The Wrath of Rime

Deep within the coldest and darkest regions of space: the saiyans of planet Vegeta make their approach towards the heart of the Acrosian Empire. Lead by the 'Lady of Death' herself, an army of the finest troops within the Saiyan Solar Empire aimed to take planet Acrose right out from under the frost empress. The stage was set so the fierce rivalry between the super saiyan queen: Zucceta and the cold yet calculating empress Wyntre could come to it's climax in an all out war between the two empires.

The bulk of the arcosians (and more than a few off-worlders) came to accept Zucceta's call to arms against them. Many of the arcosians came, but one scrappy band of fighters in particular kept their distance and merely watched as the saiyans descended upon the planet from afar. “Lady Rime, the saiyans have gathered and are attacking your homeworld. The empress is in danger, shall we move to aid them?” A smooth voice asked with a faint hint of disinterest. Massive images of saiyans pouring on to arcosian soil played on numerous screens within the head of 'Lady Rime's' ship. “We can potentially make it to the battle within the hour if you so desire.” The voice repeated, putting emphasis on the word 'desire' as if pushing the point that they weren't obligated to help.

“Heheh! Yeah! C'mon Boss Lady! Lets getcha home so I can smash in some saiyan skulls! It'll be fun! Like crushin' a buncha hairy, no-good, monkeys!” A graveled, deeply masculine voice laughed out at the prospect of fighting and killing a few saiyan warriors. His over confidence was clearly misplaced however, for fighting for Acrose would be a losing battle. As much fun as it would be to strangle the life out of a few uppity apes the lady was inclined to ignore the suggestion.

“Hawhawhaw! My tummy's been rumbling for a bit now! I guess I am getting a little hungry! Why don't we stop? I've never gotten the chance to eat saiyan before...I just can't wait to wrap my tongue around one to get a good taste!” A higher pitched voice screeched with a titter at the prospect of getting a chance to devour some saiyan prey. His confidence was even more displaced, he wouldn't have stood a chance against fighting one of the monkeys. Let alone get a chance to devour one. So Lady Rime ignored his idiotic statement as well.

“No.” The voice of the 'boss lady' came out like an icy breeze as she firmly denied the requests of her subordinates. “I shall not participate in the games in which rules I have not placed have been put into play.” She growled displaying her fickle nature. Her eyes narrowed to points as the screen zoomed in to the face of the saiyan queen, the sound was muted but she saw the moment when the woman outright challenged the empress. “Fye on her! The empress shouldn't bow to the whims of a creature that was born to serve. How pathetic, that we must be forced into such a sorry state. To belittle ourselves into honoring these barbarians with battle despite the fact that they did not follow any of the rules of the Fair Battle Union Act or the O.B.R is a crime! So we shan't engage them. I refuse!” She claimed, using the 'rules' their empress subscribed to as a mask to excuse the truth. She was afraid of 'Lady Death' though she'd never admit it.

“What is your intent then m'lady?” The smooth talking male asked once more, curious what she was intending. After a pause she would finally respond, authority taking her voice.

“We shall go to a planet where we can compose ourselves. Any others smart enough to avoid this farce of a war can join us...Yes, we shall set up a refuge on the human's homeworld. It's a backwater planet called: Earth.” With that, her subordinates would cheer out in unison as the ship moved away from Acrose and cut through the star lined sky, to begin their conquest of the blue planet...

“It will only be a matter of time before those monkeys learn to fear...





...The Wrath of Rime!”

---

“Ch'ya! Yeeah! Hoorah!” The cries of a young man followed by the sounds of wood cutting through the air filled the fields of the 'Shrimp Family Ranch.' It was a rather sunny day, the sea salt soaked air was warm with a crisp breeze coming from the bordering ocean. Gulls nearby were crying out as they glided over the bay and over the ranch where the human swordsman: Scampi Shrimp was training. The young lilac haired man with a brass pot atop his head was going over the exercises that the dragoness swordswoman: Maeve Rakshasa had given him. At first, the young boy was just a boy with a big heart, bigger dreams with no skill to back them up. After finding the demonic woman washed up on the beaches outside his family's ranch and having his family convince to take her in however, the two became fast friends. Through that friendship the dragoness took the boy under a harsh training regimen so that he would one day have the skill to make his dream of becoming a hero come true.

So train he did: he practiced his katas, worked on his physical training, and practiced his ki control, all as Maeve instructed him to do. He was noticing results every day growing stronger and stronger as he pushed himself past his limits and reached new goals. “Hoo-wee! My sword arm is gittin' stronger than a dino at the gym, I'll tell you what!” He said praising his own skill as he took a break to catch his breath and wipe away the sweat from his brow. Since he was done with all his chores for the day he was given the chance to get a quick bit of training in, while he wished he could train alongside Maeve she was off doing her meditations and he lacked the patience to really get in on that.

He thought of his friend with a fond smile, while she was completely unaccustomed to what she referred to as 'mortal life' she had come to fit in rather well. It was almost as if she were part of the Shrimp family by this point. She worked on the ranch, ate with them, did chores around the house, and generally just lived with them happily. Though it had only been a few weeks it felt to him as if she were a permanent fixture. He cared deeply for her, almost as if she were the older sister he never had (a cool older sister anyway.) She was probably the best friend he had too, being tied to the ranch didn't give the boy too much time to go off and socialize.

“Scamp! Get on over here!” The boy blinked as he heard his ma's voice ring out from the ranch house. Her shout effectively interrupted his thoughts. “Y'alls supper is ready~ Come on and git it!” The woman called out into the fields the boy was training away in. He glanced back to his home as he smiled, his weary face lighting up nearly instantly at the promise of food. He perked up from his training as he waved in the direction of his home.

“Comin' Ma! Be there in a sec!” He yelled with a smile on his face as he stretched, trying to ease his body into a more relaxed state after his training session. He let out a bit of a sigh as he hung his head back. He basked in the cool breeze that billowed through his hair. He inhaled some of the salty air through his nostrils before exhaling lowly. He readied to turn and head back to the the ranch but stopped as he noticed a slight glint in the sky.

“Hm? Ain't that a bit queer...”

He muttered to himself as he took a moment to try and see what the mysterious spark was. His eyes narrowed for a moment as he realized... It was getting bigger? Or maybe closer? He wasn't sure. His ponderings were interrupted however as his mother lost her patience and called for him a a third time.

“Scamp! Y'alls supper is gittin cold! Git yer butt in here before I send yer brothers out there to getcha!”

Scampi's body tensed at the thought of his brothers coming over to 'get him.' Even with his discovery of ki the idea of his older brother's wrath was enough to have him shiver. The thought of them tussling was enough to send the boy scrambling towards the house. “H-Hold up Ma! N-No need to send Creole and Tempura out here! I'mma comin!”He yelled, ignoring the strange glint for now. “What's fer supper anyhow?”

---

The strange 'glint', as it turned out, would really be the Arcosian cruiser that housed the mysterious Lady Rime and her subordinates. Rime's ship began entering the orbit of the blue and green gem known as Earth as per schedule. Several views of the planet and it's cities would appear before the roguish villains as their ship slowly lowered into the atmosphere. The scanned images added to the screens seemed to show statistics and various notes that have been collected on the planet.

“Lady Rime, we have made it to our destination and have prepared our descent towards the planet. On the screens we have shown various human settlements that we have available to us since Empress Wyntre's first visit. “ The smooth underling said retaining his air of general disdain as the various cities played upon the screen.

“Hawhawhaw! This is gonna be sooo easy! The empress wasn't kidding when she said this place was a backwater planet! The average power level is too low to even mention, though their 'fighters' seem to barely be able to reach up to 400! Even those are somewhat rare occurrences! Their technology is nothing compared to what we're bringing either... In fact, we could land anywhere and take our claim! The worthless earthlings would be forced to bend to our will! They are nothing!” The high pitched voice came out again as it burst into a fit of giggles at the prospect of the crew being strong enough to take what they want without any resistance.

“The average power is that low? Is this really where the monkeys come to breed? I knew that earthling half breeds are common among their ranks but... I'd expect their earthling mates to have somethin' going for them! What could the saiyan's possibly see in this filth? Maybe these earthlings are just easy!” The gruff voice jeered as images of the human men and women flickered on the screen followed by a few images of the majins and a few quick flashes of the zoanthrope people. He was clearly unimpressed by the tone of disapproval. “So are we just gonna stake our claim or...”

“Hardly.” Rime said closing her eyes as she cut her underling off. “We shall find a town suitable for our means and formally lay our challenge out to them. Surprise attacks are the games of bandits, cowards, and brutes. To which we are none of the above.” She spoke eloquently about honorable practices but then turned her attentions to the smallest least threatening settlement she could find. “There!” She pointed the small village in the Southern Islands. “We shall overtake this settlement and build my refugee empire from there!” She said with a sadistic grin. “Bring us in.” Her grin only grew as she turned her revolving chair away from the screen. She hunched, clasping her fingers in an interlocking fashion as she fought back a gleeful little titter. “Lay down the rules of engagement to this backwater trash.” She trembled with a bit of excitement as the words escaped her lips. She had never done anything like this before, she was going to make her name known and feared to this pathetic planet. She couldn't wait.

So with that, the vile ship made it's descent towards the blue and green gem.

---

As Scampi jaunted to his home he'd rush through the door and kick off his dirty boots while dropping his sword and 'helmet' leaving them in a heap by the door as it slammed shut behind him. He rushed to the kitchen sink greeting his mom as he quickly washed his hands under a burst of warm water. After a second or two of rinsing them off he'd flick his wrists sending a few droplets flying into the air as he made his way through the house in a sprint. He slowed as he made his way into the dining room of the ranch house where his family had gathered, all impatiently waiting on him. The boy looked to his family with a sheepish smile as he made his way to his spot.

He glanced up from his empty plate as he finished adjusted his seat to a comfortable position. He looked over his family briefly, his gaze catching his Pa first. Gumbo Shrimp, the patriarch of the house was a rather rugged bear of a man who always seemed to have a stern look on his tanned face. Scampi always found himself looking at the various scars lining his arms and his heavily calloused hands. While they were obviously from his years of working outside on the ranch he liked to imagine he was some sort of fighter in his youth and those were battle scars he acquired.

His gaze cut aside to his twin older brothers Creole and Tempura Shrimp. The two were both tall and lean sporting the same athletic build, identical haircuts, and the same farmer's tan their father had. They were nearly identical to each other (the only way to truly tell them apart was because Creole had a mess of freckles on his cheeks and nose) and they were practically inseparable. They were always laughing, joking among themselves, or plotting to mess Scamp in some way, until their father came in and interrupted their plans anyway. Though they were in their early 20's they were happy working as ranch hands for their family, schooling really wasn't for them.

While they were happy with their work, Scampi's older sister Panne Shrimp wanted nothing to do with it it. She was your typical older teen: rebellious, plugged in to her technology, and obsessed with her: 'totally genuine high school friendships.' She hardly worked (if ever) outside and even seemed content with neglecting her chores (leaving Scampi and sometimes Maeve to pick up the slack.) Though while he was sure his sister loved him and the family she just seemed so wrapped up in her friend's business to really show it.

Finally, there was his Ma: Lemon Shrimp. Despite her sour name she was the sweetest mother anyone could ask for and was always doting on her family with a warm smile. In her hands was a platter with some piping hot ribs. “Y'all dig in, I'm gonna grab the fixin's” She said in a cheery tone as she left the room leaving the family to tear at the platter, eagerly grabbing at the ribs. It was always a mad house when food was placed in front of the Shrimp Family, you had to be quick if you wanted a decent portion. So Scampi, using a burst of enhanced speed, quickly grabbed a few of the more juicy ribs for himself.

“Dang Scamp! Y'all must be hungry! I ain't never see someone move that quick!” Tempura said with a laugh at seeing his younger brother spring for the ribs.

“Augh! I'm not getting any!” Panne cried out in an obnoxious whine despite there being plenty of food.

“Boys let yer sister have some.” Gumbo said in an even tone as he grabbed some for himself in a relaxed manner. He knew full well none of his children would cross him.

“Ain'tcha on one of them 'diets' Panne? Watchin' yer 'figure' or somethin?” Creole said with a snicker at her sister's complaint. Poking at her insecurity.

“Pa!” Panne cried out, looking to her father to intervene at the cutting remark.

“Creole!” The father snapped, giving the young man a stern glare as if telling him to knock it off.

Scampi laughed softly at the typical dinner scene as Lemon came in with the various sides. “Now now, there's plenty of food for all y'all. Don'tcha be worryin' bout a thang.” She said with a sweet smile as she brought in some of her famous cole slaw and some home made macaroni and cheese. She sat her spot next to Gumbo and looked at her children with a smile. She paused however as she noticed there was an empty seat beside Scampi.

“Scamp? Where's Maeve?” She asked looking to the boy as he dished himself a hearty spoonful of her macaroni.

“Maeve? I think she's out 'meditating' or somethin. Dunno, she just keeps her eyes closed and sits still longer than a rock waitin for the bus. I thought she was snoozin at first but she was 'focusin her keys' or somethin' It didn't make a lick of sense to me!” He explained to his Ma while eagerly shoveling some of the cheesy pasta into his mouth.

Lemon smiled softly before standing up to grab the empty plate. “Well, I'll just go ahead and fix up her plate for her for when she gets on back.” She said as she began to place a hearty portion of food on the plate.

“I just hope she gets on back here...”

---

A bit of a way away from the ranch was small forest dense with trees and shrubs. This forest, while serene and peaceful, didn't compare to the breathtaking sight it lead to: A steep cliff side that overlooked the ocean and out into the horizon. Not many people made it all the way out there making it the perfect spot for the heiress of the Rakshasa Clan to come and mediate. The dragon swordswoman: Maeve sat at the edge of the cliff on her knees, her arms resting on her thighs and her head bowed low. Her eyes were shut and Fateburn, her massive hybrid of a great sword and cleaver, was pierced into the ground and standing behind her. She remained still as she sat in a deep meditative focus. A bit of the salty breeze blew past her causing her regal cape and her spiky ruby locks to sway with the wind but she remained undeterred from her meditations. She let her mind wander the sounds of the waves crashing into the cliff side lulling her into a serene state.

As she meditated her mantra flashed through her mind. Constantly as a reminder to keep herself and her ki focused and in control. One slip could mean her demonic urges claiming her. Thoughts of the night she met the majin: Sala (Which was a truly good thing) and the twisted demon scientist: Lunar (Which was a truly bad thing) played before her mind. Other than dealing with the Makyo Star (and it's set of problems) it was one of the first times she had ever really gave into her dark urges. If the man hadn't escaped she would have cut him down. Not out of justice, not because she was forced to, but because she wanted to. Her rage yearned for his blood and that truly scared her. In her emotional state, she lost her control. So she went back to her mantra. The ideas of discipline and control burning anew in her mind.

“You must be swift ...Like the ever blowing Wind...”

     “...Your mind must be free...Like the continual flow of Water...”

“...Your body needs to be sturdy...Sturdy and tough as the Earth itself...”

        “...You must embody all of that.... With your spirit ablaze...With your heart fueled by Fire!”

The dragoness sat with her eyes shut as she let her serene mind settle her emotions. She had spent the last few days training her mind over her body in an attempt to sharpen her serene state even further. As she gave herself more and more to the flow of the world she began to notice faint ripples that people tended to give off that disrupted that flow ever so slightly. Generally, these ripples seemed benign like the easy going people that seemed to fill the world. Though, sometimes these ripples were strange, and uneasy. She couldn't quite understand the differences but She assumed that being able to see them was just the next level of her serene focus.

She let out a sigh as she opened her eyes. She looked out at the ripples created by every little movement. She could see the soft waving of grass in the breeze, the leaves of great trees dropping from their branches and dancing in the wind, and the displacement caused by the massive waves slamming into the towering stone cliff. Those simple images were beautiful and mystifying to the girl in her hyper aware state. The flow around her was rippling in a peaceful crescendo of simple movements that she could lose herself in.

That was until everything was overpowered by a sudden shake in the flow. The girl's golden eyes shot open in alarm as she felt...Something... Something that was off and disrupting everything. She looked around, her breath catching in her chest as she reached back for her blade. Something was very very wrong! She could feel it! She could see the world itself tremble in terror from the oncoming disturbance. She looked around, her headfins perking in her panicked frenzy as she tried to find what set her senses off.

After a moment she'd feel another pulse that caused her to turn towards the woods behind her. Whatever she was feeling...It was coming in the direction of her home: the Shrimp family ranch! “...Scampi.” She uttered the name of her friend under her breath as she clenched the hilt of her blade. That mass of ill intent and aggression was threatening everyone of her 'family' members down at the ranch. She wanted to rush down as soon as she could to help but she didn't have the time to make her way over there on foot. There had to be a faster way she could get there, something she could do.

So without further hesitation she ran towards her home formulating her ideas with each frantic step she made. She just hoped she had time to get there. She had to figure out something fast!

---

Back at the Shrimp Family Ranch the family was happily finishing up their meal, things were as chaotic as ever but there was a certain peace to the chaos that Scampi wouldn't ever trade away. They all joked, laughed, and lived as a good stable family. As things began to wind down Lemon would move around the table grabbing a few plates. “Y'all hankerin' fer some dessert? I made some of my cranberry pie!” The woman said closing her eyes and tilting her head as a smile crossed on her lips.

She heard the porch door open and close quickly and opened her eyes. “Oh! That must be Maeve! Figures as soon as I mention my cranberry pie she shows up.” She said with a laugh causing the rest of the family to chuckle as well. “I'll go get her dinner and the pie, y'all just relax y'hear?” She said walking out of the room. The chuckles and merriment continued for a few moments. That was until the sound of shattering dishes and Lemon's scream filled the air. Scampi, his brothers, and his father all shot up at once.

“Tempura, Creole. Git on to the cellar with Scamp and Panne.” Gumbo ordered as he rushed into the room where his wife had screamed. Tempura and Creole nodded as they watched their father rush into the kitchen and turned, each twin placing a hand on their younger siblings shoulder as they tried to hurry them along. As they attempted to do as their father asked, Scampi pulled away from their grasp with a bit of energy and ran ahead before they could stop him.

“Scamp! No! Git back here!” Creole called out as he tried to make a grab for his younger brother.

“Scamp! Come back! Y'all are just gonna git in Pa's way!” Tempura spoke with a startled gasp as he fumbled towards the young teen in a fruitless attempt to restrain him.

“Don't worry bout me! Make sure y'all and Panne are alright! I'm gonna help Pa!” Scampi yelled back, much to their dismay. Though he was off and headed into the next room before they could stop him.

As Scampi was scrambling past his siblings: Gumbo made his way into the kitchen, The large man's stern gaze turned fiery at the sound of his wife's scream. “Gumbo!” He heard her cry out causing him to cut his gaze straight to her, she was on the ground, back pressed against the counter tops pushing her against them as far back as she could. There were fragments of dishes surrounding her and a butcher knife resting in her trembling hands. Her fearful, tear filled gaze sparked an inferno in the man as he glanced up to see what she was pointing her knife at. He let out a startled gasp as he focused his gaze on a strange alien who was happily helping himself to the dessert that was made for him and his family.

The alien was a humanoid. He stood at an average height for a man his (apparent) age and had a lean athletic build about him. He had a fair face with a pointed jaw with long, lavish hair tied back in a ponytail. If it weren't for his: flawless, light purple skin, striking dark blue hair, and sharp golden eyes he could easily pass for a human. That, and his outfit stood out making him look otherworldly. He was wearing a set of futuristic armor (That was mostly standard fair for Arcosian soldiers) with one pauldron and a half cape that covered his back and the bulk of his left arm. He looked up to the large human as he came into the room and smiled, finishing up his bite of the baked dessert. He licked his lips slowly as he met the man's furious gaze with a coy smirk.

“Greetings Earthling.” He said with a smooth uncaring voice as he kept his even gaze on the bulky man. “As I tried to explain to your lover there before she so rudely interrupted me with her scream, I am Balsa, the leader of Lady Rime's attack squadron here to formally lay the terms of capture and seizure of your owned land as per described by the regulations in the Fair Battle Union Act. If you don't comply and leave immediately we shall treat it as an act of defiance and war. Do you understand?” He said in a cool tone, a coy smirk growing on his lips as the man's furious glare shifted to one of confusion.

Gumbo shook his head as the strange alien went on about various terms of engagement and combat. He didn't want to hear any of it, he just wanted the man gone and off his land. “Listen here twig boy, y'all aint gonna come into a man's home and start makin' no demands y'hear? If y'all reckon yer smart you'll git on out of here before I kick your ass! I don't need no regulatin or Lady Rimes to do that!” He said as he slammed his fist into his palm as if to illustrate his point that he wasn't screwing around. He was furious, this man waltzed into his home and made a claim. He was having none of it.

The alien laughed out covering his mouth as the man made his threat. “Interesting! I was so hoping you would resist, it'll make this much more fun!” He grinned as he stood up and shifted into a more confident stance. “Fine then, let us just see what we're dealing with shall we?” He glared at the man with his sharp golden stare as he moved his gloved hand to press a button on the strange device he wore over his right eye. He watched as a few alien numbers scrolled before his eye. He closed his eyes stiffing a laugh. “Hmmhmmhmm, a power level of four? That's adorable. How about I give you one free shot hm?” He said with a Cheshire grin and a tilt of his head. “Maybe if it'll make you feel better, I'll get a little bruise!” He said before laughing out loud.

Gumbo growled, showing off his teeth before he took a step towards the alien. If he was so eager for a sock he was willing to oblige. He invaded his home, scared his wife, and ate his pie. This space twig had a fist coming with his name on it. (It was Blasto, or Blazer or something like that right?)

Balsa continued to laugh in arrogance before his scouter began beeping as the number suddenly started to change before his eyes. “Wait what?!” He gasped, the numbers moving in the quadruple digits suddenly. “2,000 no... 3... How is this possible?! You have nearly 4,000 power level?!” He said in alarm. He began to smack the side of his head against the scouter's base. “No it must be a gli-”

Balsa was cut off as a mess of purple hair suddenly slammed into his jaw with a mighty headbutt that hit with enough force to send him reeling out the door. Scampi stood in front of his parents with a hand on his head nursing the bruise he got from headbutting the alien. He glanced back to his startled folks and looked to them with a serious look. “Ma! Pa! Y'all git to the cellar and take care of the others! Maeve's been trainin' me fer somethin like this fer a while now! Please believe in me! I'll take care of him!” The boy implored.

His father looked upon him with reluctance before casting his gaze to his wife. “...Alright Scamp, y'all go git em. Lemon, go on to the cellar with the others.” He ordered before looking to his youngest son. “Go on and tussle with em and keep em at bay. I'm goin to grab my gun. When I do, y'all run, y'hear?” He asked in a serious tone looking upon his son like a man.

“Got it Pa, I'mma gonna take care of this before that though! Just you wait!” He said before grabbing his belongings and rushing outside where he knocked Balsa away.

“Be careful you two...” Lemon called out to both of them as she made her way to the cellar.

---

Balsa was forced out of the ranch house with a stumble and a grunt, he leaned forward his eyes narrowing to pinpoints as he looked into the door way. “Why that little punk! Where did he even come from?!” He snarled holding his hands out to his sides flashes of vibrant purple energy forming in his palms.

“What's goin' on Balsa?” A massively built, towering humanoid asked out in a graveled voice. He had scarred, a rectangular face that was mostly covered by a thick bushy beard and a spiked Mohawk. Other than his sheer size the man was clearly alien due to: his dark grey skin tone, blood red eyes, and stark white hair. The giant of a man was wearing armor in a similar design of the elegant looking alien before him. As he awaited a response, the large man outstretched his arms while pulling them back and rolling them, popping a few of his joints while loosening his muscles.

“On your guard Raunch, they actually have someone with a bit of oomph to them! Looks like these earthlings want to have a little fun.” Balsa called back to the titan, a scowl forming on his normally cool and collected face. He cast his gaze downward beside him as the third member of Rime's attack squadron, Sezarr came up. He was a short, stocky, frog-like alien with a blotchy green, red and orange skin coloration. The alien curled his lips into a devious grin he let his long thick tongue run over them in an anticipatory manner.

“Hawhawhaw! The frog like creature erupted in a fit of giggles at the state his leader was in. “What's wrong Balsa? Is there actually a challenge awaiting us huh? Am I gonna get to eat something? I'm soo hungry!” He said letting his tongue hang out as if he were a feral beast. He tapped a few buttons on the long visor like scouter as he scanned for the potential threat's power.

“Y'all need to git! I ain't gonna hold back nothin!” Scampi cried out as he jumped outside, his trusty wooden sword in hand and his lucky brass pot atop his head. The young boy looked over the three aliens with a determined little frown as he held up his wooden blade defiantly to each of them. “Go on and git outta my home! Go back where y'all came from y'hear?” He ordered as he swung his sword to the side, cutting the air. He stood firm despite everything and kept his brave gaze steady against the three alien intruders. He wanted to offer them one last chance of escape.

“Enough of your mouth child! Prepare to face the wrath of Lady Rime's attack squadron!” Balsa snarled as he began the battle by hurling the two shimmering bolts of amethyst indignation at the farmer's boy. As the two bolts of deadly ki whizzed towards the boy he would roll out of the way letting out a high pitched cry. The bolts would strike into the ground and explode violently sending dirt and debris flying into the air.

“Dang! That was almost my bacon!” The boy spat, his gaze fixated on the smoldering ground where he was previously standing. That was until the shadow overcast by the brutish Raunch demanded his attention. He turned to face the giant of a man baring down upon him with a thuggish smirk on his scarred face. It was only for a moment though, for soon the man's titanic fist slammed towards Scampi as the man let out a raspy yell. Scampi scrambled to dive out of the way of the pulverizing strike, just avoiding the massive fist that would crush the ground seconds later.

“Heh, you're quick on your feet kiddo but if all ya can do is dance around this is gonna be over reallll quick.” Raunch said through a confident smirk as he lifted his fist up from the ground (while bringing a lot of the earth up with it.) He shook his hand free of the dirt caked on his fingers as he looked down upon the boy. “If you bore me I'm gonna crush you like a bug. Ya hear me kid?” He said letting out a threatening jeer.

It took a moment, but as soon as Scampi got his footing from the dive he would glare up at the brute that was talking down to him. He held his wooden blade up in his stance and began to gather his ki into his legs. He didn't dignify the hulking alien with a response to his goading taunts but rather he decided to literally launch into a counter attack with a dash as swift as lightning. “GET READY! THUNDERIN' THRUST!” He called out telegraphing his attack with the heroic roar. Though, even with his shouting, it couldn't prepare Raunch for the sudden explosion of speed the boy had as he shot forward. Nor could it ready him for the sudden momentum fueled thrust of the boy's wooden blade digging into his gut.

“GUFAAAW” Raunch spat out, his eyes bulging from the burst of force that had slammed into his armored stomach. He took a step back his hands cradling the wound instinctively as he glared daggers at the boy. “Little punk!” He bellowed as he tried to regain his stance.

“He's faster than I would have anticipated for an Earthling! Hawhaw Even Raunch is being taken aback.” Sezarr commented with a little giggle as he watched Scampi move. Though the small alien wasn't just content with commentating, after seeing Scampi pull away from Raunch he would spring up into the air. Sezarr hovered above the boy as he charged a lime green bolt of energy into his palms. “You won't get away boy! I'm gonna fry you up and eat you! Bones and all!” The froggish alien yelled, his tongue slathering in his maw as he imagined it. “Hawhawhaw! Take this: BRUTE BLAST!” He said hurling the lime sphere of energy down upon the boy.

Scampi saw the shining sphere of devastation come hurtling towards him causing him to sprint away to try and avoid being obliterated by the mass of ki. Sezarr seemed ready for this however, as he created another mass of lime green energy, this time forming a ring of it. “You too!” He yelled as he hurled the speedy ring down at the bolt. As it closed in on the sphere the ring would expand to engulf the sphere before shrinking down causing the energy to rupture and explode in a brilliant flash of green light.

“C-Crap! Crap crap crap!” Scampi called out as the edge of the blast caught him and lifted him off the ground as he attempted to flee. He was sent hurtling into the air like a powerless rag doll. As he helplessly flailed through the air: Balsa would appear before him in a burst of speed and send a heel to his back with a sharp ax kick. Scampi's vision was replaced by a searing white flash of pain as his body was slammed into the dirt with enough velocity to create a dust cloud.

“It seems the clod was put where he belongs...” Balsa said with a cool smirk as he held his arm up. Another burst of energy formed in in his palm, pink electricity sparked and crackled around the ever expanding sphere. He grinned a wicked and spiteful grin as he held the deadly bolt of ki in front of his face, it's pink light illuminating the dark glint in his eyes. “...In the dirt!” He yelled as he fired a beam of light that pierced the air as it cut towards the cloud where Scampi was most certainly still recovering in.

Balsa laughed out as the beam collier with the Earth creating a flash of light as rubble lifted into the air from the impact alone. There was no way Scampi could have survived that! The boy was probably ash. Balsa lowered his hand to a more relaxed position at his side as he watched the dust settle. He was confident that it was done and over with.

“Hey! Above y'all!” Scampi roared, causing the alien to look up a mixture of confusion and rage playing over his elegant features. His sharp golden eyes fixated on the beaten and dirt covered boy who held his wooden blade overhead. He couldn't believe it, how did he evade his attack? He had no idea but his thoughts were interrupted by another yell. “Git ready! Demon Skull Beheadin!”Scampi called out qas he attempted to send the ki charged blade crashing down on the squadron leader's skull. Balsa braced himself for impact.

“Wha?!”

Scampi cried out as something foul, sticky and smelling of bile wrapped around his blade and yanked him back. Scampi looked back to his blade in confusion and saw a pulsing, oozing, web-like organ firmly wrapped around the wooden weapon that steamed as it began to dissolve. He looked further back and saw the frog like alien Sezarr drawing the boy in with the organ with his wide maw wide open. It looked as if this webby 'stomach' came from the alien's guts. Scampi pulled with all his might and broke the hilt of his training blade away from the alien's mouth and watched in horror as the organ dissolved and digested the rest of the blade.

“Didn't your mommy teach you not to swing sticks around boy? You might poke someone's ey-AUGGGHHH” Sezarr cried out as the human he was taunting jabbed the splintered hilt into his big bulging eyes. The froggy alien retracted his digestive organ as his hands went to cover his wounded eye. “Little punk! I'll wrap you up and melt you into syrup! Augghhh!” The alien cried out in agony as Scampi dropped the hilt and ran away from him.

“Gotcha!” Raunch snapped as he suddenly wrapped his bulky arms around the boy's chest and caught him as he was running away. “You're more trouble than you're worth kid! So I think I'm gonna finish this quickly if you don't mind.” The gray skinned giant laughed out as he began to squeeze and crush Scampi in his grapple. “You fought harder than most kiddo I'll give you that! You've got spirit! Spirit ain't worth much when you're pulped though! I'm gonna crush you into mush! Your bones are gonna splinter as I squeeze you to dust!” He grinned as he began to crush Scampi's body with his grapple, the boys screams being sweet music to his ears.

Scampi cried out as pain attacked him from all sides. A sickening popping sound filled the air. As the pain overwhelmed him Scampi's screams would die down into wheezes, his vision beginning to blur as every nerve in his body assaulted his brain with one single message: Pain. Scampi struggled to break free from the intense pressure brought on by Raunch's crushing embrace. He kicked, writhed and fought his hardest to break free but to no avail. Eventually, he went limp and hung his head in the titan's arms. “Awww you passed out? That's a shame. I was hoping you'd scream for me a bit longer kid.” Raunch said as he released his grip, dropping the boy in a heap.

The great alien smirked devilishly as he rest his massive foot over the poor boy's pot covered skull. He let out a deep rumble of a laugh as he began to put pressure down on the boy's head. “Eheheh. Ya put up quite the fight ya little brat! Now I've got ya... It won't be as morally satisfyin' as crushin' the skull of a monkey but I'm bettin' it'll make the same satisfyin' crunch I've grown fond of!” He snarled putting a bit more pressure on the boy's skull. His eyes popped open at the sudden pain radiating throughout him causing him to cry out as every nerve in his brain burned in alarm. Taking any more of this and he'd be toast! Or, more accurately he'd be a scrambled egg beneath the behemoth's heel.

“Still got a little fight in ya after all do ya?! Well good! Scream for me! Heheheh!” The alien jeered with a bellowing guffaw as he toyed with his 'victim'

“Ahh no fair! Raunch is gonna get all the fun with this one!” The frog like alien complained as he hovered beside his commander. “Ahh well, at least afterward I'll be able to dissolve his remains~ Little punk got me in the eye with that stick of his so I'm a little pissed I'm not gonna get my shot at making him suffer!” Sezarr muttered as he eyed the boy, a sadistic little grin growing on his gross maw.

Balsa crossed his arms as he watched the violent display. “Despite the fact that you're going to be feasting on the boy It seems that Raunch is toying with his food again, how repugnant.” The fair looking alien spat through gnashing teeth. “Still, the boy was surprisingly powerful and he is just an adolescent. I thought the average power was supposed to be far weaker among the earthlings...” He mused rather calmly through the agonized screams of the boy beneath the giant.

He paused however as his scouter suddenly began to beep. “Wha? No... That's impossible! How is his power level rising?!” He gasped, his body trembling in shock as the numbers began to climb higher and higher.

“Balsa? What's...” Sezarr stopped before he noticed the power creep on his visor like scouter. “There's no way it can be coming from the boy! N-No way a backwater bumpkin can jump that much!” The frog alien hissed lowly in denial.

“What are ya blabberin' about?!” Raunch called back to them, not paying his scouter any mind. He was having far too much fun torturing the boy to care about it.

“RAUNCH YOU IMBECILE KILL HIM NOW! WE'RE PICKING UP ON A POWER LEVEL WELL OVER SIX THOUSAND!” Balsa ordered with a roar.

“Over six grand? I don't buy it! Those must be broken!” Raunch snapped before looking down to the feeble boy underfoot. There was no way it could possibly be coming from him! He could barely move! The giant's eyes widened however as he saw something flicker before his eyes. “W-What the...” He stammered moving off of Scampi to get in a more ready stance.

“ERRRYA! THUNDER THRUST!” The voice of a fierce young woman cried out around them. Before Raunch could even react the dragoness swordswoman: Maeve, would fade into existence as she used her demonic blink ability to appear at the spot before the towering alien. He cried out in shock at the sudden appearance but his cries were silenced as the sound of metal ripping through wet flesh cut them off. The man coughed, the remainder of his cry turning into nothing but wasted air as he took a shaky step back.

“A-Again...?” He coughed, dark blood pouring out of his mouth as he looked down to his gut. His eyes widened in horror as he saw not a wooden blade thrust against him but a fearsome greatsword tearing into his armor and into him.

“A-Ah! All the...Way?” Balsa stammered through a jaw slackened by shock and fear. From where he and Sezarr were floating they could see the mighty edge of Fateburn savagely ripping out their bulking companion's back. They could only stammer at the image of bloodied steel, torn flesh and cracked armor before them.

Raunches eyes rolled into the back of his head as the blade was retrieved from his torso witch a sicking 'shlick.' A violent stream of blood erupted from both ends of the wound as he collapsed. His allies looked to the one responsible but it only raised more questions than it brought answers. “What the heck is that Balsa?! Is that even an Earthling?!” Sezarr choked in horror at the sight.

Maeve shot the two a chilling glare with her burning gold eyes. Before Balsa could respond she would point her still bloodied blade up at them. “Oi. You two attacked this home?” She said in a cold tone as she tilted her head to the side, her spiky ruby locks falling out of her eyes so she could keep her gaze steady and unrelenting. “...You two attacked this boy?” She said after a pause, her glare breaking so she could look to Scampi. Despite being a little banged up and bruised he was still slowly pulling himself up.

Balsa's expression shifted from horror to a reluctant snarl as he eyed the strange dragon hybrid. His fists clenched as she demanded answers from them. A white hot rage boiled in his core as she began speaking in such a cool manner after slaying their comrade. Who did she think she was?! She was talking down to Lady Rime's attack squadron! “Yes! We did under orders of Lady Rime! Though I hardly see why this is of any significance to an off worlder! How dare you interfere! Mind your business and stand aside and we'll forgive you for your grievous crime!” He honestly didn't want to fight the woman, the scouter wasn't wrong in it's assessment, to fell the towering Raunch in a single strike meant he would be seriously outmatched if he made one mistake in fighting her. One slip could mean his death. He didn't want to take that chance.

“Yeah! Why does an off worlder like you even care what happens to this backwater heap?!” Sezarr demanded in a high pitched whine. He also seemed to gain a bit of bravery from Balsa's bout of false courage.

Maeve's cold glare turned into a fiery snarl at their responses. Her grip tightened on her blade as she began to radiate with a dark energy. Bolts of black and red electricity snaked along her form as her body trembled with power. “...I care because this, is my home. I care because he, is my friend!” She hissed through shrap teeth as her power rumbled around her and radiated in a few flashes of demonic power. “If you're so eager to follow your orders then you should have no qualms fighting me! I won't back down!” She cried out before letting out a roar as she lurched forward in a burst or black and red ki.

Before Sezarr and Balsa could react Maeve was on top of them. She yelled out as she swung the hefty cleaver towards the frog alien in a downward arc. Sezarr meeped in shock as he curled up in a ball expanding his ki out to form a barrier against the oncoming blow. His bulbous eyes widened as he saw the blade crash against the barrier causing it to crack under the force. Balsa tried rush at Maeve's side, thinking she was distracted with Sezarr but was cut off by the violent whip of her tail. He coughed, the force of the crack enough to knock the wind out of him.

“S-Strong!” He wheezed as he desperately tried to gain his breath. He clutched his stomach, one blow was enough to wind him... How was that possible?! He growled as he tried to formulate a plan. He focused on watching her movements against his comrade.

Sezarr was faring little better than his leader. With each slash with her blade she was inching closer to shattering his ki barrier. He had to think of something quickly, this was a battle of attrition that he wasn't equipped for.

The demoness kept her attention focused on the barrier, every instinct was telling her to tear it down so she would be able to get to the coward hiding behind it. The crashing of steel against ki caused a violent ring to echo into the air with each it. This ring was followed by the satisfying crackle of failing energy that only served to drive Maeve on in battering her mighty cleaver against the frog's defenses. She was so fixated on it that she didn't even notice Balsa was busily charging an attack!

Balsa smirked deviously as he held his arm out. His hand, which was sparking with a reddish purple electricity was pointed outwards as if he were in the middle of preforming a chop. “Vanish forever! Violet Arrow!” He cried out as the violet beam suddenly shot towards Maeve. The dragoness' ears perked at the cry forcing her to pull away from Sezarr as she watched the brilliant violet light streak towards her.

“As if I would get hit by that!” Maeve growled, in annoyance as she narrowly avoided the shrieking bolt of light. She was annoyed both by the fact that Balsa would be low enough to try and get a cheap shot in and by the fact that she was nearly hit by said cheap shot. There was no honor in such dirty tactics and it only served to frustrate her.

Balsa merely gave the dragoness a vicious smirk as he suddenly cut his arm to the side. With his hand movement the beam would curve around and hit it's intended target: The distracted Maeve's sword! Maeve's eyes shot open in shock as the strike caught her off guard. She fumbled against the force of the ki bolt but the shock of the sudden force was enough to cause her to lose her grip, forcing the blade from her clawed hands. “W-What?! Impossible!” She seethed in furious frustration as her blade was suddenly knocked to the ground.

Balsa's eyes widened as his smirk formed into a mad grin. His gambit worked! He disarmed her! Strong as she was she wouldn't be able to survive what he had in store without her blade. He shot towards her like a bolt of pink fury “It's over! Sezarr! Now while she's unarmed! Feed!” He ordered as he slammed into Maeve's side with a mighty shoulder tackle. The force was enough to buckle the dragoness. As soon as she was a step away from the blade he would step on it, locking it's place on the ground with his heel.

Sezarr grinned as he instantly knew what Balsa had in mind. He shattered his barrier with a 'pop' before hunkering down. His bulging eyes narrowed in on the demoness as a sardonic grin etched itself unto his disgusting maw. “ You're finished! I'm gonna melt you into goo till there's nothing left! This fight is over! DO YOU UNDERSTAAAAANNNNNDDD?!” He cried out as his jaw suddenly unhinged in a disgusting display of his alien anatomy. Maeve watched in horror as the frog like creature suddenly spat up his foul smelling, steaming, web-like organ at her. She tried to pull away from the bizarre attack but due to her proximity it was almost impossible.

A pained cry escaped the woman's lips as the hot digestive organ eagerly latched itself around her. “What is...This?!” Maeve struggled and wriggled in the steaming thing's grasp. As soon as it had a grip on her the organ would begin to leak a corrosive acid, one so pungent and potent that it would even burn against the dragoness' super tough scales. She bit her lip as she hung her head. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to fight back the pain.

“This is my stomach! My kind has what you would call an 'external' digestive system! We ensnare our prey and digest them alive! You're basically in my stomach right now! Burning away in my belly! Hawhawhaw! You're nothing but lunch for me!” The frog alien jeered through a tittering laugh as he eagerly watched Maeve kick and struggle in his stomach's deadly embrace. “Struggle all you want! Once my stomach has claimed someone there is no escape! You might as well just lie back and accept your fate, but personally I love it when my food has a little fight in them! Hawhawhaw!” He let out a mad laugh as he could smell Maeve's flesh begin to burn from his thick acid.

The dragoness let out a cry of unfiltered agonized pain as she could feel the dense ooze like acid eagerly working away at her body. She shuddered at the thought of it alone. This beast was trying to devour her alive! She knew some demons were capable of such a dark feat but she never dreamed she would be on the receiving end of such a vile act. If only she could get to her sword... He'd be completely defenseless if she had her weapon but that other alien was doing his best to guard it. She cast her gaze over to the smug alien as he happily watched her get digested alive with his arms crossed. The bastard sure seemed proud of himself.

Balsa's grin only grew as he saw the girl glare at him. He gave her in elegant bow to mock her as his companion happily tried to turn her to mush with his deranged biology. The cries of pain and the mixture of suffering and fear in the girl's eyes were absolutely exquisite to the cold alien. There was a certain beauty to agony that he absolutely relished. He drunk in all of it from her expression alone.

“Hawhawhaw! Giving up?! Your movements have slowed down quite a bit off worlder! Do you feel foolish for challenging us?! Do you feel little?! Oh how the proud and mighty have fallen!” Sezarr laughed out loud as he proceeded to rub salt in Maeve's currently burning and dissolving wounds. “You can't protect anyone anymo-”

The vicious crack of gunfire cut off the alien as he felt searing hot lead bury into his back. “AGHHH!” He cried out stumbling forward as a bit of dark green blood spewed from the back of his head. “T-That hurt! THAT REALLY HURT!” He cried out cupping the wound in the back of his head. Since he wasn't expecting it the attack managed to actually impact the super powered alien. He turned around slowly to get a look at his attacker.

“P-Pa?!” Scampi weakly called out as he looked to the ranch house entrance.

Gumbo Shrimp stood before them, a furious blaze burned in his hardened eyes as he aimed his smoking shotgun at the back of the alien's skull. He cut his gaze over to Scampi and ushered him to get inside with the tilt of his head. “Git on inside Scamp, I'll handle this.” He said in a commanding tone as he cocked his shotgun. “Now listen here ya froggy sunavabitch if y'all don't let her go I'll be send' ya back to space in pieces!” He snapped firing another blast at the frog alien. He cocked his shotgun once more and readied a third shot.

“That's enough of that!” Balsa snapped as he suddenly appeared before the burly man and sent a graceful kick to his chest. A graceful kick that had enough force to smash the full grown man through the side of the house. “No more interference then...” He said seeming satisfied with the kick.

“P-PA! PA! ARE YA ALRIGHT?!” Scampi cried out as he suddenly sprinted to the house to check on his father.

“Well done Balsa! That gnat had a bit of a sting to him! Luckily not enough to interup-” Sezarr's blood went cold as he turned his attention back to Maeve. She was still wrapped up in his stomach but when Balsa moved to strike Gumbo it gave her a chance to rearm herself. She stared daggers at the frog-like alien as she lowered into her stance.

“I may not be able to break free with force alone but your stomach's hold will be useless if I just tear you apart from the inside out. Do you understand?” She hissed the last question mockingly as she shifted her blade getting ready to strike. Her deadly gaze was more than enough to make it clear that she was ready to rend his flesh with killing intent. “You sure said all the crap you wanted to back there.” She growled, thinking back to his jeers. “I'm the type that takes such things to heart!” Her grip tightened around her blade as she stepped forward.

Before he could even blink Maeve's blade would begin it's work. With his stomach out and in display it made it easy for her to give him one hell of a case of indigestion. “Chaotic Rebellion Star!” She roared out in fury as she suddenly tore into the creature in a blinding blitz of steel and rage. Sezarr let out a bellow of horror and pain as he watched his stomach get shredded. As tough as the organ was it stood no match for Maeve's ki infused blade. With five flesh tearing cuts Maeve would rip herself from her disgusting binds and shred the guts of her foe in one fell swoop.

Sezarr choked as he threw up gushes of dark green blood. He desperately knelt down in an attempt to keep together what bits of entrails he could. He was literally falling apart from the inside out and despite his feeble efforts to cling to life his frantic movements would slow to a stop. He croaked out, a splash of blood escaping his maw as he collapsed.

Maeve panted, seeing that the little frog was finally dead. Even if her power was suppressed by the weights she was wearing that acid still probably would have been deadly without them. It was a freakish attack for sure and she was honestly glad to have been able to counter it. She only killed when she had to... That's what she told herself. The giant was killed to save Scampi's life... He would have crushed the boy had she not taken him out. The frog? Well...That was to save herself.

As she took her moment to recover she would look towards the ranch house. She grimaced at the impact site where poor Gumbo was launched through. She really hoped he was alright... She might have been mushed if it weren't for his intervention! She looked thoughtfully to the hole before she saw Lemon poke her head out.

“Lemon?!” Maeve spoke in shock to see the boy's mother.

“Maeve! Gumbo will be alright! Y'all give these space buggers hell! Ya hear?!” The normally cheery farmer's wife cried out zealously to the demoness she and the rest of the Shrimp clan had come to adore as one of their own. They were even willing to put their lives on the line for her. She wouldn't fail them. After all they had done for her she couldn't fail them! She would protect them and their home with everything she had!

With renewed vigor Maeve would nod to Lemon “Leave it to me!”

“Shut up and die!”

Balsa cried out as he fired a hot bolt of pink ki at the older woman. He wasn't going to stand idly by as she babbled nonsense in front of his dead comrades. He would silence her permanently!

Lemon's eyes widened in horror as the bolt came shooting towards like a bullet. “AH MY STARS!” She shrieked out in fear falling back in a stumble.

Maeve rushed in front of the woman and swiped at the Ki bolt with her blade, narrowly managing to save her. Her simple bat deflected his deadly ki bolt and sent it harmlessly into the ground. “Get out of here! Take everyone somewhere safe! I'll finish this!” She ordered the woman without looking back. No she kept her gaze locked on the snake that continued to attack through slimy underhanded means. “Enough of your tricks! Both your comrades are dead! Leave now and you wont have to suffer the same fate.” Maeve said once again in an even tone as she stared at the alien. She was willing to give him a chance at leaving peacefully, she didn't want to kill him too.

“OH! BUT I HAVE ONE FANCY LITTLE TRICK LEFT OFF WORLDER!” Balsa yelled out in a mad fit of rage as the dragoness continued to stand in his way. “Dammit! You killed Raunch and now Sezarr is dead too! You think I would just ignore that and leave?! No! I'll just crush you into dust! You damn bitcccchhhhh!” Balsa screamed in a mixture of lament and outrage to the demoness. In his rage his once nearly flawless body began to warp into something vile and monstrous. His cries mutated into roars as his handsome visage was marred into something ugly and brutish. His once elegant form turned bulky and stiff with bulging muscles. He opened his now alligator like maw as sharp pointed teeth grew in. He closed his mouth to gnash his now razor sharp teeth as he finished his transformation.

Maeve looked on as the man suddenly turned into a hulking beast. She was confused... Mortals had the ability to transform?! That was certainly surprising. She wouldn't have expected that the man's sleek frame would be able to hold so much mass. It really didn't suit him. Still no matter the transformation she would remain undeterred. She only offered the beastly alien a small frown in response.

“Oh?! Too scared for words?! Or perhaps you're so foolishly arrogant to think you can best a power level of NINE THOUSAND!” He laughed outstretching his arms in a dramatic flourish to punctuate his new level of power. “With this power I'll be able to crush you into paste! You will die by my hand and my hand alone!” The beast mode Balsa snarled as he suddenly rushed towards Maeve and tried to swing a heavy fist at her.

Maeve blinked as the brute was suddenly upon her. For such a heavy bastard he sure seemed quick on his feet. Almost too quick for the weighed down Maeve to react to. The meaty hammer-like fist slammed into her jaw causing Maeve's body to lurch back from the force behind it. She coughed, her skull ringing from the pain brought upon by the heavy fist. It was jarring.

Balsa grinned, the feeling of striking this arrogant piece of trash in the face felt amazing! So much that he wanted to keep at it until she didn't have a face left at all! Those golden eyes, those scale fins, those pointed ears, those strange tattoos, he wanted to erase them all from existence. He did his best to do so, by taking advantage of the stunned state his first hook brought her in. He yelled out as he slammed his left hook into her, forcing her body to lurch in the opposite direction.

Maeve coughed up spittle and blood as the brute mashed another fist into her face. His strange burst of speed was ridiculous! She had to counter it... She wouldn't be beaten! She couldn't be beaten. She tried to regain her footing after the first two strikes but it would be no use. She couldn't focus! She had to find a chance to regain her focus!

Before she could act on that thought the brutish Balsa would slam his hands against the sides of her head in a mighty clap. She let out a surprised yelp as a jolt of pain exploded throughout her from the unorthodox attack. She reeled back, jaw slackening from the pain only to be headbutted with enough force to send her tumbling to the ground.

“Oh the mighty have fallen! Didn't you realize that there was a reason I was the leader of Lady Rime's Attack Sqaudron? Oh right... You didn't know I was the leader! I suppose you do now! Hahahaha!” Balsa laughed maniacally at the crumpled Dragoness. He was drunk on the power his form brought. “I hate using this form because of it's garish appearance, however there is beauty in power and I've got power!” He said with a triumphant laugh as he continued to gloat.

While he was busy blowing air Maeve was taking this brief moment of respite to refocus herself. While his attacks certainly stung the over confident idiot didn't realize that she had been limiting herself. If things were truly desperate she would go all out. Gumbo getting involved wasn't anticipated and she quite honestly kicked herself for not being able to step in. Had she been fighting at her full power she wouldn't have even gotten into that situation in the first place. She had to let that go though... She had to let everything go. Everything would be all right... Her mind had to be free from the shackles of emotion and doubt... She had to be calm and serene like a still pond. She had to be like water. She closed her eyes and tried to focus

---

In an instant she found herself not at the farm but floating in an endless ocean. She wasn't in the middle of battle with a monstrous foe rather she was drifting lazily through a sea of crystal clear water that stretched as far as the eye could see. The cool waters were soothing to her and put her mind completely at ease. While most of her body was submerged she still felt she could float endlessly. She looked around the watery abyss with curiosity when she noticed an abnormality in it all. The water... It was completely still. Not a single movement was made. Not a single disturbance. It was pure serenity.

The stillness of it all was almost too much for Maeve. It was almost maddening as it was beautiful to see the water frozen in time. She couldn't take the stillness though, she had to move or do something!

As she began to struggle against the flow of water she would notice ripples coming off her form interrupting the flow. She paused staring at the small movements that radiated from her struggles and with them a familiar voice would call out to Maeve.

“What do the ripples mean?”

The voice questioned her as a teacher would a student. It was authoritative but it also was presented in a way for Maeve to lead herself to an answer. The familiar tone seemed to assume that she would be able to figure it out.

“I...I don't know...” Maeve responded, her mind trying to think of an answer to give. She was confident in telling the voice she didn't know though, it felt wrong to her that she had no ideas 'what the ripples meant.' She felt as if she did know or she should know.

“Are they meaningless?”

The voice asked, this time as if testing the girl.

“No. All things have meaning... Every movement matters, every moment counts. You taught me that.” Maeve responded almost automatically to the seemingly outlandish question.

“Then what do the ripples mean?”

The voice asked once more, returning to it's original tone. It knew Maeve had the answer she just had to find it herself.

Maeve looked to the pool once more, each ripple flowing around her as she moved. Her eyes widened in realization. “...They're disruptions... In the flow. Small ripples are passive, they're the result of disruptions that are minor and begin. Large ones are aggressive, they're the result of major disruptions that are aggressive.” As she spoke the realization of what she saw... Or rather... What she was beginning to see made sense. She wasn't at the next level of focus she was merely at the cusp of it.

“Well done Maeve! You finally know what it means to have a mind as free as water. You can see and understand the flow of the world itself. You can see the ripples each person makes and see what they truly mean. You are at the first step of mastery of your body, mind and spirit.”

The voice congratulated the dragoness before taking shape. The dragoness' eyes widened as a beautiful golden haired kitsune appeared above her and her pool of infinity. The nine tailed fox spirit gave the girl a warm smile.

“Akemi!” Maeve cried out happily at seeing her beloved teacher and friend. “Is...Is it really you?” She asked, recalling the dreadful vision she had while facing against Lunar and his madness.

“Yes Maeve, I'm reaching out to you from the demon realm. I've been keeping tabs on you since your banishment, I've also been tracking your progress with your training. I'm very proud of you.” She said with another warm smile and each fox tail waving happily behind her. “Though I haven't much time, I need to grant you the ability to call upon the strength of water. With it's magical power your Serene state will be much sharper and clearer. You'll be able to see the ripples of the flow with ease and you should be able to maintain your focus longer as well!” She explained with a grin.

“Really?! I-I'll be able to utilize water magic?! That's amazing! Are you sure I'm ready?!” She asked, knowing full well how dangerous magic could be to those unprepared for it's power.

“Positive! I'll be honest, I expected you to gravitate towards fire first but I sense you might be tempering your spirit out of fear. Hmm...We'll touch more on that later. After all I'll be seeing you soon~” She said in a sing song tone as she suddenly pressed a hand on Maeve's forehead.

“Wait soon? What?!” Maeve called out only to feel a sudden surge of power rush through her. It was cool and gentle but she could feel that overwhelm and drown her if she lost her grasp on it.

“W-Woah... This is the magic of water?!”

Before she could get any answers her dream was already over.

---

The dragoness opened her sharp eyes, what was an entire experience for her was merely a second for the rest of the world but in that second Maeve gained all she needed to overcome her opponent. She let out a low exhale as she called upon the power of water. A sapphire aura sparked around her for a brief instant as the magic poured into her. She pulled herself up and held up her blade to the bulking alien. She was ready. She was ready to finish this!

“Whats this? Have you not learned your place yet?! I'll just have to crush you down you pathetic insect!” Balsa sneered as he rushed towards the girl again. After landing a few good blows he was confident he could devastate her with a few more. After all, his power was overflowing! So he came with a low snarl and pulled his arm back, ready to smash into her!

“What?!”

Like a leaf resting on a still pond: Maeve weaved out of the way of his lunge effortlessly. With a swift dodge she defiantly denied the monstrous alien the impact he so desperately craved.

“Why you! Dodge this! RAAAHHH!” The bulking alien roared out as he rushed ahead of her once more This time he extended his arm out in an attempt to crudely 'clothesline' the warrior. He figured the first dodge had to be a fluke! There was no way she could read his movements! He was too fast for her!

As the great beast of a man came rushing at the demonic woman with his arm out and ready to pulverize her neck the demoness merely stared ahead at him with an even expression. She watched as he made his approach, she could see every ripple of movement he made. She watched every disruption to the flow that he made. It was nearly impossible not to track. He was operating on pure aggression creating one giant ripple to avoid. So as he came to strike her she was more than prepared to avoid, She saw it coming from a mile away after all!

Maeve clicked her tongue in a manner that almost seemed to chastise the brute as she ducked under his attempted clothesline and cut her blade across his side. As he passed over her all he would feel was the blade digging into his flesh in a simple yet violent counterattack. His eyes bugged out as he felt the warm thickness of blood splurting out of a fresh wound. She managed to cut him? How was that possible?!

Balsa stooped over, clutching his side as he tried to contain the blood from spilling any further. “B-Bitch! How dare you mar my perfect form with a cut! So you even realize how likely that could scar?! It'll be a permanent imperfection! A flaw that forever mocks me!” He snarled turning back to look at her. She still had that same even expression, her golden eyes stared at him with cool indifference.

This cool glared only infuriated the alien however, it was as if she were mocking him with it. It was as if she thought she was better than him! He wouldn't have that...He wouldn't be mocked by someone he so easily crushed just moments ago! So with a roar he would let his pink aura flare around him in a display of power before leaping towards Maeve. He snarled and spat as he threw punch after punch at her.

Maeve merely dodged each and every one of them, her even glare unchanging as she faced a barrage of fists. This fight was already over, she knew he wasn't going to be able to land a hit on her. It didn't matter if he was transformed into a raging monstrosity, she had the advantage now and the skill to make use of it. After weaving out of the way of a few more strikes Maeve would step forward in the brief pause of his wild assault. “Take this!” She hissed her golden eyes sparking as she readied her killing blow!

“That's enough of that.” An icy voice pierced the air in a formal yet commanding tone.

Maeve stopped in her tracks as a wave of vicious emerald energy suddenly ripped it's way between the two fighters separating them with a wall of ki. Maeve blinked in shock, snapping out of her serene state suddenly upon seeing the wave that nearly struck her. “What? There's another?!” Maeve asked herself as she looked back towards the source of the energy to see who or what decided to interfere with their fight.

Hovering in the air behind them was a short, feminine, multicolored creature not of Earth. She had a slender, lightly curved build with vibrant pink skin that had some sort of violet highlights to detail her flesh in various places such as the frame of her face and her full lips. Her body was fitted with an organic white armor in various places such as her forearms, her chest, and her shins with scarlet, ruby-like gems as accents. Her soft, girlish face was practically concealed by an organic 'helmet' of sorts that housed a massive gem as well as two short black nub-like horns at the sides. Her sharp, burning yellow, eyes were detailed with a natural black eyeliner and currently they were disdainfully fixated on the demoness before her. To finish her almost lizard like appearance the woman had a pink slender whip-like tail growing behind her.

This alien was clad in armor similar to the soldiers though there were a few noticeable differences that set it apart, differences that made it stand above the others. Namely, it appeared to be slightly more ornate in design. It's striking black and gold coloration signified she was an elite warrior of some sort or perhaps a commander. Like the men she also sported a lavish cape though hers only covered her back and was supported by two pauldrons. In her hands rest a hilt of a high tech rapier with an emerald blade of energy shooting from it's center.

“Lady Rime!” Balsa said looking up in fear to the Arcosian noble. “You shouldn't have come out...I've got this handled! Just let me finish her off! I can do it! I swear!” He said clenching his fist and looking to the demoness with discontent. He was eager to finish her off he had her in the palm of his hand. He couldn't let her slip away! His lady had no need to tarnish her hands with the blood of this interloper!

“Balsa. Stand down. You've proven your worth enough letting your two squad mates get killed.” Rime spoke with a deadly chill in her tone as her vibrant yellow eyes fixated themselves on the corpses of her former men. Her nose scrunched up in disgust before she decided to take her revulsion out on her remaining soldier. “Clear the field of these corpses and return to the ship, I cannot stand to look at you in this form. You disgust me.” She said as she lowered herself to the ground.

“Yes my lady...” Balsa said trying to regain his smooth and collected tone (though failing horribly) He'd cast on last hateful glance towards the demonic swordswoman before flying off to retrieve the bodies of his subordinates.

Maeve kept an even gaze on the two and kept her guard up even as Balsa made his exit. As soon as Balsa was out of the picture she turned her attention to the strange lizard like alien. She had to look down to meet her gaze this 'Lady' had a much shorter stature than her. Maeve was almost twice her height (she briefly wondered if this is what the rest of her family felt like: towering over everyone that came up to them.) Despite the height difference their steady glares were sharper than Fateburn and more intense than Rime's energy blade.

“Just who are-”

“Hold.” The Arcosian interrupted the dragoness as she held up a finger and closed her eyes. She cleared her throat, placing her hand over her mouth before she opened her eyes and looked to the dragoness. She puffed her chest and let all emotion fade from her face as she prepared to speak. As the arcosian took her time to compose herself in perpetration for her speech Maeve merely stood there, eyes narrowing with her impatience.

“Who are-”

“Hold.” The arcosian repeated, clearing her throat once more before finally proceeding.

“I, am called: Lady Rime. I am the sole heiress of one of the many royal castes on Arcose: my home world. As in accordance to the 'Fair Battle Union Act' I have come to this world to make my claim of this land.” She said extending open palmed hands to her sides as if she were outstretching her reach around everything she could see. She paused, clenching her fists before pointing a finger towards Maeve in an accusing manner before speaking. “You do realize that you, an off worlder, are breaking several rules of the O.B.R by being here correct?” She said, her formal tone turning frigid as she narrowed her eyes on the demoness. “Your interloping and encroachment of this formal challenge on this land makes a mockery of the art of war and breeches the code set by my glorious empress! What say you trespasser?! Do you have recognition for your misdeeds or are you so barbaric and simple that the code of battle means nothing to you! What say you interloper! Speak! Let it be heard!” She snarled speaking quicker and sharper with her growing fury.

“I don't know or care about your regulations and your rules. Where I come from there's only one rule: the strong reign. So forgive my ignorance or my lack of care for your overbearing customs.” Maeve said in a harsh tone as her eyes narrowed to pin points. She clenched her clawed, scaly, hands that gripped around the hilt of her sword as the demonic desire to strike this blowhard down grew. “But none of that matters. Where I'm from doesn't have any weight on why I interrupted your little challenge.” She said taking on an icy tone herself. “This is my home now and your subordinates attacked my friend and his family.” She said with a fiery snarl. The demonic rage that caused her blood to burn also caused her eyes to glow lightly in a threatening manner. “If you don't leave I'll cut you down like I did to your soldiers... I won't even break a sweat.”

The Arcosian's eyes narrowed to match Maeve's as she received her curt dismissal of her customs and at the savage threat. “Barbaric. Though I would have expected no less from a backwater slum such as this disgusting rock.” She said, almost considering spitting at the demoness' feet but she was far too refined for such crude displays of disgust. No, she would have to put this scaled savage in her place by besting her in combat. “Well then. Miss...?” She said, realizing the woman had the audacity to not introduce herself.

“Maeve, Maeve Rakshasa. Like you I am an heiress of powerful blood. Though unlike you it's not...Mortal.” She said emphasizing the point that she was in fact not an alien to the planet but an alien to the mortal realm. She was a demonic warrior and while she typically distanced herself from her heritage she wanted to use it to threaten the woman that had threatened her home.

“Well then Miss Maeve. Or should I call you Lady Rakshasa? No. No. That's far too refined for a savage such as yourself... I think 'Miss' might even be giving you too much credit.” She said bringing a hand to her lips in an attempt to suppress a disdainful laugh. “Regardless, Maeve you have claimed that this is your home and that you are willing to fight for it yes? Then let me issue you a formal challenge. I shall lock blades with you to claim ownership of your land as the O.B.R states you may surrender to me or face me in combat. I assure you, surrender is the only option where you walk out of this alive.” She said with a confident little smirk playing on her lips.

“If you won't leave I have no choice. I shall cut you down without hesitation. Come at me, I will not lose.” Maeve simply said getting into her fighting stance. She had enough of these invaders

Rime let a coy smirk spread on her lips as she drew her energy blade once more.

“It will only take me five minutes to defeat you, my swordplay is superb. It shall be more than a match for that oversized butchers knife of yours.” She said holding her energy blade up shifting into a fencers stance. “Consider yourself privileged to witness my skill.” She said with a laugh as she cut the air a few times with her viridian blade in demonstration of her refined mastery over it.

“Are we ever going to fight or can you not stop talking?” Maeve said flatly, unimpressed with her display and her incessant gibbering.

The arcosian clenched her teeth in a dark snarl before she shook her head, eyes sharpening as she spoke. “En Garde then wretched beast!” With that the alien would cry out and rush towards the demonic woman. Rime pulled her arm back, the energy blade humming as she drew it closer to herself before thrusting with the intent to stab through Maeve and her armor. “My blade will skewer you! It's energy is hot enough to turn any metal into slag! Just try to parry! I'll cut through your blade like butter!” She yelled with a maniacal laugh as she launched the blade forward, the hiss of energy ripping through the air.

Maeve swung her blade against the thrust deflecting it with a strong swat. The arcosian's eyes widened as she was suddenly knocked off balance by the very successful parry. Rime didn't know what to think suddenly speechless... She thought Maeve's sword was an ordinary hunk of metal, she didn't realize that the dragoness charged it with her ki or that the great cleaver was forged by the fire spirits of the demon realm. A puny energy blade wasn't going to do much against it.

As Rime was staggering backward Maeve would slam her shoulder into her causing the arcosian cough out and roll backward. “Already knocked off your feet? Come on we're just getting started.” Maeve said watching as the arcosian pulled herself up from the shoulder check.

“I was caught off guard is all! Take this!” Rime said defending herself as she launched a few slashes with her blade the violent whizzing of the green energy feeling the air as it cut towards Maeve. The dragoness frowned as she blocked the cuts nearly effortlessly. This alien, unlike her soldiers, didn't know how to fight. Her slashes with the sword were sloppy and perdictable. She was practically flialing with the blade of light as if it were a toy. She had no respect for it and it showed.

Maeve continued to deflect the frantic flurry of cuts sent by Rime before she growled, clearly frustrated with everything. She held her sword up over her head before slashing it down with all her might. The gust of wind created by the mighty cut was enough to knock the arcosian off her feet and with a cry she was sent tumbling back once more.

Maeve rest her sword against her pauldron as she watched Rime scramble before her. The demoness just shook her head, clearly unamused. “...I'm done.” Maeve simply said turning her back to the alien.

“Excuse me?! What do you mean you're done!? Our duel just started and you have yet to best me fully! This is highly irregular! I demand you face me! Lady Rime shall not lose!” The arcosian fumed seeing Maeve's little act of defiance.

“No. I've killed enough today. Just take your remaining soldier and leave this planet. This fight is pointless, you have no idea what you're doing.” Maeve said looking back to the woman. “You talk and talk but even that so called 'backwater trash' you sicked your men on is a better sword fighter than you...Let me guess, the reason your men listen to you is because they are afraid of your parents right? Yeah, I know your type. There were plenty like you in the demon realm.” She said rolling her eyes, not giving Rime a chance to protest. “Do yourself a favor. Leave and learn how to use that blade properly. After that I'll accept your challenge.” She said flicking her cape as she fully turned away from her.

“How dare you! Treating me like some spoiled child! I'm a Lady of Acrose you foul beast!” She said gathering her energy up around her. “Come back and face me! Hey!” She called out to deaf ears. The dragoness already seemed to be making her way back to the house to see if everyone was alright. Rime clenched her fists, her aura spiking around her as she let her rage take over her judgment. Attacking when an opponent has left was against the O.B.R but she didn't care! She hated being ignored. She hated being called a joke and she hated that Maeve had so accurately described how people treated her. They didn't fear her, they feared her family! Well she was going to change that. She was going to make herself feared. Starting with this uppity wench that dared to kill her men only to then cast her aside!

As Maeve was walking away towards the ranch house she paused, her ear flicked as she heard the banshee like shriek of energy coming towards her. “What th-” Her word's were stopped by a sudden choke. She looked down, her body trembling as she watched a thin beam of pink light dissipate from a hole in her chest. A thin beam of super dense ki had ripped through the back of her armor and out through her chest.

Maeve fell to her knees a trembling hand moving towards the wound as the shock of having her body pierced nearly overtook her. She glanced back looking to the arcosian. “Y-You...” She snarled, her eyes narrowing on the alien. Rime's index finger had been pointed at Maeve's back and she could see the electrical discharge from the ki attack still crackling around her fingertip. “W-Why you...” Maeve seethed in a mixture of fury and agony.

“That was my death beam attack, a staple among my people. It was actual used by the rulers of the golden age. Though I doubt you care. Still, it'll teach you not to turn your back on me or any of my people.” She grinned darkly seeing that she managed to bring the girl to her knees. “Such barbaric practices would be looked down upon in my society but in this case I liken it more to putting down a rapid dog than shooting someone in the back!” She hissed as she drew her blade. “You shall be in the next dimension soon enough for your arrogance and your gall to challenge my authority. Do you have any last words before I cut you down?”

Maeve lowered her head, her hand clenching over the wound in her chest. Her fingers dug into it pushing back the blood as she slowly pulled herself to a stand. “...Yeah. You should have made sure that attack killed me.”

“H-How are you?! Impossible! You should be bleeding out! I pierced through your body with that attack!” The arcosian stammered in horror seeing Maeve on her feet. She took a step back, holding her blade up in a defensive manner as Maeve slowly turned to her.

“...It's a good thing your aim is as terrible as your skill with that sword. You missed anything vital. All you've managed to do...” Maeve said, pausing to cast a deadly glare Rime's way. “...Is incur my wrath!” Maeve snarled as she took a step towards her. She reached under her armor and began to work on something with her fingers. “You know. I tried to warn you.” She said in a foreboding tone as something made an audible 'click.' “I gave you and your companions many chances to leave peacefully. I offered you a way out. I'm not doing it anymore.” She peeled off what looked to be an extra armored plate and dropped it to the ground. An enormous crash filled the air as the impossibly heavy weight was cast aside. “I've been holding myself back. Weighing myself down.” She said unfastening and freeing herself from some weighted bracers. They both fell to the ground with an equally loud crash. “I'm done holding back though. I'm going to end this.” She said slipping out of her shin plates that, like the rest, were weighted.

“So you weighed yourself down. Am I supposed to be scared?!” Rime said clenching her fists “Even if you were holding yourself back you're still no match for an arcosian! You're still just a beast on a backwater planet! If you think you can beat me you're just as pathetic as you are delusional! Fye on you and your 'mercy' I have no interest in it for I will not accept defeat fro-”

Maeve appeared before her. Burning gold eyes wide with fury “Enough with your babbling!” She seethed, slamming her mighty cleaver into Rime's high tech blade with a powerful downward arc. Rime could only watch as the cleaver split the energy like it was nothing as it cut through her blade like butter.

“Kyaah!” Rime screamed out as the demon forged sword crushed her saber. She released her grip on the weapon for fear of losing her hand and watched as it was split into two even parts, cleanly down the middle. “Impossible! How dare you! You foul be-”

Once again Rime's tirade was cut short as Maeve slammed a clawed hand into her face. The arcosian let out a pained groan as blood shot from her nose and her teeth chattered at the sudden impact. Maeve's dark aura cracked around her for a second as she suddenly clenched her hand over her face. “I told you over and over again! To shut up and get out of here!” Maeve cried out as she suddenly pushed forward with enough force to knock Rime off her feet. A roar escaped the dragoness' fanged maw as she smashed the alien into the ground with her hand still firmly placed on her face. Rime's hands feebly grabbed at the much stronger demoness' arm to struggle against her grip but to no avail.

Maeve's aura sparked around her as she suddenly exploded into a sprint. With her hand still holding her against the ground Maeve would sprint and drag Rime's body through the fields of the farm. Rime was smashed and dragged against dirt, grass, gravel, and stone as Maeve rushed towards the ends of the farm and to the cliff side that overlooked the ocean. “A watery grave will be suitable for trash like you! I hope you can swim!” Maeve snarled as she suddenly pulled her up.

The battered arcosian coughed in her grasp as the demoness finally stopped dragging her along the ground like a ragdoll. “H-How dare you! Release me!” She snarled as she once again tried to pry the clawed hand away from her face. Maeve growled as she obliged the arcosian's request, letting her go.

Only to slam the hilt of her sword into her gut in the next instant. Rime spat up a fresh warm glob of blood from the sudden blunt impact. The force was strong enough to shatter the lower part of Rime;s chest plate while also leaving her scrunched in a huddled position from the sudden rush of pain. Rime couldn't think, her entire body trembled from severe shock and pain her jaw slackened as she tried to form words but only managed to let out a pitiful squeak. Maeve took this opportunity to wrap her hands hands around the small horns growing out of the side of Rime's head as if they were a pair of handles. “This is the end!” Maeve roared as she suddenly whipped Rime's mostly limp body around by the horns and hurled her towards the unforgiving ocean.

Rime's body flipped through the air as she tried to recover from the armor shattering blow to her gut. “D-Damn...” She choked out before clenching her fists. Hot pink energy sparked and flared around her as she continued flipping through the air. “DAMN YOOOOOUUUUU!” She screamed, a pulse of energy erupting from her form to steady herself. She hunched forward fists clenched and teeth bared as she let her fury overtake her. “I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS! I, LADY RIME, SHALL NOT FALL TO A COMMON THUG! A PETTY BRUTE WITH A SWORD! NO! NO! NO!” She screamed before pulling her hand back. “NO! NO! NO!” She repeated, at each defiant 'No!' A bit of ki charged in her palm she held behind herself. “NO! YOU WILL FALL! NOW FAAAAALLLLLL!” She screamed in a mad craze as she lurched her hand forward.

A steady beam of energy cut through the air from her palm. She yelled out in a mixture of pain, frustration and maniacal rage as she used her energy to shave off the edge of the cliff side. She watched, a giggle escaping her lips as she witnessed the chunk of earth fall and crumble before her. That mad little giggle turned into a cackle as she released her energy. “Hahaha...Hahahahaha! Now! Now do you see my power?! Do you see why it was foolish to challenge me?! Idiot! You're now buried in the dirt! Where you belong! Hahahahaha!” She screamed out to no one in particular as she laughed, trying to tell herself that she was finally rid of the scaled interloper.

“Oi!”

The arcosian jerked her head up suddenly only to see a horrifying sight. Her amber eyes widened as she just stared for a moment. “What are you?!” She asked through a trembling choke. Hanging above her was Maeve, completely unharmed and very much alive from her attack. The demoness was falling towards her in almost slow motion with her sword held over her head in preparation to strike the alien invader down.

“Ally to Earth. DEMON TO YOU!”

Maeve screamed out her aura of black and red demonic power exploding around her as she suddenly shot towards her target. She had blinked to her position high above the woman so she could fall towards the alien with her sword at the ready. Rime held up her hands as she tried to form an attack to shoot Maeve out of the sky but she had no time, in an instant Maeve was practically on top of her. Judgment was upon her. “DEMON SKULL BEHEADING!” Maeve roared out as she suddenly used all the downward momentum to cleave her blade against the alien.

“KYAA!” Rime screamed out in agony as Fateburn suddenly slammed into her chest with enough force to shatter her battle armor and crack the organic, bone-like covering over her chest. Maeve yelled out as she kept pushing the arcosian towards the watery depths below. The two fighters fell faster than a normal person's eyes could track hurtling towards the ocean. As they hit the surface water would explode around them but they would keep going down. Maeve stared into Rime's eyes, a fierce hellish glow burning in hers as she brought the writhing and fearful 'Lady' to the bottom of the ocean. As they slammed against the seafloor they'd fracture the sandy bottom from the sheer force of the impact.

Maeve stood over Rime triumphantly as the arcosian lay there at the seafloor. She had blood gushing out of the vicious cracks in her natural boney chest armor, her eyes were rolled to the back of her head and her limbs were sprawled out and twitching like a freshly smashed insect. The massive walls of water created from their descent began to topple over readying to bury them. “I said I was going to give you a watery grave... Hopefully it'll wash away your filth.” Maeve said as her form suddenly blinked away, just as the waves came to overcome them.

---

Maeve appeared outside the ranch once more, only to stagger and fall over. “Ngggh... That bitch...” She hissed in pain as she put a hand on her chest. She panted, as she held herself there for a moment, the surge of pain that snaked through her form was keeping her still. “Dammit!” She hissed again, pulling her hand away to see the fresh blood that graced it from her oozing wound. Though the woman hadn't struck anything vital Maeve was still losing a lot of blood and in a lot of pain.

She tried to pull herself together though, even though it hurt she could take solace in the fact that everyone was safe... At least for now.

Maeve let out a strained groan as she fell to her side so she could roll unto her back. She exhaled, giving a few strained, heavy breaths as the trials of the day finally started to catch up to her. It certainly had been a long one. It was a day that she couldn't have expected or really been prepared for. Then again, it seemed more and more to her that life in the mortal realm was just as crazy as life in the demon realm.

She sighed, closing her eyes as she tried to take this reprieve to relax. Despite the pain, she was comfortable laying there letting her thoughts drift. She needed a bit of peace and time to clear her mind after she had killed three people. Though they were far from innocent she lamented over the fact that she had to cut them down. It was easy to ignore the gravity of her actions in the heat of the moment but she always ended up regretting it afterward. They should have listened to her warnings and just left...

She let out another discontented sigh before the sound of a door opening caused her ears to flick. She opened one eye to look aside. Stepping out was (a heavily bandaged) Scampi. The boy grinned a toothy grin seeing the demoness and rushed over to her side. “Howdy! Y'alright? Y'all really saved my biscuts back there! That space man was gonna smash me into grits! I'll tell you what!” He said with a nervous little chuckle, clearly the fact that he was almost pulverized into a bloody pulp didn't seem to bother him. That or he was just keeping his always chipper expression for the sake of Maeve and the rest of his family.

Speaking of said family, one by one the came out to see the triumphant hero. Lemon, Gumbo, Tempura, Creole, Panne and Scampi all happily came beside the downed Maeve. Gratitude for saving Scampi and 'kickin' them space men asses' were shared by each family member. Causing Maeve to weakly smile and nod and even giggle a bit at their praise and commentary on the crazy situation.

“Sug! Yer bleedin!”Lemon cried out in alarm seeing the blood seeping out of the hole in the demoness' armor. Maeve blushed a bit and covered the wound with her hand biting back a hiss as she made contact with it. She didn't want her to over her so she tried to hide it and her pain.

“It's nothing... Their leader just got a lucky shot in is all...” Maeve said, trying to reassure the older woman and ease her motherly concern.

“Oh but I shall get far more than one lucky shot in my dearest Maeve.” Like an icy breeze, the voice of the arcosian caused the hair to rise on the back of everyone's necks. “After all, I need to pay you back for your insolence you pathetic worm!” The voice continued

“Rime!”Maeve hissed lowly as she pulled herself up and away from the Shrimp clan. She took her sword and got in a ready stance. She had to fight through the pain. She had to protect the Shrimp family...No...She had to protect HER family! She looked on to her persistent opponent only to realize she was different... She somehow changed!

Floating before them was the same woman but she was much different than before. Her previous armor was gone, destroyed by Maeve's blade in that brutal attack with the demon skull beheading and while she was still cracked and bleeding profusely from where Maeve's blade struck her body had morphed to be covered completely by that bone white organic armor though it was far sleeker and seemed to suit her slender, lightly curvy build better. Her girlish face was no longer obstructed by that bony 'helmet' and instead was rounded smoothly with her crimson gem still in tact. The ruby-like gems that accented her form previously remained in place and her once pink tail was now bone white like the rest of her.

“How did yo-”

“Hold.” Rime once again held up her finger as if silencing Maeve. Only this time she pointed it after a second. Right towards the boy with the brass pot on his head. Before any of them could react a pink light would escape her fingertip....

...Only to rip through the boy's chest.

“SCAMPI!!!”

The family cried out at once in horror. Maeve could only watch, her eyes wide with an empty look as the boy let out a weak mixture of a grunt and a wheeze before he hit the ground. He shuddered blood pouring from his wound as he looked to his family. “M-Ma...P-Pa... I'm real sorry...Y'all are probably awfully...Awfully cross...” He said trying to force a smile despite himself.

“D-Don't worry baby... Momma's gonna make it better.” Lemon said, tears welling up in her eyes seeing the bleeding hole in the boy's chest. His favorite blue shirt was quickly turning a dark shade of purple. She looked up, a determined frown coming on her lips as she stared at her husband. “Gumbo get the car. We gotta get Scamp to the hospital! Now!”

The man's face shifted from that mixture of horrified sorrow to one of determination to match his wife's before looking back to his other kids. “Panne, run inside and get a damp towel. Creole. Tempura. Hold pressure on the wound. Keep him from losin' any more blood. I'mma gonna get the truck.”

While all that was going on Rime looked down upon Maeve with a smug grin. “I suppose we've settled the dispute on who is stronger. Me or that bumpkin friend of yours.” She spoke with sadistic glee. It was certainly against one of the rules in either the O.B.R or the 'Fair Battle Union Act' to strike out against an observer (after all, she didn't issue a challenge to the boy directly) but she figured: 'fye on the rules' by this point. She wanted to win. “Well, that's one humiliation I've rectified.” She said, smirking at the fallen human. She was proud of her handiwork. She gave a dark little giggle before she continued. “Though I suppose you're wondering how I'm standing before you now and in such a glorious state. You see, my race is incredibly durable, we don't even require oxygen! So your little watery scheme while commendable was ultimately doomed.” She said, casting her gaze to the ocean briefly. “We are also naturally a dominant species in the galaxy. Our power is so vast that we are forced to contain it.” She grinned eyes narrowing suddenly at Maeve. “So you were merely facing my suppressed state. This my dearest Maeve, is my TRUE FORM!” She laughed a jagged pink aura exploding around her as she gathered her energy.

It was only then that she noticed the rest of the Shrimp family was beginning to scatter. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all! She drifted into the air before holding her hands up above her head. “SCATTER IF YOU WISH BUT IT WON'T SAVE HIM OR YOU! I'M GOING TO DETONATE THIS ISLAND OF YOURS AS MY FINAL ACT OF VENGEANCE FOR THE CRIMES AND HUMILIATION COMMITIED AGAINST ME! BLAME YOUR SAVIOR AS YOU BURN IN HELL!” The arcosian screamed to her 'audience' as ki began to rip and crack above her out stretched palms. She grinned an ugly grin as dark twisted energy began to pool in a violent bolt above her. She cackled as the energy grew bigger and bigger into a black sphere surging with scarlet electricity. She looked up, her feverish maniacal giggling reaching their peak as her attack finished charging. The feared 'Death Ball.'

“THIS IS YOUR END MEAVE RAKSHASA! NOW DIIIIIEEEE!” She yelled hurling the massive bolt of black death down upon Maeve and the Shrimp family.

“...Ma? What is that?!” Tempura and Creole said in unison.

“...Pa? Are we gonna be alright?” Panne asked looking up to her father.

Lemon fearfully stared at the growing light for a moment before looking back to her sons. She tried to smile, for their sake but she couldn't. She merely placed her hand on Creole's and gave it a light squeeze as a last means of comfort. Gumbo meanwhile hugged his daughter as they all huddled together around Scampi and behind Maeve.

“No...”

Maeve looked up, her eyes radiating as she took a step forward. Her cape billowed in the intense wind as she looked up to the dark light that came to consume her, her family, and her home. “I refuse to die here. I don't care what you say! I WILL DEFEAT YOU!” Maeve yelled out as she held her sword above her head. Her movements were automatic, suddenly instinct took over as she stood defiantly in front of the blast. She roared out her suppressive tattoos burning away as a fearsome power over took her. She could feel it. Her love, her anger, and all her sorrow being amplified and drawn into Fateburn as the spirit of her legendary ancestor infused a fraction of it's power into her own. Her aura exploded as she felt this awesome power overtake her.

---

Meanwhile, high in the stratosphere aboard Rime's ship the alien warrior: Balsa was just finishing taking care of his men's bodies. Both Raunch and Sezarr were honorably cremated by their commanding officer. He frowned lightly at the thought. They avoided war on their main planet thinking it would be the wiser option to regroup elsewhere but they weren't faring any better on Earth. One off worlder was capable of killing two soldiers single-handedly while being outnumbered. Was she just a prodigy? Or were they just weak?

Balsa sighed before walking to the bridge. After his fight with Maeve he had returned to his normal state, so he wasn't stomping around the halls like Raunch did or ever would again. A frown crossed his face as he realized once more that he was dead. Damn that scaled beast. He paused, breaking away from his thoughts of malice as his scouter suddenly started beeping. “Those... Those powers! There where Lady Rime is supposed to be!” He paused reading the first number. “What?! Sixty thousand?! Was Lady Rime really pushed to her true form?! By that commoner?!” He spat, in outrage only to see the next power level beep on his scouter. “...Impossible... Over...Over one hundred thousand!? That... That can't be her! That's impossible! Lady Rime! Please be careful!”

---

Rime was on top of the world as she watched her attack came down unopposed. She had no idea what was coming, she was too caught in the moment to consider that she might be in danger. “Oh what glorious fireworks this will bring! Doubly so for they will be fueled by the corpses of you wretches! Do you feel it now?! Do you feel the wrath of Lady Rime?! Hahahahaha!” She cackled only to receive a violent red flash as a response. “What?!”

The infusion of Raksha's gift had been complete as Maeve stood ready to oncoming attack. She let out a slow exhale as her hands gently gripped the blade's hilt. She looked up as her eyes burned with the furious intensity of her ancestor as she readied her attack.

“Apocalypse Gale.”

She roared out furiously as she slashed her blade towards the oncoming attack, she released all her energy and the power she had collected towards it. A storm of energy exploded outwards towards the Ball of Death and overpowered it immediately. Maeve and Rime both watched as the energy was suddenly pushed back and up towards the arcosian.

“No! No! That's impossible!” Rime shouted fearfully as she saw the power coming her way. She blinked looking to Maeve only to see a flash of something...Different. In the briefest of moments in the dragoness' place was a towering dragon demon. He had hair of fire, eyes that glowed like liquid gold, white gold scales and six arms each holding a fearsome blade. “...What are...What are you?!” Rime stammered only to be hit by the force of both the 'Apocalypse Gale' and the 'Death Ball' at once. She cried out in agony as she was suddenly launched into the sky by the demonic force of destruction.

Her body didn't break away, though it was beginning to crack and fracture as she was pushed higher and higher into the sky. “I have to pull away somehow! I-I can't die here!” She stammered looking back as the sky around her began to darken as she started heading into the stratosphere. She snarled trying to hold herself together as the overwhelming force threatened to rip her body apart.

“I-I have to do something! I-I can't last! Not like this!” She cried out only to see a glint in the distance. “Wait...That's my ship! If I can pull away I can retreat!” She said devising a plan to try and survive so she could get her vengeance at a later time.

“Wait a second... I'M HEADED RIGHT FOR IT!”

As the blast slammed Rime into the ship a massive explosion would rip through out the stratosphere engulfing Rime and the on board Balsa into a fiery inferno. “NOOO NOOO NOOO!” Rime cried out as the two explosions overtook her. What would her family think of her right now? Defeated at the hands of a barbaric demon on a backwater planet. She was a disgrace... They were going to forever look down on her.

Still, she hoped they'd at least punish Maeve and that pathetic planet she called 'home' over her death... That was until she remembered, the saiyans were invading with a battalion of super saiyans... She came to Earth to flee from Lady Death, yet she was finding herself drawn into it's embrace. With her final breath, she cursed the foul demon that sentenced her to the After Life:

“MAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVEEEEE!”

The demoness looked up to the sky, from the ground below as her attack sent Rime away. “S-Seeya later...Lady...Rime.” Maeve said before collapsing, the combination of her wounds and her exhaustion forcing her into submission.

The last thing she could hear was the family calling out her name...They didn't need to... They should have focused on Scampi... She hoped... That he would be alright.


...

---

…

“Howdy Neighbor, Y'all awake?”

Maeve's eyes fluttered open as she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. She sat up her eyes adjusting to the light as she looked around. She was in bed in a clean white room that seemed absolutely filled with balloons and flowers, soft light from a nearby window illuminated the room for her. Her headfins flicked up in alarm as she looked under the covers to find she wasn't in her trusty armor but rather in some simple, yet comfortable, teal hospital gown. She blinked, tilting her head at the strange attire, tugging at her collar to look underneath at the bandages where hearing the voice call out to her again.

“Hey! Maeve!”

She turned, eyes widening.

“Scampi!”

There he was, all bandaged up and smiling wide as ever. The boy looked more than a little battered from the ordeal but he looked fine. He smiled warmly as she called out his name. “Yep! It's me alright! I woke up a day or so ago, you were all tuckered out, just a big ol' bump on the log snoozin' the day away.” He chuckled. “Say can y'all pass me the remote over there? My show is on but they gave you the remote for some reason. Figure maybe the nurse figure'd y'all should get a turn.”

Before Maeve could oblige the rest of the Shrimp family burst into the room.

“Maeve! We were so worried bout y'all!” Lemon cried out latching her arms around the girl causing her to fluster.

“Way to go Maeve!” Creole cried out throwing his arms in the air.

“Y'all sent that space gal soarin' farther than a football at a super bowl!” Tempura laughed out.

“That was super cool! Like really! I told all my friends about it!” Panne said excitedly.

“Nice work kid, y'all saved all of our skins. Y'all are a good sort. I reckon ya oughta hear that.” Gumbo said with a soft smile.

“Yeah Maeve, I dunno what we woulda done without ya!” Scampi said with a chuckle of his own.

“Everyone...” Maeve said, her eyes watering and her blush reaching her ears. “Thank you so much. I'm glad you're all okay!” She said as she let a few joyful tears fall to the sheets. These people...They cared so much about her and were so happy to see her well after all the nastiness she went through. She cared for them too. They were her family now that hers had turned it's back on her. They were hers to protect and not anyone: be it demon or alien would ever harm them.

…

Meanwhile, the unnoticed TV would flicker to static as a signal was overtaken. The image of a woman with eyes of ice and hair of gold would appear. A cruel smirk played on her lips as she began her transmission.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen...”

---

PL with Heavy Weighted Bonus please!

-Attempting to learn: [SU] Demonic Arts - Blink
-Attempting to learn: [SU2]Serene Mind II