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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 7, 2015 23:57:02 GMT
(Thread PL: 74,103. Heavy weights on: Weighted PL: 18,525.)
Raisu trekked across the Gizard Wasteland, the cold wind ruffling his hair and clothes. A chilly day, even with the sun hanging high in the sky. Why did he subject himself to walking through these places sometimes? Especially now that he could fly. Of course, there was a good reason for why he walked when flying was an option. Raisu subscribed to the philosophy that it is the journey and not the destination. Some might call him stubborn or stupid, but he liked to think it was almost idealistic of himself. How many people would do such a thing when they could take to the sky? Well, the total is probably higher than he figured. As he had come to learn, the amount of people who could fly was significantly higher than he would have once thought. It seemed everyone and their grandmother could do it these days. Not that it devalued the skill to Raisu. No, he loved flying. It instilled him with so freedom, and he felt such joy as he took to the air.
But he loved also loved walking. There was something about the unbroken solitude of oneself and their footsteps that he liked. Perhaps he just held a romanticized image of it in his mind. Not that there was anything inherently special about walking. Most folks could do it. But there was an image in his mind. In his mind’s eye, he envisioned a man walking along the horizon at sunset, only his silhouette visible against the dying sun’s rays. It was, of course, a highly idealized picture, one that was likely much less glamorous in life. But the idea of it certainly caught his fancy. And ideas were powerful things. They inspired people, moved people, to do great things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but still great in their own right. Ideas were a driving force behind the nature of intelligent life. Indeed, one could not be called intelligent unless there were ideas abuzz their minds, driving them to action and the like.
Such ideas inspired Raisu to leave home, such as the image of the man in his mind. The man seemed so confident, so mysterious, and so cool. Raisu had wanted to be that man, the world-wise traveler. As it turned out, things are not quite that simple. The road was an odd mistress, and she made making the image in his mind a reality hard. And so slowly, the idea is his mind had morphed. Now his aspirations were to be the wandering warrior, fighting for what he believes his right as he sees the wonders of the world. Another romanticized ideal of his, but he enjoyed it. Surely, in time, this ideal would too change and morph, until he could hardly recognize. Where might he be a month from now? Given the state of the world, being dead was a distinct possibility.
What was death like? What laid beyond the veil between this world and the next? Was it cold, dark? Or perhaps it was paradise. Whatever it was, Raisu hoped it was not boring. That just would not do. Raisu craved excitement and new experiences, That was what drove him to travel, aside from the image in his mind. Raisu, as he was, was a man, at least partially, ruled by his desires. That is what brought him to the Gizard Wastes. He’d never been here before. Not that he thought he was missing much. It was certainly… desolate out here. But at least he was able to say he’d been there now.
And besides, who knew what the wasteland held? What encounters lay within, Raisu could not say.
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Post by Polar on Oct 8, 2015 0:30:23 GMT
[Thread PL: 28,484]
The sun began to die down, and rays of light streaked across the skyline. Polar's shadowy silhouette sat on a large rocky pillar with it's arms crossed and cape flourishing in the wind. It was a gorgeous sight, no doubt, but he was too deep in thought to appreciate it. His fateful encounter with Captain Natto, in addition to the previous events over the last few weeks have tumbled over like dominoes.
The Saiyans were defeated, and that was good. But the victory a hollow one for Polar, upon discovering that everything he thought about the Saiyans were lies. That is not to mention that perhaps Taiga was right. The Arcosians were possibly the villains of the conflict all along. Why was it so hard to accept, though? Had Chilleon still had such an effect on his mind, even after so long?
And what had he even been fighting for in this conflict? He suppose the victory was somehow meant to avenge Hakuri and Taiga, but even then, he wasn't quite satisfied. In fact, what was Polar's place in the universe even, now? It seems that in his whole life, he'd been constantly fighting wars for different masters.
It all confused and frustrated the young Arcosian. If his life was entirely about fighting and he'd been a puppet to many puppetmasters, would he ever be free of that cycle? Or would he just kneel to another master? Could he ever decide a destiny for his own life?
Was it even worth trying?
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 8, 2015 0:45:45 GMT
Somewhere in his mind, a ki signature brushed against his mind. It was a familiar one, one he'd encountered before. When he first met this ki signature it was among smoke and bamboo. It was Polar, the arcosian. What an encounter that had been. He'd met the arcosian after the alien's space pod had crashed into Earth. As it turns out, the alien was the survivor of the war between the Solar Saiyan Empire and the Arcosian Empire. And after Raisu had seen the alien's pod and injuries, it seemed that he had been lucky to be alive. And the planet he had fled to was also invaded by the same Saiyan's shortly after. Some people have the worst luck, thought Raisu. Raisu often thought himself unlucky, but people like Polar really sold home just how good he had it.
What was the harm in saying hello? Raisu moved towards Polar's ki signature. It would be good to speak to the Arcosian. The last time, they had met under poor circumstances. Crash landing into a planet and then shortly being attacked by an android do not make for good talking circumstances. And he was glad to see that the Arcosian had survived the invasion. Not everyone was so lucky. So many lives lost. It was a shame, a damn shame.
Raisu drew ever closer. He was really closing in how. And Raisu thought he could see the alien in the distance. He was perched atop a rock, watching the sunset. A worthy pursuit, in Raisu's mind. The sunset sure was beautiful out in these part. Raisu finally came to the rock, floating upwards as he did. He came to rest alongside the Arcosian, given a small wave as he did.
"Hey. Long time no see. You doing okay?" Asked Raisu. Raisu focused in on his mind. That man's ki had grown since they last met. Impressive. Even more impressive when one considered that the Arcosian had layers of power hiding beneath the surface. Raisu had seen such power the last time they met. He hid a monstrous truth within him.
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Post by Polar on Oct 8, 2015 1:59:03 GMT
Turning to face Raisu, Polar strangely didn't raise a defense as he would've done on instinct merely days earlier. It was bizarre, to say the least. He simply didn't care anymore, he supposed. Besides, he recognized the voice well enough. It was the soft-spoken Earthling.
The Earthling named Raisu slowly floated in, and landed a few meters across from Polar on the rock. The Arcosian silently raised a brow as Raisu did this.
"I didn't expect to see you again," he stated forthright.
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 8, 2015 2:20:22 GMT
Raisu seemed unsurprised, unfazed that Raisu had come up beside. Raisu would even described him as forlorn or the like. But at least was alive. And he seemed whole as well. That was good. Raisu was glad to see that the Arcosian had gone seemingly untouched during the invasion.
"Hey, I didn't expect to see you either. Small world, I guess" said Raisu, a small laugh in his voice. He sat in silence for a moment and watched the sunset. It was beautiful. A real life work of art. It could be hung in a museum. Moments like these made his journey worth it. You had to enjoy times like these. You would never know when these things could be ripped away from you.
"But, hey, what's been going with you?"
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Post by Polar on Oct 8, 2015 15:14:04 GMT
Polar watched Raisu go and approach him. In many ways, he envied the young boy’s youth. He was so cheerful. So naive.
The Arcosian looked in the direction where Raisu was staring, the sunset, and listened to the boy speak. It was indeed a small world, it would seem. Not only had he met Raisu but, as he pondered earlier, he had just recently ran into the Saiyan commander himself and the Halfing that he dragged him in the war in the first place.
No. He dragged himself into it.
He was ripped from his thought as Raisu spoke again, this time pressing his first question. The correct answer was ‘a lot’, but Polar wasn’t one to complain about his misfortunes. He was too hardened for that.
“Nothing,” he lied, abruptly, “Nothing at all. What of you?”
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 8, 2015 15:45:38 GMT
Nothing? Raisu had a hard time believing that. But he wouldn't press it. Thinking back to the bamboo forests, Raisu began to suspect that the Arcosian was naturally evasive. Though he didn't appreciate that in a person, it was just how some folks were. Nothing he could do about that. But he might as well make things pleasant. For once, they had a chance to speak in earnest,without androids trying to kill them. But what was going on with him?
"Well, just trying to survive. Each day is a gift, you know?"
And they were gifts. Raisu tried to make the most of each day.
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Post by Polar on Oct 9, 2015 0:54:08 GMT
Being a natural cynic, Polar scoffed at the statement.
"Maybe for some people, boy," he replied quite coldly. Though even he seemed to realize how unwelcoming his tone sounded, as he toned it down a bit for what he would ask next. "What are you doing out here?"
There was natural concern in his voice, but he didn't know why. Polar supposed that he would hate the kid get himself killed. Truth be told, Raisu was the kindest person he had met on the planet. The Earthlings feared the Arcosian, including the Blue Banner Army, but Raisu didn't seem to fear him at all. Perhaps he was merely a naive child, but that didn't mean he deserved to die.
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 9, 2015 13:06:48 GMT
Polar seemed almost bitter with that tone in voice. He must have it rough if he really felt that way. Of course, if anyone did gave it rough, it was him. He had his home invaded, he crashed into the Earth’s surface, and then he had his refuge invaded. Not a fun time, that much was for sure. But hey, Raisu had also had his home invaded, and he was doing alright. Maybe it was just a fundamental difference between the two of them. Some people were glass half-full types of people, and some were glass half-empty people. It was just a fundamental difference in nature.
But what was Raisu doing out here? Traveling, was the easy answer. But like anything else, there is a better one. He just had to find it, put it into words, and tell Polar. Not the easiest of tasks, but it could be done.
“Well, traveling, I guess,” began Raisu, “See, I always wanted to see the world. I had a pretty sheltered childhood, so this is all new to me.”
Raisu nodded to himself. That was the truth. But there was something else, something stuck in his throat that needed to be said.
“Like, I realize now that you never know when these kind of things might be gone tomorrow. The whole world has gone mad. Sure, the Solar Saiyan Empire might have been repelled, but how long until the next psycho comes along and decides that Earth is a little too nice and that it should burn? And I’m not okay with that. So, I’m going around and seeing the world, yeah, but I’m trying to get stronger while I do it.”
He stopped speaking and watched the sun fall. Hell, even that might be gone by tomorrow if the right monster comes along.
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Post by Polar on Oct 10, 2015 15:47:33 GMT
Polar listened to Raisu talk. Of course, the kid had been sheltered and now he wanted to go on this grand adventure. The sad thing was that the Arcosian didn't quite have the heart to tell him how cruel the world really was, but he seemed to have an idea. Indeed, Raisu had a point. How long would it be until the next entity comes to take the Saiyans' place?
This place was new to Polar, and just now he had the time to appreciate how...unique it was. Most planets he'd encountered were so bitter and cold like Arcose, or barren and desolate like Kanassa. This place was different, though. It was so full of life, even in it's most treacherous depths.
Maybe that was his purpose; to protect this strange world. After all, it always pulled him back like a magnet.
"Good," Polar said with a much less colder, but still emotionally distant tone, "Take my word for it, boy, that you should strive to get stronger. This universe isn't so forgiving to those who aren't strong enough to defend themselves."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 10, 2015 16:22:35 GMT
The Arcosian spoke to the importance of strength. Yes, if anyone knew the importance of strength, it was him. He’d seen the death throes of his nation and come to Earth in time for the great battle that had taken place here. How much pain had one person seen? How powerless had he been to stop it? Raisu could not imagine. Well, he could. Raisu had watched as the South Capitol burned, and there had been nothing he could do to stop it. It was sad, being this weak and powerless compared to those who would do him and those he cared about harm.
“Yeah, you’re right. It’s wrong, but you’re right. Just the world we live in. I don’t like it, you know? I mean, I like fighting, but I don’t like it when it’s so, you know, deadly.”
Raisu spoke as he stared off into the sunset. If only he could fly beyond it and be above the cares of this world. Of course, that could never be. Raisu couldn’t run away from it. In a way, one could say Raisu was already running away from things. Responsibility and the sort. That sucked. It was like he was becoming his father. He hated the idea of that.
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Post by Polar on Oct 10, 2015 19:47:30 GMT
"Kid" Polar sighed, and looked away, "Fighting was always meant to be deadly. It's not some sort of sport."
Glancing at the dark sky, of which the sun had finally begun set, the Arcosian gestured the Saiyan halfling to follow him as he begun to levitate off the ground. Flying off the pillar, Polar flew toward the mainland of the Gizard wastes and set down not far from the cliffside. He walked over to a rather large boulder and set on it as if it was a chair.
"It's getting dark out," he continued, "Gather some wood, and I'll tell you a story by the campfire. I think you're long overdue for some explanations."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 11, 2015 3:38:07 GMT
The Arcosian was probably right. Fighting was always deadly. It started that way. People had changed it into a game. But they couldn’t change its real purpose. People would always use it to maim, to kill. It was a sad truth. And one he just had to embrace. For what it was worth, Raisu himself would always try to abstain from killing. It was for the best. A little mercy went a long way. For better or for worse, mercy was a quality of his.
Polar floated down to a cliffside, beckoning for Raisu to follow him. It was getting dark now. What did the Arcosian have in mind? Raisu followed him. He had nothing better to do, and besides, it would be rude to leave now. The Arcosian had Raisu gather firewood, promising an explanation. Raisu nodded, and flew off for a few moments to gather wood. What could the Arcosian possibly wish to tell him? Raisu had to admit, he was incredibly curious. The Arcosian had been a mystery to him since they met. In time, Raisu returned with the wood and set to kindling it. This was a skill he’d gotten good at on the road. You had to get good at it, or else you’d freeze. And being cold was something Raisu aimed to avoid.
“So, what do you want to tell me? I’m all ears,”
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Post by Polar on Oct 11, 2015 22:55:54 GMT
Polar gazed into the campfire, as he began to recall his tale. It helped him remember that bloody day, back on Kanassa, when he saw the apocalypse itself.
"When you first met me falling from that pod, I told you I came from Planet Kanassa," began Polar, "But I doubt you knew what happened there. I remember telling you that there was more. That a lie; I wasn't sure if I could trust you. In truth, I fear I might have been the only one to escape."
The Arcosian closed his eyes as he remembered the Brenchian twins; seeing Yu's corpse and Yuki going off to fight the Saiyan never to be seen again.
"Kanassa was a lot like this place. A rocky, barren wasteland. The Saiyans? They turned it into Hell."
He paused a moment, to allow Raisu to take in the information.
"They were led by one of those machines, like that one we fought back over at my pod. I didn't get a clock on his power, but he managed to kill most of our army single-handedly; including our commander, and took an entire chunk of the planet along with them."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Oct 12, 2015 2:52:08 GMT
Polar went back to the day they met. It was the day that Polar had crashed into the Bamboo Forest. He’d been evasive then and wounded, and probably scared. He could hardly blame him. He had just escaped a war. Polar had told him that much that day, before they were attacked. But then he revealed something: he had lied about the reality of circumstances, saying that he didn’t trust Raisu at the time. Raisu could hardly blame him. Most people were distrustful of even half-Saiyans these days.
Polar said he feared that he had been the only one to escape. Had the battle of Kanassa been that bad? Raisu knew the Saiyans were ruthless, but to decimate an entire planet? That was insanity. To turn a place like this into a slice of Hell? Madness. How could people have such power? It was madness.
Apparently the Saiyan army had been led by an android, not unlike the one they fought together. And they had decimated the entire Arcosian army and blown up a chunk of the planet with it. Incredible. Fearsome even. This was the might of the Saiyan Empire.
“Man, these Saiyans. What kind of power do they have? That’s just crazy.”
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