Flying over the burning rubble of Satan City, Goten and Trunks were silent. It was hard to think of something to say when faced with the hard, cruel evidence of a destroyed city. It was even harder to believe that one of their friends had done this; someone that they had trusted and respected. A look was passed between the two of them, their faces reflecting the same sense of horror and sadness. It had been a long while since their young eyes took in so much destruction and death. To them, seeing Satan City in ruins on the ground was like a harsh slap in the face; the sudden realization that their lives would never be normal. It was often easy for them to forget the Saiya-jin blood that ran through their veins and the power that slept within their hearts. As of late, life had been complicated, but it had been complicated with things that were strangely normal: death, grief, petty squabbles, childish angst. Now normalcy lay dead on the city streets along with countless others, and the realization of their destinies was beginning to surface once more. Fate had selected them to be the guardians of this planet, and this planet was now in danger. There was a destructive force in their midst, and once more, they were called upon to defeat it.

This time it was different, however. The destructive force was an ally. It left an unsettled, sick feeling in Goten’s stomach. He knew that that same nauseous feeling was probably affecting all of them at this point. It was inescapable. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Kuririn and Marron would feel about this; knowing that Juuhachi-gou had caused all of this horror and damage in the city. Knowing that she had killed so many innocent people. A similar thing had happened with Vejiita when he had become Majiin Vejiita so long ago: he had killed nearly an entire stadium full of people without any kind of regret or consciousness. Perhaps like Vejiita, Juuhachi-gou was also being possessed and her body was also acting on its own without her knowledge, committing crimes that would normally have horrified her. That was Goten’s only consolation as he flew over the eerie, broken city.

“Someone is alive down there.” Trunks said suddenly, and Goten turned to follow the direction of Trunks’s finger.

Below them in the rubble, a figure was emerging slowly. They were most definitely alive, but appeared to be in pain. They could not make out anything more than that through the thick blanket of smoke that curled around the city, but Goten felt a foreboding sense of danger. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, but there was definitely something wrong. He didn’t often get these kinds of premonitions and feelings, but usually when it was important, his sixth sense kicked in. He would never be as good at it as his father was, or Piccolo for that matter, but he was beginning to develop the inner skills that would eventually mold him into a great fighter. The feeling that was affecting him now was the same type of feeling that often came up when he was fighting with someone. It was the sick feeling of dread that came along with knowing that you were about to be hit with something very strong and possibly deadly.

He bit his lip and slowed down in flight, coming to a stop in mid air as he watched the figure stumble out onto the city street. Before Trunks could dive down to help this person, Goten reached out and grabbed onto his arm, steadying him. His friend eyed him curiously, but Goten held onto his arm tight, silently telling him to wait. They both watched with unblinking eyes as the figure became visible through the blackness of the smoke and ash, backlit by the fire that was raging behind her.

Juuhachi-gou.

When she saw the two boys in the sky, her heart nearly stopped beating. She wanted to cry out to them and ask them for help, but found that her voice had all but disappeared. All she could do was stand there in the ash-filled street and stare at them, her ice blue eyes clouded over with a film of smoke and tears. She brought her hand up slowly and tucked a stray strand of pale blond behind her ear, shaking so hard that she could feel her teeth chattering. The two boys stared back down at her with horrified looks on their faces; the same looks that she had seen earlier on the faces of the victims that the other Juuhachi-gou --- the one that wasn’t her, had killed. It broke her heart to see that look on their young faces. She knew what they saw when they gazed at her: they saw a killer. They saw someone who used to be an ally, but was now someone that they could no longer trust or respect.

Would her family look at her in the same manner? Would she ever see her family again? The questions began cramming themselves into her brain, causing her to wince in pain as a headache began to form in her temples. Weary from the task of taking control of her body once more, she swayed back and forth on unsteady legs, reaching out to hold onto part of a brick wall with her shaking hands. It felt strange to have control of her limbs again and be able to move them at her will. She had been terrified that she would never be able to touch or feel again. The other Juuhachi-gou, the sleeping evil, had been so forceful and strong that she didn’t think she would ever be able to gain the edge back again. However, she had found the last shred of strength in her heart and she had used it, determined to stop her from committing one more sin. The little boy had escaped. He had limped off somewhere; she didn’t know if he were still alive now or not. She did know, however, that he had not been killed by her hands. She had given him a chance to live. She had fought with the evil inside of her and won.

For now.

The evil was still there. It watched from a dark corner in her mind as she took a shaky step forward, nearly falling on her rubbery legs. It was bitter. It was angry. She could feel it trying to claw its way back to the surface and she knew that she would not be able to fight it off forever. She simply did not have the strength.

Juuhachi-gou looked back up at Trunks and Goten, who seemed to be debating between themselves about her fate. She imagined that they would kill her. She almost welcomed it. If she had to live her life fighting the evil inside of her, or live it as a prisoner in her own body, she would rather die. Staying alive meant that she would be a liability for everyone around her. Staying alive would mean that her own family would be at risk, as would her friends and anyone else that she should happen to come across. She couldn’t live her life like that. It just wasn’t worth it. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially people that she loved or respected. As the two boys stared down at her, she brought her eyes up to meet their gaze bravely. If they were going to kill her now, then she would not fight it. If it meant that she would save her family, then she would die.

But there is still hope. A small voice from inside of her head insisted. Perhaps this is reversible….Perhaps I can change back to the way that I was before. To the way I was before Dr. Gero ever put his evil hands on me.

It was funny. Even after all of the destruction that she had just witnessed and experienced, she still believed. She still believed, just as she always had, that there was a way to turn all of this around. In her heart, she was certain that the evil that Dr. Gero had done could be unwound and undone. She wasn’t sure how --- she wasn’t a scientist by any means. But she firmly believed that under all of the wiring and the wicked influence, she was a real person. She had a heart and a soul and everything else that made someone unquestionably human. It just so happened that that spirit inside of her had been caged and buried under mounds of scientific experimentation. It could be recovered, though. She could become whole again. This was something that she had never doubted. The only question left in her heart was….how?

Whatever the solution was, it needed to be applied quickly. Very quickly. Before she lost whatever human part of her that she had left. The evil Juuhachi-gou was slowly eating away at everything that she had always treasured and held dear: the beautiful memories of Marron as a child, the love that she had for her husband. She was going to lose everything soon if she couldn’t get rid of this evil that was plaguing her soul. At that very moment, she could feel the other Juuhachi-gou sliding up her throat, threatening to take over again at any moment. She felt that she needed to say whatever she could while she still had her chance. She needed to make her plea right away before it was too late.

Her voice still did not have the power to carry, so she raised her arms and waved to the two boys that hung in the sky above her. They looked down at her with puzzled, apprehensive faces, debating once more between themselves. She knew that it would not be easy for them and that they probably would not understand. She didn’t expect them to understand --- she didn’t understand it herself. But perhaps somewhere in their hearts, they would be able to see her for the person that she was and not the monster that had just destroyed Satan City. They stared at her for a moment more, their handsome young faces grim. Then they nodded to each other and slowly descended through the air, landing in the ash covered street before her. She could see in their eyes that they did not trust her. She didn’t blame them. She didn’t trust herself.

“Why did you do this?” Goten demanded suddenly and angrily. “Do you realize how many people you’ve just killed and how many lives you’ve just destroyed?”

“Hai.” She murmured softly. “But it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it.”

“The hell you didn’t.” Trunks accused her with cool blue eyes.

“I didn’t do it. I had to watch it.” Her eyes began to fill with tears. “I need you two to listen to me very carefully. I don’t have much time left to speak freely to you. I’m trapped. I can tell what is going on with my body, but I do not have control over it. There is some sort of evil inside of me and it has taken over. That evil, that other Juuhachi-gou is the one that destroyed the city. I had to watch it all….completely powerless. There is nothing that I can do to fight it. It’s too strong. I need help. Please, you have to do something to help me.”

The lavender haired warrior glared in return and Goten spoke up in a hesitant, but angry voice. “Why should we believe you? You just slaughtered thousands and thousands of innocent people. I saw it with my own eyes. I watched you kill all of those people without even caring. You murdered children. I saw it all.”

“So did I.” Juuhachi-gou stressed, reaching out her hands in a plea. “I tried to stop it but I couldn’t. The evil was too strong. It took over and it killed and I did everything that I could to make it stop, but I couldn’t. It had control. It’s going to take control again. You have to do something, please.”

They stared at her silently, their eyes unsympathetic.

“Trunks,” She began, her eyes searching his face gently. “Before she died, your mother promised that she would help me. She told me that she would try to make me human again. I know that it is not your job to do such a thing, but please help me. Please live on in your mother’s memory and fulfill the promise that she could not. Please.”

That broke him; she could tell by the way that his face fell slightly, his blue eyes becoming more sad than angry.

Juuhachi-gou let another tear slip down her cheek, bending her head down in shame. “I know that I have done some terrible things, but if I had been able to stop it, I would have. When the evil part of me takes control again, there will be nothing that I can do to help it or make it go away. But please remember that whatever that evil Juuhachi-gou does, I am still in here somewhere. I’m still inside of here somewhere, watching it all, just as horrified as you are. Please help me.”

Juuhachi-gou’s strength finally gave out and she crumbled to the ground, falling to her knees in the sea of ash and dust. She watched them with watery ice blue eyes and felt her heart aching. The evil was coming back, pushing against her mind and nudging it back into a remote corner. The other Juuhachi-gou was angry that she had been shoved aside so easily and was beginning to fight stronger and harder against her, knowing that she was weak. It would take over again and it would kill again and there was nothing that she would be able to do to stop it. Perhaps hope was only an illusion, after all. Trembling, she bent her head down, letting her pale hair fall in front of her face like a curtain.

“I’m still here.” She whispered. “I’m still here.”

And then the darkness took over again.

Marron woke up confused, unsure of where she was or what had happened to her. She hurt, she knew that much. Her leg was aching and her body felt as though it had bruises and scratches all over it. Through the haze of unconsciousness, understanding finally came to her. It appeared in flashes --- pictures of running through a moonlit forest, screaming, being grabbed from behind, her uncle’s cold and frightening eyes. He had tried to hurt her, possibly kill her. Her own uncle, someone who she had trusted and loved, had actually tried to hurt her. Was he still there? Was she still in danger? Her eyes fluttered open, frightened. At first there was nothing but black and shades of gray, but slowly light began to appear and she began to take in her surroundings.

The first thing that her eyes took in was the image of her father beside her, his kind face smiling gently down on her. Immediately her heart swelled with joy. If there was anyone that could make her feel better, it was her father. He had always stood beside her and comforted her when she needed him. It made perfect sense that he would be here for her now --- he was her guardian angel.

“Papa!” She cried softly, her own eyes filling with tears. She reached out and grasped his hand tightly. She didn’t want to blubber like a child, but she couldn’t help it. It was such a relief to see him there and much more than her bruised little heart could take. Her chin trembled dangerously as she stared into his kind and understanding eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here, Papa…..I was so scared! So scared….”

“I was pretty scared too, Marron-chan. I don’t like to see my baby girl unconscious and injured. But we don’t have to worry about anything now. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” He comforted. His hand gently swept away the strands of pale blond that had fallen into her eyes. “You’re at the Son House. ChiChi has been taking care of you for me.”

She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. “Where is Juunana-gou?”

“I don’t know for sure. Gokuu and Koronu went after him, Piccolo as well. But they won’t hurt him.” He assured her. “He is just very sick and they’re going to do all that they can to make him better. He didn’t mean to hurt you, Marron. He just didn’t realize what he was doing or that it was even you that he was attacking.”

She understood that. Juunana-gou loved her, she was certain. She knew that he would never hurt her if he were well. Even in her state of fear and panic, she had known that something was not right. He would never have laid a hand on her if he had been himself. Whatever he was going through, it must be awful. Awful enough for him not to even recognize his own niece and want to hurt her. She just hoped that Gokuu understood all of that as well. She didn’t think that her father’s best friend would hurt Juunana-gou. Gokuu was a kind and understanding soul, and someone that she trusted unfailingly. She didn’t think that they would hurt him.

She looked around the room uncertainly, just now noticing that something very important was missing. Her mother was nowhere to be seen, which was very odd. If her mother knew that she had been hurt, she would have been there in seconds. Yet there was no sign of her. No empty chair, no other presence in the room. Just her father. Sitting up in the comfortable bed that she was in, she propped herself up on one arm and met her father’s rid-rimmed eyes.

“Where is Mama?” She asked him. Her heart began to fill with dread and uncertainty.

He didn’t say anything for a very long time, just stared at her sadly. His eyes were darker than usual, haunted by more than just the fear of losing his daughter. He was worried about losing his wife as well. Slowly, realization hit and she looked at him with horrified eyes. The world fell out from underneath her and everything that she had ever known was instantly shattered into a million pieces. It had happened to her mother, too. And if they could not find a cure for this --- if there was no way to make them better, she would lose her forever. She would lose both of them. They would turn into the monsters that they had been before, and she knew that they could not let them stay that way. Sooner or later, they would have to stop them from hurting anyone. And that most likely meant that sooner or later they would have to kill them. The tears that had been building in her eyes began to spill over onto her cheeks, running down in rivers as she reached out to be held by her father, falling into his arms.