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Post by Chromo on Aug 10, 2019 14:27:43 GMT -6
EVERYONE AND THEIR BROTHER
CHROMO'S PL: 50,000 (SUPPRESSION || 152k BASE)
Chromo's claws dug through Namek's earth like knives through butter. Torrents of dirt had piled into still-growing towers as the beetle burrowed. Placed out of the muddy fire was a small radar beside some bushes, emitting continuous, rapid beeps. "Come on, come onnnnn!" Chromo growled. He could feel his heart pounding out of his chest. He had to be right on top of one of the last Dragon Balls! He was so close- inches away! He had to be!
His talons stuck something hard. A resounding clang, reminiscent of a bell's toll, echoed through his ears. He pushed more dirt and rock away, letting the sprinkles of sunlight glint across the amber surface of a Dragon Ball. Six Stars glimmered just as stunningly as those in Earth's night sky. "YES! YES YES YES-- I-I-I DID IT!! I DID IT!!!" Chromo could have cried right then and there. The bug bounced up and down in joy- he hadn't been this happy in ages,! Claws wrapped around the exposed surface of the Dragon Ball, ravenously tugging at the orb that was lodged in the dirt. It was really stuck in there... Chromo snarled again as he strained his muscles, raising his once-suppressed power to yank the sphere right out of it's rocky prison.
With his increased power, the Dragon Ball flew out and into his claws like a glove... before the laws of motion sent it flying upwards when his grip slipped. Chromo yelped in shock, but quickly crawled out of hiding to pursue his prize. It couldn't have gotten far, right!?
Lo and behold, he caught sight of an orange sparkle falling from the skies to land atop a nearby hill. With his target locked, Chromo chirped in glee as he climbed upwards, skidding closer and closer to the Six-Star Dragon Ball. With one last, well-timed hop, his claw extended across the hill's cliff-like edge he'd been scaling to firmly grasp the top of the Dragon Ball...
...That was strange. He didn't remember the Dragon Ball feeling this much like someone else's hand.
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Post by Tarch on Aug 10, 2019 19:28:17 GMT -6
Tarch PL: 150,000
Super Saiyan active. PL: 2,250,000
This was a miracle. Normally Tarch would have been left staring at a blank screen of a dead radar by now. Yet by some miraculous gift of the Namekian guardian Oboe, there was a second blip! A lone orange dot, completely isolated from Nashua’s nest of shiny wish granting eggs. It wasn’t his own either. Tarch could recall several occasions when he’d be chasing his dragon ball like a dog chasing its tail. This time though it was a single, solitary, not moving orb.
Then it moved. Really fast. Where was it going? Great, did some Namekian bird mistake the dragon ball for food. It was usually fish. But he was on land, so unless Namek had flying aquatic life then it was likely a bird. Fortunately the little blip on his radar stopped moving pretty quickly.
Now in Tarch’s excitement, he had completely neglected his sixth sense. He was not paying attention to any other energies that may have been nearby. All the young hybrid would focus on would be climbing the large hill the sphere landed on. Finally, his long search would be over. He could bring back his mother, help Nashua, and Mr. Oboe. Then of course there was a certain demonic monkey lizard to worry about. But he gave away his dragon ball. Willingly too! So now all that was left was… the… wishing.
A familiar claw like talon rested itself comfortably on his hand, likely after the same thing as Tarch. No, he was definitely after the same thing. Looking up from what he thought would be his dragon ball, Tarch would be face to face with Chromo.
His mind froze, like a once rushing pond coming to a halt in the winter. All of his thoughts just stopped. Only two words silently screamed their way into his brain. Fight or Flight. Run or Attack. Engage or Flee. Flight won. As instinct took over, his power flared up, his hair turning glowing blonde. Then with no regard for any bugs that may have been hanging onto his prize, Tarch sped off with the ball in hand and without a word. What was he supposed do? He couldn’t think of anything to say to his once best friend. Maybe he should hav at least asked for the ball before taking off? Judging by the extra weight dragging behind him, that wouldn’t be an issue.
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Post by Chromo on Aug 10, 2019 20:13:17 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
Chromo pulled his face over the cliff's ledge, though the rest of his body froze before it could follow suit. His pupils shrunk into reptilian slits and his jaw hung slightly open in wordless shock, confusion, and fear above all else. The surge of joy he'd felt earlier was once again a far-off pipe dream as he'd come face-to-face with his former friend for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Even if he could force his mouth to make words in his shocked state, Chromo wouldn't know what to say. No matter, he could just take the Dragon Ball and run-
"aaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-" The beetle screeched as he found himself whisked off the ground. Chromo wrapped his arms around the Dragon Ball for dear life, managing to kick two of his legs through the mercilessly whipping wind to clutch the sphere as well. It was a good thing the Dragon Balls were nigh indestructible, or else it would have a couple hundred scratches coating it's surface.
As panic took over, Chromo's power would peak to resist the high-speeds his former friend was dragging him along at. He didn't even notice the hauntingly familiar gold aura that overtook Tarch just yet with his scattered focus- but what concentration he could gather was dead-locked onto the Dragon Ball. His Dragon Ball. Chromo's two free legs flailed around behind him in search of something else to latch onto- maybe a tree or some boulder to try and skid them to a stop, but there were none above the clouds that caved beneath his scrambling legs. Chromo yelped again in fear. He tried to bite onto the Dragon Ball for extra support.
"L-L-Leggho--!!" Let go, Chromo tried to say with his mouth full- though the panicked stutter and his muffled voice would start to turn his words into gibberish again. "Ish mhine!" He found it, fair and square!... That was, if this whole thing wasn't a cruel dream-turned-nightmare of his. Maybe that Nashua hit him in the head when his back was turned, and now he was having this sick dream in a coma! Chromo would have growled at the mere thought, if it weren't for the harsh winds forcing his eyes closed and his teeth clamped onto a much more important issue at hand...
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Post by Tarch on Aug 10, 2019 21:23:06 GMT -6
Tarch peered back. Yep, Chromo was still attached. The hybrid knew first hand just how well those jaws could latch on to things. His still recovering arm was proof enough of that. Still, he refused to let go as well. But why not? Chromo was here for the same reasons. Tarch heard it from the beetle’s mouth, he was here to right the wrongs he committed. That included bringing Kohlra back. So why did Tarch still hold on as tightly as he did? Maybe it was the lingering lack of trust. The notion that a murderer would revive their victim was too incredulous to believe.
“You… You can’t have it! I need to… I need to-” Unfortunately in his own desperation and fear, Tarch failed to notice the large mountain he and his best friend were hurtling toward like a comet. “I need to fix what you- OOF!” With a resounding crash, Tarch would collide head first into the mountain, making a messy hole straight through. The poor teen then tumbled out the other side, his super saiyan form fading as he rolled onto the ground. All of Namek felt like it was spinning, the ground turning into a stormy sea under his knees. More importantly his hands felt empty. Where was the ball? Where was Chromo?
“I need to-” yet again Tarch would fail to finish a single sentence. This time his usual cough set in, bringing up a small mouthful of blood. “OH GREAT!” he sputtered, spraying his lower lip with red. “Now this is happening again!” Another thing he had Chromo to thank for. He quickly glanced around looking for him. Was he still in the mountain or did he let go in time? Who cares. He was here to revive Kohlra anyway.
A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. “Ohh… FINE! Keep it! I don’t-” another bloody cough. He must have seriously overdid it just then. Of course, it was a single instant that he put every ounce of power into going as fast as possible. Of course he would aggravate whatever lasting injury the bug gave him back on earth. “I don’t care…” Tarch finally repeated, collapsing to his knees in a heap on the ground. “You probably just want to wish for Hetap anyway…” Why did he say that? Even if it was more to himself, anyone could have heard it. Plus, he knew it was not true. Granted, Chromo didn’t know that he knew. Either way he turned his back to the mountain, and in turn the little bio-android. “I just want… I don’t…” silent tears slowly crept along his lids, soon sprouting into a subdued but noticeable sob. The seemingly unending swirl of emotion was just too much for the fourteen year old to handle. He just could not process anything. All he could do was try and fail to hold back his tears and let Chromo off with the ball.
Tarch goes back to base form: Pl: 150,000
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Post by Chromo on Aug 11, 2019 11:47:59 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
The howling winds came to a sudden stop. One moment he was in the sky, the next his face was driven underground with a rough landing, while all six of his limbs scrambled to pull it out.
One swift yank and yowl later, Chromo managed to pull his dirt-riddled face out of the ground. "W-where...?!" He spat and frantically glanced around. Where was he? Where was the Dragon Ball? Where was Tarch?! He spotted the orange orb beside a toppled tree, but Tarch on the other hand... Horror washed across Chromo's face- the blood dotting the powered-down saiyan was yet another haunting reminder of their last encounter. Chromo turned his head away and grit his teeth with a growl. Tarch had already made him suffer so much since that day- and even before it! When would it be enough for him?
His mandibles clasped over his mouth to conceal his expression. Chromo narrowed his eyes and hissed beneath the makeshift mask. "W-Well maybe I do!" He claimed, though Hetap was the least of his worries when it came to wishes. They both knew that. "At least I'm not stupid enough to steal someone'e stupid Dragon Ball right after they find it and---!!" He began to screech in rage, eyes taking on a threatening red hue before his voice devolved into hisses. He was going to mention how Tarch just had to decide to waltz over and ruin his brief happiness with his dumbness. The confused, seething bio-android turned silent, closing his eyes tight as thoughts swarmed in his mind.
Chromo was snapped from his thoughts by Tarch's piercing sobs. "Whu--" He slinked backwards as the red vanished from his eyes. Body curled into a closed, defensive posture, Chromo initially seemed ready to defend at the slightest loud sound... Though once he realized it was just Tarch throwing a temper tantrum, he'd uncurl and hiss to himself, shaking his head and swiping at his own face again.
"U-Ugh! Shaddup already!! You're t-t-too loud!" He didn't like hearing Tarch like this. With the blunt, thankfully not-sharp knuckle of his claws he'd bat at the back of his head like an annoyed cat, moreso to jog the poor hybrid with a few good bonks rather than maim him like before. But now that he was standing up and moving about, Chromo noticed something strange. "...Wait."
The beetle shifted his weight across his legs, glancing aside in both suspicion and worry. When he fanned open one of his wings, though, the beetle's expression sunk into terror. "W-where is it..?" He began, dropping to the ground and clawing through the grass. Did he drop it?! It couldn't be too far away, could it?! "WHERE IS IT?!" His fearful screech grew in volume. Scrambling forwards, Chromo would attempt to push Tarch aside to look where he'd been sitting- but regardless, he'd scramble elsewhere in his desperate search. "No, no, not here..." He muttered to himself. Chromo landed beside and uncovered the dirtied Dragon Ball, but carelessly threw his treasure to the side like a candy wrapper. What was he looking for...?
Scrambling to the top of a nearby tree, Chromo's panicked gaze surveyed his surroundings, until.... "AAAAAAAAAAAAA WAIT NONONONONOOOO---" Fluttering high in the air above, he saw it. A wrinkled piece of paper, now free from it's once safe spot beneath his shell thanks to the turbulent winds before. Perhaps Tarch would have found the paper familiar...
Without so much of a second thought, Chromo launched himself into the air with a blaze of ki. His arms flailed about in an attempt to catch the slippery slip of paper, but he finally managed to snatch it in his teeth. A sigh of relief escaped Chromo's nostrils as he held the letter again, but...
...His wings weren't working. Glancing back to his other wing, he'd yelp through clenched teeth to see it crumpled and torn from his earlier joy ride with Tarch. Instincts took over as he tried to launch himself with his ki again to safety, but was yanked to the side by the wind as his ki launched again. One accidental loop-de-loop later, Tarch would see a splash of water rise from beyond the trees as Chromo accidentally sent himself flying right into a lake at blazing speeds. The beetle was busy and his Dragon Ball was unattended...
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Post by Tarch on Aug 11, 2019 13:30:55 GMT -6
Like a firecracker going off in his ear, Tarch was snapped back to reality by a solid thump to the back of his head. The tears immediately shut off, replaced with an angry, no more disgruntled scowl. What did he go and do that for? Because he was being a baby? Tarch was about to retort when Chromo suddenly stopped. Suddenly he seemed beyond distressed, like the whole world was about to explode.
“What are you-” the teen yelped as his friend lifted him up to check something. Was he looking for the dragon ball? It hadn’t landed too far away. Heck, Tarch could actually see the thing shining through the rolling bluegrass nearby. “It’s over th-” Chromo saw it too. Yet he didn’t seem to care. What could possibly be more important than the dragon ball? What could take president over the one thing that could fix this whole mess. Whatever it was, Tarch had never in his life seen Chromo this hysterical. Should he do something? He hated seeing his best friend so distraught. “H-hey. It’s ok. We can find it. Whatever it is.”
That was when Tarch saw it. The one thing that could have prevented this mess. From where he stood it looked like an ordinary piece of paper. But he didn’t have to read it to know what it said. It was his letter to Chromo the day he left. He held onto that? Tarch watched without saying a single word as Chromo tried and failed to take off, hindered by a crippled wing. Now he had to do something. The half saiyan closed his eyes and created his double.
“Go get the ball. Our ball. And step on it.”
The Tarch clone saluted the original, once again turning super. “Yessir!” With a loud crack he sped back toward where he kept his seven starred ball.
The remaining Tarch plucked Chromo’s ball up off the ground and brought it to the edge of the lake where Chromo was now flailing around. He let out a defeated sigh. Why couldn’t this have waited until they made the wish? With a quick dive, he would attempt to scoop the injured beetle from the water and bring him back to his dragon ball. First things first though, he had a wing to repair.
“Don’t get that thing wet,” he ordered softly, referring to the bug’s now prized possession. Tarch held out his hand, “here.” A familiar small bean was resting comfortably in his palm. “For your wing. I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t know you found it first.” His tone was subdued, almost deadpanned. It sounded as if all the energy he had from before had completely washed away, no pun intended. Yet a spark of hope did trail in his words. “You can keep it, but I think we’ll want to share them anyway. You see…”
The second Tarch arrived just in time, the seventh and final dragon ball securely cradled in his arms. As he landed, he returned to his base form, calling in a quiet but gleeful tone. “We actually have all seven now!” The two Tarch’s gave each other a high five, merging back into a single unit. “You did find it first though, so I guess it’s up to you bud.” Bud? Could he really call him that? Why not? After seeing Chromo with the letter once more, Tarch decided he was tired of staying angry with the person who was supposed to be his best friend.
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Post by Chromo on Aug 21, 2019 20:05:54 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
Chromo's jaws were quick to close around the fragile paper before the waters could turn it to dust. For a moment he'd flounder in the water, trying to get his balance and launch himself back to the surface. But before he could muster up any ki, he felt a tight grip around one of his legs. He didn't get the chance to react before he was tugged out of the water and dragged back to land.
As quickly as he was tugged from the waters and into the skies, his dangling legs would touch back onto the ground. The Bio-Android quickly scrambled back to his feet. "hhHEUCKH--" Chromo gargled- the taste of the dirty paper was too much to take. Promptly spitting the page back out, it still seemed to be in decent condition. Granted it was slightly crumpled, and the corners were coated in greenish saliva, but it was intact.
Chromo panted as his adrenaline faded, but his pupils turned to frightened slits again at the sound of Tarch's voice. His antennae perked at the sight of the shrunken Senzu Bean being offered to him by his sworn enemy. He remained still as a statue as the saiyan... apologized? And didn't want to take his Dragon Ball? Chromo's mind lagged behind his motionless form, trying to process and put reason to everything that was being said.
Then, another Tarch came. Chromo nearly screamed in shock that Tarch had an identical twin until he'd reminded himself that the young teen had a similar Multiform ability. What did cause his eyes to widen was the sight of the final Dragon Ball. Two plus five was seven, right? They had them all, and all that was left to do was have Nashua and this Guru guy call the Dragon. He couldn't believe it.
...He really couldn't believe it. Tarch hated him- Chromo knew that fact. He killed Kohlra, his own mother- he was the reason they were both here in the first place. Tarch said he wouldn't be forgiven, and Chromo had hard-wired that into his mind as the permanent truth. As much as he wanted to recapture the life he lost, as much as he yearned for attention and affection, the fear that still lingered from long before their bout at West City remained, stronger than ever. Even if he did trust and get everything back, it could all be taken away again, and he'd go through this again. That was why he couldn't have anything to loose to begin with.
But being alone hurt just as much, his conflicted mind continued to scream. Wasn't he here to revive West City and his family? Chromo closed his eyes tight with a snarl. Either he didn't notice or didn't care to wipe away the growing droplets in the corners of his eyes. "Don't y-you know when you've done enough? Stop pretending." Tarch couldn't actually care, not after everything. Chromo was just as dumb and stubborn as the day he'd met his friend, it seemed. In his single year of life, Chromo's mind was completely unprepared to handle these surges of emotion.
"J-just shut up, take those stupid Dragon Balls out of my face, and leave me alone! F-for real this time, or e-else!" Or else what? Chromo's tone was anything but confident. Still, he hissed and took a step forward, digging one of his talons into the ground. The sharp limb shone in the sun like a knife- that same claw had taken Kohlra's life, and left a permanent scar on his friend's face. But with only a growl and whimper, the beetle would dart back into the bushes to try to flee yet again. His mind was still caught in a crossroad, but right now Chromo wanted to be anywhere but here, facing his misdeeds yet again.
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Post by Tarch on Aug 21, 2019 21:16:42 GMT -6
Tarch rolled his eye. This was going beyond pathetic and tracing into plain stupid territory. Chromo's act of childish defiance didn't scare the hybrid one bit. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Tarch was growing absolutely furious with the little insect. So many questions swirled around, forming a storm in his mind. But there was only one question that stood out from the rest. Like in the eye of a hurricane, there is peace, in the slurry of questions, there was one solid query.
Tarch stormed over to Chromo's hiding place, now leaving both dragon balls perfectly unattended. He would rather risk losing the two wish obs than have to force himself to go through this again. The stubborn bio-android wanted so desperately to be alone, yet there was something he didn't seem to realize. That meant leaving his friends behind too.
The young half saiyan would attempt to grab hold of his former friend, wheeling him around to face him. "Shut up you freaking idiot! You found the ball first, YOU keep it! I know you didn't come all the way to another planet for something you could easily rob a factory for." A surprisingly warm feeling took hold of Tarch for just a brief moment as he called back to their first meeting. "You wanna make everything right? You wanna start to fix everything? Because you're not going to do that by running away! So take your stupid ball, take the Kami damned bean AND DO IT!" Unfortunately, despite Tarch's strong and hopefully uplifting words, his anger was quickly boiling beyond control, wisps of blue fire sparking to life behind him. He wasn't done, not by a long shot. "You keep on trying to run but all it's going to do is make it worse! Stop Running! Just-"
"JUST STOP!!!"
The words echoed around in his ears. The moment he nearly killed this poor bug now perfectly clear in his mind once more. Two small words. Two ordinary words that meant so much. The same two words that Tarch screamed when he was sure he would die. This monster tried to eat him. This nasty little beetle killed his mother. His friend scarred him for life. Yet there he was, being accused of already doing enough to ruin Chromo's life. An odd and unexplained sensation of understanding gripped him.
Tarch's eyes had been slowly shifting into a teal green until now. Now both of his eyes were back to their cold icy blue. Finally, if he did have a hold on the bug, he would let go, his own tears pulling at the corner of his eyes, begging for freedom. He couldn't grant that, not right now. Now he had to be the strong one. Chromo sure wasn't.
"I just want to be happy again," Tarch growled, his voice while stern, was quivering in sorrow. "And I know you want to be happy again too. But we can't do that if you run away. I left you alone last time, but now you're just leaving yourself alone." With that, he turned back toward his own ball. He would move to scoop it up leaving Chromo's perfectly unattended. Of course he couldn't just leave. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Both of them.
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Post by Chromo on Aug 21, 2019 22:50:02 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
Chromo slowed his escape, stopping behind a boulder in the woods. His breaths shook, and his antennae instinctively lowered while he held his limbs close to his body. The distressed beetle's beady eyes trailed to the ground. He didn't know what he was doing, or what he was even supposed to do anymore. He and Tarch likely wanted the same wish anyways, so leaving the Dragon Ball behind didn't change anything... Except for his family still being dead. He turned to the crumpled paper tucked under his torn wing. The slumped beetle rubbed his eyes and curled his body closer... But his alone time didn't last much longer.
The Bio-Android shrieked as he was grappled again, this time much more firmly. His pupils turned red with his rising emotions as soon as he saw the familiar, glowing teal in his friend's gaze. For a moment, the towering trees around him looked a lot like West City's broken skyscrapers. If the fright overtaking Chromo's gaze wasn't a giveaway, the terror overtaking his ki would let Tarch read his mind like an open book to the emotion rooting him in his mindset. He closed his eyes tight and grit his teeth to the point where it felt like they were about to break. A familiar sheen would be visible across the bug's hardening shell as he braced for a much-deserved impact that never came.
Chromo's eyes remained close, but he felt Tarch's grip lighten as the saiyan cut his own shouts short. That was all it took for the quivering bug to turn and squirm, moving to try and kick and wriggle himself free. Regardless of if he was still gripped or dropped to the grass, he'd turn and shout back with wide eyes. "T-that's the ENTIRE point, you idiot!" He snapped in despair. "I-If there's nobody around... nobody, n-nobody would be able to hurt me." Finally, his thoughts began to leak into words- the roots to everything that'd been warping his frail mind. "...I wouldn't be able to h... hurt..." He trailed off, eyes growing watery again. If he was gone, he wouldn't be able to hurt Tarch or Kohlra or anyone else ever again. "Y-you'll get your hecking wish, then..."
"Forget it! So what if you're even d-dumb enough to drop this!? Try t-t-telling that to e-everyone else!!" Kohlra would probably want to kill him for revenge. Everyone at West City would flee at the sight of him. Word of the killer bio-android returning would spread across Earth like wildfire, and again he'd have his life pried away. Perhaps literally, next time... Chromo convinced himself that he'd been doomed to this fate. "It doesn't matter what you do, stupid! I-I can't... I'm trying- trying so hard but want to but I can't but I wanna and I... I-I-I..." In spite of those thoughts, he wanted to go back. It felt like his mind had been playing tug of war over this matter for months, and Chromo was the rope between hope and fear.
Finally, that rope would snap in two. "W-WAAAaAAAUUAGHhHH--!!" Chromo broke, all his bottled emotions leaking from his cries like a broken dam. The pained child wailed in agony, collapsing onto his knees. He buried his face into the grass, wrapping his arms around his horned face before his piercing sobs turned to whimpers. "W-why me? What d-did I-I-I do to make t-them go...?" Why did his dad have that stupid sickness? Why did the others have to follow? Why did his mother leave him in the dark for so long? Why did he do what he did after? And... "...Why did y-you even stay?" By all means, he and Tarch were polar opposites. Chromo held no remorse for those he'd stolen snacks from, while Tarch would have never hurt a fly. He munched on popcorn while watching Virus slay innocents on television- something that would have disgusted his friend, the list went on. They should have been sworn enemies from the beginning.
Chromo wanted to scream, run far away and never return. But he couldn't work up the will to do anything but howl again in sorrow.
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Post by Tarch on Aug 22, 2019 12:45:14 GMT -6
Tarch fell to his knees. That's what this was all about? The thing was, he understood it completely. If he didn't try and save his sister then he wouldn't have to worry about her. If some twisted version of Tarch didn't want his mother back, then he'd never have to worry about her dying again. If he didn't want to be friends with Chromo again, he'd never have to risk one hurting the other again. But that wasn't the point , was it? This was where the two of them differed the most. Sure, Tarch was a doughy eyed child of hope and innocence while Chromo was a shifty eyed no good thief. But what they did in the face of adversity was what mattered most now. If they could both find hope in a dark pit of despair, they could come out of this together. Otherwise, the child of hope would climb out while the child of despair would dig down.
In this absolute hurricane of emotions flooding from Chromo, Tarch remained strong. He picked himself up and slowly made his way to the crying beetle. What was he even supposed to say to all this? Would the bio-android even listen? Or would he just storm off and shut him out once more.
"Chromo." He knelt down beside the broken down bug. "I want to forgive you. It won't be easy, and it could take forever. But if you just leave then I never will get to forgive you. Sure you won't feel bad anymore, but you won't feel good either. You'll just be..." What else was there? Tarch was too young to have any sort of knowledge on this matter. This wasn't the sort of situation he thought about at his age, only sort of went through without any real understanding. The poor little guy was no doubt drained, tired from holding back all of the pent up sadness and anger building up inside him. "None of us ever wanted to." He didn't know that was true, but why wouldn't it be? "I only met your sister once, but she was so sweet I know she never wanted to leave. And I wanted to bring you with me. You got a piece of paper to prove it," he motioned toward the now crumpled letter. "But I wanted to come back just as cool as you. Chromo, I... we..."
"That's why I'm staying Chromo. Because I WANT to forgive you. Because even though we both hurt each other I'm just a stupid idiot kid who thinks everything can be okay. Besides," he laughed in a futile effort to hold back the already running tears. "You're like the devil to my angel." He'd once more aim to take hold of the bug, this time in more firm but gentle hold. "Damn it Chromo! I already screwed up by leaving you alone! I'm not gonna forgive anyone who does it to you again! Not even yourself! Which means if you leave yourself alone I'll never forgive you! Then you'll be alone and sad! So just... so just..." Finally, Tarch was out of words. He was worried if he continued like this he would be broken down and in tears too. But this was all too much for one fourteen year old. Now he was broken too. What was he doing? Why was he trying to be friends with his mother's killer again?
"I hate you so much for what you did! But I love you buddy!" That was when it hit him. Why he went through all this trouble for someone who hurt him so badly. Because at the end of the day, there were worse people he loved. Vocado became this dark and almost cruel person but Tarch still believed in him. Kayen gave him a lesson printed on his chest yet he looked up to the vicious queen. Sensoa was a straight up monster that Tarch refused to see as all evil. Kon, his own real sister, was willing to beat an already broken Tarch just to stop him from reviving the person she hated most for something she had no control over. But she was still his sister to him whether she liked it or not. Compared to them, Chromo was a saint for even trying to bring Kohlra back. "You're not my best friend anymore... you're my brother..."
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Post by Chromo on Aug 22, 2019 23:04:48 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
No two children should have had anything to do with these types of situations- let alone a one-year-old. Chromo wasn't even three months old when he first met Tarch! Even now, Chromo couldn't fully wrap his head around death as a whole. All he knew for sure was that one by one, he saw his family stop moving- and he couldn't even say goodbye to them before it was too late. Regardless of if they didn't want to leave like Tarch said, it still hurt.
"I-- I j-just..." Chromo tried to say something, but his speech again descended into gibberish whines and clicks. His shell visibly hardened again in anticipation with a flinch as Tarch tried to touch him- the beetle's hard-wired combative instincts still screaming to brace for impact, even though he knew that wouldn't happen. He closed his eyes tight, cries beginning to grow hushed when Tarch tried to word his own thoughts with their limited, young vocabulary. The mere prospect of being forgiven only came to Chromo's mind as an impossible dream before. Hearing his former friend simply imply that it was possible sent a wave of warring emotions through his mind- but running away again wouldn't make that a reality, Tarch insisted.
Still, what did he even have to return to anymore? A destroyed home? A friendship that might not even properly rekindle? The decaying corpses of his family? His entire family was so close to being good as gone. There was Ghoti and Desmond, but even then there was that nagging paranoia that they'd just die to that dumb sickness too- he didn't even have a roof over his head anymore. He had no family left- he'd convinced himself of the fact.
But that bitter fact was shattered into pieces when Tarch spoke again. Chromo's eyes widened beneath his claws. Even if they weren't tied by blood, the beetle had one member of his family still breathing.
One of the claws concealing his face fell limp as Chromo grew silent. A wide, glassy brown pupil gazed back at Tarch. For what Chromo felt like was the first time in ages, the terror would fade from his aura, replaced with something brighter. In the blink of an eye, Tarch would soon find a weight thrown his way when Chromo wordlessly darted towards the saiyan, attempting to wrap his arms tight around him in a hug. Chromo never wanted to go through the pain he'd traversed through before ever again. If it ever happened again, at least now he wouldn't have to go through it alone.
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Post by Tarch on Aug 23, 2019 13:03:26 GMT -6
For the first time since West City, Tarch felt something more powerful than the fear and anger inside Chromo. Forgiven or not, he welcomed the embrace, wrapping the small bug in his arms as if he’d fly away if he ever let go. He may not have a loving sister when he returns back to earth, but now he had a younger brother as well. Soon he would even have his mother too. Oh, Kami how would she take all this? Could she possibly accept her killer as her son? That didn’t matter now though. For now, Tarch had a little brother to be angry at. A little brother he had to make sure knew one thing.
"I'm not going to let anyone leave you alone ever again."
He would let the bug continue to silently hug him, as silent tears streamed down his face. This sucked. Why did his new sibling have to be such a little gremlin? Why couldn’t Tarch be like a normal person and hate his mother’s killer till the day he died? Why did he insist on finding it in his heart to forgive him? There was one more why question Tarch had in mind, though that one he would ask out loud.
After a long silent hug passed, Tarch would swiftly bring his hand to the back of Chromo’s head. “That’s for not telling me you big dumb jerk.” he laughed, his tears still staining his voice. That was part one of his promise. He would hit the bio-android upside the head for not telling him. Part two was a little more up in the air. Originally he was going to let Chromo beat the snot out of him for leaving. However, that already happened in West City and then some. “Come on,” he ushered, slowly pulling away from his new brother, “Let’s go fix this mess.”
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Post by Chromo on Sept 2, 2019 21:11:45 GMT -6
CHROMO'S PL: 1,976,000 (x13P || 152k BASE)
Chromo jolted with a startled peep as a hand smacked him upside the back of his head. His instincts stirred again, but Chromo managed to quell them again for the time being with a shake of his head. "...Well you're a nerd." The child retorted as if his juvenile comeback had weight against his reasons for not telling the saiyan about his condition any time before the mess.
Though, when Tarch would try to pull the bug off of him. "Nhuh-uh." Chromo muttered, though his voice was a little muffled. Regardless, he'd firmly cling to his friend like a wad of superglue. Though his grip would eventually lighten, Chromo instead opted to try and scurry up his friend and onto Tarch's shoulder- though it'd be a lot tighter fit than he remembered... Well, he did go through that weird growth-spurt. Chromo still didn't even know what this new form was, now that he was thinking about it. Regardless, if allowed, he'd wiggle about to eventually only perch his torso on the Saiyan's shoulder, whereas his lower legs clung to the back of his jacket with their gecko-like grip.
The question remained- how would they fix all this? The Dragon Balls would surely repair all of the physical damage- the death and destruction reversed. But his prior claim remained. He doubted anyone else would be forgiving and kind to him as Tarch was. He turned, looking at his reflection in the Dragon Ball below. The thought of his family returning caused hope to well again. At least he'd have something when he got back- he'd have to show Virus all the new Hetap flavors that came out while he was gone!
"Y-yeah." He breathed out. Chromo felt tired- he couldn't wait to stop seeing blue grass and green skies in every corner he looked. "But, uh... What about after the Dragon stuff? Your, u-uh, mom's gonna still hate me." Not that he could blame Kohlra. He murdered her, after all. The Bio-Android briefly remembered Tarch's apparent sister. She wasn't nice. Oh, right, he had to mention that. "Also! Also, you nerd, you never told me you had a sister! She's completely nuts, though." They'd have to deal with that later. Maybe X-Osis could show Kon how to act sisterly. "I'll slap her for you if she acts like a meanie-butt ever again." Alas, Chromo still had something- he now clung to what remained to his connection to Tarch with deathly ferocity- nothing bad would ever happen to the saiyan again, if he had anything to say about it. But having a roof over his head would be nice...
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Post by Tarch on Sept 3, 2019 18:50:38 GMT -6
A stab through the heart. Truly Tarch would be feeling the cold sting of this riposte for years to come. Like the bite of a mosquito. Actually scratch that. Tarch could be a super saiyan and he’d still find himself endlessly itching himself to annoyance from a single bug bite. This was more like the bite of a rambunctious puppy. Then again, Chromo was a bug. Though now he seemed to be trying to be more of a backpack. Tarch made no effort to squirm away from the little demonic monkey lizard as he tried to find a more comfortable spot on his brother’s shoulder. Unfortunately, he well outgrew his original perch, settling on a makeshift piggyback.
“I got a Chromo backpack,” he teased, hoisting little Chromo a little higher. “You know, you can still sit on my shoulders. Just have one leg each side of…” Tarch stopped short as he realized his fatal flaw. Chromo had way too many legs for his idea to really be possible while still being comfortable for the rider. Plus that red bulb would constantly be poking into his neck. All in all, this was definitely the way to go. “Nevermind this is fine.”
Then came the topic of his family. First was the situation between Chromo and Kohlra. Tarch gave a nervous laugh, “Yeeeeaaaah… That’ll be… hoo boy. I mean my mom always told me she was a punk criminal when she was young. Maybe she’ll get it? I mean I got my human parents too if not. Oh jeez I’m not looking forward to that either way. Don’t think I’m leaving you alone that easy though.” Then, of course, there was his half-sister. Kon was an enigma, as was his bizarre opinion of her. “So you met Kon huh? She’s… Well, let me put it this way. You know how you’re part saiyan? Imagine if you hated that so much you would kill me and your mom- err Ms. Tanga over it. Forget because she left you alone, just for being your mom. But I love her anyway somehow. Maybe I’m just stupid and want everyone to be happy even though it makes no sense?” It was a true testament to The Child of Hope. He wanted to save everyone in front of him. Good, bad, mean or nice. If you were needed to be saved, Tarch would see it done. Worst of all he’d expect a happy ending for it. He was just too young to realize that one day that hope could easily crash down around him. That’s why he wanted to be strong, strong enough to stop another West City tragedy from happening to anyone else.
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CHROMO - THE BEST BUG
