Winter's Fall

Returned.

Winter laid in her bed, tired but unable to sleep. Every day Frieza had taken her from her bed in the morning to spar, and every day it got more and more torturous. She felt stronger, but it was forced, not brought out on her own, but forced by a cruel ruler. She sighed and stood up, going to the door, but as it opened Frieza stood there, causing Winter to jump back. "Winter, I need you."
"For what?"
"My father has decided to pay me a visit and he wants me to display my best soldier. So I have chosen you."
"Wh-what?"
"Winter! Honestly, you should be honored! My father will be proud to see another member of our own race has joined us! Come with me." Frieza left and Winter reluctantly followed, what would this lead to? They reached Frieza's main room and his father, King Cold, was standing there. Winter tried not to say anything, but the sight of Cold was almost too much. There he was, the very person who destroyed her planet, the very person who killed her parents, right there for her to see. He was massive, taller than both her and Frieza combined. He wore the same armor Frieza wore, but with a blue color and a long cape attached. The orb on his head was a light blue color, and his skin was a light purple. His gaze was sharp, and he stood straight up, as if he was proud to just be alive. His horns were sharp and stuck straight out, similar to a bull. All of this sent chills through Winter's body, and the thought of how much power he could have made it even worse.
"Ah, I assume this is the soldier I requested?" He spoke proudly and calmly like a ruler, but somehow still had a fatherly tone as he spoke to his son.
"Yes father, it is." Cold got closer to Winter, observing her.
"A member of our race? I haven't seen one in years."
"She is a very strong one as well, i've been training her."
"Really? Well I can tell she is very strong just by looking at her, but why don't we display her power for us to see?" Winter froze, what could he mean? Frieza smirked,
"I have the perfect planet for that." Winter noticed something when he said that, the sinister tone to his voice, and she dreaded what came next. Frieza left the room, seemingly to go set some sort of coordinance, leaving only Winter and Cold. He just stared down at her, his gaze sharp but curious, and his arms crossed. Winter just stared, hoping he wouldn't somehow recognize her as the survivor from the planet he destroyed so long ago.
"Is it true? Are you really as strong as my son says you are? I wonder..."
"I-i'm not sure..."
"Not sure of your own power? You are a strange one..." The fatherly tone in his voice was now gone, replaced with a more formal and kingly voice, as if he was a different person. Winter just stared, too afraid to move, too afraid to respond. He had destroyed her planet, and he looked as if he had just forgotten, completely pushing the massacre of innocent people aside in his memory. The thought of being responsible for someone's death would normally plague someone's mind, driving them insane. But him, nothing. No sense of regret or empathy for anyone, unfazed as if he would enjoy doing it again. Only a few minutes had passed but for Winter it had felt like it had been days. Frieza entered the room once more and the ship started to move towards their destination.
******
The ship landed, and Winter looked out in horror as she recognized the surroundings. It was the very planet she had left to protect, her home, her safe place. Frieza turned towards her, glaring.
"Winter, would you please follow me to another room?" Frieza left and Winter reluctantly followed, wanting to slow time, and stall her arrival as much as she could. In the new room, Frieza glared at Winter, his arms behind his back. "Winter, i'm sure you are curious as to why we have stopped on your planet, and that is because I find it useful, and taking it over by yourself would be the perfect way to display your power to my father, and prove yourself to me. Now, you have two days. One to say your goodbyes, and one to take over. Don't you DARE try anything, because me and my father will be watching, and if you fail in your task, not only will you be useless to me, but I will see to it that you are killed." Winter shivered, frozen. She had no choice, she couldn't escape, and she couldn't fight, she was stuck. Frieza took one arm out from behind his back and outstretched it, showing an item in his hand. It was the device that him and his soldiers all wore on their eye, a scouter, the screen's color being the same as Frieza's. "Here. Put this on your ear. I will use this to communicate with you." Winter took it and put it on her left ear, sighing. "Oh, and one more thing, Winter. Don't you dare try and warn anyone of our plan, or I will consider it a failure, and you, along with anyone you told, will be killed. That is all." Frieza left the room and Winter stared in disbelief, she was truly stuck, forced down to the level of taking over her own planet, and killing those she held closest.
******
She stood at the hatch, staring out at the planet she would soon be forced to hurt. She heard a voice echo in her ear, the familiar and awful tone she'd been hearing since she left her planet in the first place. "Alright Winter, this is your one day. Do as you please to calm your conscience, and then you strike." Winter stepped out of the ship and the hatch closed behind her, and she just stood. She took deep breaths, being slightly soothed by the smell of the planet's familiar air, but it wasn't enough. It could never be enough to settle her fear, her worry, and her sorrow. What would they say? A hero, returning to her home after what seemed like her last goodbye, they were bound to celebrate her return. She sighed, deciding not to think about it anymore and began to walk. She wanted to stay standing, she didn't want to leave, but she had to, her legs made her and took control. Instinct alone pulled her, her desire to live, how selfish. She was brought to the clearing and she took a deep breath, she had to return. The voice once again rung in her ear, "Winter, I'd suggest not wasting time, remember, you have one day, I will leave you for now, but tomorrow, I will be there." The voice shut off, but she could still hear it ringing in her head, one day, one day, one day. That's all she heard. She stepped into the clearing, entering it slowly and seeing quite the difference. There were many more homes, so many more people had found this planet and stayed on it. It seemed tranquil, so at least she had closure that her leaving kept the planet safe. She just stood, her legs no longer guiding her, she just stood and stared, looking at the homes until she spotted one, an old looking one, but still take care of, and it seemed somehow familiar. Then she realized, it was her old home. It was still there, and someone had been taking care of it, and she soon realized, Lass. She walked forward, and she heard doors open, and felt eyes staring at her. Everyone in the now large village was looking at her, staring as if she was a god. She looked at them, scanning their faces, recognizing only a few. But one stepped out from her door, a look of disbelief on her face. Winter gasped, it was Lass, she knew it. She was taller now, her white hair long and a little messy. She wore the same black shirt and pants, and her skin was a glowing pink color.
"W-Winter...?" Her voice was smooth but shaky, she was about to cry.
"Lass..." Lass dashed towards her, tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her.
"Winter! I missed you so much! You've been gone for two years..."
"It was the worst two years of my life..." Lass broke from the hug and looked at Winter, noticing the scouter on her eye.
"Wait...What's that?"
"It's...A scouter. It was useful so I kept it." Lass smiled and hugged her again, unable to hold back her emotion.
"Winter...I missed you...I couldn't stand it...I just had that thought...The thought that i'd never see you again..." She was full on crying now. "Winter I just...I couldn't..." Winter pushed Lass forward and held her shoulders strongly, looking her in the eyes as their green color shimmered.
"Lass...I'm here now...And..." Winter choked up, she didn't want to say anything, she didn't want to lie, but before she knew it, her mouth was moving. "I won't leave you again..." Lass smiled, chuckling.
"You were always so supportive...I guess that's why we're best friends." Winter chuckled a bit and looked around, other people were stepping from their houses, looking at Winter. "I guess you're wondering why everyone's so curious. You see...You've become a bit of a legend since you left. As more and more people came as refugees from Frieza's attacks, more and more people heard your story, you're a hero, Winter!" Winter chuckled, a hero, of course. She was afraid of this, but she hid it, just smiling.
"I guess so..." Winter looked over at her old home and pointed to it. "Is that my house?" Lass nodded, smiling.
"Yup! I took care of it while you were gone, it looks just like you left it."
"Should we go inside?" Lass chuckled and walked towards it and Winter followed, staring at the house as it drew closer. They opened the door and walked inside, seeing everything she had placed inside, just as it had been before.
"Wow...You took really good care of this place." Lass chuckled.
"Yeah. Well..I'll let you sleep for a bit, you must be tired..."
"Thank you..." Lass left and Winter walked into her room, sitting on her bed. She looked around the room, it was as barren as ever. She chuckled, looking at the floor. The chuckle soon evolved into a laugh, and the laugh was hiding sadness.
Tears formed in her eyes as she began to speak. "They're coming for me, aren't they? They're gonna come back! I'm not safe from anything!" She continued laughing for a while until she ran out of breath, staring at the floor once more.
"No one is safe."
******
Winter paced the floor, she couldn't stand talking to anyone, she wouldn't be able to hold in her secret. She would scream to the people and warn them of herself, and get herself killed. She sighed and looked out the window, it was almost dawn, she had stayed awake all night. She chuckled, it was almost time. She suddenly heard something come from the scouter, which she had put at the corner of the bed. She approached it and heard that same voice, yelling at her. She put it on her ear and the voice got louder and more clear.
"Winter! Your goodbyes are over! Now is the time to take control."
"Lord Frieza I-" she stopped. She realized what she had just said, she called the person she despised, the very reason for her torture, lord. He was getting to her.
"You what, Winter? Remember our deal, it's either you do this and live, or don't and die, and I destroy your planet myself! I'm giving you a chance to spare their lives!" Winter shook, she couldn't hold herself back.
"I-I don't want to hurt them! I can't hurt them!"
"Winter, you know the consequences to what you are saying, don't you?"
"I-I..."
"Winter! Take over the planet or i'll have to deal with it and you! And you know well that I don't like to get my hands dirty." Winter was still shaking, she didn't know what it was, but she felt something in the pit of her stomach, something she'd never felt before. She collapsed to the floor, holding her head and shaking even more, feeling like she had lost control of her body. Suddenly, her form began to change, her horns grew to a large size, like a bull, and her eyes turned completely blood red. Her bio-armor grew and wrapped around her neck like a flipped up shirt collar, and the armor on her legs grew to the length of a long skirt. She grew taller, and her build became stronger, all while she held her head in pain. Once the transformation finished she stood, lowering her arms and staring forward, and she heard the voice echo through her ear again. "Winter?" Winter took the scouter off and looked at it in her hand, chuckling for a second before smashing it to pieces in her fist. Its shards fell to the floor and Winter walked out from her home and began to laugh, the people around taking notice and staring at her. Then, she lost all control, it was as if a completely different person took over, and she began to attack...
*****
Fire raged through the planet's fields, the bloodied bodies of once happy people scattered across the area, and Winter stood in the center of all of it, her heart beating fast and an irremovable smirk plastered across her face. The screams and cries of the people still echoed through her head, and the smell of ash made it all the more enjoyable for her. She walked slowly to approach the last remaining person on the planet, Lass, who was kneeling on the ground, shaking and crying. She looked up as Winter approached, staring at her red eyes.
"Winter....This can't be you...You wouldn't do this...I know you wouldn't...This has to be Frieza's work!" Winter stayed silent, staring a her. Lass stood up, continuing to speak. "Winter I know you're in there...I know you would never do this...Not to the people you love...Winter...Please..." Again no response, all Winter did was extend her arm to threaten a ki blast. "Winter...Please...Come back to me...You have to still be in there...I know you are...PLEASE!" Lass began to cry even more now, and Winter's smirk disappeared. "Please...Please..." Winter held her head again and fell to the ground, her second form disappearing back into her first. Lass sighed in relief, and she bent down to help Winter up as she gained consciousness, and as she shakily stood she looked around, gasping.
"What...What happened? Why is everyone...? Did Frieza do this?!" Lass sighed, amnesia.
"Yes...Yes he did..."