Winter's Fall

A Planet Left

Winter ran outside, it had been seven years, and she was now considered a huge hero in her town, and the planet had expanded a lot since the first attack. Several soldiers had come into the clearing, all holding weapons and all of them ready for a fight. Winter approached them, glaring and ready to protect her planet, no matter the cost.
"Leave this planet! Now!" The soldiers just stared at her, looking back at each other on occasion, all confused. They then remembered their young lord's orders, and proceeded to attack. They lunged at Winter, who flew up to dodge and attacked them back with a small yellow ki blast. It hit one of the men, who fell to the ground, but it failed to reach the others, who simply jumped out of the way. Winter growled and flew down into the group as fast as she could, punching one of them straight on his head. He fell unconscious to the ground, but the remaining three men grabbed Winter and refused to let go despite her struggles. They began to fly off with her, but Lass jumped from her house, quickly flying to follow them.
"WINTER!!!" Lass attacked the men, attempting to pry their arms from Winter, eventually being successful. They dropped Winter from their grasp, and she recovered in the air. She looked back at the men and saw them all attacking Lass, and she rushed to help.
"LASS NO!!!" Winter shot a ki blast at all of the men, scattering them in three different directions. Winter turned to Lass, pointing back to the clearing. "Lass go home! This is too dangerous!" Lass was close to tears as she flew closer to Winter.
"No! You need help!" Winter groaned,
"fine! Just be careful!" The two then attacked the men at the same time, Winter taking two and Lass taking one. They soon managed to knock them all to the ground, but as they themselves landed they saw one still awake, laying on the ground, struggling for consciousness. Winter took this opportunity and glared at him, firmly placing her foot on his back to keep him down. "Why are you here?!" The man looked up at her, clearly angered by her question.
"Y-your planet is desired by Lord Freeza..." The man's voice was raspy and shaken, showing both pain and fear.
"Freeza?! Who is that?!" Winter pressed down on the man's back harder, and he quickly responded.
"K-King Cold's son!!!" Winter gasped and removed her foot from the man's back. He didn't move, he just kept shaking.
"Well?! Go!"
"I can't..."
"What?!"
"You'd better just kill me and the others. If we return to Cold and Freeza reporting a failure he'll kill us anyway." Winter stood still, not responding. "Well? Aren't you a warrior? A warrior has to kill." Winter still stood, but she soon took a deep breath, took aim with her finger, and shot a ki beam straight through the man's heart, instantly killing him. She stared at what she had done, unsure of what to do to the others, and unsure of what she was going to tell everyone else. She sighed and flew off, going back to the clearing to try and explain.
*****
Winter looked at Lass, who was sitting nearby her on a couch. "Lass?"
"Yes Winter?"
"Do you think that I can protect this planet forever? I mean, it's been 17 years, and every attack just keeps getting bigger as this planet grows..."
"Winter..."
"Lass you know it's true! You had to help me once! A whole group of Cold's soldiers came and attacked! Ever since about two years ago it's gotten worse!" Lass went silent, unsure of how to respond. "I just can't shake what these men keep telling me, Freeza. His name is Freeza. Freeza sent me. King Cold's son! I can't believe it..." Winter fell back into her chair, slumping down.
"I have no idea who he is, but somehow i'm already afraid of him...I've heard King Cold is pretty awful, I can only imagine what he's teaching his son..."
"I know..." The two went silent for a while, but a cruel thought entered Winter's head, the thought of how she's been forced to kill the invaders of the planet. She sat up a little, staring into Lass' eyes. "Hey Lass...?"
"Yes Winter?"
"Do you...Think any less of me?"
"What?"
"Since i've been killing those people...The ones that come to our planet...I know everyone else says i'm a hero but I only really care about you..."
"Winter, I don't think you're some monster because you've killed a few people! You had no choice, and besides, they belong to that Freeza guy, it's honestly for the better."
"I know but it kind of scarred me...I was only thirteen..." Lass got up and moved closer to Winter, putting her hand on her shoulder.
"Winter, I know it's hard to hurt another living person, but you have to. Imagine what they would do if you let them be! They could've killed millions of others who can't defend themselves, no one's going to think less of you for it, not even me." Winter smiled,
"thanks Lass...I needed that."
*****
Panic shot across the planet, citizens ran into their homes, families hid their children, and Winter was the only one left outside of shelter. In the sky a ship could be seen landing, it was large and circle shaped, and everyone knew who it belonged to. Winter stared into the sky, thoughts rushing through her head. Why was he here? Is this really him? Or is it this that Freeza she's been told so much about? The ship soon landed, blowing away grass, leaves, and causing all of the trees around to sway. Winter got ready for a fight as the hatch opened, and from it came two men, both different alien races. One was more human with light green skin, dark green hair wrapped into a braid, and the familiar armor that all of Freeza's soldiers had been wearing before this. The other was less human, with a very rounded body and head, pink skin, small spikes covering his head and arms, and the same familiar armor, the only difference being this man actually wore pants. They spread themselves out to each side of the opening, arms behind their backs and leaving a large space in the middle for others to walk through. Winter glared as a figure walked through and stood in between them, he was a member of her race, but he was not Cold, this could only be Freeza.
"Zarbon? How have my soldiers failed to take this pathetic planet so often?"
"It seems someone on this planet has been stopping our troops from completing their assignments, sir."
"Hmm..." Suddenly Freeza noticed Winter and looked to her. "Hm? Who is this?" Freeza stepped off of the hatch's ramp and got closer to Winter, observing her looks. Winter stayed silent, she wanted to say something, but she found herself frozen in fear. If this was Cold's son, who knows what he could do to her. "A member of my race? Interesting. I haven't seen another one of us in my lifetime, let alone on a planet like this one." Winter still said nothing in response, and Freeza bursted into laughter. "You must be the one that's been causing all this trouble with my troops! Surely it wasn't anyone else on this rock!" Winter finally mustered up the courage to say something.
"I-I was! And you can't have my planet!" Freeza's expression quickly went from amusement to anger.
"Excuse you?"
"This is MY planet!" Freeza sighed and pulled Winter closer to him, sending her a rush of fear.
"I'm not sure you understand, you may not know of my power, but I assure you that if I desire something, I take it, and that is no exception with "your" planet!" Freeza threw Winter away, and she lost her balance a bit, but she wasn't ready to give up her planet.
"No!"
"No?"
"Take me instead!" Freeza looked at Winter, confused.
"Take YOU?"
"Yes. I'm clearly powerful, i've been able to defeat every troop you've sent to this planet. If you take me and recruit me to your army, then you agree to leave this planet be. If you don't, I die with it." Freeza went silent, considering the offer in his head.
"Fine. Zarbon, Dedoria! Prepare the ship for flight and prepare a bed for her, we're leaving." Freeza entered the ship and Zarbon and Dedoria followed, but Winter hesitated. She was unsure about leaving everything behind, her home, Lass, and all of the other people on the planet, she was a hero, and now she was leaving. As Winter slowly went to enter the ship, Lass ran out from her home and stopped her.
"Winter! What are you doing?!" Winter turned to face her,
"protecting my planet, I have to leave." Lass began to tear up, and she hugged Winter tightly.
"Winter! You can't go!" Winter pushed her off, shaking her head.
"Lass it's for the better, i'm sorry..." Lass was completely crying now, and she watched as Winter entered the ship and it flew off, Lass saying her final goodbyes.