Post by Carva on Jul 19, 2016 19:35:56 GMT
Carva had grown to like Hell. It wasn't so unpleasant as people had told him, but it would have been much better if he had his body. In this ghostly form, he could not train. He couldn't attain power as he had in life, and this had bothered him. When we last left Carva, he'd vowed to his fiancée that he'd get his body back. He'd promised he'd acheive the ultimate power of Super Saiyan and turn Dr. Breech into a smouldering pile of nuts and bolts.
His feeling of wrath had grown stronger as he floated around the underworld, in search of mystical Shoki. Madam Crow had told him of it, that if he'd gotten it, she would help him attain a body. He was informed that time was short though, which made him move with a sense of urgency through the black sands of Hell's desert.
The sky was a dark red color, with flashes of light up above as hell's denizens sparred. Oh how he envied them. He'd missed the feeling of fist cracking bone and tearing flesh so badly and that was just one thing he missed about being a physical entity. He cursed to himself, his ghost tail swaying beneath him. Damn it Carva. Those bastard up there, they just don't know how good they've got it. I miss my body...I miss it's power. I have got to get it back.
Without notice, the scenery around him had began to change. He looked up at the surrounding scenery and saw trees. Gnarled and black like claws, jutting out of dead ground. The soil was barren, and the trees bore no fruit. Absolutely desolate. The taller trees really got Carva, as he looked up to see hundreds of corpses hanging from them, moaning in anguish. The Saiyan's ghost was a bit intrigued by the scene. "Where in Hell is this?"
"Well, young one, this is the Forest of the Damned. This is where the souls of those who commit suicide in life go, as punishment." The voice was slightly high, like that of a mouse. It came from behind Carva, and almost gave him a start.
Carva slowly turned around to see a Zoanthropic rat person, short in stature with black fur. The rat had a mustache on his snout, long and white, and red eyes. He was dressed like a Shinto Priest, wearing a brown, tattered robe and the matching hat that priest wore. He also carried an old, gnarled tree root in his right paw.
Carva tilted his head and studied the creature. "Who...what...who are you?"
"That depends..." the rat chuckled, shuffling past Carva. "...walk with me, young one. Talk to me. Why are you here?"
Carva was quite suspicious of the rat, to be sure. This was Hell after all and these people got here for bad deeds. He was one of those people. But at this point, the warrior figured he'd have nothing to lose. After all, the creature seemed nice enough. "It's a long story, sir."
The rat shuffled along next to the floating Carva as they moved forward, pointing it's gnarled staff at Carva's chest. There would be a hole in his chest. "I assume that is not a self inflicted wound, is it young one? Why don't you start by telling me your name."
"Carva..." the hybrid sighed. "...fortunately, it is not self inflicted. But as I've said, it is a long story."
"Carva, is it? I've got all eternity, my son. You can talk to me." The rat replied as the two walked.
After a bit of walking, Carva stopped and sighed. He looked at the rat and tilted his head. "I don't even know your name, rat man. It's hard to trust someone whom you have not been properly introduced."
The rat's "lips" curled upward into an apologetic smile. "Oh...yes, forgive my manners, my child. My name is Father Gouda, and I am the Guardian of this place. In life, I was a priest...a holy man...but..."
"...but aren't holy men good? What are you doing here in Hell?"
"Same thing you are, I suppose. Serving my punishment. You see, I was once a great priest. I'd made a mistake though, as we all do. I'd..." Gouda looked down at the ground, a sadness on his red eyes. "...taken money from the church."
Carva just stared at the little rat person and tilted his cloud head, his eyes filled with curiosity. "I wouldn't consider myself a very religious person, but what would you steal money from your church for?"
"I'd done so to pay for my mother's operation...but...the path to Hell is paved with good intentions, yes?" Gouda chuckled.
Indeed, the priest had quite a point. He would say those words, and the Ghost of Carva would nod as he listened. After all, he'd been in a similar situation to the rat. He hadn't meant to end up in hell. "You're tellin' me. So my story begins when I was a kid. I was always heralded for my potential by my mother, along with other recruits. Trained everyday on Vegeta, made it as far as times thirty normal gravity. Never had lost a fight in the arena, I was a born warrior!"
The old rat priest sat on a rock, scratching his nose. He nodded, throwing his little staff from paw to paw. "Most with Saiyan blood are, my child. From the look of your ghost, you must have been quite strong, too."
"You would be correct, sir. I'd only lost one fight..." his cloud darkened, electricity arcing from the warrior. "...Plato. that pale faced bastard. What a fuckin' douchebag. But I digress. So later on, I met my mate, Arias..."
The rat twisted it's mustache between it's fingers. "...was she hot?"
"Yessir...she is quite possibly the most beautiful, powerful woman I have ever met. Anyway, during our courtship, I was asked by my General to conquer a planet. I'd also planned on giving said Planet to my mate, my fiancée, Arias..." he'd go on to explain, "...but of course we both died and ended up here. She has a body, but..." Cloud Carva sighed. "...I do not. Every source says I could get my body back, but I need something called...um...Sho-ki."
The old rat priest stood there for a moment, looking up at the corpses hanging in the trees. He felt badly for Carva in a way. After all, he was just following orders. Gouda considered the situation for a moment, then finally spoke. "You know, these people in the trees...they have bodies, right? Bodies full of powerful, shiny Shoki..."
Carva blinked and floated up to one of the groaning corpses, an intangible hand touching it's face. He then looked down at Gouda questioningly. "I suppose you are right. But how am I to get their shoki? I can't just rip them to pieces, Hell, I can't do much of anything right now. I'm a ghost."
The creature grinned and pointed his staff at himself. "You can't, but I can. I can get their Shoki for you, but...I want to play a little game."
"Eh?" He asked the rat, not sure what he meant. At this point, the Saiyan was ready to try anything though.
"If you can correctly answer three riddles, and show your intellect...then I will draw out ALL their Shoki and give it to you towards your new body and subsequent revival!" He jumped off the rock and mockingly nudged Carva in his ghost ribs. "Savvy?"
Ghost Carva grinned, having liked this idea. He nodded his head. "Yes, much. So...hit me with your best shot. Just because I am big doesn't make me stupid, you know."
Gouda paced around Carva, thinking of the first riddle for his player. He then stood before Carva, balanced on his staff. "At night, we come without being fetched, but during the day? We dissappear without being stolen. What are we?"
Carva narrowed his eyes, more in suprise than thought. This one is actually quite simple. What is his gang anyway? Well...free Shoki is free Shoki. "The stars, Father Gouda."
Gouda looked at the young Saiyan sternly for a moment, finally cracking a grin with a slight chuckle. Finally, he raised his staff high into the air. "Well, you win young man. Here is your prize!" The old rat begin to chant an incantation, the corpses in the trees beginning to scream and glow white...the corpses would burst into white flames, and bright flashes of light would bombard the Ghost of Carva like ki blasts...
Carva was quite nervous at first, but the white light would seemingly quench a hunger he'd felt snice he'd come to hell. Finally, after the spectacle, a glowing Carva ghost grinned at Gouda. "Thank you sir! Wow...this will definitely help me in my quest!"
Gouda simply nodded. "Now, you go forth and get yourself a body. You need to take care of that mate of your's, and get strong."
"Will do, Father Gouda." He turned from the father, and headed off in the opposite direction. He'd need to find his next source of Shoki soon...he missed his physical body greatly.
The End.
His feeling of wrath had grown stronger as he floated around the underworld, in search of mystical Shoki. Madam Crow had told him of it, that if he'd gotten it, she would help him attain a body. He was informed that time was short though, which made him move with a sense of urgency through the black sands of Hell's desert.
The sky was a dark red color, with flashes of light up above as hell's denizens sparred. Oh how he envied them. He'd missed the feeling of fist cracking bone and tearing flesh so badly and that was just one thing he missed about being a physical entity. He cursed to himself, his ghost tail swaying beneath him. Damn it Carva. Those bastard up there, they just don't know how good they've got it. I miss my body...I miss it's power. I have got to get it back.
Without notice, the scenery around him had began to change. He looked up at the surrounding scenery and saw trees. Gnarled and black like claws, jutting out of dead ground. The soil was barren, and the trees bore no fruit. Absolutely desolate. The taller trees really got Carva, as he looked up to see hundreds of corpses hanging from them, moaning in anguish. The Saiyan's ghost was a bit intrigued by the scene. "Where in Hell is this?"
"Well, young one, this is the Forest of the Damned. This is where the souls of those who commit suicide in life go, as punishment." The voice was slightly high, like that of a mouse. It came from behind Carva, and almost gave him a start.
Carva slowly turned around to see a Zoanthropic rat person, short in stature with black fur. The rat had a mustache on his snout, long and white, and red eyes. He was dressed like a Shinto Priest, wearing a brown, tattered robe and the matching hat that priest wore. He also carried an old, gnarled tree root in his right paw.
Carva tilted his head and studied the creature. "Who...what...who are you?"
"That depends..." the rat chuckled, shuffling past Carva. "...walk with me, young one. Talk to me. Why are you here?"
Carva was quite suspicious of the rat, to be sure. This was Hell after all and these people got here for bad deeds. He was one of those people. But at this point, the warrior figured he'd have nothing to lose. After all, the creature seemed nice enough. "It's a long story, sir."
The rat shuffled along next to the floating Carva as they moved forward, pointing it's gnarled staff at Carva's chest. There would be a hole in his chest. "I assume that is not a self inflicted wound, is it young one? Why don't you start by telling me your name."
"Carva..." the hybrid sighed. "...fortunately, it is not self inflicted. But as I've said, it is a long story."
"Carva, is it? I've got all eternity, my son. You can talk to me." The rat replied as the two walked.
After a bit of walking, Carva stopped and sighed. He looked at the rat and tilted his head. "I don't even know your name, rat man. It's hard to trust someone whom you have not been properly introduced."
The rat's "lips" curled upward into an apologetic smile. "Oh...yes, forgive my manners, my child. My name is Father Gouda, and I am the Guardian of this place. In life, I was a priest...a holy man...but..."
"...but aren't holy men good? What are you doing here in Hell?"
"Same thing you are, I suppose. Serving my punishment. You see, I was once a great priest. I'd made a mistake though, as we all do. I'd..." Gouda looked down at the ground, a sadness on his red eyes. "...taken money from the church."
Carva just stared at the little rat person and tilted his cloud head, his eyes filled with curiosity. "I wouldn't consider myself a very religious person, but what would you steal money from your church for?"
"I'd done so to pay for my mother's operation...but...the path to Hell is paved with good intentions, yes?" Gouda chuckled.
Indeed, the priest had quite a point. He would say those words, and the Ghost of Carva would nod as he listened. After all, he'd been in a similar situation to the rat. He hadn't meant to end up in hell. "You're tellin' me. So my story begins when I was a kid. I was always heralded for my potential by my mother, along with other recruits. Trained everyday on Vegeta, made it as far as times thirty normal gravity. Never had lost a fight in the arena, I was a born warrior!"
The old rat priest sat on a rock, scratching his nose. He nodded, throwing his little staff from paw to paw. "Most with Saiyan blood are, my child. From the look of your ghost, you must have been quite strong, too."
"You would be correct, sir. I'd only lost one fight..." his cloud darkened, electricity arcing from the warrior. "...Plato. that pale faced bastard. What a fuckin' douchebag. But I digress. So later on, I met my mate, Arias..."
The rat twisted it's mustache between it's fingers. "...was she hot?"
"Yessir...she is quite possibly the most beautiful, powerful woman I have ever met. Anyway, during our courtship, I was asked by my General to conquer a planet. I'd also planned on giving said Planet to my mate, my fiancée, Arias..." he'd go on to explain, "...but of course we both died and ended up here. She has a body, but..." Cloud Carva sighed. "...I do not. Every source says I could get my body back, but I need something called...um...Sho-ki."
The old rat priest stood there for a moment, looking up at the corpses hanging in the trees. He felt badly for Carva in a way. After all, he was just following orders. Gouda considered the situation for a moment, then finally spoke. "You know, these people in the trees...they have bodies, right? Bodies full of powerful, shiny Shoki..."
Carva blinked and floated up to one of the groaning corpses, an intangible hand touching it's face. He then looked down at Gouda questioningly. "I suppose you are right. But how am I to get their shoki? I can't just rip them to pieces, Hell, I can't do much of anything right now. I'm a ghost."
The creature grinned and pointed his staff at himself. "You can't, but I can. I can get their Shoki for you, but...I want to play a little game."
"Eh?" He asked the rat, not sure what he meant. At this point, the Saiyan was ready to try anything though.
"If you can correctly answer three riddles, and show your intellect...then I will draw out ALL their Shoki and give it to you towards your new body and subsequent revival!" He jumped off the rock and mockingly nudged Carva in his ghost ribs. "Savvy?"
Ghost Carva grinned, having liked this idea. He nodded his head. "Yes, much. So...hit me with your best shot. Just because I am big doesn't make me stupid, you know."
Gouda paced around Carva, thinking of the first riddle for his player. He then stood before Carva, balanced on his staff. "At night, we come without being fetched, but during the day? We dissappear without being stolen. What are we?"
Carva narrowed his eyes, more in suprise than thought. This one is actually quite simple. What is his gang anyway? Well...free Shoki is free Shoki. "The stars, Father Gouda."
He stated the answer quite simply, quite respectfully. He didn't want to anger the priest, as he didn't want to lose this opportunity. This game was stupid, but he needed his body...for training...among other things. I miss her touch...I must be successful...
Gouda grinned. "Very good, Lord Carva." His grin faded as he spoke his next riddle, trying to stump the young Saiyan. "It never was, and is always to be. Noone's ever seen me, nor will they. But I am hope for all, and give people reason to breathe in the living realm. Heck, you even have it...you just don't know it."
Is it...hope? No...he said it is, that's too obvious. This one is tough though...wish I could just go somewhere and think about it. Maybe come back...TOMORROW! Carva's ghost held a finger up and beamed. "TOMORROW! THAT'S THE ANSWER! You almost had me there, but tomorrow always promises a new day...and new hope."
Gouda was very happy with the man's intellect. He could tell that Carva was quite intellectual for what he was. He had to think of the one riddle the man couldn't solve. He needed to beat him. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. I am the beginning of every end, and the end of every place. What am I?"
Now this one is a tough one. Could it be death? Destruction? No...it sounds so...I don't know, it feels like I am missing something. Dammit! I can't stop now...eh...hrm...wait...those words, they begin and end with the same letter... Carva took in a drep breath, then exhaled. "The letter E. It's the letter E, Father Gouda." He tried to sound sure of his answer, but he wasn't. He held out hope that he was right. He needed the Shoki.
Gouda grinned. "Very good, Lord Carva." His grin faded as he spoke his next riddle, trying to stump the young Saiyan. "It never was, and is always to be. Noone's ever seen me, nor will they. But I am hope for all, and give people reason to breathe in the living realm. Heck, you even have it...you just don't know it."
Is it...hope? No...he said it is, that's too obvious. This one is tough though...wish I could just go somewhere and think about it. Maybe come back...TOMORROW! Carva's ghost held a finger up and beamed. "TOMORROW! THAT'S THE ANSWER! You almost had me there, but tomorrow always promises a new day...and new hope."
Gouda was very happy with the man's intellect. He could tell that Carva was quite intellectual for what he was. He had to think of the one riddle the man couldn't solve. He needed to beat him. He thought for a moment before speaking again. "I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. I am the beginning of every end, and the end of every place. What am I?"
Now this one is a tough one. Could it be death? Destruction? No...it sounds so...I don't know, it feels like I am missing something. Dammit! I can't stop now...eh...hrm...wait...those words, they begin and end with the same letter... Carva took in a drep breath, then exhaled. "The letter E. It's the letter E, Father Gouda." He tried to sound sure of his answer, but he wasn't. He held out hope that he was right. He needed the Shoki.
Gouda looked at the young Saiyan sternly for a moment, finally cracking a grin with a slight chuckle. Finally, he raised his staff high into the air. "Well, you win young man. Here is your prize!" The old rat begin to chant an incantation, the corpses in the trees beginning to scream and glow white...the corpses would burst into white flames, and bright flashes of light would bombard the Ghost of Carva like ki blasts...
Carva was quite nervous at first, but the white light would seemingly quench a hunger he'd felt snice he'd come to hell. Finally, after the spectacle, a glowing Carva ghost grinned at Gouda. "Thank you sir! Wow...this will definitely help me in my quest!"
Gouda simply nodded. "Now, you go forth and get yourself a body. You need to take care of that mate of your's, and get strong."
"Will do, Father Gouda." He turned from the father, and headed off in the opposite direction. He'd need to find his next source of Shoki soon...he missed his physical body greatly.
The End.