child, how to perform his Supernova technique? "Stop it Frieza! You'll destroy the whole palace!" Cooler yelled at the top of his lungs, barely noticing the soldiers who had finally caught up to the pair and began swarming into the devastated gardens.
Whether because he couldn't hear his brother's plea or because he simply didn't care, Frieza poured ever more energy into his attack, oblivious to those below. "I told you to stop calling me that Cooler! Now we'll see who's the twerp!" Frieza laughed as the miniature sun at the tip of his finger grew larger and larger.
With no other options available to him, Cooler began quickly charging his own ki, forming a swirling vortex of power around him. The young prince knew that if he didn't stop Frieza then and there he would go on to destroy the palace and quite possibly the entirety of Oighear in the process. The prospect of losing his home and his people to the brother their mother had told him to keep watch over outweighed the knot of fear sitting in the young prince's gut.
Pulling his trembling right hand back, Cooler channeled his gathered energy into a brilliant sphere of energy of his own. The Death Flash was an intense burst of golden energy focused into a beam that Cooler hoped would be enough to either nullify or force back his brother's Supernova. That hope was more of a wish than anything however as Cooler knew that the gap between himself and his more naturally gifted brother was far too wide to overcome.
Noticing the soldiers around him for the first time, Cooler realised that though they were absolutely terrified, they still held their ground with blasters and ki attacks aimed directly for his brother. "All of you get out of here!" Cooler shouted at the troops around him. Those that could hear the young prince passed a quick glance at the boy before smirking and digging their feet into the shattered marble of the gardens. Surprised by their fearless determination and unwilling to be upstaged, Cooler dug his own feet into the ground and poured every ounce of power he could spare into this attack.
Without warning, Frieza screamed at the top of his lungs and hurled the Supernova down upon the ruined gardens casting a blinding orange glow over those below. Realising it was now or never, Cooler thrust his own hand upwards and unleashed his Death Flash with a defiant cry that erupted like a volcano. At the same time the soldiers who had taken positions beside the Frost Prince joined him, firing their blasters and unleashing their own ki blasts at the impending sphere of destructive energy.
The volley of energy blasts slammed against the falling Supernova with a deafening crash and blinding flash of light. When that light dimmed it revealed the two opposing fronts had ground to a standstill with Cooler and the soldiers around him pushing desperately against Frieza's potentially cataclysmic attack. All around Cooler, the soldiers of the Cold Force poured everything they had into their counter attack with several of the ki users having to resort to the blasters on their wrists to keep fighting once their ki reserves had been depleted.
Despite their tenacity, several of the soldiers began falling to the ground, having used almost all of their energy to fight off the attack. At the same time, with their blasters set on the highest possible power setting, many of the weapon wielding warriors found their energy cells completely spent and so resorted to backing up the soldiers who were still left standing. However, despite their cooperation, Cooler soon found himself as the last one standing against his brother's petulant rage.
With a desperate yell, Cooler pushed forward trying with every ounce of strength in his tired body to force his brother's attack back. However much to his dismay and horror, the elder Frost Prince's Death Flash wavered and fizzled out as the last of his energy ran dry. Falling backwards and covering his eyes to shield himself from the incoming blast, Cooler braced himself for the coming annihilation which would impact against the top of the palace at any moment. The fiery, apocalyptic devastation never came however and Cooler slowly moved his arms to see what had stopped the attack.
Towering over the exhausted prince was Queen Skadi of Fuar, the effective second-in-command of the Frost Empire and mother to the two battling boys. Standing firm in her unsealed form, the stunning queen held back the cataclysmic attack with a pressure wave unleashed from one elegant outstretched hand. Then using the other she pointed her index finger directly at the molten planet busting attack and fired a single beam of brilliant white energy that pierced the enormous sphere.
For a brief moment the attack seemed to have little effect on the Supernova, however even from his grounded position, Cooler could see that Frieza's Supernova had begun to shrink in size. The enormous sphere of energy condensed in upon itself at an increasingly faster rate and before those standing amongst the destroyed garden could believe their eyes, Frieza's potentially cataclysmic attack had shrunk down until it was no larger than a grape.
With a small sigh, Queen Skadi used her telekinetic abilities to call the diminished attack back to her, letting it sit in the palm of her hand. Turning to face her eldest son, the statuesque monarch smiled and held out a hand to help the exhausted boy back to his feet.
For a moment Cooler was left in awe of the woman standing before him. She had managed to neutralize an attack that, for all intents and purposes, was meant to destroy entire worlds and was now holding said attack in the palm of her hand as if it were nothing. Many of their people had considered the queen to be the reincarnated form of a past goddess and while she always denied the claim, Cooler could now see where they were coming from. With one hand she offered to aid those around her and with the other she quite literally held back inconceivably destructive power.
Much like ancient depictions of their ancestors, she wore an elegant white gown that flowed down to the floor. The garment was intricately woven and still served to display her natural beauty which she had grown to be quite fond of. The sunlight gleamed off the ebony bio-gems embedded in her head, forearms and on either side of her ankles, serving as a stark contrast to the snow-white bio-armour that they were embedded into. That same armour served to accentuate the radiance of her brilliant crimson skin.
Shaking his head to break himself out of his reverie, Cooler tiredly grasped his mother's outstretched hand and was easily hoisted into a standing position beside the woman. The Frost Queen regarded her eldest son with a warm smile, running her hand over the boy's head before turning her attention to her youngest son.
"Frieza! Come down here at once!" Queen Skadi called out from her ruined gardens. Despite the command from his own mother, Frieza didn't move a muscle and when Cooler turned his own attention up to his little brother he could see why. The sullen rage and murderous glare had been wiped from the young Frost Demon's face, in its place was complete bewildered shock.
"I don't think your brother expected that" Skadi chuckled and once more reached out with one of her hands. Utilizing her telekinetic ability, the Frost Queen pulled her youngest son back to the top of the palace and placed him on the ground before her. When it seemed like the shocked Frieza wouldn't respond, his mother's tail snaked around and flicked him on the nose, snapping the boy out of his torpor.
"That hurt!" Frieza whined, grabbing his nose to which his mother simply rolled her piercing red eyes.
"Oh snowflake, we both know it didn't" The Queen chuckled warmly. Despite the warmth in the statuesque woman's voice she kept both eyes squarely on her youngest son's, which Cooler immediately recognized for what it was, an assertion of her role in this familial relationship. With a quick grasp of her hand the Frost Empress crushed the tiny sphere of energy that just moments before threatened to reduce her palace to ash, before letting the shimmering particles float away harmlessly.
Placing a firm hand on Frieza's back to guide him along, Queen Skadi began walking silently through the ruins of her once magnificent gardens, her youngest son following beside her in a shocked stupor at what his mother had just done. Choosing to stick by his mother, Cooler moved to follow after her however was surprised when she came to a sudden halt. The thing, or to be more specific, the person who had stopped her was a hulking pink Kabosun wearing pristine battle armour that didn't appear to have seen much combat. It took Cooler a moment to recall but he was positive that this warrior was one of the last ones standing against Frieza's Supernova.
"On behalf of my unit your highness I just want to say thank you" the Kabosun dipped his spiked head in a humble bow and many of the soldiers around the group did the same. Cooler may have still been young but even he could tell the difference between a subordinate who served out of loyalty and those who served out of fear. Those serving their mother were clearly in the former category and seemed to hold a deep respect for the woman who had just saved all of their lives.
"Private... Dodoria was it?" Queen Skadi asked, checking the man's rank and wracking her mind for the soldier's name. He may have been a new recruit to the Empire however his training and battle power had marked him as a potentially invaluable asset to be taken into consideration.
"Yes, your highness!" The man called Dodoria exclaimed, standing at attention and saluting the royal family. Clearly unprepared for the named recognition he was receiving.
"You have my thanks for assisting Cooler, Private Dodoria however..." Queen Skadi's thanks trailed away as a darker look passed over her face. A small trickle of sweat ran down the burly pink warrior's head as he watched an arc of energy leap from the tip of the queen's tail to a blackened tree stump blasting it into tiny shards of smoking wood.
"...If I should find that you or any of your comrades aim your weapons at either of my sons again, I will personally eradicate each and every one of you from existence." The Queen's declaration was shocking to all those within the charred gardens especially the two boys on either side of her. She was often seen as the level headed ruler who helped keep her husband's more destructive tendencies in check.
Left speechless by the Queen's threat, Dodoria was not prepared when Skadi began walking forward right towards him with two little Frost Demon's in tow. Stumbling back, Dodoria tripped over his own feet and tumbled backwards into the ashen remains of what had once been a Kop-Pok Resonance Tree, kicking up a cloud of ash and dust in the process.
"Let's find a place for us to sit down" Queen Skadi sighed, glancing at both her sons with a small smile. Passing a forlorn glance over the ruined gardens she had spent years cultivating, Queen Skadi glided through the blackened detritus. Her flowing white gown and crimson skin giving her the appearance of a bloodied specter.
Finding a beautifully crafted bench that had miraculously survived Frieza's tantrum, the crimson queen patted a spot with her tail to signal for her boys to take a seat. With no other seats in sight, Queen Skadi brought her hand up and the blackened marble beneath her began to crack and splinter. With a small exertion of force, the marble rose from the ground to form a makeshift throne, covered in soot and singed stone. With a wave of her hand the Frost Queen blew away the soot from the self-made throne to reveal the polished beauty beneath.
Seating herself on her impromptu throne, the Frost Queen surveyed her sons who had now taken to opposite sides of the bench and seemed to be making a point of staying as far from one another as possible. The trio sat in silence until Dodoria and the last of his men had left the devastated gardens, when the last soldier was finally out of sight, Queen Skadi took it upon herself to address the boys. "Alright, who wants to beg-"
"He's a lunatic!"
"He called me a twerp!"
"You are a twerp!"
"Shut up Cooler!"
"You shut up! You nearly killed us all!"
"If it meant getting rid of you, I'd-"
"Enough!"
Both princes immediately ceased their squabbling, glancing at their mother who looked less than thrilled by their incessant bickering. Glaring at them sternly with arms crossed over her chest, Skadi studied the two for a moment before addressing her youngest first. "Frieza, please explain what happened" the queen requested, knowing that addressing Cooler first would likely only set Frieza off again, whereas Cooler would have the composure to wait his turn.
For the briefest of moments, the youngest Frost Prince looked as though he might actually keep his composure. However, after taking a sidelong glance at his older brother, who was eyeing him from across the bench, Frieza pointed an accusatory finger to Cooler who flinched away expecting a Death Beam.
"He started it!"
Frieza's childish response may have been expected for someone his age but Cooler was not about to let his petulant brother make himself out to be the victim. However, before the older prince could so much as move his lips, their mother leveled a firm gaze upon him immediately halting any planned retaliation. Turning her attention back to her youngest son, Skadi regarded his sullen disposition with a knowing gaze. "And how did he start it, dear?" The Frost Empress questioned knowing full well how the rest of this conversation was going to go.
"He keeps calling me a twerp, he said I don't deserve to take over for father and that I'm an embarrassment!" Frieza whined, kicking his feet indignantly and glaring daggers at his brother who returned the stare down in kind.
Unperturbed by Frieza's response, Queen Skadi gave her youngest son a warm smile before asking the question she knew he'd fumble on. "And what did you do to provoke him?" The knowing mother asked with that same caring smile. There was no other being in this universe that knew her sons better than she. Cooler may not have been one to back down from a confrontation but he certainly wasn't about to dive headfirst into one that he knew he couldn't win, unless provoked of course.
"He blew up my damn bed!" Cooler exclaimed, finally breaking his acquiesced silence. Slamming his tail down on the side of the bench with a thunderous crack, the older Frost Prince pointed an accusatory finger of his own towards his sibling, a bright red flush spreading across his cheeks. "All I wanted to do was take a day off and sleep in but the moment he woke up he demanded that I get up as well and spend the day with him!" Cooler exclaimed, his breathing becoming faster and faster as the agitation he had been feeling that morning finally boiled over.
On the other side of the bench, Frieza took a deep breath, ready to fire into his own rebuttal however Cooler wasn't about to let him cut in this time. "He kept banging on the door to my chambers, yelling at me to get up and when I finally told him to leave me alone and find something else to do, he kicked in my door and blasted my bed with me still in it!" Cooler exclaimed, his tail now coiling around the armrest of the bench, slowly applying more and more pressure to the frame.
Turning her attention back to her youngest with a cocked eyebrow, the Frost Empress gestured for her son to continue with a tilt of her head. When no immediate response came, she decided to address the matter directly. "Frieza, why didn't you listen to your brother and let him rest?" Skadi sighed, keeping her eyes focused on Frieza while still keeping her oldest son in her peripherals. A part of her already knew what his answer would be.
"Father said that Cooler was supposed to help me with anything I need" Frieza responded curtly, ignoring his fuming sibling beside him.
"Snowflake, Cooler is your brother not your servant" the queen admonished with an almost exacerbated tone. True to her prior suspicions, her once beloved husband was behind this latest fight between the two boys, if not directly then certainly through his actions and advice.
"But Father said Cooler's too weak-" Frieza's rebuttal came to an abrupt halt with a wave of their mother's hand. Skadi could see the barely contained fury of her eldest son out of the corner of her eye and hear the crack of the wooden bench as his tail threatened to shatter it into a thousand pieces.
"Listen very carefully my little snowflake" the Frost Queen's nickname for her youngest son certainly quieted the boy down as well as spread a crimson blush of embarrassment across his young face. "You only have one brother and I know you two don't always get along but I also know that one day, when your father and I are retired, the two of you will lead this kingdom, together."
Before Frieza could cut in once more, the Frost Demoness silenced him with another wave of her elegant hand. "I will have a serious word with your father regarding what he's been telling you" Queen Skadi stated before rising from her makeshift throne.
Before either boy could react, the Frost Empress pulled both boys into a tight hug. "You are both so special and important to me and I know that together you will reshape this galaxy" their mother's statement certainly left both boys stunned as it went directly against what their father had previously told them. Ever since Frieza had been born, King Cold had made it abundantly clear that Frieza would rule and Cooler would at best be relegated to being a servant.
Though mostly hidden away over the years, the queen's words still held some resonance with the Frost Prince as did the soothing voice of his now dearly departed mother.
"Who do you think you are!?"
That voice had most certainly not been the nurturing tones of the late Frost Empress. To Frieza, that voice was far more familiar than the distant memories of his mother. The tone of voice was a far higher pitch, with an inflection that denoted a constant sense of hypertension. Slowly opening his weary eyes, the Frost Prince could just barely make out the blurry shapes on the other side of the rejuvenation chamber's glass window. Though he may not have been able to clearly see through the teal liquid of the chamber he could clearly make out the voices echoing from the room beyond.
"Lord Frieza is still recovering, leave before I force you to" Nadan growled, holding firmly against whoever this unknown shape was on the other side of the glass. Frieza had to admit that Nadan's haughty attitude never failed to amuse him.
"Look, I have orders to speak to Frieza as soon as possible. Since he's right here and not about to go anywhere I think I'll just wait here, I'd rather not miss him."
Now that was a new voice that the Frost Prince certainly didn't recognize. It was a woman's and even though it was muffled by the chamber encasing him, Frieza could still make it out clearly enough. This mystery voice had a mildly sardonic quality to it along with an overall soothing tone that even Frieza couldn't help but enjoy hearing.
"I don't care if your orders came from King god damn Cold himself, this is my medical facility and Lord Frieza is my patient" Nadan responded, surprising Frieza with the level of venom in his voice. "Tukkan, escort her out of here" Nadan commanded with a ferocity that even some of the highest-ranking officials in the Frieza Force would fail to emulate.
"Look I'm sorry to have to do this but you're a little too close to the boss" Tukkan's apologetic tone was almost comically disproportionate to Nadan's stern dictation.
"You can try but I really don't recommend it" the mystery voice responded with a hint of amusement.
"Alright then, come on let's get you out of- Woah!" The exclamation and resultant crash that shook the rejuvenation chamber was all Frieza needed to confirm his suspicions. There was more to this mystery woman than a pretty voice. But who could it be? His father seemed to have made it a point not to have any woman within his immediate company. There was one possibility of who this person could be but Frieza knew he would have to confront this uninvited guest to find out for sure.
Deciding that he had been sitting around for long enough, Frieza unleashed a small shockwave from his very core. The blast of pressure slammed against the glass of the rejuvenation chamber with a resounding crack that caught the immediate attention of those inside the medbay. Medicinal fluid began pouring out of the cracks that now streaked across the glass casing and emergency alerts began to blare, signalling the damage to the chamber.
As part of this emergency alert the door to the rejuvenation chamber began opening and with it came a flood of the teal liquid that had once filled the chamber. As the last of the liquid splashed to the floor, those present took an instinctive step back to avoid it before looking up in surprise. Stepping out of the rejuvenation chamber after days of recuperation, Lord Frieza stood tall, gleaming in the brightly lit medbay.
Cracking his neck from side to side, Frieza reached up and pulled the breathing apparatus from his face only to let it fall to the ground with a clatter. Now able to breathe unabated for the first time in what felt like a millennia, the fearsome Frost Prince felt the cold and pleasant sting of fresh air as it raced into his lungs. This deep breath seemed to invigorate his body, stretching and expanding the muscles across his still dripping body. Coiling his precious tail around him, Frieza let loose a pleasant sigh of relief seeing that his time in the chamber had given it the chance to grow back completely.
Finally turning his attention to the scene in front of him, Frieza was somewhat amused by the scene. Almost directly in front of him stood the ever faithful Nadan whose face looked to be an amusing mix of shock and irritation. Over to the side, sprawled out in the smashed remains of what had once been a research desk lay Tukkan who stared back at the Frost Prince in a bleary haze. It was the person standing a few short feet away from Tukkan's concussed form however that truly caught Frieza's eye.
"A Securan?" Frieza thought cautiously to himself as he took in the mystery woman's features. The woman's lean frame left her standing nearly a head taller than Frieza and her pristine skin was a stunning shade of azure with nary a blemish to be seen. Like all Securans there wasn't a hair on her head however in its place was a long and slender head-tail that stretched down from the back of her head to just past her waist.
On the left side of her face she wore a lime green scouter that partially obscured the cerulean splendour of her eyes. Her upper torso was covered in a peculiar matte, ebony chest plate that was certainly not standard issue for the Frost Empire. The armour was accentuated with an ivory outline along the edge of the plating and a red serpentine symbol at the center of the right breast plate. Frieza also took note of similarly coloured gauntlets, belt and boots, as well as the skin tight, white bodysuit underneath it all, clearly her whole ensemble was custom made.
Deciding to break the silence for those present, Frieza began walking forward, never taking his eyes off this new arrival. "As fun as it may be to toss Tukkan around, I would ask that you refrain from causing him too much harm. I haven't eaten in over a week and would rather not have to search for a new chef on such short notice" Frieza mused, flicking his tail back and forth as he sized up the woman now before him. Most beings could barely stand to be in the same room as him for too long, but this one was looking him dead in the eyes with an assuredness he hadn't seen since Namek.
"Thanks boss" Tukkan groaned from the pile of debris this mystery woman had tossed him into.
Ignoring his subordinate for the moment, Frieza kept his focus on this woman who seemed to refuse to shy away from him. Flicking his tail to loosen some of its stiffened muscles and to see if the sudden movement would cause this new arrival to react, Frieza was pleasantly surprised to see that the Securan didn't move a muscle.
"So, my dear, who might you be? I must admit I wasn't expecting visitors so soon" Frieza chuckled, noticing out of the corner of his eye the unconscious bodies of two soldiers at the entrance to the medbay.
"Your father asked me to come see you to discuss rebuilding your personal security force" the Securan responded evenly, clearly, she was privy to games of intimidation, this did help validify her position as one of King Cold's servants. That of course did not answer the million-credit question of just who this woman was however for the moment there were more pressing matters to address.
"Not even out of the chamber for five minutes and he's already checking up on me" Frieza laughed, though this one had a far more biting edge to it than his previous chuckle just moments before. It truly did irk the Frost Prince to see just how far his father was determined to go to meddle in his affairs. "I must apologize on his behalf for him sending you so far out of your way" Frieza stated, doing his best to keep the edge out of his voice.
"It was a hell of a flight on such short notice but your dad's put me through worse" the Securan shrugged, letting her head-tail flick out to the side just as Frieza's tail had a few moments before. This absolutely did not go unnoticed by Frieza who couldn't help the legitimate smile from spreading across his face, this one truly had no fear.
"Indeed, I must once again apologize, I don't believe I caught your name" Frieza remarked, turning his focus back to unravelling just who this Securan was and where she stood within her father's hierarchy. Securans were a race devoted to the arts and music, they didn't have a standing military of their own and their people's average battle power was normally well below average. However, despite all of this, this mysterious woman had managed to find a place in his father's retinue and even got the better of Tukkan in hand to hand combat, Frieza's curiosity was only growing by the moment.
"My name's Aayla."
While on the outside Frieza remained his usual composed self, inside the Frost Prince was positively seething at his father's treacherous audacity. He knew that this woman seemed almost familiar despite the fact that he had never once met her, however that name was all he needed to piece together this sloppy plot.
"An exquisite name to be sure" Frieza chuckled, masking the roiling tempest of emotion surging through him. Breaking eye contact with Aayla for the first time since exiting the rejuvenation chamber, Frieza walked over to his collapsed chef who had watched the entire exchange with a dumb grin on his face. "I suppose with the loss of Zarbon and Dodoria I will be in the market for a replenished security force" Frieza pondered as he glared down at his bemused chef.
Turning to face the armoured Securan once more, Frieza's tail flicked the tip of Tukkan's upturned nose before walking back to the azure woman. "We can continue this discussion within forty-eight hours. As you can see, I'm not exactly dressed for a lengthy discussion at the moment" Frieza remarked, gesturing down to the rest of his body which for all intents and purposes had no articles of clothing to speak of.
Taking a moment to register what the Frost Prince had said, Aayla couldn't help stifling a small smile before giving a quick bow. "Then I'll see you in two days" the Securan acquiesced and with a quick glance at the still prone Tukkan, turned on her heel to head for the entrance to the medbay. Just at the threshold to the facility, Aayla and slowly turned her head to get another look at the trio however rather than say anything she quickly made her leave, stepping over the still unconscious forms of Privates Granate and Pomme.
With the mysterious woman now gone, Nadan slowly approached his lord and friend who was now just starting to pick himself out of the ruined desk. "Lord Frieza, who was that woman?" Nadan questioned uncertainty, retrieving his datapad from one of his workstations as he did so.
Regarding his chief scientist with an amused smirk, Frieza cracked his neck from side to side once more to relieve some of the built-up tension his body had accrued over the past few days. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe that she is an assassin" Frieza chuckled while Nadan dropped his datapad to the floor with a loud clatter and Tukkan nearly slipped on the rejuvenation chamber's dispensed liquid.
"An assassin!? And you just let her leave!?" Nadan exclaimed, scrambling for his datapad.
"She wasn't here to kill me, at least I don't suppose she was, that would be quite the bold move for my father to pursue" Frieza remarked, turning his attention back to his own body. He could feel his strength steadily returning but not at the rate he would have preferred. Nadan's surgery had been an absolute success but his body was still left weakened by the entire ordeal, he needed time to recoup these lost reserves.
Noticing the quizzical looks of his subordinates, Frieza chose to elaborate on his previous statement. "I was curious as to who this woman was at first, someone working directly for my father but with so little military decorum seemed almost contradictory" Frieza mused, walking slowly around the medbay and allowing the few remaining drops of restorative enzyme to drip from his reformed body. "Once she provided her given name, the rest all seemed to fall into place, Aayla Talon" Frieza chuckled seeing the realisation dawn on his chief scientist.
"King Cold's Talon? His personal assassin?" Nadan whispered in shock, receiving an affirmative nod from his lord in return. "But why her?" Nadan questioned in disbelief, hammering commands into his datapad as the severity of the situation he had just been a part of became clear.
"Never fear Nadan, I don't believe she is here to kill anyone. No, I believe my father chose her to spy on me and report back to him" Frieza replied, thinking about the azure skinned Securan. "My father most likely assumes that I won't kill her because she's too important to him and that she's powerful and crafty enough to escape if forced to" Frieza chuckled while using his telekinetic abilities to levitate a shard of broken glass in front of him.
With a small exertion of mental pressure, the shard of glass shattered into miniscule granules that the Frost Prince let drift to the floor harmlessly. Turning his attention back to his two companions, Frieza motioned for both of them to follow him as he strode towards the medbay's exit. "Of course, my dear father seems to be making a lot of assumptions recently and truth be told they are becoming increasingly agitating" Frieza growled, paying the unconscious forms of his guards no mind as he walked over them.
"Is there anything you would have me do my lord?" Nadan asked, catching up the Frost Prince while Tukkan busied himself with trying to rouse the two unconscious privates.
Pondering his subordinate's query, Frieza continued his stroll through the medical facility until he reached another set of doors. These doors slid open upon their approach and Frieza was greeted by both a blast of revitalizing and frigid Fuaran air as well as a spectacular view of Oighear, his home. Balconies such as these were littered across Criostail, at the behest of the late Queen Skadi and offered those residing within the palace a beautiful view of the kingdom they governed over.
Taking in the wondrous sight of his domain and the bustling, brightly lit cityscape that stretched out before him, Frieza took a deep breath once more to drink in that wondrous air that he had now spent so long without. Keeping his attention to the city before him, Frieza addressed the scientist who eagerly awaited his response. "My dear Nadan, I have two important tasks for you" Frieza remarked, already hearing Nadan typing out his instructions onto his datapad.
"Firstly, see what information you can dig up on Miss Talon'' Frieza dictated, tapping his finger on the guard railing that separated himself and the rest of the balcony from a two-hundred-foot drop. "My father will be sorely disappointed in the information she manages to provide him however that doesn't mean she may not still have her uses, perhaps we can turn the tables on our dear king" Frieza laughed to the winds.
"I'll see what I can find my lord, what was your other request?" Nadan questioned, to which Frieza's laughter faded away.
"It has become abundantly clear that if I am to secure my position as the mightiest being in the cosmos then I will need to work for it" Frieza growled, the very words leaving his lips going against his very nature. "Treat this assignment as even more important than the last, Nadan" Frieza demanded, already knowing his subordinate would throw himself into the task regardless of what it was.
"You are either to locate or design a training facility for me, one that can help me expand my power to even grander heights" Frieza stated, feeling his own power coursing through his veins and realising just how much he would need to grow. Afterall, his quarry was a Saiyan, a being whose own strength would steadily grow with each passing day. Each day wasted would only widen the gap between them and Frieza refused to allow the events of Namek to repeat themselves.
"I have been reborn this day!" Frieza announced, planting his three toed foot onto the guard railing before lifting off into the air. "As the very universe itself as my witness I will not waste this resurrection and I will not rest until I have claimed my vengeance against you, Son Goku!" Frieza's declaration echoed across the bustling capital's cityscape however it was ultimately lost in the roaring wind. The only ones able to hear the Frost Prince's pronouncement were Frieza himself, Nadan and a cerulean eyed beauty, hidden away in the shadows of King Cold's palace.
Author's Notes: Hello everyone! This chapter is apparently brought to you 6 months late by procrastination and a hectic work life that may or may not be driving me absolutely bananas. On a serious note I do want to apologize to those who have been patiently waiting for this chapter to be finished. Being stuck in a less than stellar job has been emotionally, mentally and physically draining and for a long time I just didn't have the drive to buckle down and write. Mix that with my own desire for this story to be absolutely perfect and you have a recipe for a massive delay.
But enough about that, on to the story. As readers of the original version will notice, this entire chapter is the second half of what was once chapter 2. Rereading those old works I honestly can't believe how much I shoveled into one chapter and it was so rushed and poorly executed that there was very little I could bring over to this version, ultimately leading to a complete rewrite from scratch, something I fear I'll have to do more of moving forward.
In this chapter we introduce many of the bigger name characters in this story including Aayla and Shuyo, two of my personal favourites. There have been a few changes to Shuyo's overall design however they are small and he is still one of Pikkon's race. Aayla's design remains mostly unchanged as well, the only real change was changing her eye colour to cerulean which I personally find is a very pleasing shade of blue. We also bring in Seluba who I tried to flesh out his physical description as well as his personality.
I also reintroduce Queen Skadi during the flashback/memory who I intend to make better use of than I had originally. I intend to use Frieza's memories to really explore her character and her history that eventually does lead to her death. I feel this is a good way of getting to know both her as well as Frieza and how he grew up being pulled in two different directions by Cold and Skadi all the while Cooler was essentially left on the sidelines to grow into his own man. This will also help give some context into the brother's rivalry and why they start off so at odds with each other.
Some other big changes from the original was the climb up the Cartoras Mountains, which I wanted to make far more harrowing which helped show just how far Seluba was willing to go and how much he is willing to sacrifice for his goals. I also changed the overall memory that Frieza has in the rejuvenation chamber which I believed was far more fitting for Frieza's character and really helped show off his attitude when he completely losses his cool.
I did my best to really build this world which Akira Toriyama only ever briefly touched on and never gave too much depth into. We have gotten quite a bit out of the Resurrection F movie and saga as well as the Broly movie. But despite how much they added there is still so much more to cover that is I'm hoping to build upon with not only this chapter but all future ones as well.
As always, I snuck in a few cheeky Easter eggs and references here and there that I hope those reading will enjoy.
Lastly, I would like to thank my loving sweetheart Becka who was the major driving force to getting me to finish this chapter and helping me through this tumultuous time. I'm pretty sure at this point without her, I'd be a withered stress out husk of person. Also, as with the previous chapters she has read through this and given it her stamp of approval. I know you're going to end up reading this part after I post it so thank you sweetheart, I love you so much!
To all my readers, once more thank you for your devout patience and I truly hoped you enjoyed this chapter.
Until next time everyone!
