Holly's Story

Right before he unleashed his new technique he could feel something quite strange at the back of his mind, an eery tingle at the base of his skull,like a ethereal tentacle probing where it shouldn't through the recesses of his mind, then the unthinkable occurred. Taao's new attack miraculously worked exactly he had envisioned, on the first try. If the beam attack hit it's mark there was no survival, but instead of watching his enemy lurch in surprise he watch him step aside as if he foresaw the attack, taking it in the shoulder instead, and even though enemy did not dodge the attack completely he did manage to avoid a fatal wound with a move so simple movement that it flew in the face of logic. Taao's saving grace was that his technique was designed to pierce any obstacle, so when met with a force it couldn't overcome in the form of the redoubled ki blast the fiery haired so kindly left for him, it's only alternative was to destruct which caused a massive explosion of energy which would temporarily paint the whole battlefield in a violet hue. Taao threw up his hands in a desperate attempt to brace himself for the subsequent shock-wave which inevitably followed, but he only managed only to spare his face and chest from absorbing most of impact as he was sent hurling feet over head.

Holly himself took the worst of it, though unlike Taao he was able to brace himself and remain in place the shoulder which was already pierced by his attack was scorched by the explosion and would probably be useless. By the time Taao had recovered and re-oriented himself upright he caught a glimpse of frustration on the emerald carrot top's expression, but it was quickly replaced by the usual cocky grin accompanied by praises for his brand new technique.

New? How could he know to call it that? He couldn't know about my technique, unless... The truth became plain to Taao as he looked on in horror as Holly placed two fingers to his forehead, perfectly imitated his earlier stance just as with Pirukal, he'd pulled Taao's own technique from his mind to use against their ally, the blue haired saiyan. This was the second time that the enemy chose to attacking her directly rather than deal with either of them, even after causing him direct pain. It was clear who he perceived to be the biggest threat, which made it easy to do what he did next. Fortunately his technique was not one that could be used on the fly, depending on the person it took time to gather the energy first, time enough for Taao to attempt to blast Holly and throw of the attack with a super explosive wave.

With Holly's superior power, he was able to charge the same attack in much less time. However, the surprise energy wave from the Namekian did succeed in throwing him off balance just as he pointed his attack at Nion. As a result, the beam was nowhere near close to piercing the blue woman.

"Alright," said Holly. "I've had just about enough of you..."

While Holly was focused on Taao, Pikruel attempted to sneak up behind him and give him a sucker punch to the back of the head. But just as Pikruel's fist should have made contact, Holly turned faster than the eye could see, grabbed her fist, and planted his own firmly to her abdomen. As Pikruel floated there, holding her stomach in agony, Holly turned back to Taao.

"If you really want to be the first to die, then so be it!"

In an instant, Holly would appear to evaporate, and reappear just as he would punch a hole straight through the Namekian's stomach. Unaware of the Namekian's regenerative powers, he would assume that this would mean the death of his enemy.

Taao never took his eyes of his opponent for a second, he didn't blink, yet he never saw the attack. He looked down at a gaping hole in his stomach as he began to fall, slowly for the few moments he remained conscious. Oddly enough he didn't feel any agony, he was in shock as his mind tried to comprehend what happened. One moment he'd just manage to catch the monster again with his super explosive wave, and even though it appeared as if one of his strongest attacks did no damage, he managed to throw off his aim, just barely. Then it seemed the spiky one had recovered and launched another sneak attack but was thwarted and made short work of at a speed even his namekian eyes couldn't follow and it was right then when Taao truly understood the difference in their power, not only that but the economic movement made the difference in experience of the young fighters painfully clear.

" T-too strong " Was Taao's last conscious thought before warm blood spurted from the mouth and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to free fall, meeting the ground hard. Dirt billowed up around him that would obscure his limp body for a time until the dirt resettled. Blood pooled beneath him in no time and his power level would drop so low he would even fool a scouter, but Taao clung to life by a mere thread, unconscious he wouldn't threaten his life further by thrashing in pain, and in this deep sleep he would dream.

With his enemy apparently taken care of, Holly looked to his punctured left shoulder. Green blood poured out of it, and his entire arm was in tremendous pain, although he refused to show it. He regretted using it to punch the Saiyan earlier. Using ki from his right hand, he closed the wound by burning it.

Meanwhile, Pikruel floated nearby, still holding her stomach. She knew that it would be pointless to attempt to catch him off guard. He'd only deal her another heavy blow. She decided it wise to fly down to the ground, where her two allies fell. She knelt down over Taao, looking at the hole in his stomach.

"No... Green man. Nion. Don't leave me. I can't do this without you. Wake up, please. I have an idea. We can still make it out of this. WAKE UP!!!"

Nion was almost motionless on the ground, her eyes clamped shut with only the small rise and fall of her chest to indicate that she was still breathing. Brusies and gashes littered her body from both her fight with Dashade and her strugle against Holly's beam, the warrior was completly exhausted and couldn't even stay awake.

Oone word chanted throughout her dwindling dreams of subcouncousness. Failure It was like an echo of negativity that took center hold in her mind, a truth she couldn't deny. She was unable to best the Arcosian and was so overwhelmed by a beam struggle that even in victory she fell, forced to be saved by a mere Namekian. What kind of Saiyin can be so pathetic...

Taao felt like he'd just awoke from a dream as he walked through the village of the dragon clan, his brethren all stood just outside their respective homes and they all looked at him as if they where deeply hurt, no not just hurt but disappointed. Had he done something wrong? He couldn't imagine what it could be but he couldn't ask even if he wanted to, it felt like he wasn't in full control of his body as he walked, as if he where on autopilot nut this didn't upset or worry him. Even though his mind was confused his feelings told him that he was on the right path. Looking straight ahead he saw his destination in the horizon on a high hill, it was the home to one of the great elders, father of the Dragon clan and spiritual leader of all namekians who in the past achieved heights of power unheard of by namekians when an incoming meteor threatened to destroy planet Namek by blowing it up in orbit. Had the Guru and his ilk failed the asteroid would have thrown off the natural balance of the planet and caused a climate shift so catastrophic it was unlikely his race would have survived, a ring was formed of the asteroids shattered dabris and serves as a reminder of the great elder's heroism.

He had no idea how long he'd been traveling on foot to reach it but it seemed that the moment he became aware of his destination he'd arrived at it's threshold much too quickly, and the way the large entrance stretched out above him made him feel strangely small and insignificant. Most strangely of all he couldn't help feeling incomplete, like he was forgetting something vital, but for now he put it out of his mind and stepped through the entrance. Inside he would find the great elder, several times larger than any other namekian alive he sat un-moving in his great seat which he sat like a king. His wrinkled skin stretch for what seemed like the first time in centuries into a warm smile as Taao approached and bowed on his right knee, face to the floor and awaited his elder to speak first, as was their custom.

" Ah Taao, child of Kata you've finally arrived. I'm surprised you've come to me, though I knew you could not escape the path destiny has placed before you forever."
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As Taao dreamed his wounds had already begun to self regenerate, but it would take a little more time before he would awake from his deep sleep.

Pikruel placed her finger's on Taao's neck. She could feel it. His heart was still beating. He was still alive. She remembered how the Namekian had ripped off his own arm and regrew a new one earlier. Sure enough, the hole in the green man's chest was slowly closing up.

"Do you need more energy to heal? Here. Take some of mine."

She placed her hands over Taao's body, sharing some of her energy with him.

"Come on, Green Man. You're the only one who can hurt him. I need you to wa--"

Suddenly, Pikruel was flying, spinning around violently like she'd been hit by a truck. No. A truck wouldn't hurt so much. It was Holly. He flew down while Pikruel wasn't looking and kicked her. After hitting the ground, Pikruel rolled around in the dirt for a good 30 feet before finally stopping. She laid there, facing the sky. And when her head stopped pounding, and her vision finally started to clear, Holly was standing over her.

"D-didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a lady?" she asked with a grin.

All Holly gave in response was a brief "hmph" before stomping his foot into the Saiyan's stomach. Pikruel lurched forward, coughing up blood. He raised his boot again. Pikruel held her hands up in defense, but she knew she couldn't do anything to protect herself. He slammed his foot down again. She felt like her body was about to be shattered, like a Saltine cracker being hit with a hammer. She let out a blood curdling scream in agony, and the red-headed commander lifted his boot a third time.

Taao's stomach began to ache at the mention of destiny and lifted his head to look into the eyes of the great elder, only the elders face was masked in shadow making it impossible to really make eye contact. " The path? What destiny do you speak of honorable one " he said, remaining bowed on the knee out of respect. he considered his journey here, the feeling of rightness and inevitability which kept him on his path even when he wanted to detour, the path was inescapable, but as he knelt before the elder he somehow understood that this was not the true destination which his path was leading.

" The answers young one, are within you, you didn't come here for answers. You are here because you've encountered an obstacle that you cannot overcome in your current state, strong as you may be, you are incomplete as you are. You are afraid " retorted the elder namek in the usual tone elders use when imparting wisdom of great importance.

That only confused Taao further, what was the elder talking about? He thought he'd been summoned by the great elder to be reprimanded, but he was only speaking in cryptic riddles that Taao couldn't make heads or tails of, but the elder had one thing right, he felt incomplete. Like he wasn't himself. He was about to protest against the claims of fear but as he opened his mouth the elder simply shook his head, and pointed down at Taao's gut and his eyes did follow. When he looked down he saw a hole where his stomach should be, and when he looked up two women stood at the base of the elder's chair. One was blue and wore fighting armor while the other, a little shorter, wore a cloths that didn't seem to protect her from much of anything. They both felt familiar, but their faces where also a shadow. As he drew closer in an attempt to get a better look at them he was suddenly overcome by a feeling of impending doom, and when he was in front of them they both collapsed at his feet, they're faces became visable and knew them instantly and he found himself on planet Melt, then he remembered the enemy that brought him low.

" This is all your fault " an accusing voice said from behind him, and when Taao turned to rebuke the accuser he was shocked to see himself, yet it wasn't, he was different. It was the eyes, they didn't look like his at all, they where the eyes of a killer.

" I could have saved them all, we are strong but you fear power. Why run from this, you could be greater than even the elders in their prime. WE could be the strongest Namekians who ever lived, that is our fate " His doppelganger held out a hand to take.

Taao knew now what he was looking at, this was the power locked away within him, the side of himself that once loved the heat of combat. This was the part of him he abandoned to devote his life to healing others, which at the time seemed like the right thing to do, but not anymore. Taao took his own hand and the world around him went white as power rushed through his body.
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Returning finally the the world of the living the fist thing Taao noticed was the sounds of Pikruel's agonized screams. Before making a move Taao placed a hand on his gut which was now solid, the area that was freshly healed flesh remained a couple shade lighter than before and there was an ugly whole in his garments, but he was otherwise fine. In fact he felt better than good, he felt stronger than ever. Using his legs to jump up into a crouching position the first thing he did was heal the fallen blue saiyan. Her wounds where not too severe so it only took a moment, then he stood and faced their enemy.

" Hey! Why don'y you pick on someone your own size and color " He called out, giving Holly pause just as he was about to continue pulverizing the small saiyan woman. His eyes light up in shock when he saw the namekian he'd just killed, standing over the body of his other fallen enemy, whole. Other than the hole in his cloths, Taao looked good as new. In fact, his power will have seemed to have doubled. Taao met his look of surprise with a cocky half smile that said surprise!. The red head placed his feet on the ground instead of the saiyans chest as he also turned to face Taao.

" You don't know when to quit do you, fine, now yo- " but before he could finish trash talking Taao would cross the distance in the same manner as Holly, attempting to throw him for a loop by launching an identical attack, attempting to give the fiend a taste of his own medicine by turning him inside out. Though he wasn't as confident a straight punch of him would have the same affect, so he would follow up with a full powered ki blast if his attack landed. He hoped to at the very least separate him from the saiyan for a chance to heal her as well.

To say that the sudden increase in speed from the Namekian surprised Holly would be an understatement. However, the great distance between them gave him enough time to get over his initial shock, and to jump backwards to get out of the way. The extended reach of the Namekian's arm was not something he took into account, as it stretched to hit him anyway. Taao's followup energy blast hit right on target as well, sending Holly spinning in reverse. When he would catch himself in midair, Holly would discover his shoulder wound had reopened while trying to hold back the ki blast.

"Damn it... Well, well, well. It seems I've underestimated you again. I don't know where this power came from, or why you've been hiding it, but it's clear that you are a cut above the usual riff-raff. Why let such power go to waste? Join Heeta's army, and become a part of the greatest empire this universe has ever known. You can have fame, fortune, and most importantly, the respect of countless people who will shake at the mention of your name. What do you say?"

At the sight of the Namekian standing over her, Pikruel would give a bloody smile. "Took you long enough."

Without waiting to be healed, Pikruel would roll over on her side and attempt to push herself off of the ground, groaning all the while. "Look at me. I can't even pick myself up. I'm so...pathetic. Listen, that energy beam thing... The one you used to put a hole in his shoulder. Could you do it again? I think I've got an idea."

Nion's body gave a quick spazm as a gasp akin to a hurricane released form her lips, the shock of Toa's sudden healing over taking the blue skinned warrior; her boyd now leaning upwards into a sitting position. "Wh...Huh...What!? I... Feel better" Easily she got to her feet, stretching out her fingertips before crushing them into a tight fist. She was healed. And not just that, she could feel a higher level of energy within her. "I'm good as new, with a few upgrades"

She ignored as the fabric of her body suit ripped further when she punched out her fist to through the air, a smile stretching the corner of her lips. "You okay, Partner?" Her eyes locked onto the form of Holly, narroed down as if she was a starving preditor eyeing her next prey.

"So, Namekian. You can heal, go get Pikruel back into shape" Her head tilted to dilever a sadistic smirk. "All in all, Commander. It seems as if you've failed three times to kill us. But don't worry, we're gonna show you the power of real elites"

Taao returned the saiyans bloody smile with a smile of his own as he knelt next to her, he practically exuded an aura of confidence that was ascent at the beginning of the battle.

"Sorry for the wait my friend, here - " Taao stretched out both hands over her as she rolled over and sat up on her elbows, with opens palms and outstretched fingers held out he poured his own energy into the saiyans body in order to swiftly close her wound, repair broken bones and restored stamina in a brilliant flash of light. Once complete, Taao took her left hand with his right and pulled her to her feet so.

" Yeah, healing is one of my people's secret abilities, but it cannot be utilized on just anyone. My power won't work on a person with a wicked soul " Taao's eyes met Holly's as he said this, making sure Holly could hear him well when he said this. After openly using his healing twice Taao had no doubts that the fool would think to force him to use his powers on him if it came to it. It would be a hopeless cause.

" And yes, I can do it again, I'm absolutely positive if I can get a good shot I can take him down. If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then we'll need some sort of coordinated attack. We absolutely cannot give him time to predict or copy our next attacks, and we must act now "

Taao was keenly aware that Holly had yet to see them as a threat which demanded he utilize his full capabilities, while Taao had already been pushed into revealing his. He was glad to have a fighter like Nion at their sides, her taunts bolstered his confidence even further, he really felt like they could win, more importantly he felt like HE could win. Taao was eager to show the saiyan he was much more than an excellent healer now, he absolutely had to take Holly down soon or the fight had the potential to become much more difficult for them, even now.

" So lets hear this plan of yours "

Kazaam merely nodded furiously at Dashade's request as they quickly closed the distance between them and the battlefield, while a little saddened at being asked to stay out of the fight for the moment, she didn't want to piss off or get Dashade into more trouble; besides she figured that with this 'Holly' guy it wouldn't take long for her to be called. Well, from what she had hear of him on the scouter. He had a very loud voice. "Zam stay out of fight, okay"

The girl quickly dropped from her place in the sky to lan 'silently' on the surface of the planet, positioning herself just below the curve of the already destroyed mountain. Peeking over the edge her eyes widened with glee at the sight of Pikruwl. Aha! A Saiyan! I bet she's super strong! To Taao. I hope he didn't hear my Namekian joke, I heard they got super hearing... And finally... I... I don't know what that is. Oh, is it a fruit?! Wait, it's moving...and talking... What a strange fruit

And finally she looked to their opponent, what she assumed to be Holly. "...Is that a mouldy Carrot?"

Dashade silently thanked Kazaam for her obedience and zoomed over to the battlefield, out of the corner of his eye watching the girl hide behind the mountain he had thrown Nion into. Below it wasn't hard to spot to battle brewing, he was surprised to see that the three fighters were still standing after the brutal beat-down he had heard over the scouter, it seems as if he never gave them the credit they deserved; neither did Holly.

"Well... Now or never" He needed answers now, he needed Holly to explain himself; with no hesitation Dashed dropped like a hammer to the ground. He landed just beside Holly with his arm raised, his landing utterly ripping apart the ground below him, a ki blast already in his palm to aim at Pikruel and Taao. "Are they giving you trouble, Commander?"

When Taao healed Pikruel, Holly frowned. "I'll take that as a no! What a waste."

To Nion's comment about "real elites," Holly just shrugged. He considered her no more of a threat than she was five minutes ago.

"Hmm... So the green one has healing abilities. I can't finish the others while he's still alive. I'll just have to be more thorough this time."

Pikruel took Taao's hand and rose to her feet. To her amazement, she felt completely normal. No. Better than normal. She felt lighter and stronger than she was before. Before she could explain her plan to Taao, Dashade returned, looking to be ready to rejoin the fight.

"Well, this complicates things. Alright. No big deal. Nion and I will hold off Dashade and his commander while you charge your attack. I'll take Holly. I have a move I still haven't used on him yet, and if my hunch is right, I think I can still surprise him with it, even with his copy ability. When you see your opening, take your shot."

Once again, Holly was surprised to see another fighter return, completely healed of their wounds. This time, it was his own subordinate. "You too, huh? Well, then, I can't say I'm not pleased to see you return. These three are proving to be more of a problem than I originally thought. No holding back now. We strike to kill, and we do not stop until they are turned to ash. Understood?"

Dashade stared at the two conversing warriors opposite him, his eyes looking over the freshly healed bodies as Taao yelled at Holly. "The Namekian can heal, huh?" He kept his gaze locked on them with a permanent from on his lips. The pained groans of the bodies that littered the battlefield made Dashade's ears twitch, realising how many warriors were indisposed, yet still clinging to life. "Of course, Commander... But, maybe we should move this fight elsewhere. There's still wounded here who can get caught in the cross-fire"

You wouldn't want to a harm your own troops, Commander. If course you wouldn't. Tell me you won't. The Arcosian started to grow angry towards himself, his thought easily lashing out at the air. There was no reason to think Holly would willingly kill his own men.

A short livened growl of annoyance came from the blue skinned Saiyan at the sight of Dashade landing near the Commander, her blood starting to boil. "Okay, so he's not just an Arcosian. He's part Cockcroach as well? Of course. OF COURSE!" She slammed her fist into her palm as she heard Pikrue explain the plan, keeping her cocky grin. "Fine by me, I'll make sure that this lizard wishes he never crawled out of the dirt"

She could already feel the difference in herself from before, the new feeling now surging through herself. When others had said that a Saiyan's power multiplies upon near-fatal recovery, she had assumed it to be a myth. "So, how about it, Insect? Wanna get kicked to the mountain again? I'll just tell you now, I'm not the same Saiyan you... tied with before" Even as she spat out her boasts, her eyes were set on the Arcosian warrior, which only served to confuse her. There was definitly something different about him. It was his body language, his eyes... He didn't actually seem to be here to fight.

Taao immediately picked up on the sudden change his comrades had undergone, though they barely made a move he could sense that they where different, that they had grown somehow. A namek's healing skill is second to none, but he was sure nothing like this had ever happened before, sure he could make them good as new but never better than before. Taao himself didn't really change, he merely allowed a part of his repressed self into his conciseness, in turn allowing him to unlock his full power, where as the saiyan's body seemed to have learned from the near death experience and simply adapted, it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced after providing his power to others. Observing their reactions as they mentally took stock of themselves it was apparent that they also noticed the uncanny increase in power as well.

Taao was too focused on the task at hand to notice a familiar presence until he'd already arrived at his superior's side, the defeated alien from before, the good one in Taao's eyes. Even though the Arcosian was t he enemy, the compassion he'd shown his comrades in battle had left an impression on Taao, and he wondered if the alien was aware of how his commander thoughtlessly sacrificed his subordinate's lives. Perhaps this was providence, now Taao again had the opportunity to recruit another ally as he suspected they would need much more power to take down whoever this guy " Heeta" was.

" That's as good a plan as any, I can do it, as long as you two can keep them too busy to read my moves they're as good as dead, but-" he pointed at Holly and the arcosian but turned his head to Nion in order to address her directly " I don't want to kill the black one, though I'm sure you're eager to settle the score. I think we can turn him to our cause with the right words. Look at him, he's hesitating, and from what I can tell he isn't the type of person who would approve of his commander's actions. Try to get in his head if you can"

Next he turned to the shorter saiyan " and about that copy move, I'm sure you felt it to, but just before I attacked him I could feel a foreign presence in my mind. I don't think he even has to be looking at us to do it, I've yet to discover how it really works so be cautious, it may be affected by range as well as his focus. Now, let's finish this "

Taao held two fingers up to his forehead just like before, and just like before the air around him crackled as he began to amass energy into his finger tips, only on a much larger scale than before. He intended this beam to be accurate at a much further distance in an attempt to avoid being thwarted by Holly's ability, also this beam would be big enough to leave a volley-ball sized whole in Holly's chest when it hit, if it hit. Now it was up to his comrades to keep the fiends off of him until the technique was ready.

"Let the soldiers take care of themselves," Holly replied to Dashade's suggestion. "When you walk a path and an ant stands on the path before you, do you walk around it? No. Let the strong live and the weak die."

"Ready?" Pikruel asked her friends. "Let's go!"

Rushing forward, Pikruel closed the distance between her and Holly in the blink of an eye and threw a punch at him. Holly gasped before being knocked back by the woman's punch. Then Pikruel jumped into the air and started charging her Galick Gun.

"Impossible!" said Holly. "You've been hiding power too? It's like I'm caught in a nightmare. Don't get cocky, Saiyan! Even with just one hand, I can still beat your Galick Gun!"

Holly charged his one-handed Galick Gun, and fired soon after Pikruel. To his surprise, his attack didn't immediately cut through Pikruel's attack. Rather, she was holding him back pretty well.

Dashade froze as he heard Holly's words, staring at his Commander in confusion as the Elite rushed into battle and locked into a beam clash with the other Saiyan. Ants? Is that all they are to him? His fist started to dig his fingertips into his palm as he thought back to all the slaughter that had engulfed this planet. He didn't want to admit it, the truth that he could put together so easily now threatened to shake his nerves. The innocent inhabitants of Planet Melt, dead. Many of the men that now lay dead at his feet, their lives taken by their own Commander. The comms painted a nice bloody picture. And worst of all...

"You have to remember, Dashade. These men and woman might just seem like JUST soldiers to you. But when you're on the battlefield, you realise that they are so much more. Weak or strong, annoying or comforting. These people are willing to put their lives on the line for their duty, willing to stand beside you and fight. No matter what you think of them personally, to disregard the life of your companions... No leader, no true soldier would allow such a sin to stain their name" Dashade remembered the words well, they were one of the last before he went to serve under Lord Heta. He always took them to heart.

"Ants? Weak?" Even without knowing everything, the available puzzle pieces made Dashade doubt what he was led to believe about this battle. This wasn't self-defence, hell, these people on melt had never seemed to have seen a day of combat in their lives. No, this wasn't self-defence. It was an invasion. "After everything they do... You dare disregard them like trash!" He didn't know whether he was yelling or angrily muttering, but ether way he was unable to control his next move.

After all this time as the obedient soldier, the boiler of Dashade's rage exploded. He had a duty to defend his people, his men and his empire. And he would never forgo his duty. Even if the damage is from the inside. The Arcosian warrior rushed towards Holly with his fist held high, packing as much force behind his punch as he could before shooting forward and attempting to slam his fist into Holly's neck.

Nion shot a glare at the Namekian at the request ''Don't kill him? You are so gulable, I don't care if you feel like he might be a swell guy just because he dosn't want to waste his only backup. If you don't put your all nto a fight, then you don't deserve to win it" Her glare turned back to the currently muttering Arcosian, ready to launch herself off of her front foot and rush up to the warrior.

But she had a moment of hesitation when she witnessed the warrior suddenly scream out the word 'Trash' and attack his own Commander, which resulted in a very confused Nion. "Is he trying to make a bid for power during the fight..Urg, nevermind. I'll just use this to blast them both"