Saiyan Soul

Blaze and Nomiya both nodded. After collecting Cheepers and boarding Nomiya's ship, which was fairly sizable for a single passenger, and took off in the direction of the Outpost Planet she mentioned earlier.

The first thing Nomiya did after setting the auto-pilot was direct them to where they could stay. Akiko's room was right next to Blaze's, which was across the small hallway from Nomiya's own quarters.

Once they were shown where they could stay, Nomiya took Akiko with her to the bathroom and helped the chibi Saiyan bathe... By bathing with her. She washed Akiko's hair, helped scrub all the dirt and grime off of her, clipped her finger and toe nails, and dried her hair afterwards before giving her a new and appropriately chibi-sized outfit not too dissimilar to Nomiya's. A full-body skin-tight suit with flexible and soft yet durable fabric, shoulderless torso armor, and leather-like boots.

Not exactly stylish by Earth standards, but it would have to do for now.

Blaze got an almost identical outfit, but it came in men's size. He didn't look half half bad either. The fabric was tight to his frame and emphasized the muscles in his chest, shoulders, and legs quite nicely. He could have done without the snug fit in certain places, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Nomiya told them they'd have time to request their own outfits be tailored to their liking once they reached the Outpost planet which was a roughly four-day trip.

"Feel free to move about the ship and relax. I'm sure you're tired, so if you'd like to sleep or at least put up your feet for a while you're welcome to do so. You're the saviors of the Saiyan Race after all. When we get to the outpost, nobody's going to believe it at first though. I don't suppose you can show us that golden form from earlier?" She asked, putting an image captured by satellite of his Super Saiyan form battling the Emperor.

"I uh... Don't know. There was this kind of... Spark, that I felt when I transformed. I can't feel it anymore."

"Huh... Interesting. Well, either way if you can show that form to everyone then I'm sure you'll have the run of the place afterwards. You'll probably even be able to eat for free wherever you want!" Nomiya's mouth started watering as she daydreamed of being able to eat free wherever she wanted on the planet. There were some killer places to eat which she adored, but often couldn't afford on the salary she earned in Galactic Credits.
 
Akiko​

When they got Cheepers from their broken ship, the chibi saiyan hugged the cockatrice chick to her chest and cuddled the creature ass it chirped happily. Akiko had been a little worried about her baby after the fight had damaged so much of the nearby planet. Luckily the ship had been far enough away from their battle that the chick was left completely untouched and had spent his time happily chasing down the bugs that Akiko had left in there with him. The chick was completely oblivious to the epic battle, but happy to see his "mother" again.

Akiko dozed lightly, on and off, in Blaze's arms as he and Nomiya made their way to the lady saiyan's ship, but every time the child started to drift into a deeper sleep, she would see Grisha's mangled, injured body and jerk awake again. Akiko perked up a little when Nomiya showed them where they could stay, only to frown afterwords. They were in separate rooms? "But Akiko wants to stay with big brother." The little girl whined. Akiko was also a bit hesitant when Nomiya wanted to take her to get cleaned up. The chibi saiyan had just met this lady after all and would have rather staid with her brother. Akiko naturally didn't understand why a bath with her older brother would be frowned upon, but eventually she set Cheepers down so he could explore and went with Nomiya; too tired to put up much of a fuss. The hot water felt great on Akiko's sore muscles and being clean again after a year with no soap made the child feel a little better in general. Though, brushing Akiko's long, tangled hair felt like it took forever, aside from the unevenly cut bangs that the child had taken to cutting herself so she could see.

Once they were done in the bath and Akiko had new clothes, the little girl thanked Nomiya a little sheepishly and hurried back to Blaze. After having a bit of down time, Akiko was able to fly again, if just barely, and perched on Blaze's shoulder. Once the cockatrice chick noticed Akiko was back, he started following the two around. As she listened to Blaze and Nomiya chat, Akiko leaned against, Blaze's head, struggling to stay awake. Free food was defiantly a win, but Akiko had something else on her mind. "You can do it big brother... Then Maybe you can teach Akiko to be gold too?" The chibi saiyan paused there foe a moment to yawn. "Then, next time, Akiko can save Biggest brother..." Another yawn. " An heal better too." At least she hoped all that power could be turned towards healing. The chibi saiyan wanted to be stronger in battle too, but she excelled more at healing. At least... she had thought so before being unable to help her biggest brother via ether skill set.
 
When they arrived on the Outpost planet a few days later, Nomiya showed them around the primary base of operations as their escort. According to the customs of the base, they had to have an escort until such a time as their inter-galactic registration forms were filled out, processed, and accepted by base security as safe and legitimate. Safety first, and all that.

However, since Blaze and Akiko weren't part of any inter-galactic communities or groups such as the Emperor's empire they didn't have any identification papers or credit line, so the process for getting them to move about without an escort 24/7 was going to be a lengthy one. But in the meantime, Nomiya was happy to put them up at her place on the planet and serve as their escort.

She also wasted no time in telling everyone she could about Blaze being a Super Saiyan. A legend come to life. But the reception to such an idea was one of ridicule. Despite his enormous power level being the highest on the planet, the idea that this alone made him a Super Saiyan was heavily criticized. Out in public, he was mocked as "Mr. Super Saiyan," and more than one of them tried challenging him to battle to test his power. Blaze accepted one such bout and easily wept the floor with him, but it did little to make anyone believe in the story Nomiya told.

Blaze did his best to transform dozens of times, but there was something missing. When he first transformed during the battle with the Emperor, there was a kind of spark inside his body which seemed to be calling out to him. Like some kind of dormant burning energy which begged to be set free. But he didn't feel that anymore. No matter how hard he concentrated he couldn't feel that spark anymore. And because it wasn't there he couldn't draw out that same power or feeling he did before. And thus a transformation was impossible.

Weeks passed... Months passed...

Despite their desire to find Grisha, Blaze had no way to detect his power level anymore and the base's deep-space scans weren't detecting anything near Blaze's power level either. So it seemed, for now, Grisha was lost. And because they had little to look forward to when it came to Earth, they had elected not to return there either. For now, they stayed on the outpost planet, but this proved to be a costly decision.

... For one day, a new power signature arrived on their deep-space scans and it was moving rapidly towards their location.

The power level eclipsed even Blaze's by a substantial margin. Upon receiving communication from the oncoming power reading's ship, it was discovered that this was the brother of the Emperor come to hunt his brother's murderer. The "Golden Warrior," as he called it. Even though his power wasn't as substantial as that of his elder brother, it was much, much higher than any living Saiyan's.

Panic began to set in around the planet and everyone began screaming for Blaze to be turned over to him, but Blaze was already waiting out in the middle of an isolated location away from the base itself waiting for this new arrival. Akiko was behind him, just in case, as he considered her staying by his side to be the safest option for both of them. Nomiya as well had come to join them, not content to let them go this alone if she could help at all.

The Emperor's brother landed not far away and immediately confronted Blaze, looking like a smaller and slightly less muscular version of his sibling.

"You! Do you know of the Golden Warrior who killed my brother?!"

Blaze didn't answer him.

"I have no patience, Saiyan. If you know anything about it, then tell me!"

Suddenly, his Scouter sparked to life and he received a communication. After a few moments of chatting, he glared at Blaze.

"... So it's you." He growled.

"I just received word that my brother's ship recorded his battle, and you were there!"

He began powering up, fists clenched at his sides.

"Saiyan... DIE LIKE THE MONKEY YOU ARE!!" He screamed.

... And so the battle began, watched from all around the planet by its inhabitants.

The brother of the Emperor rocketed forward at blinding speeds catching Blaze off guard and slamming him backwards away from Akiko and hurtling across the landscape. Racing after his prey, he caught up in no time flat and slammed an elbow into Blaze's stomach sending him down into the ground. A massive pillar of dust erupted from the ground creating a blinding wall of earthen debris preventing anyone from seeing what went on inside. Massive blows could be heard and felt being exchanged, but the clear advantage belonged to the brother as Blaze went flying out from the now falling walls of dirt and dust skipping across the land like a rag doll before coming to a grinding halt.

The Emperor's brother landed nearby, scoffing at his prey as he lie on the ground. Blaze's armor was rent on the upper left shoulder, the shoulder guard now completely missing, and cracked all along the stomach.

"This is the Golden Warrior who murdered my brother and toppled his empire?" He demanded.

Blaze struggled to rise, getting to his knees as his hands dug into the dirt.

........ And somewhere deep inside, Blaze felt it.

It was only for a brief moment, but he felt it. That spark. Deep within, previously lying dormant once again. But what brought it about?

He could feel his blood boiling and his heart racing. His body was tense as he struggled to stand, but despite this he was excited. His adrenaline was rushing and, despite himself, he smiled.

It was a wave of understanding which suddenly overcame him, and that spark all but erupted as Blaze got into a lowered stance and began powering up. His red aura flared about wildly before flashing gold along with his hair and tail, and within moments the Emperor's brother had gone from confident conqueror to frightened and desperate flea. He raced forward and tried to attack Blaze, but was repelled by his energy alone which sparked against his approach and sent him reeling backwards. Blaze's aura condensed around his body tightly and went white, cracking and exploding from within as he emerged once again as the Golden-Haired Warrior from before... The Super Saiyan.

The brother rose, looking on at the teal eyes, spiked golden hair, golden tail, and the dangerously murderous glare in Blaze's eyes.

"So there's the Golden Warrior. Good. I was hoping to see you before you met your end!"

He began charging his most powerful attack. A single massive ball of Ki held above his head by both hands which grew larger and larger until it was about the size of a mountain.

"Catch it if you can Saiyan scum!"

Throwing the ball at Blaze, the massive orb of Ki raced across the land before striking Blaze's body and unleashing a whirlwind force wave of concussive energy out in all directions. As the brother laughed, the Saiyans all across the planet watched and waited in awe.

It was true.

Blaze was the Super Saiyan of legend. The golden hair was the giveaway, to say nothing of the aura and the overwhelming Ki.

The ball of energy floated in place, and the brother stopped laughing as he realized something was wrong.

"What's happening?"

Suddenly, the orb began rising into the air. His eyes followed, and within moments he beheld Blaze, still aglow in golden light, lifting the Ki ball high into the sky before punching it out into space without a word or fanfare. It was like he was just punching any ordinary Ki ball. No effort whatsoever was used before he looked down and floated back to the battlefield landing in front of the brother.

"That blast should have destroyed you and every Saiyan on this wretched rock! How did you survive that?!" He demanded.

Blaze's mouth twitched, and in a blink he was in front of the brother and casually slammed a fist into his stomach causing him to cough up an enormous amount of blood and saliva. Backing away a step, he looked up to see Blaze's hand in his face. Looking past it to his eyes, he saw no mercy or care for what was about to happen.

"NOOOOOOO-"

A burst of golden Ki erupted from Blaze's hand, vaporizing the brother before rising up into the sky and flying harmlessly into space. Blaze kept his form this time, not having suffered nearly as much damage as he did with the Emperor, and flew quickly back to Akiko and Nomiya, the latter of whom was clapping eagerly and saying how she knew that she was right about him being the legendary Super Saiyan.

When they came back to the base, Blaze was still in Super Saiyan form while a horde of Saiyans gathered around to both gawk and celebrate the coming of the legendary warrior. At last, the Saiyans would be liberated from all who sought to enslave and exploit their people. That evening, Blaze and Akiko were given the royal treatment. A buffet fit for a king, followed by song and dance and celebration and drinking (for those old enough to drink). Nomiya, as well, was given praise and special treatment for having come across him and bringing him back. She enjoyed her drink a little too much, being red-faced and unsteady on her feet within an hour of the celebration and needing to lie down and sleep in her quarters.

The following morning, everything settled down. The excitement was still in the air and the celebratory attitudes of the Saiyans on the planet were still in effect.

Blaze and Akiko were given new inter-galactic documentation as members of the Saiyan Race, so now if they went anywhere which respected the inter-galactic treaties and laws, they could present their identification and be granted safe passage and access to the trade market without the need for escorts. As well they could open a line of credit, which the Saiyans on the base all pitched in to help kick start for a grand total of 50,000 Credits each.

Later that afternoon, Blaze had settled down out in the countryside with Nomiya resting her eyes next to him and Akiko likely playing with Cheepers nearby.

... A lot had happened lately, and it was nice to just rest and relax for once.
 
The Rogue Saiyan ship had landed on a planet called Pooka Pooka. The inhabitants resembled mops, their faces and body shapes unable to be seen beneath their thick pelts. Their fur grew in various colors from pink, blue, red, purple, etc. that made males and females indistinguishable. Subjugated by the Saiyans, the harmless creatures were under the rule of General Aruga and forced to feed and supply his invading army. Saiyan soldiers collected rations and the fur of executed Pookas and packed them into crates that were moved onto the ship.

Meanwhile…in a secret part of the ship…

Mustar was monitoring the readings on the rejuvenation capsule. The capsule had been taken from the infirmary and relocate; and if it wasn’t for majority of the Saiyans being loyal to the old regime, they might not have gotten away with it. General Oniyon was alive, but after spending six months in the tank regenerating his missing limbs, he looked more like a vegetable than a commander. His cheeks were near hollowed and his skin clung like latex to his bones and the remaining muscle and fat that covered them. His eyes were dark and sunken. No matter how much nutrients they pumped into him, it had only been enough to keep him alive. Mustar kept the old general hidden from the other Saiyans besides his partner Collar. If the other Saiyans saw the general in such a pathetic state, then they would have lost all hope. It was even difficult for Mustar to stand there and gaze upon him. There were several instances where he found himself thinking about pulling the plug and letting him perish, but he and Collar had risked their tails searching for him.

“It’s been half a year…how long do you intend to sleep?” Mustar muttered. As though by fate, a cloud of exhaled bubbles escaped the general’s oxygen mask and his eyelids cracked open, revealing only the whites of them. Mustar’s face paled and his heart clenched. A quivering breath left his lips. “He-he’s awake…He’s awake! Oh shit!”

Mustar didn’t know whether to be excited or nervous. “I have to go tell Collar…no wait. I can’t leave him unsupervised. Shit, shit, shit; what do I do?”

He stepped closer to the tank and studied the general’s eyes. Was he really awake? There was an odd change in the power level monitor. It started to go crazy. The numbers the machine was generating were rapidly rising. Mustar slowly backed away from the console no longer feeling nervous or excited. Instead, he felt terrified. Electricity danced across the console and the smell of burning wires wafted into the air before the console exploded. A large fissure flashed across the green glass of the rejuvenation chamber and green healing broth started to spray all over. Mustar’s mouth fell agape. He only realized that he had still been stepping back when his back met the wall. He could feel the power level continuing to rise. It felt like rising water trying to drown him!

I have to get out of here! he thought.

With a curse, Mustar turned toward the nearest exit and fled the lab. If he had stayed a few seconds longer, then he would have been caught in the blast that blew a hole in the side of the ship. General Aruga and several Saiyans outside the ship, whirled. They watched the smoke and flames rising from its westernmost side.

“Are we under attack?” General Aruga wondered aloud. His heart then skipped briefly as he swore he sensed a great power level. It had appeared and vanished in a second, and he wondered if it had been one of his soldiers. Impossible. None of those cowards were stronger than him! General Aruga flew over to the smoking breach and hovered in the air around it with three other Saiyan officers. He didn’t remember a room being in that part of the ship. If it had been a room, then it had melted and nothing remained of what it was.

“Could it have merely been an explosion Sir?” one of the officers asked.

General Aruga shook his head. “No…There was a power level here. Perhaps those little furballs are hiding something?!”

Meanwhile, Collar was searching for Mustar. That idiot! What did he do?! he thought. Did someone blow up the lab? He was sure everyone had sensed the tremendous power level. Was it a threat they had yet to encounter? Saiyans were racing throughout the ship, seeking the exit. They gradually started to emerge, covering the surrounding vicinity like a nest of disturbed fire ants. As they exited the ship, they gathered around a sight that had all of them gawking.

There was a tall, gaunt Saiyan, standing nude before the Pooka aliens. In his hands, he held one, the white fluffball trembling and whimpering in his clutches. He stoically gazed upon the creature. His eyes were partially open and distant. Gazing upon it, he didn’t see the frightened Pooka, but memory fragments that he didn’t quite understand. He saw a smiling little girl who held her hands in the air and squealed:

BIG BROTHER!

“Gen-General Oniyon…” a Saiyan gasped as though he were seeing a ghost.

Oniyon…memories of destruction, fire, and sadistic laughter flashed before his eyes then. Oniyon was familiar. Word traveled like wildfire about the mysterious Saiyan. General Aruga dropped from the sky behind the stranger with his three officers and was taken back by what he saw.

“O-Oniyon?” he stuttered. He couldn’t believe it. He was still alive, but how? “H-How are you here?” The Saiyan general then turned to the rest of his men and screamed with accusation, “HOW IS HE HERE? TRAITORS!”

The Saiyans loyal to Aruga immediately took a knee, bowing their heads in intimidation, while an indecisive group remained standing. “General Oniyon is alive,” one obviously noted. “Which means…you’re no longer our commander.”

General Aruga’s face flushed red with anger. With the flash of his palm in the Saiyan’s direction, a yellow ball of energy exploded like a grenade, incinerating the traitor where he stood. A few Saiyans frightened by the execution, immediately took a knee, but a few still remained standing.

A Saiyan rebel growled and boldly agreed: “He was right. It is our custom. The leader must be the strongest. If you are to remain our commander, then you must defeat him in combat.”

The Saiyan general threw his head back with laughter. His whole being shook and tears bubbled in his eyes. Spreading his arms, he asked, “Can you not see who the real leader is? Look at him. He’s practically wasted away. Fighting him would not even be a challenge to me.”

Mustar and Collar were apart of the defiant Saiyans standing. Mustar knew what he had felt in the lab. Oniyon’s appearance was deceiving. If he was that strong as a vegetable, then imagining him at restored strength was terrifying. “You still have to fight him. If you can defeat him, then defeat him and resume your role as leader,” Mustar said.

General Aruga cracked a cocky grin and turned to face Oniyon. “Okay then. Fine.”

Oniyon was still holding the Pooka like a plushie and staring at it intensely. He was immersed in his odd memories. There were so many and they seemed to originate from two different lives or did he have two different personalities? General Aruga raised a finger to the red lensed scouter over his right eye. He pressed a button activating it and was given a zero. His brows shot upwards as he uttered a noise of confusion, “Huh?” Zero. It appeared again. “Is this scouter broken?”

Several Saiyans started checking their scouters and were receiving the same reading: zero. Turning to each other, a few Saiyans attempted to read the power levels of other Saiyans and received a number. “The scouters are working Sir.”

General Aruga tensed. Was he hiding his power level? Was he the one who he had sensed before? It disturbed him just thinking about it. Oniyon couldn’t have surpassed him. He was a coward! Growling softly, he said, “Let’s make this quick.”

General Aruga in a blur vanished and reappeared in front of Oniyon. His leg was extended and his foot firmly met the side of his skull. However, Oniyon didn’t budge or even register the attack. He continued to gaze upon the Pooka who fearfully tucked into itself. General Aruga rapidly punched Oniyon in the face. His fists blurred, creating a gust that blew the dreadlocks from Oniyon’s shoulders. Still, he didn’t budge.

The Saiyans’ jaws had dropped. The ones who had been kneeling rose to their feet and watched in pure awe. A sweat bead descended down the side of General Aruga’s head. Why isn’t he fighting back? Why aren’t my attacks working? Is he faking it?!

General Aruga flew backwards, the gust from his abrupt airborne backpedal blowing some of the Pookas aside like tumbleweeds. “Ha! What composure. You’re nothing but a weakling and a coward. You abandon us, and then come crawling back here seeking to reclaim your lost position!”

Is he insane? He isn’t able to put a scratch on Oniyon, Collar thought in amazement.

General Aruga then spoke to the other Saiyans and declared, “If Oniyon was your leader, then none of you would be alive. He abandoned all of us!”

“Shut up and fight!” Mustar shouted.

“Yeah! Stop talking and fight!”

General Aruga bared his teeth and growled at the noisy Saiyans. “When this is over, I will kill all those who opposed me. I know Oniyon was brought here! It all makes sense now. Someone hid him from me…No matter. It all ends here.”

The general brought his hands together and a yellow orb began crackling between them. Parting his hands, the orb expanded and started to buzz loudly. The white fluff in Oniyon’s hands chirped in distress, which caused a memory to scream in Oniyon’s conscience. A blue-eyed blonde was matched to the scream and the child from before. A scowl immediately hardened on his face. Oniyon cast his glare across the battlefield at General Aruga. The attack instantly dropped from General Aruga’s hands as he flinched in fear. The presence he had felt made him hallucinate. He had watched his life flash before his eyes and Oniyon stand like a mountain over him. He jumped back in startle, eyes darting about as he thought Oniyon had suddenly appeared next to him. Glancing across the way, General Aruga saw that Oniyon was still standing there glaring at him, and the threatening power signature he felt vibrated within him.

The scouters were going crazy, flashing different readings from high to low until they all suddenly detonated. The Saiyans grasped their singed ears and stared wide-eyed at the fight before them.

“Kneel,” Oniyon ordered. It was a single, calm command and yet threatening all the same.

General Aruga’s fists clenched, his nose wrinkled, and face contorted with rage. “You…you dare command me!”

Oniyon crouched and set the Pooka delicately upon the ground. The fluffball turned to face him, gazing up at him questioningly. The creature chirped as though attempting to communicate and even though the Saiyan didn’t understand, he had a feeling that the creature was grateful. A smile curled upon his lips as he raised his hand and gave the Pooka a short wave.

General Aruga growled at the tiny creature. “You show sympathy to these ants!” His hand rose in preparation for an attack, and in that same instant, Oniyon had appeared in front him. Before Aruga had even a chance to process it, his head was twirling into the air, leaving a spiraling ribbon of blood. Oniyon’s right hand was extended to his side, the back of his knuckles red with crimson. Then staggering about like a headless chicken, General Aruga’s body erratically fired orbs of ki. Some orbs exploded in the crowd of Saiyans, causing them to scatter. A few rushed passed Oniyon’s face, causing his locks to flag behind him. The Saiyan general’s body struck the ground, and the Saiyans were frozen in a stupor.

Oniyon stared indifferently at the headless corpse and then turned his hand over to gaze at the red that stained his knuckles. Had he done that? Raising both of his hands, palm up beneath the inspection of his eyes, Oniyon pondered, I feel so weak and tired and yet I did this?

The Saiyans were afraid to approach him. Mustar hesitantly approached him and said, “General Oniyon…”

“Is that me?” Oniyon asked.

Mustar blinked in confusion. “Uh…Is it? Who else would you be, Sir?”

Lowering his hands, Oniyon frowned softly in frustration. “I feel like someone else. Or that there are two of me. My memory feels scattered.”

“You were lost. We found you but General Aruga blasted your ship and we thought we would never see you again.”

“Who is Oniyon?”

“General Oniyon is General of the Saiyan Army…now Rogue Saiyan Army. Our home was destroyed long ago and we have been surviving the best way we can.”

“Was Oniyon strong?”

“Always. But you are stronger than what we remember. You killed General Aruga with one strike. I don’t think any of us could have done that. What happened to you, Sir?”

Oniyon’s hand rose to grasp his face. “Grisha…the name is familiar. Who is he?”

Mustar was growing more and more confused by the interrogation. “I don’t know. I have never heard of him.”

“Am I Grisha?” he asked.

Mustar shook his head and then firmly declared, “You are General Oniyon. The most powerful Saiyan in the universe and your army is awaiting your command.”

Oniyon turned toward Mustar and regarded the colony of Saiyans who were kneeling before him. His hand lowered from his face as he stared at them all, trying to make sense of it. Hoping that it all felt right. Mustar didn’t know Grisha, but somehow Oniyon knew him. His memories had to be real. They all felt real no matter how varying they were.

Mustar could see how the general was still aloof. He gazed upon his gauntness and was reminded. Clapping a hand against his skull, he laughed at himself and said, “Sir, my apologies. You have been asleep and recovering for six months.”

Oniyon’s brows rose in surprise. “Six months?”

“We found you half-dead. A fearsome enemy had nearly destroyed you.”

Destroyed me… Oniyon recalled. He remembered seeing only red.

“We saw a Super Saiyan. He was fighting the enemy when we found you and distracted him long enough for us to escape with you.”

Super Saiyan…

“With the strength you have now, I don’t understand why you didn’t destroy him. Uh! Not saying you couldn’t destroy him!” Mustar quickly corrected himself.

Collar landed next to Mustar and explained, “You’re not at full strength, Sir. Once we get you back to your old self…you’ll…you’ll be unstoppable.”

Unstoppable…The word sounded and felt right. Yes; he always desired more power. He always wanted to be stronger. He wanted to be the strongest. I am the strongest…Just thinking about it put a smile on his face. His brows then converged and a menacing smirk cocked on his face. “I am the strongest…Oniyon. Is. Strongest.”

Mustar and Collar grinned impishly at each other. This was exactly who they were looking for. “We will stay here until you’ve had a chance to regain your strength, but then where shall the colony go?”

Oniyon’s eyes rose to the odd pink sky. He stared beyond the atmosphere and into the cosmos as his memory presented before him a little blue planet. “Earth…”

Mustar scratched his head. “Earth?” he repeated.

Oniyon smiled. “I was there before. It would make a good home for our race.”

“We serve you now. Earth it is.”
 
Akiko​

Being on the outpost planet was a big culture shock for Akiko. The people of the planet she grew up on were very naturalistic and in touch with their ki. Then on Grisha's island, where she crashed on earth, things were still quite rural. The chibi saiyan was able to adapt to the mainland with Trish and Mona's help, and she was quite excited to explore something new, but Akiko had her family to lean on and still preferred the quiet island. The outpost, on the other hand, was crowded and busy. If they hadn't just been through so much, the curious child could have adjusted well with her family's support. As things stood, Akiko Withdrew into herself instead. The little girl stuck closely to Blaze, ether sitting on his shoulder or following so closely behind that he could trip over her if he turned too quickly. She even slept in his bed as often as he would allow, much like she use to do with Grisha. When Akiko absolutely couldn't be with Blaze, Nomiya got the same treatment, or else the child would stay locked in Blaze's room room with her pet. The little girl barely spoke unless it was to Blaze or, as Akiko got use to the lady, Nomiya. Akiko also carried the baby cockatrice around with her as much as possible and hugged cheepers in her arms like a stuffed animal when she wasn't feeding or otherwise doting on him. For his part, the chick loved the attention and provided Akiko with a much needed outlet for her energy, as well as a good deal of comfort. The bird was practically a therapy pet. Cheepers grew quickly though, as most baby animals do, and he was starting to breath fire more often, especially when startled.

Thanks to Nomiya spreading the word about her brother being something called a 'super sayian', Blaze got picked on quite a bit. Normally the little girl would have told them off, but now she just glared daggers at the jerks before doing her best to block them out. Even Akiko got the occasional snide comment like, "Are you a super saiyan too? Ha!" This was pretty rare though, thus easy enough to block out. What she could't block out, was Grisha. Every night Akiko saw her biggest brother mutilated but alive, in pain... and every night Akiko failed to save him. Akiko lost weight and, needless to say, the little girl slept very little; usually jerking awake with tears stinging her eyes when she did manage to doze off. The longer they staid at the outpost with no news of Grisha, the more restless and frustrated Akiko got. Why weren't they out looking? Couldn't they just jump back in Nomiya's ship and go in the direction Blaze felt Grisha heading before?

When the Red Monster's Brother made his appearance, Akiko didn't hesitate to join Blaze and Nomiya as they went to meet him. Though, she left Cheeper's in Blaze's room to keep him safe. The Chibi saiyan's hands balled into fists as soon as the Red Monster's brother came into view. He was weaker and smaller, but otherwise just like the monster who hurt her brothers so badly and took Grisha away. Though usually a peaceful girl, Akiko had nothing but hate for this smaller monster. If looks could kill, the younger monster would have been dead 10 times over. It wasn't until Blaze was thrown back that the little girl's demeanor changed. As her brother was knocked away from her, Akiko froze up on the outside. Inside, she was panicking. Blaze is getting hurt again! What if he can't turn gold again? What if Akiko can't heal him ether? Will Akiko lose Blaze too?! The image of her biggest brother's mangled body flashed before Akiko's eyes for a moment. Then, the Chibi saiyan's blue aura flared to life and swirled around her as she watched her smaller brother struggle to get back to his feet... Finally, Akiko felt Blaze's ki spike. Akiko's panic faded along with her aura as she watched her brother become a 'super saiyan' once more. In what felt like an instant the battle was decided. Even the younger monster's last tricks and huge, flashy attacks were no match for Blaze.

As Blaze returned to the place where Nomiya and Akiko waited, the little girl sprang forward to hug the golden saiyan with tears stinging her eyes and berried her face against his shoulder. Akiko hadn't lost her other brother after all. The child was able to heal the wounds Blaze suffered in that battle easily enough, but her relief was short lived. Soon they were being crowded by strangers again, all clamoring to get close to her brother. Akiko staid on Blaze's shoulder for the most part, lest she get lost in the shuffle. At least now everyone was extra nice. Though it was probably just because she was with Blaze and Blaze could rip them all in half. All this excitement... It was a lot like the tournament really. Just, less fun with so many missing.

Akiko wasn't able to really relax until they were out in the countryside. The little girl kept an eye on the cockatrice while he ran about; stretching his legs by chasing bugs and frying them before eating. Cheepers never went too far though, allowing Akiko to just lean against her big brother and enjoy the view for a bit. "Big brother...? Do you have to get beat up to turn gold?" She asked eventually. "Could... could you train Akiko to be gold?" It would be painful but if Akiko could get stronger that way, to help her brothers, she would do it.

As she watched the clouds above, waiting to hear Blaze's answer, the little girl couldn't help but think of the place she grew up, and earth. Even though Akiko couldn't picture going back without her biggest brother, not to mention the rest of her lost family, she missed it. Earth had been like a second home. Even if it was too cold, her family made it warm. Everything was metal here, at least at the outpost proper. It was sterile and cold in more than just temperature. "Are you sure you can't feel biggest brother anymore? Maybe he's closer now. Can you try?" She must have asked at least once a day since they first came here, but Akiko couldn't help it. The child was desperately clinging to the extremely slim hope that the giant saiyan was alive. Grisha couldn't be gone gone... right?
 
... A dark and flowing wall of emptiness. Like smoke without a source. Almost liquefied as it surged and crept along through the air around him. As he looked left, he saw darkened shapes with an unidentifiable form. As he looked to the right he saw skulls bare and devoid of flesh or muscle. Turning behind him, hands reaching up from the darkened void that was the ground. And looking ahead, vague, shadowy figures in the form of people he knew.

One of them was Dawn. There was no question about that. Her flowing blonde hair chopped just below her shoulder level. The bangs held back only by the headband. Her figure. Her dress. Everything screamed Dawn.

Next to her was a figure he could only guess was his mother. Slightly taller than Dawn, but still retaining a healthy figure for a woman her age while standing beside a man slightly taller than Blaze himself. His father.

Next to him were... Figures that weren't quite as familiar. He felt he should know them. But... Wait... Tobias? The shorter man who always yelled at Grisha for being an oaf and a lumbering buffoon. And Lena next to him. It had to be her. Next to them was the tiny chibi form of Akiko. And beside her the towering form of Grisha.

But all of them were shadowy ghosts. No faces. No clothing. Nothing. Just empty, vague, dark shadowy figures in their general shapes. But why? Why shadows? Had he not killed the major threat to their lives and safety? The Emperor was dead. Blaze watched his body vaporize within his Ki blast. Him and his brother both. So then why?

He tried moving towards them, but he couldn't gain ground. No matter how hard or fast he flew or ran, he never got closer. They were all standing just out of reach around him now, and one by one they were disappearing. First was Lena's form, along with Tobias. Then it was his parents, followed swiftly by Akiko and Dawn... Leaving just one.

Grisha's towering form stood before him. Blaze tried to reach for him, but Grisha seemed to turn his back. Blaze tried talking, but his voice wasn't working. He felt the air pushing out of his mouth and his mouth forming the words. But it was as if he was in a vacuum where no sound could travel. Like he was out in space. And no sooner had he thought about that then the darkness gave way to billions and billions of tiny lights like stars. Blaze looked around. It was space. Wide, empty, open space. Stars everywhere. Planets flying by. And Grisha's form slowly floating away into the ether.

Blaze fought with all he had to reach him. He even turned into a Super Saiyan and flew towards him as hard and fast as he could, to no avail. Grisha faded into nothing, leaving Blaze, a Super Saiyan, all alone in the middle of the vastness of the empty void.

... When Blaze opened his eyes, Akiko was cuddled up next to him as usual and he felt tears dripping down his cheeks. Carefully reaching up to wipe them away, he saw Akiko was in the same boat. Tears dripped from her eyes too.

Is she dreaming of him too? He wondered.

He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and got out of bed to go about his usual routine. A shower, breakfast, and some basic exercises to get ready for the day. Afterwards, he had Akiko on his shoulders as he floated just outside the base proper where there was some greenery in trees and rolling hills in the distance. When Akiko asked if he could teach her to go gold, he replied with "I don't know." He patted her on the head. "But I can try, later." He said, giving her the best smile he could.

Then she asked if he could feel Grisha. He hadn't been able to before, but this time he had an idea.

With Akiko still on his shoulders, he closed his eyes and slowly his hair began to spike a bit higher and longer. His body began emitting light, and his muscles bulged slightly as his hair flickered from black to a light platinum blonde. He was a Super Saiyan. But the aura was not flowing. His energy emerged as little but a faint glow around his body and he looked much calmer on the outside than he had in his previous transformations.

He kept his eyes closed and extended his senses out to the void beyond the skies... Searching for Grisha's signature energy. And for but the briefest instant, he thought he felt something out in the vastness of space. The tiniest flicker of Ki which felt familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. Was it him? Could it be him? Blaze didn't know. He did remember Grisha's energy, didn't he? Of course he did! He'd spent more than enough time around him to remember... Right?

He opened his eyes and sighed softly, powering back down to normal.

"Sorry Kiko... I can't sense him anymore." He said, patting Akiko's head again.

A new little nickname for the chibi Saiyan.

"Hey. I spoke with Nomiya, and she showed me an inter-galactic map of this sector. Evidently, Earth is in the relative direction Grisha had been taken. So I've been thinking... You want to go back to Earth for a bit? It might do us some good to see everyone again." He offered.
 
Akiko​

Akiko woke with a start not long after Blaze climbed out of bed. No matter how many times she saw them, the dreams never seemed to get easier. It always seemed so real. The little girl rubbed her eyes with her fists and let out a yawn before getting ready for the day herself. Akiko liked her baths before bed so she went right to dressing and brushing her long hair. After that, Akiko tended to Cheepers. The child made sure her baby was fed before eating herself and gave him some love before scooping the cockatrice chick into her arms and leaving with Blaze.

As Akiko Rested her chin on Blaze's head and took in the fresh air, Cheepers was set down below them. The chick was jumping about, flapping his leathery wings that seemed to get stronger every day. It occurred to Akiko that she wouldn't be able to Carry Cheepers around as she'd been doing for much longer; the chick was going to be to big and awkward soon. However, the Cheepers also seemed close to flying.

Blaze's words drew the child out of her musings. He would still try! Akiko held her breath in anticipation. It was a surprise when her brother started to change forms while she was still on his shoulders, but it was also kind of fun. Being so close, the hair Akiko's neck stood up from the charge of energy, low though Blaze kept it. The curious little girl couldn't help but reach out and touch Blaze's hair before he turned back to normal. Aside from the color, the hair itself didn't seem much different though.

"Sorry Kiko... I can't sense him anymore."

Akiko sighed in disappointment and closed her eyes for s few moments. It was the same answer every time... and every time it hurt. Akiko liked the Nickname though. It reminded her of her biggest brother in a good way. "Okay..." The child answered in a defeated voice.

"Hey. I spoke with Nomiya, and she showed me an inter-galactic map of this sector. Evidently, Earth is in the relative direction Grisha had been taken. So I've been thinking... You want to go back to Earth for a bit? It might do us some good to see everyone again."

Akiko tilted her head slightly as she considered it. On one hand, it felt wrong to go back to earth without Grisha... like they were abandoning him or something. Lena was also on earth, and she was a mean, nasty lady that hated them. On the other hand, Akiko had made a few friends there. It was nice on earth and it felt a lot more like home than this place. Also, if earth was really in the same direction her biggest brother was taken, they would have to pass it anyway. "It could be nice to go back..." The little girl finally mumbled after thinking about it for a few minuets. "But... we're gonna keep looking for Biggest brother, right? An we don't have to go see Mean-Lena do we?" She asked hopefully.
 
Blaze nodded, giving Akiko's head a few pats.

"I promise we'll keep looking." He assured her.

"Also... Try not to think badly of Lena, okay Kiko? She's not really a bad or mean person. She's just really emotional. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that when we all left she cried for a long time. We'll go see her once we've had some time to get used to being on Earth again, okay?"

He flew back to base, and at the end of the day they informed Nomiya of their desire to head back home. She agreed to take them, and asked if she could stay with them as Blaze and his Super Saiyan powers inspired her as a fighter to get back into training and improve herself. She'd stopped training seriously some time ago, having been forced to take up the meager life of a Scout in the Emperor's forces. But she was eager to get back into it again.

Blaze agreed to train her, and they headed back to Earth the following morning.

The trip would take approximately six days and nights, and touch down would be on the seventh day. Blaze worked with Nomiya on the exact coordinates, a small clearing just outside his home in the mountains. It would be a nice way to acclimate to Earth again after all these many months away on different planets and in different atmospheres and living conditions. He was eager to see his family again. His house. His bed. His training equipment... If it was even still usable given his power increase. And, of course, he was eager to see Dawn again too.
 
Akiko​

"I promise we'll keep looking."

The little girl was satisfied with that and closed her eyes again when Blaze gave her head a pat. After all, what more could they do but keep looking? Still, Akiko worried that it was taking so long. Her biggest brother was out there somewhere; hurt badly and all Alone among enemies. No matter what else happened, they just had to save him. Grisha would have done the same for ether of them.

"Also... Try not to think badly of Lena, okay Kiko? She's not really a bad or mean person. She's just really emotional. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that when we all left she cried for a long time. We'll go see her once we've had some time to get used to being on Earth again, okay?"

The chibi saiyan snapped her tail back and forth once and snorted in irritation before she could help herself. Akiko had liked and respected Lena before. The women was strong in her own way and Akiko had seen her as something of a second sister, or even mother. Akiko wasn't usually one to hold a grudge. However, Lena's parting words had cut too deeply for the little girl to forgive and forget so quickly and easily. Especially when Akiko thought about how it had affected Her biggest brother on top of her own pain. "Lena is mean an selfish and hates us! She even said so!" The little girl protested. Though, after a moment's thought, she let out a small sigh of defeat. "Akiko will go with you if you really want to see her, big brother... Akiko won't talk to Lena though!" The child couldn't let Blaze face Lena alone... she was kinda scary.

After they went back and told Nomiya, Akiko was actually happy the lady saiyan decided to come along. They could both train with blaze now, and Akiko could keep working on training Cheepers to behave on the side. The little girl made sure the growing chick would have everything he needed for the trip. In fact, she was so fussed over her pet that she nearly forgot half of her own cloths. It would be nice to get away from the strange, crowded outpost and back to earth. Eventually Akiko still wanted to visit the planet she grew up on but they should be free now with the Red Monster gone, at least she assumed, and the little girl could content herself with that in the meantime.

It may have only taken them about 6 days, but the trip felt like it lasted forever, with Akiko restless the whole way. The nightmares still lingered, and memories of earth, even good ones, were always tainted with the fact that Grisha and the others were no longer with them. Almost the whole Family Akiko had gathered in her time on earth had been lost. The memories were also interrupted often by flashbacks to Grisha in those last minuets. It had been six months, but it was hard to move past the loss with Grisha still unaccounted for. Sleeping with Blaze so close by helped Akiko feel better though. As did taking her mind off of things via light training with Blaze and Nomiya, though they had to be careful not to break the ship, and caring for the cockatrice chick. Akiko even got the little bird flying, albeit clumsily, around the ship.

When they finally touched down on the seventh day and the doors opened, Akiko rushed out into the fresh air with Cheepers at her heels and took a deep breath. Finally she was free of that stuffy ship! Despite having been rather subdued ever sines the Battle with the Emperor, Akiko really was happy to be back on earth. It was like home to her, despite everything. In time, with Blaze's support, Akiko's broken heart would be able to mend. Especially once they found Grisha. Akiko still had hope.
 
Kousetsu Village

Lena was sitting by the window again, staring outside at the moving village folk as though they were actors and actresses in a movie. For six months, the village has had no problems: no angry snow boar mothers looking for her wandering babies; no White Devil yetis; and no alien invaders like the ones Grisha, Blaze, and Akiko used to fight. Her life was normal and for the first month, it was hard to accept. Every day felt similar to those days when Grisha would leave to the mountains. She tricked herself to believe that was where he was. As for Blaze and Akiko, Blaze was seeing his family and Akiko had went along with him. She wanted to believe that was what happened, and as the months dragged on, she found herself forgetting about them. She had made a new friend over the months. The boy who always assisted the village baker. When she didn’t feel like baking, she got her snow loaves from him. Ever since Grisha left, she hadn’t had much of a desire to cook and so Tobias became the primary chef. She did bake for that one boy though. His name was Alosha. She wanted to compare snow loaf recipes and he had said that her recipe was better.

Alosha was outside her window, standing with his gloved hands tucked into the deep pockets of his brown long winter coat. A similar colored flat cap was on his head and a green scarf about his neck. Lena had given him that. The blonde smiled at the baker boy and waved.

Alosha smiled back and removed his hand from his pocket to beckon her outside to speak with him. Lena stood from the window and called to Tobias, “I’m going out a bit with Alosha!”

Tobias who hadn’t been sitting too far replied back to her, “All right.”

Lena slid on a white coat and removed from her coat’s pockets some earmuffs. Placing them over her ears, she stepped into some white snow boots and swung open the door to excitedly race out to see him.

“Hey, you,” she greeted with a smile. “I thought you were supposed to be working.”

“The boss allowed me to have a day off, so I came to see you,” Alosha explained. He then removed from his pocket a wax paper bag and offered it to her.

Lena blushed softly and hesitated to take it. “You brought me something?”

“It’s a snow roll filled with winter cream. It’s still warm. Boris had made a fresh a batch so I grabbed one for you.”

Lena accepted the gift, opened the bag and pushed the roll toward the opening so she could bite into it. The roll gave like a pillow and the warm cream was sweet and light. “Mmm! This is so good,” she moaned.

Alosha grinned at her reaction. He felt so accomplished. “I’m glad. They tend to sell pretty quick. Are you busy today?”

Lena lowered the bun and replied, “When am I ever busy?”

You used to always be busy, Alosha thought as he imagined Lena with Grisha, and then the other Saiyans that had showed up. She hadn’t even noticed that he existed back then. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

“Sure,” she said happily before taking another bite. She walked over to Alosha to take his arm, and the two started walking through the village, people-watching and chatting. They were headed to the village perimeter and were going to walk around it.
 
The six days promised came and went seemingly in the blink of an eye for Blaze. He and Akiko had been excited to return home, despite the gaping hole in their hearts that Grisha left behind. The nights were restless for both of them, but being able to cuddle up with either Blaze or Nomiya seemed to help Akiko sleep at least a little.

The morning of their arrival, Earth came into view from the cockpit's forward view panel. Blaze immediately was a child again, gazing upon the Earth as if doing so in a magazine during his childhood years. He must have been Akiko's age when he first saw what the Earth looked like in such a magazine, and the nostalgic moment was ruined only by the fact that the view panel turned red as they entered the atmosphere and began their descent.

With Akiko sitting in his lap and both of them strapped in, the ship rocked and vibrated violently before breaking through the atmosphere and landing softly and quietly out in the wilderness a few miles from Blaze's home. Exiting the ship, Blaze took in a deep, deep breath of Earth's clean air and the scent of the grass and trees he remembered so fondly growing up.

"Kiko. Remember this feeling?" He asked, hoping that getting her talking about Earth would help lift her mood and distract from Grisha being gone.

Akiko was truely excited for the first time since losing Grisha and the others. She looked around at the grass and trees then let herself drop backwards suddenly to lay in the grass. This forced Cheepers to scramble out of the way with an indignant squeak, but Akiko only giggled.

"Sorry." The chibi saiyan offered, as if the chick could understand, before looking up at Blaze and nodding. "Akiko remembers!" She chimed brightly. Eventually, after just enjoying the sun and the sound of the birds for a bit, the little girl got up. She paid no attention to the dirt that stuck to her or the leaves and twig caught in her long hair. Instead, Akiko looked to to Blaze with a thoughtful tilt of her head.

"Big Brother...? Where are we going to go?" Akiko only really knew Grisha's island and and her old mainland home with Trish. & Mona.

With both of those places counted out... what was left?

Blaze looked to the girl with a smile as he picked her up. "We're going to visit my family first. We can go to the village to see Lena and the others later. Sound okay?"

Akiko scooped Cheepers up as Blaze picked Akiko up. She could fly, and even Cheepers could fly a little, but Blaze was faster. Besides, the little girl was happy enough to hug Blaze and get a lift.

"Oh! Akiko gets to meet Big brother's Family!"

That sounded fun, but the little girl frowned after a moment.

"Do we have to see Lena?" Akiko asked with a bit of a whine. "She hates us." It was hard for Akiko to verbalize how much she had Respected and liked, even loved, Lena, and how much it hurt to have the woman say she hated her. Not to mention the pain she saw in her biggest brother. That was also Akiko's last memory of Lena, her strongest memory as other started to fade, before they spent a Year on the planet they'd crashed on and another six months at the outpost.

"We could just stay with your Family instead!" Akiko added hopefully.

The girl had made friends with the children on the island but aside from maybe one, particularly brave boy, she wasn't overly close to them. Especially after they'd been gone so long.

Blaze regarded Akiko with a soft sigh and nuzzled her a little before giving her a hug.

"I don't think she truly hates us, Akiko. But we'll worry about that later. For now, let's go see my folks." Nomiya stood silently behind them, not wishing to interrupt their private moment. "Nomiya. You coming too?"

She smiled. "Yep!"

And with that, he blasted off and raced towards home with Nomiya in hot pursuit. Arriving took only a few minutes at his newfound speed, and when he touched down, Nomiya just behind him, he set Akiko down and walked to the door giving it a firm knock. A few seconds later his mother, a woman with slightly graying hair which fell to her mid-back, opened the door.

"Blaze! How long has it been?!" She asked as she rushed forward to give her son a hug.

His father, a man slightly taller than him with gray sideburns and an impressively muscular frame for a man his age, arrived and joined in.

"Too long. I'd like to introduce you both to some friends of mine." He said after they exchanged pleasantries.

He stepped aside and held out a hand towards Nomiya and Akiko.

"The peanut is Akiko. And this is Nomiya." Nomiya gave a bow. "Pleased to meet you both."

"Oh! They're like you I see." His father said.

Meanwhile, his mother was staring intently at Akiko.

"Huh? Akiko's not a peanut..." The little girl whispered to Nomiya, hoping she would understand the strange introduction Blaze gave. After watching the saiyan lady introduce herself, though, Akiko followed suit, though she opted to wave instead of bowing.

"Hello!" She greeted them both Brightly.

It was about then that Akiko noticed Blaze's mother looing at her funny.

"SHE'S SO CUTE!!" She screamed as she rushed up to pick up Akiko and nuzzled and cuddled her like a woman possessed. "How can you possibly be so precious?! With your tail and your cheeks! You're like an adorable doll!" She said, spinning in circles with the girl clutched tightly in her arms.

For a moment the little girl wandered if she'd done something wrong, but before she could ask, the woman scooped Akiko up. The little girl let out a startled squeal, but when she realized she was only being mauled with affection, Akiko giggled and returned the hugs and nuzzles. The little girl giggled all the more as she was spun around. It was a strange greeting, but not a bad one.

"Big brother! You're mama is so nice and pretty!" She chimed cheerfully. This was the happiest Akiko had been in a long time.

Akiko was still doubtful about Lena, but she was happy enough to let the subject drop and nodded . After returning the Nuzzles and hugs, Akiko Peeked over Blaze's shoulder at Nomiya when Blaze asked if she was coming and beckoned her to join them with a smile.

Akiko though she was Fast before, but her big brother rocketed through the sky like a shooting star. Akiko let out a squeal of delight, but still did her best to shield the chick from the wind. Once they landed, Akiko set Cheepers down so he could run around and waited behind Blaze with Nomiya until Blaze was done with small talk and started introductions.

"Well um... Okay." His dad laughed heartily.

"You forgot your mother loves children, didn't you?"

"I guess I did."

"I want this adorable thing to come live with us!" His mother shouted.

"Mother. No. She's staying as a guest for now. We have somewhere we need to go later today, so-"

"Oh don't be such a stiff, sweetheart!" His mother interjected.

"Mother, please." It was no use.

Akiko couldn't pay too much attention to Blaze while she was soaking up the attention like a sponge. At least, not until Blaze's mother said the child should stay. "Yea! Akiko wants to stay! Don't be stiff, Big brother." The Chibi Saiyan echoed with grin at blaze.

His mother already hauled Akiko into the house promising a big meal and pampering like she'd never had before. Nomiya chuckled warmly and followed them inside leaving Blaze and his father standing outside.

The longer Akiko could put off going to to the island, the better. At the offer of a big meal, Akiko cheered and hugged Blazes's mother again.

"Yay! Thank you! Akiko is so hungry! Will there be sweets? Maybe Ice cream?" She asked hopefully. Akiko did look back at Cheepers as she was carried off but the bird was already chasing bugs around for his own meal. It was good for him, He would be fine. Still, the child made a mental note to be sure he had eaten enough before they left.

"She's happy you're home too, son. Believe that."

"I guess so." The two men walked inside, and Blaze did his absolute best to keep up with his mother to prevent her from smothering Akiko to death with too much affection. While the attention was nice at first, it did get to be just a little overwhelming after a while. Luckily Blaze was there to to slow the exuberant woman down, at least a bit, so Akiko could breath now and then and interact with the others.

Blaze shook his head when Akiko agreed with his mother about staying... He knew she'd do that.

Time ticked by, and the meal (plus ice cream) was served much to Akiko's great delight. Food really seemed to brighten her up, and Blaze's mother, finally introduced as Kahlan to Nomiya and Akiko by her husband, played with Akiko for over two hours while Nomiya and Blaze discussed going to Grisha's village. The things they'd see. The people they'd meet, to the best of his memory. Nomiya was excited to see where Grisha came from, given how much she'd heard about him on the way in.

That afternoon, Blaze scooped Akiko up and walked outside to bid his parents farewell. Nomiya gave them both a bow and a hug and Blaze let Akiko give his mom a final big hug and cuddles before he flew off with her in his arms. She was silent most of the trip. Obviously still not convinced that seeing Lena and the others was a good thing. Blaze couldn't tell if she hated Lena for what she said, or was just uncertain about it. But either way he knew this had to happen... They didn't owe Lena any apology, but he did believe they needed to straighten something out with her whether she liked it or not.

The village came into view, and the three Saiyans descended slowly towards the edge of it. Blaze set Akiko down in the snow next to his left leg just in case she wanted to hide behind him, and Nomiya walked up on his right side.

He took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh, his breath floating out in front of his mouth in a steamy cloud.

"Okay then... Let's find Tobias first. Lena likely won't be too far away."
 
Kousetsu, a village tucked away in a snowy valley, hadn't seemed to have changed much since they left. The round houses looked like lumps in the snow with chimneys spouting white smoke. Between the houses were the winter folk busying about all warm and snug in their fur coats and snow shoes. It was as though they never left. Lena's and Tobias's house was still where it was. It had a frozen satellite dish on top from when Mr. Yamamoto had given them a television set for Grisha's publicity, however, Lena and Tobias weren't into technology much. With Grisha being gone, Tobias had a lot of free time and little to worry about. The house was quieter but Lena...Tobias was happy that she had made a new friend. He feared her sinking too deep into depression. Alosha was a good and respectful boy, and he trusted him to take care of his daughter. They never wandered too far from the village but lately…

Tobias lowered his book as he suddenly became suspicious. Lena had been growing a little close to the boy. The blonde and blue-eyed man set down his book and rose from his chair. He walked over to the door and slipped on a black, fur-lined coat. I'm just making sure, Tobias thought as though trying to justify his actions. As a father, he had every right to make sure that his daughter's interest wasn't escalating too much.

Tobias stepped into some snow boots and exited his home. The ice crunched beneath his feet and he tucked his hands into the deep pockets of his coat to keep them warm. Plumes floated before the man's face, hovering above the fuzzy collar of his coat. His eyes slowly and sternly passed around the village until they stopped down the road. A gasp escaped his lips and his brows shot upwards when he recognized two out of three figures standing down the road.

"Oh my god…" Tobias breathed; he couldn't believe his eyes. He stared for a few seconds longer, wondering if his eyes deceived him. He took one step, and then found himself racing over to Blaze, Akiko, and Nomiya. He slowed down once he was before them. Clouds were leaving his lips a little quicker. Tobias was hesitant to do anything but gaze on. As much as Grisha always used to crush him in hugs, he was never the "touchy" type. "You came back."

He looked from Blaze to Akiko, and then to Nomiya who he gave an uncertain look. He eventually offered her his hand in a shake as he greeted, "Tobias; I don't think we met. You must be new to the family." He knew that if she had a tail, then that meant Grisha would have brought home another one, but as Tobias glanced over the group, nothing had to be said for him to notice Grisha was missing.

Tobias's eyes fell to the snow at their feet as he forced small talk, "Was your journey successful?" Lena...she was going to be...it disturbed him to imagine. He already went through the first few weeks of his daughter being depressed. If Grisha was gone, then it would crush her.

As for Lena, to the group's right, she stood with Alosha frozen like a snow hare. Alosha first glanced at her and then Blaze and the rest. Even he was amazed. "They're back."

Tears spilled from the blonde's eyes as she bolted over to Blaze first and threw her arms around him. "I thought you would never come back!"

She held Blaze tight weeping tears of joy before she looked over to Akiko and ran her fingers through her long silky hair. "Oh my god! Akiko your hair! It's as long as you!" She crouched to hug the small child tight if she allowed her and kissed her cheek.

Standing, when she saw Nomiya, Lena felt a little awkward but much like her father, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and apologized, "Sorry. I must look like a big baby. I am just so glad to see them. I was so afraid they would never return." She then offered her hand to Nomiya and smiled brightly, "My name's Lena."

Lena wiped a few more tears from her eyes and as Alosha walked over, she introduced him, "Oh and this is Alosha. He's a friend. I don't think you guys had a chance to meet him before you left."

Alosha gave a short wave and greeted, "Hey. I have seen you guys before. Not the other girl but definitely you two (Blaze and Akiko)."

Lena glanced around the group and asked, "Where's Grisha?" She then rested her hands on her hips and pouted as she looked between the group and her father's sullen expression. "Is he trying to surprise me? What a meanie."
 
Blaze's eyes landed on Tobias as he made his way over, and Blaze offered him a small smile. As he asked if their journey was successful, Blaze hesitated. A few long moments passed before Blaze found his voice again.

"We eliminated the threat, but..."

Suddenly, Blaze's eye caught movement to the side as Lena launched herself at him and hugged him, crying into his shoulder going on about thinking they'd never come back. This reaction wasn't what he was expecting, but it did warm his heart. However... It also made what he'd have to say that much more painful. Not just for him, either.

He gave Lena a moment to greet Akiko and Nomiya, who introduced herself as such to Lena after she asked about Grisha. He knew this was inevitable, but still. His fists clenched softly at his sides and he looked partially away to the snow as he tried to think about how to answer her.

"I don't suppose we could find a warmer place to talk, could we? I'm freezing my tail off." He said, trying to deflect in the friendliest way he could.

"I must admit I'm also rather chilly out here. I don't know how you humans put up with these conditions." She said, hands rubbing her bare arms.
 
Akiko​

The little girl was stone silent as her feet touched the snow for the first time in over year. Her excitement at being back on earth and meeting Blaze's family had been quick to fade as the island got closer and now... Now everything reminded Akiko of Grisha, nearly to the point of fresh tears. "We can still get away before they see us." Akiko whined. "We forgot coats. An, uh... an Cheepers is cold." The little girl hugged the bird to her chest in an attempt to keep him warm, but he was from, and evolved for, that hot, arid world, much like the one Akiko was raised in. So, he was pressing against her for warmth in return. She should have asked to leave him with Blaze's family but it was too late now. Unless... "Lets take him back. Just real quick?" She whispered as a final effort.

It was too late though. Footsteps in the snow made Akiko look up to see Tobias. Akiko hadn't been super close to the old man, but she had liked him well enough. As much as he and Grisha gave each other a hard time, Tobias had been family too. Akiko brightened momentarily and set Cheepers down to wave as he approached. However, the little girl bit her lip and looked to Blaze when the old man asked how it went. The child was so focused on her big brother that it felt like Lena popped right out of nowhere when she tackle-huged Blaze! That was weird. Granted, Akiko hadn't been sure what to expect. Yelling, cursing, maybe crying, but not this. The little girl didn't resist having her hair touch. Akiko didn't even fight the hug, in part for fear of actually hurting Lena in the process. She may have been hurt by Lena, but the chibi saiyan still didn't want to accidentally hurt the woman. Akiko was stiff though, not returning the hug or offering much or a response at all outside of awkwardly stepping away the moment she was let go and looking at Lena warily; the way one might like at an unpredictable animal. Part of Akiko was glad, even relived, for the warm welcome, part of her was still mad and wanted to tell Lena off. Why the hugs if you hate us? Then there was all the emotions stirred up just by being back here and seeing everyone again without her biggest brother. It felt wrong.

Akiko did offer a small wave back to Alosha when he was introduced and managed to force a smile, if for just a moment. Everything went downhill for Akiko when Lena finally asked about the biggest missing member of their group though. The child opened her mouth and closed it a couple times but nothing came out. Instead, Akiko started to tear up. Despite having some time to mourn, everything was rushing to the surface again. Then, Akiko just napped. "Biggest Brother's not a meanie! You are! You-you said you hated us an you-an-Biggest Brother's the best an-" The little girl's voice caught and she dropped onto her bottom in the snow to sob instead of trying to continue what was a mostly gibberish rant by that point. Akiko had a hard time articulating how she felt about what Lena said then and how she felt now at the best of times, let alone while her emotions were a tangled mess. Picking up on her distress, Cheepers climbed into Akiko's lap, allowing the chibi saiyan to hug him and berry her face against his feathers.
 
Tobias remained mostly silent through the whole ordeal. He examined Blaze's and Akiko's faces as they remained reluctant to tell what happened to Grisha. Lena was surprised when Akiko snapped at her. Life may have paused for them while they were on their trip but for Lena it had moved on. With Grisha gone, it hadn't moved by swiftly but it had moved on. Every day she woke, she felt the big hole where the Saiyan was supposed to be. Lena had to recall when she had yelled at Grisha and the others. She owed them an apology.

"I'm sorry," Lena apologized as tears tumbled from her eyes again. "I was so upset. When you convinced Grisha to leave, I was so angry and afraid…How could I hate all of you? I had such a wonderful time with you all. I am crying because I missed you all so much!"

Her blonde hair caught a frigid breeze. Her long mane blew before her face as her blue eyes looked Blaze in his dark ones. They gleamed like gems with her tears as she asked firmly, "He's gone, isn't he?" Her conscience started screaming: suicidal mission; you told him; he was going to get killed; why didn't he listen? Whether Blaze answered her or not, she could tell by the mood. With Grisha gone, things only became colder. She looked away from the Saiyan and gazed off into the distance at the mountains.

"He must be in the mountains again," she told herself as though trying to deter the grief she felt rising within her, threatening to explode. "Dad; go take them to the house. It's cold out here." Lena, on the other hand, walked away from the group toward the mountains.

Tobias looked over to Alosha and Alosha gestured to Tobias that he would watch her. Tobias exhaled a deep pent-up breath and directed, "Let's go inside. You can tell me what happened and when my daughter is ready, I will let her know."

If they chose to accept his offer, then he would take them inside, set up a warm fire, and prepare a kettle of tea. Tobias decided to reveal what he had to deal with while they were gone.

"I know it always appeared that Grisha and I never saw eye-to-eye, but our relationship was an awkward one. It was like raising another kid. A son who was just so hard-headed and stubborn, and at the same time, he was a guy out for my daughter's heart. Lena may be too innocent to realize it or maybe she did notice...her mother was a complex woman just like her. Naturally as her father, I get very protective of her at times; but Grisha's absence left a huge hole that even I noticed."

Taking the kettle off the stove, Tobias walked into the small living room where he had them all sit around a tea table. He poured hot water into the cups before he returned the kettle to the stove. He laughed lightly, "When Grisha left, I thought I was given a break. I was happy for only a moment because after you all left, Lena cried. I had never seen my daughter so upset. When I would think she was back to normal, back to her cheerful self, something always reminded her of Grisha. Something always broke her heart, and she would sit at that window for hours…"

Tobias pointed over to it. "She convinced herself that Grisha was in the mountains and the rest of you were gone visiting your families. I eventually went along with it. I wanted my daughter...I wanted this house back to normal again."

Tobias took a seat across from Blaze and the others. "This house won't be the same again…"
 
Blaze flinched when Lena asked again about Grisha. He knew she was stubborn. In many ways just as if not more stubborn than Grisha himself. Still, the bite in her words caused him to glance at the ground at first. But before long he looked back up and into her eyes before she turned away to look at the mountains. Giving herself hope that he was here, but not with them at the moment gave Blaze a sinking feeling in his stomach. Was she delusional, or was this her honest way of dealing with the grief? The way she had convinced herself he was still here had him concerned that she should see a psychologist, but he dared not voice that opinion out loud.

Following Tobias inside, Blaze sat down and Nomiya next to him as she hoisted Akiko up into her lap and wrapped her arms around the Chibi Saiyan to cuddle her near the fireplace while Tobias told them what Grisha's absence had done to Lena and to him.

And finally, Blaze opened up.

"We sought the enemy Orion spoke of, the self-proclaimed Emperor of the Universe, and our ship was shot down over an arid planet which we crash landed on. For almost one year we remained there surviving thanks to Grisha who used his experience surviving these frigid mountains to keep us fed and as healthy as he could. Eventually, the Emperor found us, and his power was beyond our comprehension. No matter how much power we used, he just laughed us off. The only real damage we did early on was Akiko stabbing out its third eye in the middle of its forehead while Grisha held him still. Grisha nearly lost his life during the early stages of the battle, but Akiko, despite being weakened from the battle, managed to keep him alive with her healing ability."

He looked at his palm as it began glowing with golden light, overpowering the orange glow of the fireplace to light the room.

"I discovered a new power that day, and although it was enough to defeat this 'Emperor,' it wasn't enough for me to do so in time to stop Grisha from being taken away by other forces. Akiko told me they were other Saiyans like us, and I was able to sense his energy as they made their getaway so it's obvious they had no intentions of killing him. If they did, they wouldn't have taken him at all. They'd have just blasted him and been done with it."

He powered down the energy in his palm and sat up a bit straighter, taking a deep breath.

"Grisha's still alive." He said at last, earning a nod of agreement from Nomiya who hugged Akiko a bit tighter.

"I can't sense his energy right now because of how far away he is, but we all know he's still alive out there. I wanted to come home to visit my family and all of you with Akiko to give us a psychological boost before we head back out there to find him. We know the direction he was taken, and we're going to bring him back."
 
Akiko​

After Lena apologized and teared up again, Akiko felt a little guilty for snapping. The little girl rubbed her eyes with her fists and nodded to Lena. "O-okay..." Akiko managed as the tears slowly came to a stop. The chibi saiyan hadn't meant to throw such a fit, it had just burst out. The apology and explanation from the lady were such little things, but it made a world of difference after feeling so hurt by the harsh words for so long. It would still take some time for Akiko to build up the same level of trust and respect she had for Lena before, but it was a relief to know Lena didn't really hate them.

After giving Cheepers another snuggle and setting him gently on the ground, Akiko got to her feet. Only to freeze for a moment when Lena asked about Grisha again. Akiko knew that look and tone too well. Having just stopped crying, the little girl bit her lip and did her best to hold back. She felt like such a baby lately. It was being weak like this the let her biggest brother... Suddenly they were splitting up. Why would Lena think Grisha was in the mountains? Akiko was surprised that Blaze hadn't said anything when Lena asked if Grisha was gone and once more, the chibi saiyan couldn't help herself. "He's not dead!" She called after Lena and Alosha suddenly. "Biggest Brother... We just have to go get him!" Tearing up again despite herself, Akiko stubbornly wiped her eyes to keep the tears them from falling. "So.. Just wait a little longer." the last bit was almost a whisper, as much for herself as Lena.

Akiko scooped her cockatrice up again for warmth and cuddles as she followed Tobias and the others inside. She was Also more than happy to get even more cuddles and warmth when Nomiya picked her up. As She sheared her tea with Cheepers, who continually tried to nudge Akiko's hand's out of the way after his first drink, Akiko listened intently to Blaze and Tobias speak. Hearing how upset Lena was made Akiko feel even worse for snapping at her. Lena had apologized.. Akiko should apologize later too, when she saw Lena again.

Blaze confirming that Grisha was alive and they were going to get him got a firm nod from Akiko. "We can't leave our biggest brother behind. He wouldn't leave us." With the worst of it over, which was confronting Lena, Akiko found herself Able to relax quite a bit. Though, it still felt strange to be here without Grisha. It felt like the giant saiyan would stomp in any minuet and Tobias would yell at him, then they would all laugh and Lena would make something yummy, even letting Akiko help. Warm and Cozy against her saiyan sister, Akiko started drifting off as she daydreamed. This gave Cheepers full access to the tea. If Nomiya wasn't careful, she would have the hot drink in her lap shortly.
 
Tobias stared at Blaze speechlessly for a moment when he finally revealed that Grisha was alive. Akiko had mentioned it earlier, but he thought the child had just been told comforting words that had sounded better than death and never coming back. The silence that gathered between them was interrupted by the soft clatter of the strange chicken's beak as it sipped tea from Akiko's tea cup. Tobias frowned at the creature questionably. What the hell was that thing? It looked like a cross between a chicken and a lizard.

"Grisha's alive?" Tobias echoed in amazement. He then slowly sat back in his chair. He had expected to feel happy, but he only felt relief. It could have been because the giant was only there in memory. Other beings, Saiyans, had taken him. "What would they want with him?"

Lena was going to be worried sick, but the girl had been through enough. Tobias asked, "Could you please keep this between us? Lena would be even more upset to learn you all are leaving again. I would like to tell her the details after you all had left."

Tobias looked to little Akiko as she reaffirmed their mission. She had looked a little different. After almost two years, she looked as though she had matured some. Maybe not physically, definitely in her mannerisms.

"He would," Tobias agreed. He then smiled softly in amusement. "Even if he knew nothing about space."

"Is there anything that I can do to aid you in your mission? I am not Mr. Suichi (Moto Tech), but please let me know."
 
Blaze shook his head when Tobias asked what the other Saiyans could want with Grisha, as he honestly didn't know. And when asked if he could keep it between them, inwardly Blaze was hesitant to agree. He felt Lena should be told right away, but Tobias knew her best. If he said she'd be more upset about it, then he trusted him to know.

And when asked about doing anything else for their mission, Blaze shook his head.

"Nomiya here has a ship which we're using to get around now. We have everything we need to find him."

"Mm! We'll find Grisha. Don't worry!"

Scooping Akiko up, along with Cheepers, Nomiya held the girl up against her voluptuous chest and nuzzled her a bit as she walked towards the door. Blaze lingered though, as he had one more thing to say to Tobias while speaking softly under his breath.

"Before I discovered my new power, I saw Grisha's body was mangled by the Emperor's energy blast. Even with Akiko's healing power, she can't regrow limbs... When we find him and bring him home, he will never be the same. I wanted you to know that." He said with a low, soft voice.

As he spoke, his eyes glazed over slightly and he had a thousand yard stare straight through Tobias. It was as if he just got lost in his own little world for a moment. He snapped out of it a moment later, shaking his head a few times.

"Anyway, we'll be off now. Wish us luck." He said with a wave as he turned and walked to the now open door to follow Nomiya and Akiko outside.
 
Lena was sitting with Alosha in the snow. The baker boy had his coat wrapped around her as she laid in the comfort of his arms--eyes pink and tear-stained. She said nothing as she stared across the flat, snowy plain. Alosha was also quiet and said nothing to ruin her meditative silence.

Above them, there was a distant roar as though the sky was tearing. Alosha looked up to see what appeared to be a white-hot comet soaring across the bright, overcast sky. Lena eventually gazed up and saw that the object was headed toward their region. The two cautiously continued to watch it until it broke away from the planet's atmosphere. As the fire extinguished around it, the object was revealed to be a large ship. The ship grew in size as it drew closer. Alosha's and Lena's brows rose in surprise as the alien craft passed over them. The gust from it stirred up snow and ice in a twister. Alosha held her closely, guarding her from the ice shards as the ship continued to stir a blizzard during its landing.

In the wide open plain north of the village, the mysterious ship landed. It howled as its engines powered down. The snow settled around it, and remote-operated guns on the ship's roof and wings rotated to direct their muzzles at the village. Lena and Alosha paled, tensed, and watched for what they thought would have been an attack, but it never came. Instead, there was a pressurized hiss and a low whirr as the ship's hatch started to drop.

Ten soldiers wearing black armor swiftly flew from the ship like hornets from a hive. They secured the village's perimeter to ensure no one got in or out. One soldier landed before Lena and Alosha and smirked at them. He raised a finger and pressed a button on his green lens scouter which veiled his right eye. Lena and Alosha were outlined in white as their power levels popped up barely over 100. The Saiyan chuckled. It was so pathetic. Even a Saiyan infant had more potential!

Lena scrutinized the warrior before she recognized the belt at his waist to be a brown tail. "You're a Saiyan," she thought aloud in surprise.

The Saiyan arched a curious brow. "Have we been here before?"

Behind him, ten more soldiers left the ship to create two files parallel to each other. Two officers led an entourage of three. Behind them, leisurely walking down the ramp, was a large officer. He wore a red cape, which crossed the mantle of his Saiyan armor and was held in place by a gold coin. His hair rested on his shoulders in a lion mane of dreadlocks. A full beard covered his jaw and was groomed to be no longer than an inch from his chin. A red lens scouter covered his right eye as he gazed sternly at the quaint village before him. The files of soldiers knelt when he neared and passed by them without sparing them a single glance.

Lena stood when she saw the gathering in the distance. She could see the leader from where she stood. He towered over the other officers that walked with him toward her village. Toward her village!? Lena gasped and made a motion toward her home until the Saiyan guard thrust his arm out to block her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a condescending smile.

Lena stopped and glared at the warrior. "I live here. I am going home."

"No you're not. I have orders to let no one in or out. Be happy I don't have orders to kill you and that pathetic waste of energy."

Alosha stood next with a frown. "That's uncalled for. We live here. What harm could we inflict on your precious commander?"

"Ha! Our commander wouldn't bother with you flies."

Alosha stepped up to the Saiyan guard and firmly demanded, "Then let us through."

The Saiyan guard irritably scowled. He didn't like the human getting in his face and warned, "You better step back."

Alosha pounced on the guard and yelled, "Run Lena!"

The general stopped.

Lena made a dash for the village as the Saiyan guard irritably grabbed Alosha and flung him aside like a rag doll. Alosha cried as he went flipping through the air. His cry frightened Lena enough to cause her to slide to a stop and look back. Immediately, she saw a hand quickly reach for her throat. With a startled cry, she was hoisted into the air, high above the Saiyan's head.

"Rebel trash!" the Saiyan growled.

The entourage stopped. The two leading officers who had been Mustar and Collar whirled around and were stunned to see the general suddenly gone.

"Argh!" they heard a scream and gazing in its direction, they saw the general giving the Saiyan guard a taste of his own medicine. His large hand gripped the guard's neck as he held him aloft. His face wore a hard and threatening scowl, and his nose was wrinkled and right eye twitching as he growled, "Don't you touch her!"

Lena was holding her throat, rubbing it soothingly as she felt a cool cloth drape over her. She gazed up, her blue pools wide in shock to see the leader she had seen suddenly standing next to her--his cape brushing against her. Mustar and Collar rushed over to the general and grabbed his arm.

"General Oniyon; you're choking your own!" Mustar exclaimed.

"Sir, release him please!" Collar begged.

The Saiyan guard's eyes were rolling back into his head as he felt all oxygen being cut off from his brain. The corner of the general's mouth cocked sadistically as he watched the guard weaken in his grasp.

Grisha…

The general's heart skipped at the name, and his grip ceased growing tighter. Mustar and Collar stared in surprise at the blonde girl who stood before them. Lena inspected the general's face, and even with all of his hair, she could recognize the giant. Her heart recognized them. Her chest became tight with overwhelming relief. She rushed the general and threw her arms about his hips as she buried her face into his armor and sobbed. The general released the guard. Mustar and Collar didn't even bother to catch the limp Saiyan's body as it struck the snowy ground. They were too engrossed in the strange human girl who was clinging to their commander.

"Grisha…" the general thoughtfully repeated. He hadn't heard that name in six months and hearing it from the girl caused tears to spill from his eyes. Oniyon was shocked to feel them sliding down his cheeks. He touched the moisture with his fingers and then peered at the dampness as though it had come from elsewhere. He was crying.

"General Oniyon; this stupid girl must have you confused," said Mustar.

Mustar stiffened in fright when the general looked upon him with a dark sneer. "No; this feels right. This is who I am looking for."

Oniyon slowly took a knee before Lena. The blonde curled her fingers into his beard and grasped a handful of his dreaded locks as she smiled happily and laughed, "Grisha, is this what you look like with hair? Oh my god…"

The general blushed and grinned in amusement. "I guess so."

Lena wrapped her arms about his neck and closed her eyes tight. Oniyon warmly embraced her with a content smile. "You no longer sound funny."

"You were right. My brain was damaged but now it is healed, and I remember who I am. It's strange because...I also remember you and everything we did together. You took care of me and were patient. I thank you."

Lena's grip loosened as she motioned to rest her forehead against Oniyon's. The two closed their eyes, savoring the warm and intimate moment.

"I'm just glad to have you back. Please tell me you are staying and not just visiting."

"I will be staying for a while; and while I am here, no one will harm you or this village."

Mustar and Collar were frowning at what they felt was an open display of weakness. Why...the human girl had the general's tail wagging like an excited little boy. "General Oniyon; now that you have found who you were looking for, shall we move onto the next phase?"

Oniyon couldn't wipe the broad smile from his face as his head turned away from Lena's so that he could gaze upon his officers. "Proceed."

Mustar and Collar clapped a fist against their chestplate in salute and bowed. The officers flew back over to the ship where they started organizing separate groups of Saiyan warriors to scour the Earth.

Lena wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. "Why are they calling you Oniyon?"

Oniyon smiled at Lena. "You know me as Grisha because you gave me that name. My real name is Oniyon."

Lena blinked. "Onion?"

The giant Saiyan face-planted, and then blushed in embarrassment. "No! Oh-nee-yoh-N. Not onion." His eyes then narrowed irritably as he muttered, "You're lucky I like you…"

Lena blushed and then asked, "Are you their leader?"

He smiled proudly, "I am. This is my army. They found me while I was in space. They recognized who I was and restored my memory."

Oniyon then gazed passed Lena at the young man who was approaching them, holding a busted shoulder. Lena followed his eyes to an injured Alosha. She gasped and ran over to him.

"Are you hurt?" she asked out of concern.

Alosha growled in pain and rasped, "I think it's jammed. I landed on it."

Oniyon rose to his feet scowling at the cooing he saw between Lena and the other human. There wasn't a single memory fragment that could help him recognize the guy.
 
Blaze had just begun walking out of the door when he saw the ship coming down fast outside the village. Power levels he'd previously been unable to sense suddenly jumped out at him, nearly overwhelming his ability to distinguish one from the next. Immediately he was on guard and began to slowly raise his own power level to feel everyone out, extending it like active sonar to ping the bodies of anyone his Ki came into contact with.

"There's a lot of them."

Nomiya set Akiko down on the ground.

"Sweetheart, tell Cheepers to take shelter somewhere. I think we're going to need you." She whispered.

Blaze's gaze hardened as he felt one power level stick out above the rest. It was only for a brief instant. A flicker. Blink and you'd miss it. But it was there. The instantaneous rise in power before it settled to a more nominal level... And it was huge.

"I don't like this... Nomiya, keep Akiko close and follow me. I want to see what we're up against here."

He powered down, hiding his energy signature as much as he could as he dashed through the village towards the edge where he could see a few of the bodies gathered.

"Stay close to me Akiko. We'll bash anyone who tries to hurt the village. Right?" She asked, putting a fist out for a fist bump.

Meanwhile, Blaze jogged up to the edge of the village where one Saiyan stood with arms outstretched to block his path.

"So, more Saiyans..." Blaze muttered.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded firmly.
 
Tobias frowned at the floor when Blaze hinted to him what had happened to Grisha. His daughter would not be happy...poor Grisha. It was a little frightening to imagine the giant returning disfigured. Not even the village would have been pleased. He slowly nodded and followed the Saiyans out to see them off on their journey. Unfortunately, their journey didn't start.

Outside, the villagers had started to gather, peeking from their homes and businesses to gaze upon the alien ship and the tailed army that collected around it. Tobias could immediately see that they were Saiyans like Blaze and his group. "Family of yours?" Tobias sarcastically asked him. He then immediately went into father mode and started to sweep his vicinity for Lena and Alosha.

The Saiyan guard Blaze confronted regarded him with surprise on his face. Instead of answer his demand, his hand rose to his scouter as he activated it before speaking to his officer on the other end.

"There's a random Saiyan here," he reported. "He's not one of ours."

Mustar turned from his duties, leaving the command in Collar's hands, and flew over to where the guard halted Blaze. He landed lightly next to the guard just as his scouter would finish reading. The officer regarded Blaze silently for a moment for he hadn't recognized him as the golden warrior they had saw months ago. He challenged Blaze then: "This planet is hereby claimed by the Rogue Saiyan Army under the command of General Oniyon. If you are here with a rivaling fleet, then due tell us the whereabouts of your commander."

If Akiko joined Blaze, then she might have been able to recognize as Mustar being the one who had taken Grisha long ago.
 
Akiko​

The dozing child didn't overhear Blaze's last words with Tobias, but she did stir a bit and curl against Nomiya more as the cold hit her again. After a second Akiko woke fully with a yawn and brought her fists up to rub her eyes. Wait.. what had she missed? Were they already leaving? It was a few seconds before the little girl caught up to what was happening around her. More of them? Here?! After being set on her feet, Akiko gave a nod to Nomiya and looked around for a place to hide the chick before finally looking to Tobias and holding Cheepers out hopefully. "Please watch Akiko's baby, Cheepers? He's 's a good lizbird; promise. He eats bugs" If he accepted the young girl would kiss the cockatrice's head before handing him over. "Akiko will be back, be a good Cheepers."

Turning her attention to the big ship, Akiko watched as the saiyan's poured out of it. It felt like forever ago when every time Akiko saw a new saiyan she assumed they were family and welcomed them with open arms. Now all she felt was dread. Even with the Red Monster gone, their home wasn't safe. There were a lot of decent power levels there... and so many of them that it made it hard to pick out any one signature. The little girl returned Nomiya's fist bump with a firm nod when the woman spoke again, pulling Akiko back to reality. "Right." They had to protect everyone here... Plus Lena and Alosha were out there somewhere alone. Hopefully they would go unnoticed out in the mountains until Akiko or one other the others could reach them.

Akiko silently followed Blaze and Nomiya, even as far as trying to suppress her own power level. At fist Akiko let Blaze do the talking too and stood ready next to him;, playing up the harmless little girl look as much as possible. Then Mustar landed. The chibi saiyan pointed at Mustar then started hopping up and down in a spazzy little fit as the words she wanted refused to come out do to her utter shock at seeing the man. Akiko would never forget the faces of the people who took her biggest brother away from her. Frustrated, Akiko finally shot forward in a blur. The little girl was hovering when she stopped, her face inches from the Grisha-napper's own. "YOU!" She yelled in his face as her aura sprang to life around her and her tail stood strait up; fur bristling. A ball of ki also started to form in the child's left hand in what was far from an empty threat. "You stole Akiko's brother! Where is he?! What did you do to him?!" In that moment nothing else mattered. This jerk wasn't getting away again until Akiko knew where Grisha was. "Did you hurt him?! Does that.. onion guy has him?! Well?!" Akiko spoke very loudly and quickly as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. A million questions fluttered through Akiko's mind but left as quickly as they came. She couldn't Let herself be distracted, not now.
 
Tobias was not ready to take Akiko's pet. It hadn't ever crossed his mind that one day he would have to do it. So when the chibi Saiyan didn't give him much time and space to refuse, Tobias cringed as though she were handing him a venomous snake. He held Cheepers away from him as its long, emu-like legs stuck out before its body. Its talons were splayed and reptilian eyes wide as it watched its Mama leave. Its body was downy with rough scales beneath its feathers. Cheepers started to chirp like a chick in distress, and its sad cries actually made Tobias calm and sympathize.

"Aw, it's okay little guy," Tobias cooed.

Suddenly, Cheepers had a fit! The lizbird started flapping its little wings and breathing short bolts of fire.

"Shit!" Tobias cursed in horror as he held the blood-thirsty and probably even venomous creature away from him. As long as its knife-like talons and head were pointed in a safe direction, then he was good.

Meanwhile, Mustar felt his body stiffen with alarm when the little girl from before was suddenly in his face. He glanced from her to Blaze nervously...when he had seen her. He had also seen the Super Saiyan. Had that been him? Shit! Why were they here? When Akiko formed her energy ball, it was like drawing a gun. Both Saiyans became defensive as she screamed her demands.

"You are delusional. I took our commander from you, and he does not have a sister," Mustar growled.

The Saiyan guard was just as nervous as his officer, and he didn't entirely know why. He must have known something he didn't.

"We restored his power and now he is here to take this pathetic planet. We will sweep it clean, and occupy its crust until we can sell it to the next invader. This is the Saiyan way, and if you were wise, you would join us and not rebel."
 
When Akiko shouted from behind him about the Saiyan before them stealing Grisha, Blaze was already poised to take action. But Akiko beat him to the punch by forming an energy ball and holding it ready to fire. Blaze remained calm and poised, staring a hole through Mustar. And when he said their commander was here to "take this pathetic planet," he'd heard all he needed to.

"Nomiya, stay with her." He ordered.

"Right!" She replied sharply, powering up herself as far as she could go.

Akiko's power was a fair bit higher than Nomiya's. But Nomiya was nothing to scoff at and still far above the other Saiyans here. She had beauty and brawn in spades from training with the pair while on the Outpost planet during their six month reprieve. She was ready and eager to test her new skills if need be.

But it was Blaze who made the first move. In an instant, faster than either could blink and before their Scouters could read so much as the faintest flicker of a blip, Blaze was behind Mustar and grabbed him by the back of the neck, holding him aloft in an ironclad grip.

"I don't know who your Commander is, but if he intends to take this planet he'll have to get through the three of us first." He said, his grip squeezing tighter.

The force of his grip and the position of his thumb pinched the nerves in Mustar's spinal chord, pinching them and causing the signals to become blocked. Below the shoulders, his body hung limp. Temporarily paralyzed in Blaze's ironclad grip and gently swaying back and forth as the icy winds blew through the area.
 
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