The Super Saiyan Girl

EP. 25 - Ascended

Niya groaned as she was kicked up against a boulder. Her whole body burned with bruises and cuts and mostly likely broken bones as well. Her neck burned, and she looked down to see the Red Jewel blinking quickly. Before she could cover it with her hand, the Cell Junior attacking her saw it.

"Ooo, shiny," the Junior commented.

Niya cried out when it wrapped its hand around the jewel before her. "H-Hey, let go!" she gripped its wrist.

"No," the Junior giggled and began to squeeze.

Niya gasped when she felt and heard a crack. A sharp pain ran through her. "I said let go!" she yelled. And in that moment, a sudden surge of energy flowed through her, and she managed to punch the Junior away.

The Junior tumbled back and caught itself. It wiped under its nose and growled when it saw purple blood.

Niya panted as she pulled herself to her feet. She was still catching her breath, but to her surprise, she had flashed into Super Saiyan with a Phase One aura around her.

She lightly cried out as the Red Jewel, now cracked, was spurting small sparks of crimson electricity around itself, but the pain of the shocks still traveled through her. She felt her consciousness begin to fade and dizziness settle in. It was so hard to breathe, Niya was thinking that maybe, that was where she was going to die. But if she was, she was going to die fighting.

Niya clenched her fists despite the pain and let out a breath. She turned her eyes to the Junior, who giggled at seeing she was planning on fighting.

But suddenly, she felt an energy disappear. Her heart sank as she looked over to Cell holding her brother by the neck. She watched in almost slow motion as his body fell to the ground, lifeless. He was dead. Cell had killed him. Once again, an Android had killed her brother, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"KUSUKE!" Niya cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks. But she grunted when she was kicked down by the Cell Junior, skidding into the ground on her back. She was filled with overwhelming sadness and anger, but before she could raise her fist, a ki suddenly skyrocketed beyond belief.

She, and the Cell Junior ready to deliver a fatal blow, snapped towards where the ki was skyrocketing. Everyone else around them, the Z Warriors and even the other Cell Juniors turned to look as well.

The very ground trembled and gave way to one young boy. The wind blew strong, and the air burned hot with power, with anger.

Everyone was shocked at the youngest fighter, Gohan. His power at that moment was unlike anything any of them could imagine. Could that have been what Goku had seen in Gohan? The potential Goku had mentioned, betting that Gohan was the only one who could save the world, the universe, from Cell was real. Goku had been right about the great power lying dormant in his son. It was hard to believe, but they had to push aside their awe and instead hope in the boy to save them.

But still, Niya still couldn't help but feel sorrow at the loss of her brother. He was dead. She couldn't save him again. Tears spilled from her cheeks, mixing with blood as it spilled onto the cracked and broken ground.

"Hey."

Niya froze for a moment before wiping her eyes and looking up. It was Gohan, and in his arms, he had Kusuke's body.

Gohan gently set his body down in front of her. Everything was silent and cold for a long moment.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him," Gohan said, his voice lower and somber. "He was a great friend."

Niya lightly sniffled as she brushed some hair from Kusuke's face. She closed his eyes by gently shutting them with her fingers. The Red Jewel around his neck was a deep blood crimson, dark and empty like death.