Distraction (Boli/Zach/Ammy)

[ammy]

Amaranth listened quietly to the boy. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through, when he went through every day. The pain of that must be immense and she could understand his hatred for Boliko, even though the two had never met before. Boliko may not be like other Saiyens, but he was their King. As royalty herself, she knew that like her, he was responsible for his kind. For past, present, and future wrongs. It wasn't fair, but that's how it was.

She didn't even bat an eye though when he insulted her. Partly because she was unfamiliar to the word "tramp," for it didn't exist on Nor or Writhos. The only reason she knew it was an insult was his tone of voice, and Boliko's reaction. In truth, she didn't care. She's been insulted a hundred times over, and with far worse. They were petty words, meaningless to any but the speaker. What she did care for was Boliko's reaction. The boy was goading him on. He wanted to fight, desperately so it seemed. She reached out to grab her friend's arm as he past, but she ended up with only a hand full of air.

She watched as he transformed. His power grew, his ki even visible. Amaranth watched warily, hesitating. She blinked and once again, the world fell away. Both Boliko and the human seemed to be a silhouette of shadow, each with their own lines of ki pulsing through them. Boliko's bright and glowing with his raised power, the boy's darker, inky black in some cases. She blinked again and suddenly the world was normal again, though she had a deep throbbing in her. head. What in the world... Shaking her head, she once again moved in front of Boliko, laying a hand on his chest gently, stopping him for at least a moment hopefully.

Ignoring the throbbing in her head, she turned her gaze to the boy once more. In truth, she didn't wish to see him hurt even more. He was noble, that was plain to see. There was obviously some motive behind wanting to fight Boliko, and she suspected it didn't just have to do with his hatred for Boliko's kind.

"I'll ask you one more time to reconsider, boy. Despite what you may think, neither Boliko nor I am here to do your planet any harm. I give my word that we are here only to stop Touketsuki, nothing more. You may have a strong hatred toward Saiyans, one that is justified, but please. Would you rather fight us here? Or get rid of Touketsuki once and for all?" she asked. Her voice was quiet as she pleaded to him silently with her eyes. The boy was itching for a fight. Boliko was tired and angry at him. Things seemed on the verge of exploding, and Amaranth only hoped she could stop it before this went any farther.

[Zach]

With his arms up in a defensive posture, Zach was already ready to fight, he'd made that fact abundantly clear. The Saiyan and his floozy though had other ideas, one to turn his hair blonde and sparkly and to claim he was practically invincible, and the other to get in the way once more and try to talk peace. Zach would not be dissuaded from his course however, not by the king's attempt at intimidation and not by his woman's continued pleas for them to stop. Gurin and Zach had a plan to deal with Suki and this was part of it, it didn't matter if Zach won or lost, his goal was to stop the Saiyan long enough for Suki and Nam to exhaust each other. Standing by, or rather hovering by looking unimpressed, Zach held his posture and shook his head.

"It doesn't matter if you turn your hair lime green with purple polka-dots, it isn’t going to intimidate me." Zach retorted in short, disregarding the Saiyan's longwinded explanations and boasts. Zach was a man of action, not words, he said only what needed to be said, nothing more. Keeping with that he went on to say one more thing before moving to the action he so desired. "And lady, I don't care what you say, we are going to deal with Suki ourselves. You had your chance to turn around and leave, I'm going to have to make you now." With that Zach exploded into motion, circling to the left and closing with the Saiyan with the intent to maneuver out of the young woman's ranger to interfere and to line the man up for a strait punch right to the side of his head.

{Sorry about the length, time is short this afternoon.}

[Gray Callahan]

The saiyan king growls as the human begins his assault despite his power in his transformed state. "You fool!" he spits, as the human rushed towards him. He had only a few seconds to react, because despite the difference in power the saiyan could tell the human was a heavy hitter, and he couldn't afford to take much damage before his fight with Touketsuki. The saiyan did, however, wish to humiliate the human. The boy hated saiyans. Boliko was the king of saiyans. He had to show him not to mess with his species. Just as the human's fist entered the immediate vicinity of air surrounding his head, the saiyan slams his right hand upwards, gripping the human's wrist tightly.

With his left arm he swings a chop aimed at a point on the human's neck, that he hoped would instantly knock the man unconscious. He hoped that such a swift defeat would allow him time to get to Touketsuki while showing the human that saiyans were a cut above. Of course, it was unlikely that the fight would be as easy as that, and Boliko knew it. He just hoped that Ammy would remain safe, neutral, during this confrontation. If he hurt her, or if she got at all hurt during the conflict...

Boliko would not be happy. After delivering the chop, whether or not it hurt, he would push himself backwards, aiming to gain distance.

[ammy]

It seemed like whenever Amaranth tried to talk peace, this is what she got. She tried to work with one of the Court's leader on one occasion a few years ago. Her mother thought it would be good experience for her. The only thing that happened though was that the leader went home terrified with a few broken bones and horror stories about the "wild and untamed princess." Amaranth of course had gotten an earful from her parents that her brothers were still teasing her about. So it was sadly little surprise when her words went in one ear and out the other of both hot-blooded men. Nor did it surprise her that the boy attacked Boliko, taking the extra effort to even go around her.

Men! They were all the same. Thinking either with their fists or their dicks. There was no way Amaranth was going to get involved in their silly fight. Okay...maybe she would. But only if Boliko needed it. She already saw that her Saiyan friend had pride, pride that she was sure she'd hurt if she tried to protect him. But really, this whole fight was a silly waste of time.

But perhaps that was the point after all. This boy hated the Saiyans with a passion, but was that hatred so overwhelming that he'd let his planet suffer the consequences if Touketsuki won? She doubted that. Obviously this boy must be trying to stall for time. Time for what, Amaranth didn't know, but she was curious.

So she floated there, enough out of their way that she doubted she'd be hit. She'd wait, stepping in only if Boliko needed her.

[Zach]

Executing his attack like a well oiled machine, at least as well oiled as his half exhausted body could manage, Zach succeeded in circling around the young woman without interference and launched his opening punch towards the Saiyan. His strike though met with failure, ending up only succeeding in getting the blonde's arm ensnared by the brute's steely grasp. It wasn't a failure on his part as far as Zach was concerned, his strike was as lightning fast as any of his were, his opponent though in spite of being even bulkier then the teen was even faster. Zach was no slouch though and reacted instantly as the Saiyan raised his opposing hand for a chop at his neck. At once the blonde boy's protective bracers, chest plate and leg armor appeared as he quickly positioned his only free arm to intercept the other's strike. Boliko hit like a freight train however, not that Zach had actually ever been hit by one, but he imagined that's what it would feel like. In spite of the absorbent properties of his bracers, the chop smashed Zach's own arm into his head and then at once he was free.

Tumbling to the side, Zach leveled off after losing a few feet in altitude and then promptly climbed back up as his opponent backed off. Shaking his head to clear it, the teen growled and set his gaze back on the Saiyan. He knew he couldn't keep up a flying engagement like this with his energy reserves so low and make use of his body armor at the same time. It was this fact that forced Zach to reluctantly give up the added protection of the armor, allowing the shielding around his limbs and chest to fade only moments after having formed. As much as he knew he needed the protection, especially after that opening blow, Zach also knew he would have to save as much of his power as he could to prolong the fight and give Gurin time to return. With this in mind, the teen resisted the urge to press on after his opponent and held his position, watching the other carefully while his guard returned to it's usual high station, to protect his head and chest.

[Gray Callahan]

Boliko would grunt as his attack would be softened by Zach's armour technique, but still sent the human reeling. If that attack had hit directly, then the fight could have been over with. Instead of giving the king confidence, he curses himself - the perfectionist within insists that if he were just the smallest bit faster, the attack would have hit before the barrier was erected and Touketsuki would be straight ahead. Instead the fight would be continued, and the Icer overlord could potentially escape his grasp once again - or wreak havoc upon his world, neither of which Boliko desired, although the latter was only a lesser concern to his over-all aim.

Unexpectedly, the human did not rush straight back into the conflict. This was perhaps a smarter move than the saiyan king had anticipated, as from a counter-attack the human could deal some vicious damage, taking advantage of Boliko's own position and momentum. If Boliko attacked he would have to attack decisively. Aim to finish swiftly. The human was tired, he could tell - the shield fell away and if he had full energy reserves then it could have been maintained for at least a while longer. Boliko himself still had full energy, but he didn't want to use much - he would need as much as possible for his confrontation.

Boliko only takes a second to calculate his next move, but his only course of action was clear - he couldn't expend the energy for a ki attack, even if it could overpower the human with his current transformed power-level. His golden aura still raging around him, bluish-purple hair rustling in the wind, the young king of saiyans rushes the human. He moves at ferocious speed, appearing in front of Zach within a second. Just as it appears Boliko's fist would slam into the human's face, however, the king appears to phase through the immortal blonde.

Utilising his Burst Speed technique, the king had manoeuvred himself behind the human. His right hand shaped like a beak, the saiyan king jabs outwards, aiming for a weak spot directly below a humanoid's throat - he assumed that humans, of similar physiology to saiyans, would have this weak point. If the attack hit with no problem, it would be more and likely that the human would fall unconscious, but with little-to-no actual damage done. Boliko would have most of his energy retained for his fight with Touketsuki.

But, even if it did work, would it be too late already?

[Zach]

Maintaining his guard up high to protect his head and chest, Zach kept a watchful eye on his opponent taking advantage of the distance between them to give himself as much reaction time as possible. By holding off on attacking Zach was ensuring the Saiyan had to go on the offensive which was both Zach’s preferred mode of combat as his style depended mostly on counters, and that by not pressing an attack, Zach ensured the battle would last as long as possible. The pause didn’t last long as his overdressed opponent charged forward with what looked like a reckless punch directed strait for his head. Surely the Saiyan didn’t think he could break the teen’s guard, especially when it was so solidly oriented around his head.

It was this seemingly reckless action that tipped Zach off that there might be something else going on, likely the typical trickery he’d been running into as of late with his opponents trying to get behind him with flashes of speed. A despicable tactic that Zach would punish. Reacting as quickly as he could given the disparity between their energy levels, the blond boy dodged to the right to avoid the punch rather then simply blocking it and rotated to the left. As he spun, Zach hedged his bet that this was some kind of trick by slinging out his right hand in a wide right hook. If he was right, his fist would sail past the fake Saiyan and as Zach turned through 180 degrees, it would hopefully land in the real man’s face. If he was wrong his punch would surely land against the man on front of him as he turned through the first 90 degrees.

As it turned out the blonde boy was correct, his fist went right through the image of the Saiyan and he continued to spin through to 180 degrees, intending to smash his right fist directly into the face of the man who’d appeared behind him. At the same time the other’s lightning fast strike came in but since the boy had moved laterally in his spin and was mid punch, he could not block it nor would it hit it’s intended target. Instead of striking Zach in the back of the neck he blow instead thudded into the teen’s muscled right shoulder, ostensibly the same arm he was using to launch his counter punch at his opponent.

[Gray Callahan]

Boliko's jab slams into the human's shoulder just as the heavy swing slams into the king's face. Electricity crackles around the two warriors as they come to a stand-still, fists embedded in each other's flesh. The saiyan king does not budge from his position, no - his face creases and his body rocks, judders, from the pressure of the attack. A trickle of blood rolls out from his left nostril, the human's fist having struck directly between the saiyan king's eyes. It stung. If Boliko hadn't been transformed, it would have probably sent the saiyan spiralling, if not completely knocked out. However, after the momentary shock of the counter attack, and his own jab doing very little damage, the saiyan king smiles, grins, and begins to shake as a deep, raucous laughter begins to bubble up from his lungs.

"Well played, human! You would make a worthy fighter against the forces of evil, and the enemies of the Solar Empire. It is such a shame, that you are so disposed towards us. If only you could se-" The saiyan finishes abruptly, pulling away from the blonde brawler as his face erupts into a horrid snarl. Faintly sensing... the disappearing power level, one massive and one that he could finally truly recognise. His ability to sense had been truly unlocked by this transformation, but he hadn't realised - he had been naturally sensing the energy signatures on the planet, and only with the absence of one great one had he truly understood his folly. The king was no fool - he couldn't pursue the signature that was fleeing into space, and if he discharged all of his energy in the general direction of the power it would not only destroy the space ship, but probably much of the Earth as well. And that was unacceptable, on a moral and logical perspective. Two thoughts move through his head simultaneously.

Why is he leaving?! Coward!

This fucking human.

His face crumples into a hideous deformation of anger and sadness, his purpose once again ripped away. His frown is massive, teeth clenched, as the golden aura bursts up around his body. The boy doubles over in the air, pulling his legs up to his chest just as a massive roar emanates from his throat. To Zach, this would probably seem utterly random, considering the human couldn't sense energy, and Amaranth too would probably be scared, if not too worried about her own well-being. The saiyan king was going through a further metamorphosis, a triumphant transformation and the truest vision of any Saiyan warrior with a lick of pride and awareness of legends, of history.

His scream subsides into a growl, as tears begin to stream down his face. Months of training, years of preparation for his goals of a universal Saiyan empire - once again dashed, pushed back further, by the untimely escape of his greatest foe... and by the sheer insolence, ignorance, immaturity of this foolish human revenger. His own people would lose faith in him again - how could he have let Touketsuki the reviler to escape after he had decimated the Saiyan capital?

A silver blast of electrical energy descends from the skies, the clouds of water vapour and dust reacting with the much-increasing energy output of the Saiyan king. He releases a louder scream, his pupils fading away momentarily as his eyelids snap open. He had failed!

And, within this perceived failure, another Super Saiyan was born, mere minutes after the first true Super Saiyan of the era. The saiyan king's hair stands up more prominently, spikes extending higher than they had within his Origin Form; his tail, too, becomes golden, a feature absent in his Origin Form, and his pupils re-appear, becoming a deeper cyan than his quasi-Super form's. His power output reaches a maximum for his current level, and the maximum of any living Saiyan bar Nam, the half-breed whom he wasn't aware of, although he noticed the absence of another massive energy - an energy that was still smaller than his own, latest power, however.

The relatively collected saiyan king faced a complete change in personality, too, as the raging power flooded his veins. He wanted to kill, defile the human. With his newly-increased power, he blasts back towards Zach, his massive golden aura raging and leaving a trail. He intended to rip, defile the humanoid, blast his body to pieces, to ash; but a deeper voice within his head begins to speak, just as the super saiyan reaches the human's frame;

Don't kill him. You are still the moral high ground.

Roaring, the super saiyan obliges, swinging a full-pelt hit towards the human's gut. The sound of the swing makes an air-wave only slightly less in intensity than a sonic boom, but the human was tough. The punch to the stomach would, with hope, finish the human, kick him out of conscious without truly damaging the guy - the shock of the impact would hurt, but any lasting damage would be fairly nullified, with hope.

And so the Super Saiyan king stands, with his fist impeding on the human's solar plexus, his body still churning with emotion as he licks a trickle of blood from his lips. His face is fierce and wild, very similar to how he appeared on his re-appearance on the planet Vegeta after seventeen years of isolation. The human had unwittingly released the beast within Boliko, the Oozaru spirit that all of saiyan blood possessed, and of which Boliko had learned to repress... until now. He revels in it, screaming to whatever Gods he holds as a light rain begins to pat his face, diluting and washing away the nosebleed.

In his rage and confusion, Amaranth Rixior is forgotten. Those on Vegeta who were lost, Rensou Hiruen, Annienne Aspera... forgotten. Even Touketsuki was pushed to a deeper recess of his mind, as his power blasts out, causing a physical pulse through the gas and vapour particles, droplets of water trickling down his armour. He clutches at his head, screaming louder, drifting away from the presumably limp human figure. Would Amaranth be able to calm him down?

[ammy]

Back and forth the fight went. Both seemed to be powerful fighters, even with the boy exhausted. Just when one seemed to get the upper hand, the other would turn it around in their favor, even if just for a moment. She had to admit, in terms of skill, both were equal.

So she hung back, eyes riveted on the fight before her. She was ready to step in, though Amaranth doubted that would not be necessary. If she was right, the boy was acting simply as a distraction. She was sure that he and his comrades had a plan to defeat Touketsuki. It was a classic move, though one that Boliko didn't seem to recognize. In her opinion, he shouldn't be fighting here, but down there against Touketsuki. That's where he needed to be. To defeat the mad man, and to ease his mind.

It was when they were locked in a stand still that it happened. Both were frozen and then, Boliko's drifted back, face snarling. Anger. Sadness. It didn't take a genius to know what had happened. Either Touketsuki was dead by another's hand, or he had left in such a way that Boliko could not follow. Either way, the tyrant was gone, and her friend's purpose had been crushed savagely. What happened next though, Amaranth could never have predicted.

Everything happened at once. A roar was torn from the King's throat as golden energy pulsed from his body. Amaranth couldn't help it, she moved back, worried for her friend but also slightly frightened. His roar turned to tears as the air around them felt charged with his energy. Blinking, the world once again turned strange. The two were black shadows once more, the lines of energy pulsing in each one. The boy's inky black with damage, Boliko's a searing gold that burned her eyes with intensity. She blinked again, trying to get her vision to return. But it would not. Whatever the Gods planned for her to see was happening, and the weren't going to let it stop. She watched as the black shape that was was Boliko dashed toward the boy's, delivering a punch to the boy's stomach. The lines in his body pulse, going brighter and bright until she has to close her eyes to stop them from being seared out of her head.

The soft rain and loud roar from Boliko brings her now normal gaze back to him. What she sees terrifies her. No longer does she see the kind and gentle man she had met the night before. Gone was the spark in his eyes, the infection of his laugh. A beast was all that was left. But luckily, Amaranth was no stranger to beasts.

Without a moment's hesitation, she shoots forward to him, past the boy in whatever shape he may be in, straight to the beast. She goes to take his face in her hands, stopping only a breath away from him if possible.

"BOLIKO!" she screamed. The sky had opened up, thunder and lightning crashing overhead, charged by the energy he was giving. That searing golden energy that seemed to burn her even now.

"I've trained so long with just that in mind, it'd break me if someone else got to him first. So if I'm not a cold-blooded killer, then I'm a hot-blooded one. I think if this battle doesn't finish on Earth, well, the struggle between the armies of the WTO and my Solar Empire would sent me crazy."

"Well, if that does happen, I'll just have to keep you sane,"

"Boliko! Stop this!" she yelled, not letting go, not backing down. Her gaze was locked with his, her blue eyes bright with determination. She had promised to keep him sane. And that was a promise she would keep.

[Zach]

Executing his combined evasive maneuver and counter attack with the very limit of his speed and strength, Zach slammed his fist home right in target, clocking the Saiyan king right in the nose. At the same time of course the other man's attack struck the boy's shoulder, producing a not inconsiderable amount of discomfort for him. Had his muscles not been made of such stern stuff, Zach likely would have done more then grunt from the impact and sudden source of pain. Even though Zach was still in his base form luck seemed to have a part in his choice of maneuvers and although his shoulder was now in a good deal of pain, due to the shape of the Saiyan's target, his blow had largely skipped off of Zach's sweat moistened skin, sparing the boy a good amount of the impact force. His fist though was spared nothing and Zach had to fight the urge to yelp a second time when the sensation hit him. The Saiyan's face had moved and Zach had hit him as hard as he could, resulting in a thunderous collision that jarred the boy's hand. The sight of the other's blood though made up for it. 'Well at least I hit him. Don't think I'm going to take him down but at least I did that.' the blonde though to himself and backed off a few feet as the Saiyan proceeded to laugh his proverbial butt off.

'Don't blush, don't you dare blush, this guy is obviously a monster, there's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.' Zach told himself and lowered his arms, trying to look unimpressed. The other's laughter was disconcerting though, was he really this powerful or was this like that temporary boost technique Nam had hammered him with a few times in the past. Surely he couldn't keep that up for ever, and besides, the longer he waits this brute out, the longer the other's have to finish each other. 'That's right lunk head, keep laughing, take all day if you want.' Of course the laughing didn't last forever and eventually descended into backhanded compliment, going so far as to presume Zach would ever lift a finger to help the monkeys let alone fight for them. The speech though stopped suddenly as his opponent seemed to realize something, something distant, obscure but coming into sudden, sharp focus. Bingo. Something must have developed that Zach couldn't sense, being deaf to the energy signatures of others, he would have to gauge the goings on based on what he observed of his opponent and by that observation something happened that was making the Saiyan very, very angry.

Zach could tell just by looking at the man that something was up, either Suki was gone, dead or somehow out of reach. There was the possibility that Nam too had been killed and that was when Zach froze. Could it have been that the Saiyan was banking on his spy doing the work for him and Suki had defeated the boy without effort, ensuring Boliko had no chance of defeating him now and that was what was angering the Saiyan. But then what of Nam? Was he dead? This realization kept Zach in a circular loop of thought until a sudden explosion of light snapped him out of it. While he'd been distracted by his ponderings about the Saiyan's emotional outburst, that outburst had been escalating until it rivaled one of his own. Zach had no time to react to the other's sudden and devastating offensive move, especially not while he was still in his base form and barely keeping himself aloft. The Saiyan barreled in without contest and buried his arm into the upper most part of the blonde boy's stomach, his fist go so far that his literally crashed against the teenager's spine.

"Gaaaagh!....uuuuhhhhhhh....." Zach choked out an initial gasp of pain as he was folded over the man's fist, his own arms dangling uselessly at his sides, and now out in front of him. Then his lungs, in utter shock from the impact to his solar plexus exhausted ever molecule of air they contained in a long, low moan. The boy hung there for several moments only by the Saiyan's fist still plunged deep into his stomach, his innards erupting in a sickening sensation of defeat. The Boliko's golden aura was so intense it threatened to burn the boy's skin as he hung powerlessly until finally the Saiyan pulled his fist away and Zach went plummeting to the small remainder of land below. He crashed on his knees, as his arms were busy wrapped around his intensely aching midsection, trying in vain to nurse the pain away so he could breath. But no breath would come, not yet and before that would happen, Zach dropped to his side on the cold stone, rolled over onto his back and slipped into unconsciousness.

[Gray Callahan]

The saiyan animal's screams continue even as his face is cupped by a delicate pair of pale hands, his aura still raging. Although he could see her, he wasn't truly seeing anything but what his mind was flashing eclectically, images of his final foe Touketsuki grinning cruel over the bodies of saiyans. In his mind a dark green man cackles, a vision of the future perhaps specifically sent by the newly awakened Guerin deliberately, or accidentally, a psychic joke shared by the two leaders of their planets due to the elevated emotions. No. No sight was going to break through his tormented jitters.
However, a scream does.

Boliko's own voice subsides as his bellows are attacked by another voice, the voice of a powerful, emotive woman, who was one of the only individuals that Boliko gave a like for. Deep down in his heart something wells up, guilt and fear and love? His breathing ragged, he closes his eyes, feeling for the first time a soft touch on his face, the gentle patter of rain against his features and attire. He opens his eyes, and for the first time deep teal eyes truly see the world, eyes absorbing the sight of Amaranth Rixoir, Princess of Nor, their gazes locked together. He wants to look away, but that would prove his own insecurity that had caused the violent outburst to his Super Saiyan form.

His aura fades in intensity, a thin shimmer still remaining, but not enough to physically burn. His breathing comes out in ragged jumps still. His hands move to his face, to Amaranth's own fingers which cup his chiselled jaw. A few tears still roll down his face, now from shame rather than anger. "I'm...I'm sorry," the king grunts, his voice cracked, his fingers tensing slightly on the Noran princesses' wrists. The saiyan king wasn't aware of any of the physical changes to his appearance that had just taken place bar the slight muscle growth, his golden hair out of his eyeline (as was his, uh, eyes). However, he could feel the increase in power, and knew he'd overcome another physical, genetic boundary. His touch was light on the alien princess - he didn't want to harm her.

His eyes glance downwards, to where the human boy had finally stopped moving. Boliko hoped he wasn't dead, but his emotions didn't care all too much. He hadn't gone so far that the human's death was assured, and that played on his heart. Had he done the right thing to spare the human? Probably. Would it come back to bite him later? Also probable.

Boliko's gaze goes back to Amaranth. "Touketsuki's gone. Not dead, but escaped." His voice lacks emotion but an undercurrent of darkness bubbles around the surface, suggesting to Amaranth to tread carefully.

[ammy]

She wasn't sure what was going to happen, wasn't sure if he could hear her, recognize her. Amaranth knew nothing about Sayians and therefore, nothing about this transformation that occurred. Did it turn him into a true beast, a creature obsessed with nothing but death? Or was this purely emotional, a cry of pain and anguish that he had to let go? As he suddenly calmed at the sound of her voice, she could only guess somewhere in the middle. She didn't let go, even after the screams had died down and his gaze cleared. Nor did she look away to even check on the boy Boliko had sent crashing down to earth just a moment ago. No, she kept her gaze firmly locked, too afraid for Boliko's sake to let go or look away.

His aura fades, the burning power of it gone to a subtle warmth. She smiles softly at the sound of his voice, body relaxing slightly. Closing her eyes at last, she lays her forehead against his, breathing out a soft sigh of relief.

"I'm just glad you're back..." she whispered. His next words though, draw her back once more, mouth set into a small frown. Amaranth had never been one to tread lightly on any matter. Her family often times joked that it was a physically impossibility for her. So, of course, now wasn't any different.

"Yeah, that happens," she said bluntly, "This isn't a story. The hero doesn't always win and the villain doesn't always die when they 'should'."

She held on, brushing her thumb over his cheek gently, her gaze never wavering. She knew what he was going through. How many times did Blake escape her? How many times did he kill and run, always just one step ahead of them. But that was life.

"But just because he's gone now, doesn't mean he's gone forever, got it?" she added.

[Gray Callahan]

'All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances'
William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Boliko's lips part slightly at Amaranth's words. She cares, she cares... the saiyan king ponders to himself, allowing his breath to fall against her neck and chest, while their heads still touched. Had anyone else ever cared? Even Rensou, he probably just saw Boliko as a means to an end, but Amaranth... she cared. She appeared to care. No, she had to care, even if it was more out of self-preservation than concern, but Boliko could feel that concern. The boy-king was at his most vulnerable, and she was helping him, upholding him.

Her next words did hit him, and it caused him to shiver. He remembers the lines he'd read one night during his travels to Earth, 'all the world's a stage...', was it not the truth? But real life DIDN'T play out like a story, or at least not one of simple plot and mediocre allusions. Life was a stage, but all the actors don't know it. Red strings tie everyone and everything together, knotting together in complex relationships, emotional narrative causality (or narrativium, in some universes) allowing stories to build up and stick together. That was what made all the best legends last so long. "Life's always been a story, Amaranth Rixior, and we all drive to paint stories into our worlds. We all think in stories, in narrative. We bring ourselves pain, hope and comfort through our monologues." The saiyan muses, in equal measures talking to himself as well as Ammy.

The saiyan takes the princess's hand, his emerald hues finally pulling away from her gaze. Sometimes he blurted the most existential stuff, despite not having a detailed grasp of universal culture or philosophy. He was raw, unrefined in his views, a personalised crash course in arts, culture and politics leaving him still idealistically immature, but knowledgeable all the same. His hand closes over her hand and he closes his eyes, his forehead creasing into a frown, his breath coming and going in ragged emotional gasps. "What do I do when the worlds I create begin to crack?" he asks, more to his own gods than anyone else.

"What if Touketsuki was never a villain? What if their is no such thing as black and white, not even a leaning towards either?" The Super Saiyan asks, reflecting Amaranth's final statement. What if I'm really the bad man, like that human believes?

He brings his gaze back to Amaranth, soft rain still pattering down his face. He closes his eyes and tenses instinctively, and seconds later his transformation reverts, returning Boliko's dark hair and eyes, and also somewhat calming his temperament. "You're right, of course, but I think it's time I went home..."

(Potentially my last post in this thread)

[ammy]

He shuddered at her words and she kept her gaze on him, ready in case his emotions went out of control again.But it seems that for the most part, he had calmed down for the most part if not completely. Her gaze turned from his as he took her hand. it was tiny in his larger one and Amaranth found herself weaving her fingers through his.

"What do I do when the worlds I create begin to crack?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. Who was she to speak freely on this subject when she didn't even know the answer. When she herself was feeling the same thing. When she herself is trying to repair the cracks in her own world any way she can.

"I don't don't know... I wish I did, but I don't," she whispered softly, gaze returning to him. Amaranth sighed. There was truly no black and white. Hadn't she walked in the gray area herself all her life? Yes, she did agree with him. Nothing was so simple, nothing was allowed to be. That was the nature of the world. It would never change.

She watched quietly as the golden glow around him ceased and his hair returned to that dark black. He was once again the Boliko that she had met the night before. And yet, he wasn't. And he was going home. Far away to a planet she hadn't known about for so long. She might never see him again for all she knew, this boy who had taken her by storm, had affected her in so many different ways. Her friend. She slipped her hand from his, only to reach out and wrap her arms around his neck. Amaranth pulled him into her embrace, a soft, almost sad touch about it.

"I believe it is also time for me to return home as well," she whispered, "Promise me that this isn't the last I hear from you though. Please."

[Gray Callahan]

The boy who had finally become a man allows himself to be pulled into that tender embrace, his heart pounding against both his chest and Amaranth's. As her hands slip around his neck, he moves his own arms fluidly, instinctively wrapping them around her waist as he buried his head in her shoulder, giving in to the comfort of her body, his breath warm against her skin. He wished he wasn't clad in the armour, now, but in casual attire, to fully enjoy her embrace. It wouldn't be uncomfortable for her, but he couldn't fully enjoy it.

His stomach gives a flutter when she whispers softly, in his ear. He wasn't sure he could put a name to the feeling, yet. Saiyans did not know such emotions very well, classically, and indeed Boliko would only prove to break the stereo-type in part, on his own insistence of learning of different cultures to tone down his own inner bestial nature.

After a moment had passed, he slowly moves away from the woman, his hands unravelling from her waist. His eyes stare into hers, and a hint of fire flashes within his pupils.

"I'll never leave you, friend."

(short concluding post, and it's a finished . Plot bonuses are in affect I believe!)