Can We Stay Like This A Little Longer?
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: My Dad Went To The Gas Station In The Clouds
The sun continued to shine even as the afternoon grew late. Leading the way to Xandria's house, Konnie still found herself with endless questions about what had just happened at the gas station. Namely, she wondered what the odds were. She just stumbled upon another alien by sheer accident! Not only that, but she stumbled upon an alien willing to talk to them! The half-Saiyan could hardly wait to see Marcella again.
She realized this was the first time she'd been so excited about something since Okkoro's death, and just like that, the excitement faded. Again.
"You think anyone could get wings like that?" Prism asked. "Should I put it on the list?"
"Huh?" Konnie turned to Prism, the two walking with Maize in between them. "List?"
"I said I was making a list of stuff to ask her."
Had they? For all she knew, they might have indeed said that. Konnie couldn't recall if Prism had or not, though. She'd been lost in thought. Shaking her head, she nodded and pulled out her phone, typing a few things in the notes.
"Sounds smart."
"Yeah. Gonna ask if there's life on Mars, too."
"Would she even know that?"
"She might!" Prism shrugged. "You never know unless you ask."
Turning a corner, Konnie saw Xandria's little house up ahead, picking up the pace. The three soon approached the door, and after a quick knock, little Tammy greeted them. Konnie raised an eyebrow. Where was Xandria?
"You're here!" Tammy exclaimed, before pointing to Prism. "Is that a third eye? Under your hair?"
"Oh, uh," Prism stammered, "It is. You can see it?"
"Sorta. That's so cool."
"Where's your sister?" Konnie asked as the young girl let them all inside.
"She's on the phone."
As Maize and Prism got themselves situated, Konnie heard someone in the next room. She quietly made her way to the kitchen, seeing Xandria pacing back and forth with a disgruntled expression. Someone spoke on the phone, but Konnie couldn't make out what they were saying.
"Pick up. Pick up already..." Xandria muttered, pausing for a second. "Mom? What the hell?! You think I can live off this for a month?! Tammy and I have school coming up. I shouldn't have to choose between school supplies and groceries!"
Konnie took a step back. She'd never heard Xandria this angry before.
"Look, could you take some time off your super-duper-important job and actually give a shit about your children? For one month out of the year? ...Yeah, I had a job! I had a gig at a department store last year, during the holidays, that I'm not going to get back until winter. Don't you think I've been looking for another one? ...That's not the point. My point is that you care more about your job than you do about us! You're never even home anymore! What's really going on here, Zira? ...No, I'll call you what I want. You want me to call you my mom? Fucking act like one, then! ...You didn't even bother to check on us when Mikon disappeared, you know that?"
Frustration curled on Xandria's lip as her mother kept talking on the other line. Konnie wondered if she should even be listening, but she kept quiet and stayed put in the entryway.
"...Don't even talk to me about that. You didn't give a shit when he went missing, did you? Just one less mouth to feed. Whatever."
Hanging up, Xandria pinched the bridge of her nose. Clearing her throat, Konnie stepped into the kitchen, only for her friend to immediately pull her into a hug.
"Oh, thank the gods you're here." Xandria said. "I've got the worst headache right now..."
"I can tell." Konnie admitted. "I... Kinda overheard what you were saying. You need to talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about?"
"True... Can Maize and I get you somethings later? If that'd help?"
"Take me shopping for school supplies, how about that?" Xandria suggested, chuckling bitterly. "...Don't want to get you involved in all that, though."
"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"
Her friend seemed to hesitate, brushing pink hair out of her face. Xandria bit her lip, but sure enough, she began to talk.
"...It's just bullshit!" Xandria exclaimed. "Should never have told her I got a job last year. Now she expects me to pay for almost everything around here, even when I don't make that much! And it's awful, because I figure she'd be making good money! She's a researcher! Why are we living in a dump when she and Dad are on business trips 11 months out of the year?"
"Gods..." Konnie replied, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry about that."
"And it's getting worse. She's sending less and less, and she keeps telling me it's cause of funding problems. But she won't even tell me what she's researching, or who she's working for! I don't get it! It's like she doesn't care about us if we're not a part of her project, whatever that even is."
"I mean, do you have any ideas? I'm sure there's got to be a way we can find that out."
Xandria shook her head. "I know Dad's an engineer, and she's got some kind of degree in medical science... Don't know the specifics, though. I guess she can't talk about it for legal reasons, or something like that."
"Shit. Gotta say, I don't know the first thing about that kind of stuff." Konnie tilted her head. "Maybe my mom would know a thing or two, but... Still don't know if it would help."
"Probably wouldn't. Just, stay out of it. For your sake. But, uh... Are your friends here? Didn't mean to be a buzzkill."
The two returned to the living room, Tammy bombarding Maize and Prism with questions. A knock came from the door, and as Xandria went to answer it, Konnie took a seat in between her two friends. Tammy sat on the floor in front of them, her legs crossed.
"What was she like?"
"Well, she was really tall. Gray skin, kinda blue-ish?" Prism described. "And right as she left, these huge wings burst out of her back!"
"You're kidding!" Tammy said, eyes shining.
"Prism's telling the truth." Maize spoke up, quiet as ever. "They were as big as she was."
"Wo-ow! Can she come over? I wanna meet the bird alien!"
"We'll see about that." Prism shrugged. "No promises. But we're hoping to see her again once the movie's over."
"Take me with." The young girl asked. "Please?"
"I don't know, maybe if your parents are okay with it."
"You mean Xandria?"
"Or, yeah. That works too."
Taking her attention off Tammy for a moment, Konnie noticed a familiar face stepping through the door. She soon recognized Henny, remembering they had invited the mage over for the movie night as well. Perched on Henny's shoulder was a raven, who undoubtedly had to be Mist. Konnie hadn't met with either of them since June, and all things considered, it felt refreshing to see them again.
Meanwhile, Tammy eyed both of them in awe. Once the door closed, the raven turned back into a small pixie, Mist glancing around the house.
"Not bad." She said. "For a human house."
"What, you don't like human houses?" Prism asked. "Too accustomed to the barn?"
"They're nowhere near as cozy as bird nests. Or rabbit holes. And I don't have to share a bird's nest with you and your dad."
The three-eyed teen chuckled. "Well excuse me, Miss Fussy-Fairy. How'd you two get here so quickly, anyway?"
"Druzy flew us here."
"Oh." Prism looked out the window. "She leave?"
"Yeah." Mist shrugged. "Said she and Armen are cleaning out the barn tonight."
As those two talked, Henny took a seat on a nearby recliner, glancing between Xandria and the rest of the house.
"Mist's right." She said. "It's a nice place."
"Glad you think that." Xandria sighed. "I know it's plain, but it's what we've got for now."
"No, it's nice! Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're one of Konnie's human friends, right?"
"Yeah, that'd be me. And you're..."
"A wizard?" Tammy piped up.
"Mage." Henny corrected, with a smile. "I wish I was a wizard."
"What's the difference?" Xandria asked.
"Well, there's every difference! A wizard is a title you have to actively seek out, and there's years and years of study and work that goes into it. Mage is just the general term for anyone who can use magic, at least on Earth. For example, my whole family was full of mages, but only my grandmama was considered a true wizard because of her skill! And that doesn't get into more detailed terms like sorcerer, or warlock, or-"
"Wait, those exist?" Prism asked. "Like, warlocks exist? I thought that was just something for fantasy books."
"And what do you think those stories are based on?" Henny went on. "What, do you think normal humans just made it up? No! A lot of Earth's magic has been lost over the centuries, but there's more basis in fact than you're giving us credit for. Like, even my grandmama talked about meeting some of the last warlocks our planet ever saw!"
"I don't know if this is a stupid question," Xandria asked, "But what's a warlock?"
"Happy you asked! A warlock is a type of mage, specifically one who strikes a deal with a higher power that grants them access to magic. Now, most people assume this has to be from a deity of some sort, but it can absolutely come from other mortals! My grandmama always said the misconception arose due to stereotypes surrounding demons, and-"
As Henny went on, Konnie did her best to listen. She smiled and laughed, but her smile kept fading. She tried to think of words to say, but none came. Something, anything, even a half-hearted insult! She had questions about warlocks. She wanted to know who Druzy was, and why Prism was living in a barn. But she couldn't bring herself to ask. Even Maize muttered a few comments here and there! She thought meeting Marcella would have brought her out of her funk. If an unplanned encounter with another alien couldn't lift her spirits, what could?
But of course she was asking that, though. It had only been two months since June. It had only been two months since Konnie had come home to the sight of her father's corpse. Biting her lip, Henny's words faded into the background as the half-Saiyan lost herself in her thoughts.
Chapter 2: Delta What The Fuck Do You Want This Time?
"I'll get the movie and everything set up. Did you guys bring snacks?"
Konnie and the rest had brought snacks, but Henny had no idea what to bring. She felt a little bad for showing up empty handed, but nobody had said anything quite yet. Getting up, she decided to look for a bathroom, just for a moment alone. Mist landed on her shoulder, following her upstairs. The bathroom door was closed, and the mage could hear the sink running from the other side.
"...Have you visited the Sanctuary recently?" Mist asked. "Been wondering how Fenn's doing."
"A couple weeks ago. The egg hasn't hatched yet, but other than that, Fenn's doing okay." Henny sighed. "I'm hoping to stop by more often. Been trying to learn a magic-based form of flight, but it's a work in progress. But it's also a huge trip to the Sanctuary on-foot, and I don't want to bother Armen's little friend to fly us everywhere..."
"I hear you. Also, do you still need my help? At your place, I mean?"
"If you want to come by tomorrow, I think we could finish sorting through the basement." Henny nodded. "I still can't believe there's so many books in there! Was never allowed in there when I was a kid, you know? Gods only know the kind of information we'll find!"
Just then, the door to the bathroom opened. Tammy stepped out, her eyes lighting up when she saw Henny and Mist. Without saying anything, she ushered the two into her room, practically bouncing in place. Henny glanced around the bedroom, seeing a messy mish-mash of things strewn about. A pile of yellowed papers on the bed caught her eye, but Tammy spoke before the mage could ask about them.
"Are you real?" Tammy asked, pointing at Mist.
"Uh, me?" The pixie nodded. "Yeah, I'm real."
"So... Fairies are real?" The young girl laughed. "I knew it! Can you do magic? What kind of magic? Anything cool?"
"Well..." Mist transformed into a raven, perching on Henny's shoulder. "I can shape-shift. That answer your question?"
"Whoa..."
Henny had an idea. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her spell-book, which she always kept on hand. She focused on one of the items strewn about, a water bottle, and raised her voice.
"Teleport."
In a flash of light, the water bottle disappeared, reappearing in Henny's hands. She handed it to Tammy, who watched in a mix of excitement and awe.
"That's so cool!" The young girl exclaimed, her questions coming forth once more. "Where do you even learn to do stuff like that? Could you teach me? Or is it something you're born with?"
"Little bit of both," Henny answered, backing away a bit, "But, I could always explain another time. I think the movie's about to start."
"Is it?"
"Probably." Mist said. "I heard your sister saying she was getting it set up."
Hearing this, Tammy ran back downstairs, Mist and Henny following her out of the bedroom. Closing the door behind her, Henny covered her mouth to hide an amused chuckle.
"Isn't she adorable?" The mage asked.
"She really is." The pixie nodded, gently floating down the stairs. "Don't be too long, okay?"
Henny took her chance to actually step into the bathroom. Closing the door, she raised an eyebrow when she noticed something sitting on the sink: A letter sealed in blue wax, with a name written on the front. Picking it up, the mage's eyes widened when she read her name, seeing a symbol she didn't recognize imprinted in the blue wax. Henny double-checked that the door was closed, even making sure to lock it. She then pulled out her spellbook, flipping to a page closer to the end.
'Detect Undead, no... Detect Life, no. Come on, I know I have this somewhere... Hopefully, it actually works this time!' She thought to herself, before taking a deep breath and prepping her will. 'Wait, here it is. Detect Good and Evil! Here goes nothing.'
A few muttered phrases passed her lips, her fingers snapping over the letter. Henny's eyes widened when a faint teal glow emanated from the object, before a brief vision flashed through her mind. She saw a cloaked figure sneak in through the small bathroom window, leaving the note on the sink before quickly leaving. And just like that, her vision returned to normal, and the teal glow faded.
Henny swallowed, her heart racing. Despite the brief vision, she couldn't quite tell what the intent was behind this letter. Had she performed the spell incorrectly? Or were the motives truly unclear? Was that vision simply the best insight the spell could give? She decided to open the letter, her eyes scanning over neat words written in blue ink.
Hello, Henny Clovervale.
I believe this is the first time we've met, and it should be the first time you've ever heard of me. I doubt Maize and Konnie have mentioned my existence to anyone, aside from each other that is. My true name must remain a secret for now, but you may call me Delta. My purpose in writing to you is twofold: I have a small errand I'd like you to run, one that I believe will be quite informative for you; but more importantly, I've been instructed to explain myself and the nature of my work to you, specifically.
Please know that I cannot reveal every detail of my work to you right now. This is for your own safety. Knowing the wrong thing at the wrong time can spell doom for your timeline. You see, I am manipulating fate, making sure that all its inevitabilities fall in our favor. I know it sounds much more glamorous than it really is. In short, it means that I'm guiding your group and your actions along the path most favorable for this timeline, to best prepare for what's to come. And there is quite a bit to come.
To give you an example, I told Konnie and Maize that someone would be in need of help at the World Martial Arts Tournament of Age 718, the very one that Prism and Armen robbed. I did this because I, or rather my patron, knew there was a high probability that Mist would seek out their help in an act of desperation. I did not tell them that Yaroslav would be a threat, nor did I tell them that Prism had anything to do with it. If they had known about Yaroslav, there was a high probability that Konnie and Maize would have fought him far too early, only to lose their lives. And if I'd told them that Prism would be in need of their help, there was a high probability they would have disregarded the plea altogether.
I also did not give them any directions on how to deal with Yaroslav. If I did, you would likely not have saved their lives, and your relationship with Earth's new protectors would have been limited. You would never have met Zither before his death. Even if their initial plans to defeat Yaroslav failed, that failure was just as much of a stepping-stone as your eventual victory against Yaroslav. And as simple of an adversary as he was, he was a good stone to start with.
There are other events I've had a hand in, under the direction of my patron. But I will discuss the rest when I meet you all in-person, which my patron now predicts will be in the spring of Age 719. If you'd like to discuss this letter with Maize and Konnie, I highly recommend that you do so before the start of the school year.
Now, onto my errand. Imprinted in the wax seal of this letter is a certain insignia. I would like you to try and find out who it belongs to, and where they can be found. I'm sure you'll be able to find the relevant texts in your family's library. To give you a place to start, I recommend the book Preliminary Notes on Demons and Related Magical Life, written by an anonymous Yahhoy author before the unification of Earth.
I will only be writing this one letter to you. When we speak again, we will speak in person, and I will tell you all everything I know. Until next time, Henny Clovervale.
-Delta
The yellow paper creased and bent around Henny's grip, which tightened the further she read. For a moment, she was tempted to storm downstairs and demand answers from Konnie and Maize. Why hadn't they spoken about this earlier? These letters could be coming from anybody, and gods only knew what their true motives were!
But, taking a breath, Henny slipped the note into her pocket, cleaned herself up, and went back downstairs. She had come here to enjoy herself, and damn it, she would.
Chapter 3: September 1st, 1989
The movie began once Henny returned from the bathroom. Maize watched in silence, a few of the others laughing along at certain bits. The snacks dwindled to scraps in front of them. Maize had to admit, she understood very little about this movie. Sure, Konnie and Xandria had both filled her in on what high school was like. But they had never mentioned anything like this happening.
'...I guess I know not to drink drain cleaner, now.' She thought to herself. 'But how can someone be your best friend and your worst enemy at the same time? And why would he give her drain cleaner if Veronica decided on chicken soup and orange juice? This can't be what happens at every high school. Konnie would have told me about it if it was.'
Speaking of whom, halfway through the movie, Konnie got up and left without another word. At first, Maize didn't follow, thinking she would be back soon. When she didn't return, Xandria got up and left as well. Come to think of it, Konnie had been quiet the whole day. Sure, she'd talked, but Maize was used to her being louder. She had expected Konnie to be chatting with Xandria leading up to the movie, in her loud voice that Maize had grown to look forward to. But none of that shone today. Konnie smiled, she laughed at certain parts of the movie, but the smiles and chuckles always faded as quickly as they had arrived.
A few minutes passed, and Konnie didn't come back. With the others focused on the movie, Maize quietly got up and made her way into the kitchen, noticing a screen door that led to a small backyard. Outside, on the steps, Konnie sat with Xandria, shoulders shaking. The sound of sobs made Maize's heart sink. Biting her lip, she strained her ears to listen, watching Xandria put an arm around Konnie's shoulders.
"...Do you think the movie reminded you of something?"
"I don't know... We're not even at the end yet, so I don't think it did." Konnie shook her head, sniffling. "I just... I'm supposed to be happy today! This is the first time we've gotten to meet this whole summer!"
"I know." Xandria nodded.
"And, and I know schools coming up. I know I should be moving on with my life, but... But I can't. It still doesn't seem real. Waking up and realizing he's not going to wake up with me. Knowing he's not going to be here to see anything I do with my life. And knowing part of it is my fault!"
"What are you talking about?"
A jolt ran through Maize's body as Konnie went on, the fur on her tail bristling.
"I should have said something sooner. I always knew her master was full of shit! From the very beginning, I knew! When she was talking about the things Limax did to her, I couldn't believe it. But I didn't say anything! And then she lets him live, after everything he's done to us?!"
"Konnie..." Xandria trailed off. "I, I didn't know about that part. He's still alive?"
"I was injured really bad. Otherwise, I'd probably have killed him. And I still can't believe she didn't!" Konnie cried. "It's not fair, it's just not fair! Yaroslav died, why couldn't he?! Why's everyone get payback but me?! And I feel guilty even saying that, too... Because I know that's her dad. I hate him, I know she doesn't forgive him, but how can she look at him like a father? And..."
"...And?"
The half-Saiyan took a shuddering breath. "...I feel guilty even thinking that, though. Cause... I don't know why, but I can't even get Yaroslav out of my head. He had it coming, I know he did! I know I didn't have a choice! But... I shouldn't have looked at him when I did it. The way his eyes rolled back when I..."
Saying that, she burst into tears again. As Xandria continued to calm her, Maize's hands balled into fists. Try as she might, her feet felt rooted into place, preventing her from taking a step forward. But she wanted to. She wanted to talk to Konnie, to try and help her. But what would she even say?
'...Should I have killed him?' She thought. 'I ask myself that every day. And I still don't know.'
Maize turned to leave, but before she could, Xandria began to talk again.
"You know..." The pink-haired teen began. "I kinda felt the same way when Mikon went missing."
"...Did you?" Konnie asked.
"A little bit. Felt like it was my fault, too."
"Why, though? I know you don't like to talk about it, but..."
Xandria hesitated, before going on. "It's... I know you weren't close with him, but you knew him freshman year. Right?"
"We hung out a little bit." Konnie nodded. "He was super shy, so I thought he didn't want me around."
"That was the problem. He was like that for a reason. I... I tried confronting him about it shortly before he went missing, and it was a whole disaster. And I can't shake the feeling it had something to do with his disappearance."
"What happened?"
"...You know that middle school that used to be down the street?" Xandria asked. "It got demolished in the spring, but did you ever pass by it?"
"I think."
"That's where he and I went to middle school. I used to get in a lot of trouble when I was that age. Always in and out of detention. So, when Mikon started getting held after class, I just thought he got detention. But..."
Xandria shook her head, taking a shaky breath.
"Principal was a real creep. I was too young to understand what was really happening, but he was the one giving Mikon 'detention' all the time. Even paid him to keep quiet. I guess that's where Mikon got the idea, because during freshman year, he was doing the same thing. He'd come home with money, and he wouldn't tell me where he got it from. And he was thirteen! I don't know who was lining up to do something like that to him, but..."
"...Gods." Konnie breathed. "Do you think that's why he disappeared?"
"It has to be. We were getting desperate. Our mom certainly wasn't sending enough to support three kids." Xandria scoffed. "She gives us enough for bare-bones living. And neither of us were really old enough for a job, at that age. So, when I put two and two together about where he was getting that money from, I confronted him. Asked him why he would do that to himself. I said all the wrong things, and he just... He left. Never came back. Never saw him again."
A moment of silence ensued. Maize glanced back at the living room, greeted by the shot of a pair of girls on the television, sitting on the floor, leaning against each other. Looking back, she watched Konnie rest her head on Xandria's shoulder. Something sent a jolt through her, causing her heart to flutter. But after a few moments more, Maize returned to the couch, barely able to pay attention to the end of the movie.
'...Was it wrong to listen? Maybe it was.' She thought to herself. 'She's wrong, though. It's not her fault. How could it be her fault? Limax killed Okkoro, not her. I guess saying that doesn't change how she feels, though. Gods... Why do these feelings have to be so confusing? I know I shouldn't shove it away like I used to, but it's just so... So hard to understand. I want to help her, but I barely know how to help myself.'
Konnie and Xandria didn't come back, and soon enough, the movie ended.
"She alright?"
"Yeah, we talked about it. Kinda, well... Kinda personal."
Prism had noticed Konnie leaving earlier, but had paid more attention to the movie. Mainly because Emerald was dying to know what happened next. The facets continued to chatter about it on their own, while Prism helped Xandria clean up the living room a bit. Henny and Mist waited outside with Maize, since Prism was supposed to give Henny a flight home.
For the moment, Konnie was cleaning up in the bathroom. Little Tammy had since retreated to her room. That left Prism and Xandria alone together. The Three-Eyed busied themself by looking around the living room, mainly at a couple of pictures lining the walls. A few baby pictures of Tammy, a pair of adults that Prism assumed were the parents, and a photo of a young Xandria and a boy around her age caught their eyes.
"Who's this guy?" They decided to ask, pointing at the young boy in the third picture. "Looks kinda like you, with the pink hair."
"My twin." Xandria answered, her voice a little tight. "His name was Mikon."
"Was?"
"...Went missing a few years ago."
Nodding in understanding, Prism muttered a brief apology before taking another look at the photo of Mikon and Xandria. They didn't know why. There was nothing terribly remarkable about the photo, just a couple of kids standing in front of a fountain. And yet, their gaze lingered on the look in Mikon's eyes, one they couldn't quite place.
'Hey dickhead.' Emerald spoke up. 'Can we stop staring at her dead brother?'
'He's not dead, silly!' Carnelian objected. 'He's missing. There's a difference.'
'Still, it's fuckin' creepy!'
A fair point on Emerald's part, Prism had to admit. They looked away from the photo just as Konnie came back down the stairs, her cheeks still a little red as she and Xandria said their goodbyes. The blue hue of Mikon's eyes lingered in their mind a moment longer.
Chapter 4: A Massive Infodump From An Alien Strung Out On Energy Drinks
It had taken them a moment, but Konnie and Prism figured out where to go based on the coordinates Marcella had given them earlier. Thankfully, she could look up roughly where to go on her smartphone. The half-Saiyan leapt into the air and led the way, flying to the southeast coast. The sky had darkened, and the stars shone around the half-moon. Nevertheless, Konnie kept her eyes down. She had built up the habit of avoiding the moon.
In all honesty, sobbing into Xandria's arms had helped. She still felt terrible about what had happened, but at least she had gotten it off her chest for the moment. Glancing to the side, Konnie noticed Maize looking at her, the Saiyan quickly looking away once they met eyes. Odd. Did Maize have something on her mind? Konnie supposed it could wait, as the southeast coastline came into view.
"Any idea where she'd be?" Prism asked.
"Well, let's take a look around first." Konnie shrugged, landing on the ground. "I'm sure we'll notice a spaceship, 'cause I'm assuming that's how she got here."
The group had landed on the edge of a cliff, facing the ocean. Maize peered over the edge while Konnie and Prism looked around. But they found no sign of a spaceship, or of Marcella for that matter. Not until Maize spoke up.
"I see something down there."
"What?" Prism asked.
Maize pointed down the cliff. "She's down there, waving at us."
Hurrying to the cliff's edge, Konnie saw a tall gray figure at the bottom of the cliff, recognizing Marcella. She stood at the mouth of a cave, gesturing for the three teens to follow. After glancing at the other two, Konnie led the way down, entering the small grotto and seeing a black spaceship nestled inside. The waves continued to ebb and flow out of the cave, soaking everyone's shoes in seawater.
Konnie's tail began to wag as Marcella ushered them inside.
"Oh my gods, you made it!" The gray girl spoke. "Sorry, sorry, I know it's all wet in here. Best hiding place I've found, though! Perfect size for my ship."
"Do you come here often?" Konnie asked.
"Eh, started coming here about a year ago, when I first found out about it. Been leeching off your, what's it called here..."
As Marcella mused over the word she wanted, Konnie and her friends looked around the spaceship. Expecting something out of a sci-fi story, the half-Saiyan found herself staring at a simple living room. A few unrecognizable posters lined the walls, a couch and a TV taking up part of the room. A table and some chairs sat to the side, and a small kitchen occupied one corner. A hallway branched off to the side, Konnie noticing a trio of doors at the end. The walls had been painted black, and an assortment of clutter decorated the floors and furniture.
Sure, everything looked a little different than what she was used to, in different models and shapes, but at the bare bones? Just a simple living room.
On the couch, a young child lay curled up with a stuffed toy, and it took a while before Konnie recognized him as Quartz. Seemingly noticing the newcomers, the little Saiyan scrambled to his feet and ran to greet them, his tail wagging back and forth. Marcella steadied him when he nearly tripped over his feet.
"Careful, careful." She said to him. "You got your stick?"
"It's in the bedroom." Quartz shrugged.
"Alpha said you gotta practice with it, remember? Go get it."
The little Saiyan shuffled away, sniffing at the air as he left. Marcella cleared off the couch, grabbed herself a chair, and gestured for the three teens to take a seat. Konnie sat in the middle, Maize and Prism beside her. She had no idea what to expect.
"So! Uh, this is my first time really talking to Earthlings. At least up close." Marcella began. "Y'all were saying something about wanting to learn?"
"About what's going on outside of Earth, yeah..." Konnie explained. "My dad, before he died, he told me a few things but not everything. It's complicated."
"Ah, sorry to hear that." The alien shrugged. "I ain't a historian or whatever. Hell, Alpha and I were pretty oblivious for a while, too. But we've come around! I'm sure we can fill the gaps in."
Just then, someone stepped out from the hallway and entered the kitchen. It took a moment for Konnie to recognize Alpha, the short Saiyan pouring themselves a cup of coffee. Or, it certainly smelled like coffee. They had coffee in space? Soon, Alpha approached the group and stood next to Marcella, sipping out of their steaming mug with a tired look in their dark eyes. In their other hand, they held a small pad of paper and a black pen.
"What do you know about the rest of the galaxy?" They asked. "Give me a quick rundown."
"Well... My dad mentioned a bandit clan. He said he left them to find a better life here."
Alpha nodded in understanding. "What else did he tell you?"
"He, uh..." Konnie bit her lip. "When he was telling me about the bandits, he mentioned that people don't like Saiyans. Something about how they used to work for a tyrant."
"Anything else? What about the other two?"
Prism shook their head. After a moment of silence, Maize shook her head as well. Marcella and Alpha shared a few muttered words, but try as she might, Konnie couldn't pick up what they were saying.
"Sounds like you're really out of the loop, then." Marcella chuckled. "What about the Vengeance Clan? They're the other big bully group running around, besides the bandits. Or, what about bounty hunters?"
"Nothing like that, nope." Prism shook their head. "You guys have bounty hunters?"
"You're talking to one. Or, uh, two. Alpha and I are partners. We started after we escaped a-"
Alpha cleared their throat. "-Marcella. Not now."
"Oh," The gray girl sighed, "Sorry. Anyway, we should start at the beginning! And everything starts with one guy, by the name of Kelvin. Lord Kelvin, actually. He's the tyrant your dad was talking about."
The three teens huddled a little closer together. Her tail wagging back and forth, Konnie leaned forward a bit, her attention locked on Marcella. To the side, Alpha began jotting down on their pad of paper.
"A long time ago, Kelvin was considered the emperor of North Galaxy. Had this big ol' army, went around conquering planets, claimed he was 'fixing' them." She began. "Course, from everything I've been told, he would completely erase any way of life he didn't like. Quite literally, sometimes! That's why people hated him. He just showed up with a little militia, got the Saiyans under his thumb, and went around acting like he owned the whole galaxy."
"Why would the Saiyans ally with him?" Konnie asked. "I mean, did he conquer them too?"
"In a way, yes." Alpha answered as they wrote. "Technically speaking, they were considered independent. The elite Saiyans had recently overthrown their former king, taking control of the kingdom as a group. Shortly after that, they formed an alliance with Kelvin. There's always been stories that Kelvin himself orchestrated the coup against the Saiyan king, but it's never been confirmed. Make no mistake, Kelvin was in command of the Saiyans from then on out."
Konnie swallowed, almost nervously. This was already far more involved than she expected, certainly more than Okkoro had talked about in the past. Nevertheless, Alpha went on.
"Once Kelvin had the Saiyans as his allies, there weren't many planets that could oppose him. The only one that comes to mind is Namek, who threatened to use their Dragon Balls against the emperor if he ever set foot on their planet."
"...Is that where Namekians come from?" Maize asked.
"Correct." Alpha nodded. "Out of curiosity, how did you know about Namekians? I didn't think there'd be any on this planet."
Feeling the Saiyan stiffen, Konnie spoke up instead. She had a feeling Maize didn't want to talk about Limax with a pair of strangers.
"Uh, we have a Guardian." She blurted out. "Had, had a Guardian. I don't know when his replacement will be here, but we had one until a couple months ago. And he was a Namekian."
Marcella raised an eyebrow. "Wait... Y'all have Dragon Balls here?"
"We did. I think they're gone until the new Guardian comes, but we had them at some point. It's a... It's a long story."
"No, no, I'm just surprised! Y'all keep that to yourselves, okay? Don't tell anyone you got Dragon Balls here, trust me."
"...Back to my earlier point," Alpha went on, "The Namekians might not be considered equal to the Saiyans in terms of power, but they're still capable warriors. Their warriors made it clear they would defend their home by any means necessary, including a wish if it came to that. That was one of the few threats Kelvin actually listened to."
"Yeah, and the Vengeance Clan dickheads never let you hear the end of it." Marcella chimed in, before her tone turned mocking. "Oh, all the Namekians back home are spineless cowards. How dare they protect the Dragon Balls instead of running off-planet to cause problems for no reason?"
"Is that what they say?" Konnie asked. "Sorry, just... Don't really know what the Vengeance Clan is."
"We're getting to them. But back to Kelvin! He seemed pretty unstoppable for a while. Until, of course, the Saiyans started rebelling."
Hearing this, Konnie and Maize shared a glance. The half-Saiyan's heart began to race as Marcella continued.
"I don't really know all the nitty-gritty details," She said, "But I do know the basics. The low-class Saiyans didn't like Kelvin anymore, and the elites still wanted to work for him. And someone from the lower class rose up and started a rebellion over it!"
"...To elaborate," Alpha continued, "The lower classes felt that Kelvin had ruined their way of life. The elites found honor in their conquest of planets, but the rebellion disagreed, claiming that conquering those who stood no chance in a fair fight couldn't be considered honorable. All of this escalated into two years of fighting on Planet Sadala, the former Saiyan homeworld."
"Yeah, and guess what other planets started doing once they heard?" Marcella asked. "Like, oh the Saiyans are gone? You mean the strongest component of Lord Kelvin's army is now suddenly weakened by in-fighting? Oh! Let's take our planets back! Which meant Kelvin suddenly had to deal with more uprisings!"
"You're kidding." Konnie said. "Is that how his empire collapsed? Everyone rising up at once?"
"Not entirely." Alpha shook their head, taking a second to jot down some notes before continuing. "He believed the Saiyan elite would be able to crush the rebels quickly and quietly. He couldn't have been more wrong. Finally, when he got word that an elite had betrayed him, he finally arrived at Planet Sadala to finish things himself."
"Which, if he'd just done that from the start, he probably would have won." Marcella shrugged. "Don't really get why he didn't just take care of it on his own. But he didn't. He left the other Saiyans in charge. And I think the one leading things against the rebels was the captain of his royal guard, or something. Alpha?"
"Sounds right. If I recall, he foiled a trap that would have spelled doom for the rebellion, saving the life of their leader." The short Saiyan explained. "And because of that, he was taken prisoner and sentenced to death. As the story goes, Kelvin himself decided to take the execution into his own hands, and he planned to do the same with the rebels."
"Two years too late, though." Marcella interjected.
Pausing for a moment, Marcella got up and went to the kitchen, pulling out some unrecognizable cans and cracking one open. She offered one to the three kids, Prism being the only one who accepted it. Konnie noticed that it didn't look terribly different from an ordinary soda can, Prism cracking it open and drinking some of the contents.
"What's this?" They asked.
"Energy drink." Marcella shrugged. "Picked it up last time we stopped for supplies."
Alpha took another sip of their coffee, finishing more of their notes. Seemed like it was time to continue the conversation.
Chapter 5: More Infodumps From A Tired Med Student
"Where were we...?"
"The fall of the empire."
"Oh, right!"
Marcella got herself situated again, draining half of her drink in one gulp. Maize's nose twitched, as she could smell the harsh sugary elixir coming from Prism's can. She didn't care for it in the slightest. Nevertheless, most of her mind remained focused on everything Marcella and Alpha half told them so far.
Something about the rebellion clicked in her mind, but she couldn't figure out how or why. She wasn't even sure what was clicking, but she knew it had.
"...So what happened to Kelvin?" Konnie asked. "Did the rebels kill him?"
"According to those that survived, their leader killed him." Alpha nodded. "There's quite a bit of hearsay about what happened that day, but here are the facts. Kelvin executed the captain that betrayed him, which sparked a battle between the rebels and the loyal elites. Kelvin fought the leader of the rebellion, who used an unknown power to kill him. Due to their fight, however, the planet was rendered nearly inhospitable. Most of the Saiyans were forced to flee their home and scattered across North Galaxy."
"...Unknown power?" Prism asked. "What's that mean?"
"She..." Alpha trailed off. "It's genuinely not certain. Many of the Saiyans who fled that battle are either dead, in hiding, or have joined the Peppermint Bandits. However, there's plenty of rumors that go around."
"Lot of rumors, huh...?" Konnie spoke up, trailing off at the end.
"Tell me about it! Shit gets around quicker than you think." Marcella pointed out. "Like, about this whole incident on Sadala? You know what one group thinks? They think it was a blessing from a deity. And not the Kais or any of them, they have their own god. Other people think she utilized some kind of magic spell. But the one that's a little more realistic is this old Saiyan myth."
"Speaking of which." Alpha turned to Konnie. "Did your father mention anything about Saiyan myth?"
Konnie shook her head.
"Unfortunate. All I've heard of it is that, in times of great emotional stress, Saiyans are said to unlock a form of legendary power. I can't confirm if that's what happened with the rebel leader, or if it's just a myth."
"But like, out of all the rumors," Marcella spoke up, "I'd put my money on that one."
Something about all of this made Maize shiver, although she kept quiet about it. What was she missing? Why did the very mention of Kelvin's name send a jolt through her body? She'd never heard of him before today! She supposed she could talk about it with Konnie later, though. For now, she listened as Marcella and Alpha went on, watching as Alpha tore some pages out of their little pad and handed them to Konnie.
"Notes." They explained. "It's quite a bit to talk about all at once."
"Oh, that's what you were doing." Konnie took the notes with a nod. "Thanks."
"No problem."
Just then, Quartz came out from the hallway and rushed to Marcella's side, nearly stumbling over his feet. He scratched at one of his eye sockets, mumbling something to Marcella before scurrying away again. A part of Maize wondered what had happened to his eyes.
"He was born with eye problems. It's complicated." Alpha answered, looking directly at Maize. "There wasn't much of an option besides removing them entirely."
"I..." Maize trailed off. "How did you...?"
Marcella giggled. "They're a mind-reader."
"It is not mind-reading." Alpha insisted. "I... I have marginal telepathic abilities. Happened to catch what you were thinking about. Hope I didn't scare you."
"It's totally mind-reading."
"No, it's not."
"Huh?" Konnie asked.
"Nothing." Alpha shook their head. "Back on track, Kelvin's death caused an eventual collapse in his empire. His subordinates fought amongst each other, but none of them could restrain the countless uprisings across the galaxy."
"And how long ago was all this?" The half-Saiyan wondered.
"If I'm correct, the fall of the empire happened somewhere within the decade of Age 660. Long before Marcella and I came about."
Alpha drained the last of their coffee. They went on, setting the empty cup aside.
"What followed next has been... Unstable, to say the least." They explained. "There's no emperors, but depending on where you're at, there's local warlords to worry about, amongst other groups."
"Yeah, there's a whole lot to unpack." Marcella chimed in. "But the ones you're probably gonna want to know about are the Peppermint Bandits, right? You've at least heard of them?"
Konnie nodded. "My dad used to be one of them, before he came here."
"...He didn't come here lookin' for Dragon Balls, did he?"
"No. But he mentioned the rest of his group would, if they knew we had them."
"Oh, shi-it you did mention that!" Marcella exclaimed. "Better not let the rest of the bandits know that, though. Their leader's a real prick, from what I hear. Definitely not as bad as the Vengeance Clan, but then again, I'm biased..."
Muttering something to her, Alpha quietly left. Maize watched them go, Marcella shrugging somewhat.
"They got studying to do." She said. "Med school."
"You have med school in space?" Prism asked.
"Duh? We got a lot of shit in space. But, like, there's definitely stuff I can only find on Earth."
"Like what?"
"Oh, speaking of..."
Digging around in her pockets, Marcella handed each of the three teens a small enamel pin. Marcella raised an eyebrow, looking at a gray symbol consisting of two loops. Konnie furrowed her brow, while a smile cracked on Prism's face.
"...No fucking way." They breathed.
"Yeah." Marcella nodded. "I can only find this shit on Earth."
"Astrology?" Konnie asked, holding up her little green pin. "This is just the sign for Leo."
"I know."
"What's this one?" Maize held up hers.
"Cancer." Marcella told her. "Sign of the Signless."
Prism burst into chuckling laughter, slipping their pin into their pocket. "No way, there's no fucking way you know what that comic is."
"What comic—" Konnie almost asked, before realization dawned in her eyes. "...Oh."
Marcella snickered. "I've been leeching off your Earthling Internet ever since I found this place. Seen a lot of shit on there."
"That's something you can do?" Prism asked.
"Duh? You think you're only ones with something like that on your planet? We've got one that spans multiple planets!"
"So you have space med school, and space Internet?"
"It's called Kel-Connect, but that's basically what it is, yeah. Gods only know who's keeping it up and running these days, but there's someone out there doing it."
Maize didn't really know what these symbols meant, but she thought hers was cool anyway. She also didn't know what people did with these pins, but she figured she could find a use for it. Konnie stuttered, before slipping her pin away. Meanwhile, Prism continued to grin, covering their mouth to muffle their laughter.
"Alright, what am I missing..." The gray alien mused. "Kelvin, rebellion, bandits... Oh, the Clan! I think that's the last thing I can fill you guys in on, if you want to hear. Cause they're assholes."
"...Already interested." Konnie nodded.
The gray alien took a deep breath. She smiled, but Maize thought it seemed a little less bright this time.
"I'll just breeze through what their deal is, because it's lame." She began. "They're called the Vengeance Clan, which is the stupidest thing you could name it. And they call themselves that because they're trying to be different from the actual Namekian clans, which I forget the names of. And the reason they want to do that is because they think the other Namekians are pussies."
"This already sounds like a headache." Prism interjected. "But go on."
"It is! Their whole thing is that they think Acrosians are all like Kelvin. Because that's what he was, an Acrosian from South Galaxy. There's always a few of 'em up north, and most of them are decent people! But the Clan doesn't like them, so what do they do? They kill any fucking Acrosian they see! Callin' them shit like frost demon, and tyrants, and all that."
"And they think that's gonna protect them from tyrants?" Konnie scoffed. "Ah yes, let's stop tyrants by acting like tyrants. Genius."
Marcella pointed at Konnie and nodded. "Exactly that. They pick fights with Saiyans too, for the same reasons. It's horrible! And they'll fight anyone that tries to stop 'em, too. If you even dare to question their actions, you get put on the Vengeance Clan shit-list for life, and they'll fight you on sight if they recognize you."
Konnie choked. "But... But why?"
Marcella tossed her hands in the air. "I don't know if they're just spiteful bitches, or if they really think they're protecting people from potential tyrants. And I don't fuckin care. They're full of shit. Believe me, I had to deal with them a couple years ago, and they still try to pick fights with me!"
"What happened?"
When the half-Saiyan asked that, Marcella hesitated. After a moment, she got up and left, returning shortly with Alpha. The two shared a few muttered words before turning to the three teens.
"If you guys want to stick around and hear the whole story," She said, "We'll tell you. It's just long."
"And complicated." Alpha added.
"Yeah, and complicated. But if you're okay with that..."
Maize and the rest slowly nodded their heads. All in all, the quiet Saiyan was all too fascinated by what Marcella had told them so far. Even if it meant staying through the night, she wanted to know more about the world of North Galaxy, and she wanted to know more about these bounty hunters.
But above all, and she couldn't explain why, but the Vengeance Clan caught her attention. Something about the way Marcella had described them sounded all too familiar.