Shattered Echos (locked thread with Tomoroko)

Tomina honestly didn’t expect her to show up there. Even after hearing her voice, Tomina half expected her to be gone when she turned around. But nope, there she was, clear as crystal in front of her eyes. That halo from before was still hovering over her head, eliminating any possibility that it was just a trick of the light or some kind of strange vision she was having. No, Tomoroko was dead. Gods and now…. Ghosts? Angels? What was Tomoroko anyway? Her confusion and all the questions that were whirling around in her head were currently keeping her anger at bay, for the time being. She stared at the older Saiyaness with a stone cold look on her face.

“Believe me, I would love to destroy you right here and now. But killing the King’s mother would be both counterproductive and a death sentence. Plus killing you at this point would probably be meaningless. You’d likely be transported back to the afterlife if I did. I mean, where else are you going to go? On top of that, killing you here and now wouldn’t be enough. I want you to witness it when I wipe out all traces of Natto’s philosophy from existence. It’s actually kind of funny: up until you died, you were number 2 on my hit list. Not I’m trying my hardest not to wipe you out. Life has gotten strange these last couple of days.”

Tomina let out bitter laugh, shaking her head at the ridiculous situation she was in now. She had spent the last 8 years training and developing her techniques to get her revenge on the Alliance. Now one of their leaders was standing before her and she couldn’t do anything to harm her. She lowered her arms to her sides, her face turning stone cold once again.

“I brought you out here because I want to make sure no one undesirable is listening to us. Nakiya and Caesar’s servants could possibly listen in. I heard that the demon queen was able to shapeshift into a Brenchian while she engaged him. To make things worse, there is a chance that they’ll be able to return from the dead. When I encountered two of Caesar’s servants, they were unbelievably arrogant for weaklings. They were going on and on about how death didn’t matter and that Caesar would just bring them back. Even when they were on the verge of death, they still just rambled on about how they were immortal. I thought it was just an attempt to throw their enemies off, but with your return…. what they said might actually be the truth. If Caesar and Nakiya come back, I want to be ready for it.”

Thinking back to those two Elemi make Tomina’s skin crawl. It was one thing for someone to power through their injuries and withstand the pain. It was quite another to just brush death off entirely. Fighting those two was like trying to kill a corpse. They didn’t seem to be alive, and killing them didn’t matter.

“I called you out here because there are questions I need answered. Some of them are for the sake of the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom, and others are going to be more personal inquiries. You and Natto killed everyone I cared about, so giving me information is the least you can do to repent those actions. Besides, it will help your son survive. The more he knows, the easier it will be for him to deal with his enemies.”

Tomina said all of this calmly. She was hiding her anger very well. Yet despite her current demeanor, she couldn’t hide the burning hatred in her eyes. Gazing into her eyes was like looking through a window into her soul. She had nothing but contempt for the Saiyness in front of her. Still, she was willing to hold back for the sake of the Saiyan Galactic Kingdom, and herself. She had already waited 8 years for an opportunity to make her move. She could wait a little longer if she had to.

---

Surprisingly, Tomina found herself amused at Tomoroko’s threat towards her. That reaction was pretty reassuring to her. Tomoroko may have said that since she was dead, the affairs of the Saiyans were no longer her concern. Although by its very definition, hating something or someone required caring to a degree. The hybrid let out a chuckle, holding up one finger in front of her face.

“That would be true, although in my case I can simply wait things out. See me being part Elemi was by design. As I get stronger, the longer I’ll live. And I intend to become of one of the most powerful beings in the universe one day. If Nasu doesn’t die young in a battle, he’ll live to 100,120 years max. I’ll live to at least 20  times that amount. I was originally planning on waiting a couple hundred years to make my move. By then I would have been strong enough to build my own forces and still contend with the greater powers. Nasu has accelerated things considerably for me. One day Nasu will die, as does everyone. Within 400 years, all traces of Natto’s philosophy will be gone from this universe, and I will have fulfilled my final mission. Not to mention the Saiyans will be the dominant force in the Galaxy, as they rightfully should be. But in all seriousness, why would I want to kill Nasu? He’s the best chance I have to completing my mission successfully.”

Any trace of humor left her when Tomoroko commented on the events of the past though. She lowered her finger, that same hand clenching into a fist. She was glowering at Nasu’s mother with a hatred that matched the hatred that the other Saiyaness had displayed when perceiving a possible threat to Nasu.


“The universe is black and white. It’s a cruel, unforgiving place where the strong make the rules and the weak obey said rules.You can’t trust anyone who doesn’t have a shred of Saiyan blood running through them. You and Natto couldn’t accept that though. You wanted to make the universe a better place to live in. And in your attempts to do so, you’ve put our entire race at the brink of extinction. Tell, exactly how did trusting other species work out for you? I seem to recall that the reason you and Natto died was because you were betrayed by a Kagami. They begged you to free them, and they stabbed you in the back. That’s where trust in other species gets you.”

Tomina spat on the ground, still glowering at the older Saiyness. She couldn’t let herself be sidetracked though. No, she was going to get information that she sorely needed. Both for herself and the Saiyan Galactic Empire.

“I would ask for you to give me any information you can about the afterlife and its denizens, but there’s definitely some things you wouldn’t tell me about that. I’ll just content myself with a few specific questions for now. I want to know about the Gods, and in particular, the God of Destruction. I want to know what her species is, and any weaknesses she might have. Nasu is going to challenge her to a fight again sooner or later. He’s a prideful individuals, as are all proper Saiyans. How much he knows can mean the difference between life and death. Especially considering how strong this being is. She defeated him without even trying when they fought last.”

Tomina shuddered at the memory of it. That purple mutt had effortless fought off Nasu’s Super Saiyan 3 form, was confident enough in her abilities to fully charge her opponent’s attack, and had taken off a chunk of their planet instantly. It was a surgical strike and not just wanton destruction. The next question out of Tomina’s mouth was a completely different one though.

“The second question I have is this. If you lived your life in the Saiyan Empire and fought for them, but never killed a single individual, would you still go to hell? Or would that be enough to get you into heaven?”

Tomina looked at Tomoroko solemnly. This question clearly couldn’t be for her. Tomina had killed her fair share of people in her life. Hell, she enjoyed killing her enemies. So this question seemed such an odd thing for her to ask.

---

[WC=755] [TWC=1,745]

Tomina’s eyebrows twitched when Tomoroko called Lettis’s plan horrible. She was clearly bothered by that statement, but didn’t make any threatening moves against the older Saiyaness. No, she couldn’t lose her composure here. Her reply to her was in a very low tone.

“You still preach about the good will of others even in the afterlife. Of course the Kagami will never openly admit that they wanted you dead. Think about it! They had been enslaved by our race for years. Once you killed all the high ranking members in the Empire, you and Natto were the glue that held the Saiyan race together. Your deaths threw our people into chaos. They were in no condition to launch an attack force, much less make other races into their slaves. I’d say that the Kagami benefited quite a bit from the death of you and your mate, wouldn’t you?”

Tomina waited for Tomoroko to answer the question regarding the afterlife. She got a little bit more information then she thought she would. Tomoroko seemed to be trying to intimate her by saying there were really strong warriors up there. Although that only made her excited more than anything: she welcomed a challenge. Tomina let out an exasperated sigh, closing her eyes and rubbing her hair with her hand.

“It’s not that we want to conquer heaven. Heaven has decided to become a player in the affairs of the living. That one Kai came down here and did all he could to stop us from conquering this planet. He went so far as to torment us with painful mental attacks and assault our Queen. Nasu sensed another possibly divine presence today. So it’s clear that these so called Kai are going to oppose us, regardless of who strikes the first blow against the other. And we can’t use normal tactics on them because if we rough them up too much, then a purple dog with a ridiculous amount of power will show up and obliterate us. Nasu is going to have to deal with all of this no matter what at this point. So any information you have is essential to dealing with these beings.”

Tomina opened her eyes, lowering her arms to her sides. She just stood there staring at the other Saiyan. The silence only interrupted by the gentle breeze that blew through the air. When she spoke, it was with a solemnity that she had never displayed until now.

“That’s what you Alliance trash never understood. Whether you felt mistreated for being weak or were consumed by guilt for the necessary evils we had to do, you broke off to live a different way of life. A naive way of life that never had a chance of sustaining itself. You couldn’t accept the reality of things. The Universe is a cruel and unfair place. Everyone has one simple choice to make. Become strong and make the rules, or remain weak and abide by the rules. I had to prove my worth time and time again. I had to endure growing up in the Empire as a half breed. I killed someone for the first time when I was 5. I endured and pushed past the hardships, hardships that are necessary to prepare for our survival. But you wanted to live in peace in a universe that won’t let peace exist. You and Natto have put our race on the brink of extinction with your naivete!”

Tomina whirled around, her back facing Tomina as she looked off into the distance. She could feel all her emotions bubbling to the surface all at once. Her anger, her sorrow, her negative emotions were all threatening to come out to the surface. She didn’t want Tomoroko to see that weakness. She seemingly got her composure back quickly though, since there was only 30 seconds of silence before she spoke up again.

“2 centuries ago, the Kold Empire declared war on us. We had to fight them for over 200 years. They managed to gain a major victory over us and destroyed Vegeta. It took them 13 years, but they managed to gather the items known as the Dragonballs and restored Vegeta and the lives that were lost with our planet. Queen Lettis became the first Super Saiyan in the modern era. It took almost two decades after that, but we won the war with the Kolds and were poised to take over the Galaxy. We were so close to ruling everything. And then you and Natto ruined everything.”

Tomina gritted her teeth, the bottom half of her hair turning red. Sparks flew off it as the wind ruffled it. Tomina continued onward though. She could feel the anger burning from within. She had to control herself for the greater good though. Nothing good would come out of her harming Tomoroko now.

“That wasn’t the first time the Kold Demons wronged us. Long before that, they had subjugated us into working for them and destroyed our home world. It took a Super Saiyan to end their reign. We even managed to restore Vegeta. We’ve had to restore our planet twice because of those bastards. I’m sure you're familiar with these stories, yet you and the rest of the Alliance don’t understand the reality that they present. The universal truth that will always be absolute. The strong rule over the weak, and every being is unequal in strength. The Kold demons are born strong and have abilities that give them an edge over other races. So it’s easy for them to conquer weaker species. Which is exactly what they did, time and time again. Other species like Humans or the Kagami. wouldn’t stand a chance. They can train as hard as they want to, but in the end they’re simply outclassed. The only reason why they still have their own planet is because Natto and others keep on stepping up to defend them, time and time again.”

Tomina turned back around, giving Tomoroko a very cold stare. Which was made all the more chilling by the fact that her eyes were glowing with different colors. One glowed her normal shade of blue while the other eye was golden. Her power level rose a bit. Not enough to be considered a threat yet, but the fact that it was rising at all was a clear indication of how delicate the situation had become. The air around them grew warmer, steadily becoming hotter and hotter. Tomina’s anger was seeping out and was seemingly burning the very air around them.



“There can never be peace in a universe where everyone is unequal in strength. Whether it’s because you’re born to a naturally weaker race or because you don’t have the will or the mindset to become stronger, there will always be those who aren’t as strong as other individuals. No matter how you live your life, the strong will always exert their will onto others. Whether it’s the wretched, scheming Kold Demons, Brenchian Slime, or treacherous Alliance trash, the fights will come to you, no matter how you live your live. The Saiyans tried living on peace on Natto. And in the end their planet met the same fate that Vegeta has time and time again. Destroyed by an ego maniac who wanted to impose his will on the Galaxy. And you think you can live in peace? There will never be peace! Not until every race in the Galaxy knees before us! When our boots press the faces of our enemies into the mud for eternity, then there will be peace! You and Natto betrayed our race for an idealistic fantasy!”

The tension in the air had reached a fever pitch. It felt as though things could fall from the cliff and out of control with just the slightest push. But then Tomoroko gave her answer regarding how souls were judged. Tomina’s hair and eyes returned to their normal hue of color, the temperature falling back down to normal as her Ki level went back to how it was previously. She then spoke to Tomoroko softly. Her voice suddenly lacked the intensity that it normally had.

“That’s how it works? I know where she ended up going then. That’s good, she didn’t deserve to fall into hell. That day was truly a final farewell then. It’s for the best though. I didn't want to see her in hell.”

Tomina tilted her head towards the ground slightly. Although enough of her face was in view to see the relieved smile on her face. It wasn’t filled with malice or an expression of cockiness like it usually was. It was a legitimate happy smile. Her shoulders sagged slightly, and her overall expression could only be described as…. relieved. The hybrid Saiyan seemed to be in peace in that moment. Her eyes were fixed towards the ground, but they looked like they were peering through it. Tomina’s gaze was fixed on something that only she could see. In this moment, Tomina looked at peace. For once she wasn’t argumentative: for the first time in her life, she accepted how things were.

The moment ended a minute later though when Tomina snapped back to reality. She turned her gaze back to the older Saiyness, getting back to business quickly. She was back to her usual loud, assertive self.

“My next question is this. How much information do you have on Caesar and Nakiya? Don’t tell me that you don’t know anything: I’m sure that those Gods have been keeping track of them. I want to know everything I can learn about them. Strengths, weaknesses, notable techniques, any and all knowledge you have on them and their underlings. Nakiya turned Miso to stone with her spit. If they’re coming back from the dead, I want to be prepared for any weird move they can throw our way.”

Tomina knew that she had shown weakness in that moment. She didn’t care though. Her friend had made it to Heaven. After everything she had been through, she had earned her place up there. Tomina resolved herself not to show this weakness again though. She now firmly believed that nothing in the living realm would be able to make her falter now. She would carry out her final mission, no matter what she had to do.

---

[WC=1,765] [TWC=3,510]

“The Kagari used you as a means to an end. They’re just like every other species that we’ve ever dealt with. They either try to enslave us, use us as pawns, destroy us, or banish us from their world. That is what every other species has done to us. And that is why we expanded the Empire. Of course it meant we had more territory and resources, but it also subjugated our enemies. When there is no one left to challedge us, then there will be peace. We almost had it all. Earth would have fallen if it weren’t for Natto’s treachery. The Earthlings weren’t very grateful though. They cast the Alliance off of Earth. You helped two different species directly, and they spat in your face. Kindness doesn’t inspire more kindness.”

Tomina just stared blankly at Tomoroko for a moment after she told her about the true nature of the Kai’s. Then she just bent over and laughed. It was a very bitter laugh devoid of any joy in it.The whole situation seemed observe to the young hybrid. Tomina then looked back at Tomoroko, a very cold grin plastered on her face. She raised both of her hands, her palms facing the older Saiyan as she waved them around.

“Let me get this straight. These Kai created everything in the universe. Every planet, every species. And then they decide to create species with innate advantages over others. “I have a great idea! Let's make the Kold Demons strong from birth and give them the ability to survive in space! Then Let's make a bunch of races weaker than them!”Did it ever occur once to the Kais that maybe, just maybe the stronger species would view themselves as superior to the weaker species and decide that they could do whatever they wanted to them?”

Tomina pivoted on her feet, turning her back to Tomoroko again as she waved her arms above her head.

“So these Kai’s create everything, and then they decide to make all the species entirely unique. That means that some are going to have advantages over others. If the Kais wanted a fair world, then everyone would have been made with the same strength. At best that makes them incompetent. At worst, it’s downright sadistic. And I know sadistic quite well. We’re their children? Well if they are then they’re terrible parents. They’ve shown favoritism towards certain species or individual that hold ideals that they like. As for those they don’t like…..”

Tomina turned back around lowering her arms and staring at the older Saiyaness. While the sight of Tomoroko was enough to send her blood boiling, that wasn’t what she was mad at this time. Oh no, it was reserved for someone else this time around. Granted Tomoroko was a part of it, but she wasn’t the focus of her rage this time around.

“That blue Kai did everything he could to make us stop fighting the Brenchians. He used mental attacks against us. If you don’t believe me, ask King Nasu. He’ll tell you the same thing. And then when when we had him captive in a healing pod, he telekinetically berated us for our actions. “I pleaded with your king for mercy! All he had to do was spare the poor, innocent Brenchians! You Saiyans and your thirst for power!” Every word this Kai said was a slap in the face. Every word he said was a spat in the race of Saiyans.”

Tomina's voice suddenly shifted into a fairly accurate imitation of Maikeru's voice, making it sound as annoying as she could. She narrowed her eyes at Tomoroko. While her power level wasn’t rising this time around, it was clear that she was definitely getting angrier. Or at the very least wasn’t trying to hide it anymore.

“He wanted us to spare the poor little Brenchians. The same race of people who helped the Kolds destroy our Homeworld twice. The same race that enslaved other species by continuing the work of the Planet Trade Oranization. The same race that worked with Caesar and his Empire, who ultimately killed countless more Saiyans. Did the Kai’s come to our aid in our darkest hours? Let's see, planet Vegeta was destroyed twice. We had to restore it ourselves twice. I don't recall any stories of Kais helping us do that, do you? And yet they come running to defend Brenchian slime. An race of beings that is like an ooze, clinging onto our worst enemies and helping them kill us. And of course they give you a position as guardian so that you can travel back to the world of the living. And why wouldn’t they? You’re a valuable tool to keep the Saiyans in line.”

Tomina’s eyes narrowed into slits. She had been watching the older Saiyaness throughout all of this, and her responses were very irritating to say the least. Expected, but still irritating. Plus the more she learned about the Kais and the afterlife, the madder she became. She was still managing to keep her control though. Tomoroko was definitely prepared to fight her if she did lose her temper completely and lashed out in a rage. She didn’t want to get in a fight with her right now.

“The Kai’s are just like every other race out there. Even if they really did create us, they’re ashamed of what they made. Despised the Saiyan race. Why else would they do nothing as we died by the hundreds of thousands? They’re perfectly fine with tKold Demons and Brenchians killing us. Because the Kai’s despise us as much as the rest of the Galaxy does. “It’s only a bunch of murderous monkeys. Let's let the Kold Demons blow up their planet. Good riddance I say.” I’m willing to bet that’s what they think of us. Why else would they so much favoritism? They’re also perfectly willing to let you come back to the world of the living whenever you damn well please. You’re a good little daughter who shares their views. You’re being used as a pawn, to spread their vision and shape the universe they want to shape it. God or no God, the Kai’s are just like any other species.”

Tomina spat on the ground, still glaring at Tomoroko coldly. The universe truly was a cruel place. It let a Saiyan like Tomoroko visit the world of the living whenever she wanted, while the others were stuck there. There truly was no justice anywhere.

“We’re supposed to be their children? What a load of crap! The likes of Kold Demon filth and Brenchian Slime are not my brothers and sisters! I had a family and a friend that I didn’t deserve to have! You and Natto took them from me though! I have no family left!”

Tomina conjured a fireball and threw it off the cliff in frustration. It soared up into the air until it dissipated. Tomina was breathing heavily, staring furiously off towards the distance. It was very hard controlling her anger right now. But she somehow managed to avoid throwing that fireball at Tomroko. She took a deep breath before turning around to face her. She shook her head, giving the Saiyan a hard look.

“First of all, the war against the Kold Demons ended about 3 decades ago. The war itself lasted for two hundred years. It didn’t end two hundred years ago: that’s when it started. Since then, one enemy after another has crawled out of the woodwork to threaten our race. And I am very much including the Alliance in this. Second of all, you can’t form the future without looking at the past. Who are you today is defined by your experiences and your accomplishments. Not only that, but the future is clear if you look at the past. We’ll keep suffering the same fate again and again, until we break the cycle. The future is dark and bleak, unless if we conquer all our enemies and use their corpses to light the way.”

When Tomoroko told Tomina that she would never be a leader, the Saiyan hybrid just chuckled. Honestly, this older Saiyaness really was naive.

“You still think that Nasu is going to settle for peace? You really are a naive fool. He already begun to understand the reality of things. It’s only a matter of time before he casts aside his remaining weaknesses. Besides, I was born to be a leader. That is one of the many traits that given to me. I’m nowhere near strong enough to lead our race yet, but I’m improving at an astounding rate. Watch and see for yourself Tomoroko. In a couple hundred years, I will have brought the Saiyans into a new golden age. You know nothing about me. So don’t tell me that I’m incapable of leading. I’ll show you how wrong you are one day.”

Tomina sighed when Tomoroko gave her the information she could on the demon queen and Jarvis. She slapped her forehead, shaking her head from side to side.

“I guess that answers my earlier question. The Kai’s are just incompetent. How do you let those two just vanish off the face of the Earth? Demon god or not, they should have been able to contain them. I’ve got to talk to Queen Kinoko and Nasu about this. This is never going to end if we don’t go on the offensive.”

Tomina looked up, still looking a bit ticked off about what information she just got. Well. A bit ticked was better than some of the moments of rage she had throughout the conversation. Well, she still had questions to ask. The next one was a little bit different from the previous ones.

“You said that you are now a guardian to one of the Kai’s. Are you going to remain impartial to how things play out in the living world? Say I decided to go spy on the Remnant Alliance. They’ve never seen me before, so I could plausibly infiltrate their group. If you saw me there, would you report who I was to Komatsu and the Alliance, or signal them in some way that I wasn’t to be trusted? Or would you stay silent and just let things play out?”

Tomina crossed her arms, looking at Tomoroko intently. It was time to see how impartial she really was. Tomina doubted she would be able to do it to that degree. She cared about her son's too much. She would be very surprised if Tomoroko told her that she would look the other way.

---

[WC=1,820] [TWC=5,330]

Tomina showed the most restraint she had ever done in her life. And yet she did nothing but glare murderously at the older Saiyaness. There was a lifetime's worth of contempt in that look. Tomina spoke to the Tomoroko coldly from that point onward.

“I’ve been honest with all my intentions while talking to you. So don’t give me filthy lies in return. Lettis throwing the Saiyans into a war she knew they couldn’t win? Earthlings being able to defeat the Saiyan Empire at its peak? That’s the most unfunny joke I’ve ever heard in my life. Earthlings are fragile creatures. I’ve never heard of ones with notable strength, have you? Of course you haven’t. And we had the strongest warriors in the universe on our side. The only reason we lost is because Natto turned traitor on us. I wasn’t there for the battle of Earth, but I watched my best friend die. My family’s bloodline was almost wiped out that day. Once my brother died, it left me as the last of my line. So don’t tell me that I don't understand what it feels like to lose the ones you've cherished!”

To make things even more infuriating, Tomoroko began to walk away from her. Tomina held out her hand, and a column of blue flames blazed to life in front of Nasu’s mother. It was simple enough for Tomoroko to fly around or over if she wished. Although the message sent was very clear: Tomina wasn’t done with her just yet.

“You Alliance Saiyans have always been judgemental towards the Empire. You look down on us for things that you also do. There is no difference between the actions the Empire took and the actions that Nasu committed on Brench. Yet you try and claim the moral high ground with your so called “reasons behind the actions.” Reasons don’t matter: murder is murder, war is war. enslaving is enslaving. It doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong while fighting the war. The people who win are right. I’m sick of you looking down on us for things that you do!"

Tomina’s hair flared red once again. She knew she wouldn't be able to control herself much longer, and Tomoroko was ready to depart. She got what she could take as far as valuable information went. There were just a couple of things she needed to settle.

“You didn’t answer my question about your involvement in the Kingdom's espionage tactics. You’re leaving here until you give me an answer on that, and the last question I have for you. You helped Nasu obtain godhood, even though the Kingdom he’s created represents everything that you and Natto hated. Even if he is your son, he’s gone down the path you despised so much. So much that you engaged in a civil war between Saiyans and slaughtered your own kind. Does any of that mean anything to you anymore? You’ve insulted our entire race with your actions. You spat in the face of The Saiyans who bravely went to Namek and restored Planet Vegeta. You own your very existence to the Empire. You or Natto wouldn’t have been able to ever achieve the Super Saiyan form if Lettis hadn’t paved the way. You’ve also spat in the face of every Alliance Saiyan that has ever followed you.”

Tomina gritted her teeth, half her hair turning red as the blue flames blazed in front of Tomoroko. This woman should have gone straight to hell for everything she pulled off. Yet she was rewarded for her actions instead. The Kai’s were just like the Alliance: to them, the reasons behind actions meant everything. It was nothing but a pile of bullshit to Tomina. But she kept those thoughts to herself and continued on.

“You and Natto led your side into battle. Those Saiyans fought and died for you. They had to face their own kind in war to destroy what they saw as an unjust Empire. And how do you repay them? You help make an Empire society stronger. They were Alliance scum, but they were still Saiyans. Doesn’t their sacrifice mean anything to you? Don’t all the lives that were loss matter to you? If you’re turning your back on everything you once stood for, then what did they die for?! Were all those Saiyan lives wasted for NOTHING?!”

Flames burst up all around Tomina, rising high into the air above her. This person had done so many horrible things, and yet she had the favor of the Gods. The injustice of it all was unacceptable. Why was she constantly rewarded for all the sins she had committed, while Nasu and everyone under him were condemned for doing similar things? It only enforced the fact that everyone was an enemy of the Saiyan race. Tomina was sure now that her prayers had been heard: the Kai’s wouldn’t raise a finger for someone like her though.

---

There must have been a lot going through the hybrid’s mind at that moment. She was staring wide eyed in disbelief at Tomoroko’s words. Tomina didn’t anything could catch her off guard, but some of the things Tomoroko said were so out there that they threw her for a loop. With the bit of her brain left not running on pure emotions at the moment, Tomina decided to just disregard the more outlandish things that the older Saiyaness had brought up and focused back on the heart of the matter. Her anger returned full force, she went back on the offensive.

“Of course she knew lives were going to be lost! That’s what war is! The moment you left the Empire, you became a threat. She decided to nip you in the bud before you could gather enough forces to stand against us. That’s what you Alliance Saiyans never understood about war. Once it begins, everyone’s lives are on the line. Even the lives of those who can’t fight. It doesn’t matter whether you kill them on the field or in an incubation chamber. Only death awaits the weak, no matter how old or young they are. You’ve spilled your share of what you call “innocent blood” when you fought on Vegeta that day, directly or indirectly.”

Tomina glared back at Tomoroko the moment she charged up an energy blast at her. It would have been so tempting just to have taken her on then and there. And for a moment, it looked like Tomina would just do that. Instead she waved her hand, causing the wall of flames to dissipate.

“I don’t know why I even tried talking to you. Natto’s naive philosophy distorts the reality of anyone who follows it. The truth is that no matter how much you try to change, deep down we’re all alike. Looking down on hybrids isn’t part of Natto’s philosophy, but it was a very common practice within the Empire. And of course all those Saiyans followed you into battle. Even if you didn’t order them, they went into battle without hesitation for you. You and Natto were the strongest. They were going to follow your lead no matter what. Whether you call yourself a queen, king, or overseer, those under the leader will be behind them.”

Tomina crossed her arms, glaring icily at Tomoroko. Honestly this whole encounter had been almost entirely unproductive. God that woman was stubborn!

“I thought I could get a bit more then what I did out of you. I was overly optimistic on that regard. Enjoy the hospitalities that Saiya has to offer. I’m sure that Nasu will do all he can to make your stay comfortable. I don’t care where you go while you’re here, as long as it doesn’t involve me.”

Tomina had been the one who had called out Tomoroko there, and now she was the one wanting her to leave. This whole thing had been a mistake that Tomina wished she could have taken back. It was a giant waste of time that only served to put her in a foul mood. She knew nothing that she needed to know. The most she had gotten from Nasu’s mother was the information on Nakiya and Jarvis. Even that was extremely limited though. The only way this could have turned out worse was if she lost her cool and fought Tomoroko. She would have been a dead woman the moment she threw out a single punch.

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