Writing Homeworld Hell... ...Done Right.

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The ship landed in a flurry of wind and steam, with no hitches along the way. Once it had landed, everyone packed up and headed a safe distance from it. Just because we?d made it this far, it didn?t mean the ship couldn?t be destroyed in the ensuing battle. Shockingly, I?d been handed both babies, as well as the care of the kits. A simple mental leash had bound all four of them to me, dancing within a four foot radius of my feet, never going further. Eriju and Iki had already donned mail of some sort, with the Saiya-jins pulling on heavier armor than usual. I had no armor, but what was the point quite frankly? If I transformed, it?d all crack off anyway.

Billy and Sevara watched the goings on without a sound. Billy?s eyes, huge and green, watched everything with impartial disdain. Sevara, lacking eyes in general, required at least a mild psychic ability to read, so I watched her with the Sight instead. Connor watched her as well, his head cocked to one side. He rested his hands easily on a huge broadsword that could easily be mistaken for a buster sword.[/i]

?She feels like a much older girl. No words yet, but she feels like she?s lived a lifetime already.?

[i]Sevara turned her head to look directly at Connor, and blinked slowly several times. Then she yawned with complete disinterest and nuzzled her head against my breast. I set Billy down, who promptly was mobbed by two of the four Feral kits and sat cross-legged on the alien grass. She clutched at my shirt, and I let her tug on it, while the others began walking in a battle formation away from me, with Connor standing over my shoulder. He didn?t look down, which was all well and good, because Sevara had latched onto me with an animal ferocity that would?ve surprised me if I hadn?t known what she was. Gavin flew back quickly, even as the sky began to darken with the coming storm, and landed very close to me. He knelt by my side, one knee up, one knee down, typical masculine fashion.

I turned over my shoulder to look up at him, a smile on my face. I hadn?t expected to be re-united with my children any more than I?d expected to make it even this far. I placed a hand on his, even as the other held Sevara steady.[/i]

?Don?t you have a battle to fight??

?I do, but before I go, I have to tell you. I?ll always love you.?

[i]I looked away for a moment, my eyes taking in Vicky, the twins, Neil, Andrew, and the Ferals that?d come so far with us. I looked back up at him, my eyes half closing.[/i]

?As if I had ever doubted that??

[i]Gavin leaned over and kissed my cheek, and I smiled and tossed my head like a girl. Sevara pulled away and looked up at her father, gurgling once, before turning back towards me. Gavin didn?t look in my direction further, but I figured it didn?t matter. He was probably on the verge of saying something more, when the sound of landing ships filled the air. Far in the distance, a comfortable stretch of territory away from me and mine. My husband launched himself forward, close to the ground, but never touching it, to rejoin his comrades. I put a hand down on the grass next to me, encompassing my children and the children of my allies. A spark and a hiss, then a shield of magic appeared to cover us all.

Connor looked down this time, looking right at me. I looked back up, and he sat with his back to mine, his sword resting point down in the earth beneath him. His own shield went up, this one temporal, and I began to relax slightly. The shield glittered, dispersing energy around it with ease and the ferals prowled the edge, mewling ferociously.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]I have to say this is my favourite chapter/instalment so far, mainly because I achieve Bardock levels of fatherly badassness in it. Just kidding, great chapter honey, looks like the fight is just about to begin. [/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]All I have to say for this is...bring it on. I'm actually anxious to see what the twins are really capable of. And the scene reminds me of that one scene in 300 before Leonidas goes off to battle the Persians. But could just be me.[/size][/color]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The first wave of minions appeared. Twenty or thirty well armed semi-humanoid monsters. Drooling dripping fangs, various melee weapons, some even had spears. Normally I wouldn?t have been able to see even that far, but Connor was describing the scene to me anyway, keeping up a steady whisper of dialogue. Sevara looked restless, and thrashed her arms momentarily, before settling down again. They connected.

And the sound was incredible. Gavin and Andrew alike let off with two nearly identical ki blasts, and Vicky and Mattheus swung their bodies across the gap between them and warriors both. Neil grabbed the two nearest enemies and bashed their heads together, with Sikal finishing what remained off with heavy punches. I didn?t feel any real desire to join in the carnage, especially when Connor described how Eriju was eating off the face of one of Morrigan?s minions. Must?ve been tasty enough, because she moved onto the next monster with frightening speed, her body becoming less human by the second. Within minutes, every unfriendly being on the field had been completely destroyed.[/i]

?Well that was relatively painless.?

[i]Vicky had circled back and landed within the safety of my shield. She cracked her joints with some cheer, and tilted her head to one side to realign her spinal cord.[/i]

?They fell like flies, and the next wave looks more concentrated. Maybe there?ll even be a challenge in there somewhere.?

[i]Her tone was casual, but I could sense her excitement underneath. It beat like a heart, wild, almost out of control, and as I watched her eyes, they flickered between brown and bright blue almost incessantly. Without another word, she broke off and hurled herself forward, just in time to exchange blows with the newest enemy that had made his hideous appearance. Neil?s roar echoed over the field, and I saw him focus ki in his hands just before it blew off the head of the newest monstrosity. Again, the enemies fell, and this time no more came forward. The twins were breathing heavily, but then again, it was their first real skirmish with a real enemy. Sevara still looked restless, and upon closer inspection, I could see pinpricks of purple forming around the whites of her eyes.

An hour passed while the warriors stood silently in the field, the only sound their breathing and the flickering of my shield. Even the feral kits sat still, lined up in a row beside Billy. Then she came. A vision of stark white, glistening with power, glowing in her unlight. Morrigan appeared, no flashes of smoke, no booming thunder. One minute she wasn?t present, and then she was. And her smile was bewitching. I couldn?t even sense the power underneath. And she stretched her arms out to Mattheus and Sikal, her expression forgiving and motherly.[/i]

?Come back to me my children. I?ve missed you so.?

[i]Both frowned, confused, bewildered by the sight. Gavin and Neil hadn?t moved either. Actually, both looked immensely tired. Vicky and Andrew had gone so still she might?ve turned them into stone. Sikal took a lurching step forward, when Sevara suddenly jerked her whole body away from me. She planted both her tiny arms on mine, and threw back her head. A howl so loud it pierced the enchantment echoed over the entire field. The sound reverberated, getting higher and higher until Connor?s sword began vibrating in empathy to the waves. I struggled to hold her steady, as my daughter shrieked again and again, Morrigan?s illusion dissolving faster than she could replace it.[/i]

?You bitch. This is what you did to us.?

[i]Mattheus struck first, his palms flat forward, just as Vicky had taught him. Energy built up swiftly, and a huge gout of yellow ki hurled towards Morrigan, followed in swift succession by attacks from Mattheus, and Neil alike. The explosion was enormous, smells of burnt grass and Saiya-jin sweat reaching my senses. When the smoke cleared, super Saiya-jins stood in a half circle around Morrigan. Vicky, Neil, and Andrew stood, holding their heads high, proud expressions playing across their features. Both twins weren?t moving, but crouched behind them like hunted animals.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]On to the main event it seems. The next chapter can't come quickly enough as far as I'm concerned.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Sevara dropped off into a sleep instantly, and I clung to her limp form silently, willing even more power into the shield. Connor?s grip had unconsciously tightened on his sword and I noticed that the feral kits had all clustered behind him, with Billy alone watching the fight with his hands pressed up against the flat plane of my shield. Neil had flung himself forward and gone hand to hand with Morrigan alone, and while he was still massively outclassed, Vicky and Andrew alike were pitching in at critical moments, always keeping one step ahead of her. Every time it looked like she?d be able to land a finishing blow on Neil, she was deflected.[/i]

?They?re not doing so badly, don?t you think??

[i]I looked over my shoulder at Connor, then found myself babbling the omens aloud, what I could read in the dust and smoke rising from the battlefield.[/i]

?One of two shall fall, and the Great Mother will rise above it all... ...take up your gifts and fight with what weapons you have at your disposal- -everything shall be well and very well.?

[i]Connor gave me a heavy smack across the shoulder to cut out the vision and I bit off my words before I could keep going. I shook my head several times to clear it, and laid Sevara down next to her brother, who instantly took up a babyish protective stance over her. Carefully, I stepped outside of the shield, with Connor next to me. I noticed, that oddly enough, the feral kits had begun maintaining the shield I had already set up. They had assumed a four point formation underneath each cardinal direction instinctively and I raised an eyebrow. Again, the shield smelled of flowers and light instead of my characteristic musk of wood smoke and flame.[/i]

?Creepy. The little kittens have it in for their mummy?s talent.?

?Maybe it?s a latent Feral thing that everyone has. ...because none of them are psychic a-?

?Less talk more pain immortal boy.?

[i]I propelled him towards the others, and when I cast a casual eye over my shoulder where I knew the babies were hidden, I could see nothing at all. Apparently they had instinctive magic over camouflage as well. Reassured, I took purposeful steps towards my nemesis, feeling my tattoos flicker and crackle under my aura. The familiar halo of fire had appeared above my head, and I could feel wings of fire flexing themselves and draping down my shoulders. Next to me, Connor had slung his sword over one shoulder so casually you would?ve thought he was carrying a sack of groceries. I chuckled to myself, and clenched both fists until I could feel my own pulse racing beneath my knuckles. There was a rippling break in the fight, and I saw Neil clutching a wounded chest, and Vicky and Andrew covering him.[/i]

?Everyone drop!?

[i]Connor held his sword forward from his chest and barked out one single sharp word of power, and our allies were swept back out of Morrigan?s reach to make room for me. Focusing every rage I?d ever felt against her thus far, I whipped my hand forward and a thin line of fire hurtled towards Morrigan, slicing through the illusion of a beautiful woman she?d crafted for herself. A hideous bitch of a creature appeared in her wake, one that could lovingly be described as a female Cthulhu. I hissed several sharp words, unlocking the spells in my mind, and hurtled forward, one foot extended, the other hooked back ready for a second attack, and felt my wings clap underneath me. I braced both arms, clenching them until the muscles themselves began to snap with energy. My attack struck her full on in the tentacled extendable maw, and she fell back shrieking and spitting.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Hmmm, I must have taken a bathroom break during that segment of the fight... :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Wonder where the Ferals ran off to...and the twins too...[/size][/color]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The Ferals swung in after me, one after the other. Eriju swung her arm down, energy coursing through it, and slashed Morrigan?s face diagonally from left to right. Blood gouted from the wounds, and Iki swung down in the opposite direction, opening them further. Both darted out of range when both twins kicked out in formation, using the team tactics that had been drilled into them endlessly. Morrigan?s retaliation knocked everyone back, an exhalation of pure force and pressure. I drew a hand across my chest, unlocking the last chain of thoughts and landed in the field looking very much like an Ifrit. The grass began to burn around me, the smoke cloying, clotting, gathering in swirling eddies.[/i]

"You'll never...take anyone else's children again.

[i]On all fours, I charged, splaying my claws as I leapt, falling forward onto Morrigan?s face, thrashing her with every movement. My tail lashed back and forth, helping me keep my balance. My eyes threw off a dull black light, which seemed to burn Morrigan every time she took a good look at me, which wasn?t often granted. And just as I reached back for a final blow, she reached up with one claw and jerked my body away, throwing me down the entire length of her body; which was pretty substantial. I landed like a cat, only to be smacked down hard, my head spinning.[/i]

?Don?t you touch her!?

[i]I lifted my head at my husband?s voice, only to have it lashed once with a tentacle that must have come from Morrigan. My sense of direction was completely gone, I felt myself choking on my own blood. Eriju tells me that I looked dead, tossed on my side, with open wounds from Morrigan?s claws. All I knew was that I felt like I?d been dipped in liquid pain, then hung out to dry and beaten with a rug swatter. Through eyes that saw things very blearily, I watched my husband?s hair change from brown to gold, and his body snap and shudder with the change. He attacked, and from there I couldn?t remember a single thing.

When I woke up, Eriju was crouched over me, her tail jerking back and forth angrily, and an experimental lash of my tongue across my teeth told me I was in humanoid shape again. She leaned down towards my ear and whispered in a brush of whiskers and purring.[/i]

?Gavin?s got her on the ropes now, but it?s only a matter of time before something else happens or she keeps on cheating.?

?What a bitch. Is it bad? Do I have all my limbs??

?Uh, mostly. But the bad news is that one of the twins has been struck down. Sikal?s gone all shiny and gold too.?

[i]With a little help, I sat up, rubbing my arms until they stopped throbbing. I saw Gavin and Neil standing back to back, both focusing what looked like a gigantic ki attack. Sikal was standing close by, his hands on their shoulders, presumably channeling and focusing their energy. Iki and Connor were blocking Morrigan?s multiple attacks, which seemed to be coming from everywhere. I guess having the innate ability to slow down time and sense everything around you in every direction comes in handy. Morrigan herself was already bleeding from dozens of wounds, bright orange blood that covered everything around her. I rose up on shaky feet, throwing out my arms to steady myself, and blinked several times to clear my vision. I took one step forward, and then the world seemed to turn upside down.

A sound of rushing power, the roars of Super Saiya-jins, and then nothing at all.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Andrew]

[Size=1]I need more lines and action in this thing. Do carry on.[/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Yay, new chapter and apparently I've finally turned Super Saiyan. Pity about the other twin, but one person always does seem to die in these big "boss fights" for the lack of a better word.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I came around to the feeling of several little kits licking my ears and cheeks. The world spun around me when I opened my eyes, so I shut them again. Then I heard the sound of Sevara gurgling happily and realized that she?d clambered up onto my feet and was playing with my toes. I willed myself to open my eyes and sat up. What I saw was a scene of total decimation. Any grass that had been in the field was gone. Any semblance of life was totally obliterated, unless you counted the battle stricken warriors scattered across the ground. I noticed my husband had fallen near me, his arm thrown across my hips. Eriju and Iki were curled up together, both appearing to be sleeping naturally.

Andrew was sporting a vicious slice down his cheek, but he looked alive as well, if totally passed out. Vicky was sitting up, looking coherent, her eyes back to their normal shade, and her hair floating around her shoulders in an unremarkable shade of brown. Neil and Sikal were both totally incoherent, both in what looked and felt exactly like space comas. I pulled Sevara to my lap while Billy crawled towards the figure he knew was his father. I cuddled my daughter to my chest and the ferals mewled and milled around me in a whirl of long ears and longer tails.[/i]

?Well we?ve made it little ones. It?s almost time for us to go home.?

[i]Sevara mewled at me and I stroked her fuzzy baby hair with shaking fingers. The sound of Gavin moaning made me turn my head and he sat up slowly, looking like he had the worst hangover of his life. I smiled up at him, and he smiled back at me, even as I realized that he was missing his left eye. The flesh had already scabbed over, but it was still a shock. He saw the look on my face and shrugged his shoulders carelessly.[/i]

?It?s a small price to pay, to know Morrigan?s dead and gone.?

?I think it makes you look tough.?

[i]He dragged himself towards me and kissed my hands, my cheeks, my lips, and I sighed softly. Mattheus was gone, William gone, and Warlock too. But the rest of us were still living. And we?d keep it that way no matter what. I rose to my feet, reaching out with my thoughts to find everyone in more or less stable condition. And bit by bit, the others came to. Sikal we had to load into a pod, but he?d turn out alright. Andrew turned the ship towards Earth. And I felt the knots that?d been tying myself up in my stomach since the day my children had been taken slowly start to untangle themselves. Eriju and Iki decided to join us for the ride home, since their planet was pretty much obliterated anyway. And while we knew that someday they?d return, it wouldn?t be so bad to have them around for awhile. Besides that, I?d gotten used to their presence.

Before I was put down into stasis, I walked onto the bridge, and found Andrew alone, staring into the endless dark void of space. I sat down next to him, Sevara clinging to my leg.[/i]

?Thanks for bringing us out here.?

?No worries. I?d never had let you all go without me anyway.?

?...glory hog.?

[i]Vicky found me, and dragged me firmly to the pods. Sikal was nearby, in traction. During the fight it turns out he?d suffered serious internal injuries, just as Neil had. Only unlike Neil, he hadn?t spent a lifetime scorning doctors and modern medicine alike. That and he was in a coma and unable to protest. I surrendered myself willingly to the science and curled up and slept the deep sleep of warmth and quiet. And in that state, I could feel my father?s presence, growing closer all the time.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[quote name='Neuvoxraiha'][i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I smiled up at him, and he smiled back at me, even as I realized that he was missing his left eye. The flesh had already scabbed over, but it was still a shock. He saw the look on my face and shrugged his shoulders carelessly.[/i]

?It?s a small price to pay, to know Morrigan?s dead and gone.?

?I think it makes you look tough.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]
[size=1][color=#8B008B]I bet Gavin's sitting there nodding his head in a sage-like way, commending you for giving him this sacrifice, yet wondering, "Why me?"

But hey, it definitely gives him a one-up on all of the other guys now. Pretty much this 'king-of-saiya-jins' person.[/size][/color]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Revelation'][size=1][color=#8B008B]I bet Gavin's sitting there nodding his head in a sage-like way, commending you for giving him this sacrifice, yet wondering, "Why me?"

But hey, it definitely gives him a one-up on all of the other guys now. Pretty much this 'king-of-saiya-jins' person.[/size][/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Nahh, after playing Metal Gear Solid 3, this simple raises me to Big Boss level awesomeness. :animesmil

...I'm actually kind sorry this is nearly over, but it's still a great story. Truly worthy of a Nifty Fifty...yeah definitely not a subtle hint here... :animeswea[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Nahh, after playing Metal Gear Solid 3, this simple raises me to Big Boss level awesomeness. :animesmil

...I'm actually kind sorry this is nearly over, but it's still a great story. Truly worthy of a Nifty Fifty...yeah definitely not a subtle hint here... :animeswea[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Yeah, it was a good run though. Maybe she'll continue on with the kids? =P

And I second that motion![/size][/color]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]This time, I slept for what seemed like years. Alone, quiet, warm and safe. I knew my children were in a similar state, resting silently all the while. When I woke, I was alone in an empty chamber. I breathed slowly, then sat up. I Listened, focusing my hearing, and discovered that not only was the ship not moving, it wasn?t even on. I leapt from the pod and ran down the hall towards the bridge. It was empty, no Andrew at the pilot?s seat, no Vicky nearby with him. I looked out the window and saw brilliant flashes of blue and green. Earth.

"We're home!"

Leaping out the open exit, I ran out into the field where we?d landed, close to the home built over the one I?d ruined so many months ago. Gavin was in the garden with the twins, the kits mewling and circling around them. Eriju was napping on the roof, sprawled out like any self-satisfied cat. Iki was playing a game of chess with my father, and I looked to see Neil and Sikal flying high overhead, both clearly healed. I felt like I?d been hit on the head. Connor popped into existence next to me and leaned over my shoulder.[/i]

?Finally you?re awake, the others wanted to wake up, but your father said it was better to let you ride it out.?

?No trace of pursuit??

?None, but Andrew and Vicky are going to go on scouting missions with me once a month.?

[i]I smiled and walked towards my children, Sevara squealing once she saw me and clambering over her brother to get to me. I swept her up in my arms and cuddled her to my shoulder. Gavin stood and walked over, Billy still clinging to his leg. He put his arms around my waist and kissed my cheeks. I leaned against him and turned to see my mother walking through the door with a cake, Leila holding up the other end. My eyes began to tear up, but I shook them away with an irritated gesture. It didn?t matter now. We were home. We were safe. And my children were close to me.

We sat. We ate. And the men kept on eating. They were still eating when me, Vicky, Eriju, and the other women trundled back into the house. The kits followed us, Billy stubbornly staying outside with the men. I sat down on the familiar couch, noticing the small changes that had been made to my home over time. Sevara immediately made tracks for the area that had been set up for her to play in and I leaned against the cushions. Leila turned to me with a smile, a coverlet in her hand.[/i]

?We made this for your bed. Now that you?re home, I know that your husband will be on you, ready to make even more children.?

?I don?t know...shouldn?t these grow up a bit first??

?Bah, like he?ll give you a choice.?

[i]My mother waved her hand dismissively and Leila snorted into a lace kerchief. True to their words, in the late evening, when everyone had gone home; Iki and Eriju were sleeping at my parent?s house, my husband appeared. I?d just cajoled the twins to bed, and collapsed into the bathtub, enjoying real water again. And there I stayed for more than an hour, warming up the bath water every time it began to show signs of cooling off. Gavin slipped in next to me and planted a line of kisses from my cheek to my chest, and I put my arms around his neck. Might as well let him. I mean what could possibly happen? Sella was gone, Morrigan was gone.[/i]

"I love you Raiha."

"And I you. Always have."

[i]Everyone had come home in one way or another.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Neuvoxraiha'][i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Bah, like he?ll give you a choice.?[/i][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Too right, we've a race to rebuild, no sense in beating around the bush.

Anyway, if this really was the final segment, I have to say hon, it's been a great read. We've gone from a bunch of hyperactive super-powered teenagers from High School Hell, to a group of respectable super-powered parents. My only thought left is God help us when those kids of ours are teenagers themselves. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]My only thought left is God help us when those kids of ours are teenagers themselves. :animesmil[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]God help you indeed. Who knows what disasters those two could bring?! I mean, really, I think they'd outdo all of us put together!

In all seriousness though, it was definitely a wonderful story to read. Hopefully it continues though, I'd like to see more of this.[/size][/color]