Mason and Blaze stared at each other for a while. The wind blew hard. Blaze was still flashing gold, and Mason was still in shock about the whole transformation thing.
"Mason, you've met your match! Ha ha ha ha hah!"
"So this is the power of a super sayan? I've never experienced anything like this. I've never seen anything like this."
"Seeing is believing. Before this fight even began, you had no chance of winning. Zero percent."
That offended the hero. "That's not for you to decide."
"Still in denial? I'm much faster and stronger than I was in my normal state. There is no way a regular sayan can beat me."
"Well," Mason said in the same confident tone, "I'm not a regular sayan."
They charged. Bam!
Blaze landed in front of Mason and delivered a hard blow to him. Blaze charged at him like a train and punched his chin. Mason fell down head first. He got back up and took his fighting position.
It was clear that Blaze is superior to him. He needed a strategy.
Mason charged energy to prepare his most powerful move, the Ultra Blast. Blaze watched him. He was confident he could take anything Mason throws at him.
Mason fired and kaboom! The energy went right through Blaze, but he was unharmed.
"No way!" he screamed in disbelief.
"Nice try. Blaze kicked him, then grabbed him and threw him onto a rock. Crush! Mason went right inside and the rock broke apart. Blaze charged energy quickly and shot a beam at him. It hit Mason and the pain was unbearable. Mason laid still, not moving a muscle.
"So much for the great Mason!"
Mason: "It's not over yet!" He got up and continued fighting. They continued to hurt each other, but Mason was wearing out, and Blaze still has a lot of energy left. Finally, Blaze gave Mason one final move.
"Cosmic Blast!" He fired a beam of golden energy, and Mason took it head on.
Boom.
Blaze: "You lose, Mason."
Mason: "I-I can't believe it! I've l-lost! I'm sorry everybody..." He crawled onto a rock and tried to get up, but he was too weak to even breathe.
Blaze powered down and his hair turned back to normal. "Tsk tsk tsk. You spoiled little brat. You had easy opponents in the beginning, but you're dealing with the top of the universe! No matter how strong you are, there is always someone better than you...you have to accept defeat once in a while...Bye, it was nice knowing you."
He flew into the colony and 'borrowed' one of Jerrell's space pods. The sayan colonists were not able to stop him. The space pod took off and faded away into the sky.
Mason crawled on the ground. "Ugh…"
Margrit showed up and called his name.
"Mason!"
"Margrit? Is that you?" he said, thinking it's an illusion.
"Yes, I did. I'm here now. I sensed you were in danger."
"Margrit, I was afraid when you were in there. Afraid that you might never wake up."
"I was afraid I'll never get to see you again..."
"What are you doing out here? You need rest."
"No, I'm fine. Besides, look at yourself, you're a mess!"
I was defeated by a sayan named Blaze. I couldn't even defend the colony, I...lost..."
"Forget that! You did your best, you just couldn't help it."
"Margrit...I'm sorry about before..."
"No, no, forget it. As long as you remember who I am..." She burst into tears. "That's all that matters."
He was speechless.
"Let's just forget about what happened. It wasn't your fault. Let's pretend that never happened."
"Okay..."
They embraced.
So, everyone went back into the colony to treat their injuries. Most of them were minor, except for Mason's. He was in the worst condition of all.
Zelfire explained the situation of the crystals once again for Margarita's sake. Their situation was so desperate they had no time to congratulate Margrit's revival. This time the entire universe was at stake.
Margrit: "So, all we have to do is get the crystals before him and boom, Dark Spectre is history."
Zelfire: "Well, it's not that simple. He's already ahead of us, and besides, Mason is in critical condition. He can't help us."
Mason was sitting by the counter by himself. He sighed at what Zelfire said and let out a deep breath.
Margrit walked over to him. "What's wrong?"
"I've been defeated. By someone stronger than me..."
"Ohhh...Mason..."
"I'm totally useless now! Sorry, but I can't help you."
"No, you're not useless at all! You've done way too much for us..."
"I was no match for Blaze. What can I do?"
"We'll figure out something. We've survived so far, haven't we? Hey, who taught us that we must never lose hope? Did you forget already?" she said.
"But..."
"We can't win all battles. Even I admit that."
He sighed. "I've lost...I'm worthless!"
"No!" She crouched in front of him and touched his face.
He looked into her eyes.
"Not at all. You saved us all many times! And you were brilliant. As far as I'm concerned, you're the strongest sayan in the universe!" She exaggerated that, but he seemed to be a bit convinced. She took her hand and put it gently on his wrist.
"Really?" he asked."
"Yes." she said.
Jerrell: "That's right. As a sayan, your abilities are pretty impressive. You lasted the longest in the fight with Blaze."
Zelfire: "Yeah! You can find some way to defeat Blaze! He was just lucky this time."
Their undying faith in him seemed to have moved him. Suddenly, he was full of confidence, back to his usual self. Once Mason has snapped out of the depressed state, the heroes discussed the current situation.
Margrit got up and said: "Don't worry Mason. Once you heal, you can come to join us on the Guardian Planet."
Jerrell: "I think we better go as soon as possible. Like Zelfire said, Dark Spectre already knows about these crystals, and if the legend is true, then he must be stopped from gaining them at all costs."
Kane: "I don't get it. Dark already has all of the power he needs. Why does he need them?"
Jerrell: "No, he wants them. He has a greed for power that surpasses even all of us. Not only that, but he probably knows whoever gains them can revolt against him and his Empire."
Zelfire: "So, this mission is going to be our most dangerous one ever..."
Jerrell: "Yes, and I bid good luck to all of us."
Kane: "So guys, this is it? The ultimate showdown..."
Jerrell: "We have sacrificed everything for this one golden opportunity to happen. Countless people have died under his hands...and it must end now."
Piper: "You...don't have to do this."
Margrit: "We might not succeed...but I'd rather die trying than wait any longer. I have had enough of this torture."
Mason: "Good luck to all of you."
Jerrell and Kane were already inside one of the pods, ready to launch at any moment. Zelfire was in another pod, and his pod-partner would be Margarita. Piper, who was too weak and scared, decided to stay with Leila and Mason.
There was no more time to waste. They had to go now or never. Margarita waved goodbye as she stepped into the pod.
Mason: "Wait...don't go. Stay here with me. When I get back to normal, we can go together."
Margrit: "Ohhh honey...you know I have to go now. I want to stay with you but I have something more important to do."
Mason: "Promise me you'll stay alive until I come join you."
"It's a deal."
She kissed his lips and they hugged.
"C'mon Margrit! Let's go!" Jerrell screamed against the engine sound.
"Bye." Margrit said.
"Goodbye."
She went inside.
The pods launched. ZOOM!
(Good luck, Margrit. Stay alive.) he thought as the pods disappeared into the sky.
He remembered half a year ago when he was looking at the sky as long as he was now. Staring at the emptiness, in deep thought.
How times have changed. He was watching an alien space ship arrive on earth, the event that changed everything. Now he was on Mascus, watching the pods leave. Things have changed a lot since then. A whole lot. He was a different person back then, and at that time he never thought he would be faced with a crisis so great that not even his power can save him. Whatever happened has happened, and there's no going back now.
There's absolutely no turning back. I'm not a normal person anymore. I'm a sayan. A sayan rebel. A rebel fighting against a whole empire.