On better terms [Snare]

[Saxophone]

Years ago, in a land much like this one lived a proud and educated race of warriors and wizards, their culture spanned peace and prosperity across the entire face of their planet. The race was unknown to much of the universe, their skills to be things other races had only dreamed of. Sadly, in the darkest time for many of the species in this universe dawned a threat the mystical race could not prepare nor counter. Their planet was destroyed, millions killed and many reduced to slavery, moved to the planet known as earth.. Here they discard their heritage and glory for survival, and join the ranks of darkness or attempt to block out the horrible past behind them..

'Was that all you needed to know, traveller?'

The old man wobbled slightly in his rocking chair as he looked up to the large hooded figure for conformation. The man didn't respond, but instead took the story tellers hand and placed currency on it's palm. The old man's eyes seemed to widen, as the hand that came from the shroud of white cloaks and sleeves was green. The man did not comment, as the showed face seemed to be looking at him the whole time even if the larger man's eyes were not even visible. He departed almost as quickly as he arrived, his dark toned voice not repeat, it seemed he had learned everything he needed to know.

The man walked some distance from the small desolate house where the story-teller resided on his porch, making sure the coast was clear of any other living humanoid before removing the heavily heated clothing which concealed his general appearance. Saxophone threw the cape and robes to one side, leaving them to hang upon a nearby tree as the place he had been looking for seemed to draw closer. He subconsciously smacked himself, had he learned to fly before now he would have been able to easily scout the area from the sky, it was a shame his Sensei's training routines did not harness the Ki manipulation techniques as much as a namekian's typical teacher. None the less he was able to detect levels of power ranging from extremes to minors, no doubt to try and blend into the area would be a bad idea.. By the way people had been talking about this place it seemed almost taboo to walk into it's outskirts without being challenged.

None the less Saxophone had decided what he was going to do long before he even began his journey from his home. If any of his brethren, his race, were still alive.. He would have to stop at nothing to ensure their safety. He felt like he had betrayed them, though what he did could have very well saved hundreds if not thousands, they stood their ground where he simply fled. It wasn't out of fear, or cowardice, he knew that the challenge that was ahead of him would be something they may not survive.. And it was better for him to simply depart and train to fight another day. And here he was, had he known the situation years ago he would have been here many a year before. He was stronger now, ready for the challenges that these so called 'soldiers of Freiza' have to offer. He's faced many of them in combat before, this planet is not the only place subject to this taint.. And.. And..

'I really have to stop talking to myself..' The Namekian grunted as he adjusted his scarf to give himself a little more room to breathe freely. This forest was nothing like his homeland, he had been to planets of ice, worlds of vast jungle.. This forest was the worse environment he had been in for a long time. Sure it masked himself from watchful eyes but the place was just so damn maze-like! He stopped beside a tree, placing his head against it while he attempted to regain his sanity from this endless walking. His act of heroism has easily clouded his sense of reality.. What was he going to do? Just waltz up there and demand the freedom of his people? He needed time, time his people may not have..

And not to mention this annoying level of power close-by continued to just rise and rise, distracting him from his train of thought. He removed himself from the tree, taking pace towards the point of interest.. Whoever this person was he was more interesting than his tactical plans to save his race right now..

[/justify]

[Snare]

It was complete bullshit, and yet funny at the same time.

Snare's eye twitched at the words, completely unable to form a coherent response at the time. This man, this small yellow hued alien who could be related to a worm in his level of terror was talking down to him; a six foot two tank! To make matters worse, this filth thought he was so high and mighty as to not even need to fear or dread his words. This worm thought he could stand up to him! Something in his mind snapped, clicked in to place, and he could swear he was seeing red; the blood of this idiot smeared across the granite ground and steel walls. His whole frame tensed at the thought, muscles bulging and rippling like a predator ready to strike. His mouth shifted from it's drawn line and curved into a devious and malicious smirk; canines overlapping in a terrifying way. It was only then that the alien seemed to realize his mistake, and his pupil-less eyes sharpened in what Snare knew as fear. But it was too late for him.

He moved like an animal, his green mass contorting as he lunged forward and jammed the small creature against the wall with his hand. Finally he held the dominance, wore it's robes as though they were a perfect fit over his shoulders. Snare's smirk only grew at that, his whole face a lit with a feral glow. He prodded the fleshy neck with his pointed nails, tempted to draw whatever coloured blood the creature had. He looked into each and every five eyes with his black ones, fully ready to exact what he would be called just deserts. "Which eye?" He asked in a calm voice, something that screamed wariness. The alien only blinked, and Snare growled while tightening his grip. "I asked you a question didn't I? Which eye you pissbag?" The alien squirmed slightly, shaking his head as much as he could while trying to remove the green hand; fruitlessly, of course.

"I don't understand."

Snare would have laughed at the man's naviety if it wasn't just so damn sad. "Which eye are you willing to lose?" In his twisted mind Snare found this a fair punishment. This yellow fleshy and toad like alien had the gull to comment on his appearance, it would only be fitting for him to lose at least one of the eyes that led him to his blind comment. The namekian could almost see his fear triple as though he was finally grasping the severity of the situation; it was great, he hadn't even done anything yet too. Yet he could feel his dominance slipping even before he showed up.

"Picking on the new recruits again are we?" A humored voice echoed against the walls, dripping with superiority Snare could not match. His grip faltered, and like a beat and trained dog he let go completely; allowing the yellow alien air and freedom. Before he could turn his antagonizer was behind him, placing a hand delicately and mockingly on his shoulder. Snare tensed sharply, refusing to move a muscle. The unusual pheromone of fear raked through him; he hated being scared, justified or otherwise. "Why don't you be a doll and leave them alone, hmm?" The words were like a smack, making him feel lowly; worthless. Without thinking he turned on heel, brushing off the shoulder and came only moments away from smacking him. But he stopped, some sane part of him screamed for his life, because he knew this man would have no qualms about beating him once more though this time taking it to another level. So he faltered again, almost crumbling before him. It brought a smile to the hummanoid creature's face.

It was in that moment Snare did what he swore he would never do, he ran. He could hear the man's chiding voice from behind him, asking him where he was going in such a rush. His whole frame tensed once more, rage overwhelming him in powerful waves akin to the ocean. He couldn't stand this coward's flight, but he couldn't even touch that man. He growled ferally at the thought, enraged by his weakness and his submission, and propelled into a sprint. Running was a decent way to calm down, but it never satisfied; it only beat away the present, there was always so much more. If only he was stronger, things would be different, so very different. He would be seen with the respect he should have, he would have the power to do what he wanted, what he needed. But he didn't, he was weak, and they made sure to remind him that everyday he worked as a slave. He had assured himself he would join Frieza's army and get the power as a means to an end, but for how much longer would that be?

Frustration engulfed him, and his whole ki sparked. It was a thankful thing he had made it to the woods, as his hand was engulfed in a blackish purple light which launched outward and exploded not too far away. And then there was that, to add all of it together. He had no control, no focus! He was a walking time bomb and he knew it. What haunted him most was the fake freedom he was given, the long leash was more like it. They never stopped him from leaving, they knew he would always come back, always grovel for the power he wanted. Snare punched a nearby tree, feeling his hand give against the strength and pain rush through his body. When was he going to get better? When? More frustration latched onto him, dragging him down as he tried to continue to run blindly forward, tried to expel energy. That's when he saw a ghost.

"Saxophone?" He asked dumbfoundedly, his prior rage replaced by confusion as waves and waves of emotions and memories overtook him. Was this his childhood friend? No it couldn't be, it was impossible; he was dead, like everyone else. But it looked like him, it had to be. But it didn't make sense, he had left... Snare flinched at the realization; he had left. He had abandoned everyone in their time of need, fled for some sick sense of safety like a coward. He had left him. He face flicked from the previous relief and longing he felt to the much more comfortable and familiar rage. This was the coward who abandoned him, who spat on their companionship and people. And the coward had the gull to come to where they were all enslaved, to watch from his perch of freedom? Snare's mouth slid open to reveal his teeth, his posture shifting forward as though he was lurking. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Sax... you coward..." He hissed, his voice dripping with venom, and then he lunged blindly forward.

[Saxophone]

The power was still increasing, not exactly spiking rather.. Slowly bubbling.. He couldn't help but think that he was running into a trap, but how would they already know a namekian was crossing into the city? Let alone with intent. No, he was just filling the blanks with situations that he would find challenging. It would probably be something really simple like a strong soldier or a collection of power levels which are clouding his intermediate sensing abilities. As much as he liked to claim control over his power, it was one he was not experienced with. The power was close, just around the corner.. He clenched his fists in expectancy of an opponent, or to be intimidating to an innocent.. What he found was hardly what he expected.

'Another Namekian..' He weaved out in a dark and serious tone. He approached with no silence, it didn't take long for his brethren to turn and allow him to identify his pondering's. He looked almost shocked at first, Sax couldn't help but mimic him, was there something wrong? Was it worse than he imagined with the population of namekian's? He went to greet him when his name came from the wrong mouth. '.. Right.. How did you..' He didn't exactly get the response he was looking for, 'nor did he expect to be almost interrupted. 'Saxophone..'

'Saxophone?'

Sax shook himself loose of his daydreams as the small namekian tried to get his attention. 'So it's like this, right?' He watched closely as the smaller one played out a technique against one of the slim and sturdy Namek trees. Sax shook his head, folding his arms and crossing his legs to present a more attentive and observing individual.. Sax never really talked much, but he felt that was the kind of instruction the small one needed, to simply be told what to do and not do would be spoon feeding.. Let alone counter-productive to what he had been taught in the first place. 'Alright! I get it! I 'gotta focus more..' The small one seemed angry over a expressionless response, he knew exactly what he meant without him even muttering a word. Sax simple smiled with a nod, gesturing for the small one to try again.

'Okay, okay.. You don't have to keep telling me..' The small one replied again as he struck the tree, the structure barely fidgeting from the strike, leaving the small one to almost throw a silent tantrum as he circled the spot waving his arms around and hissing under his breath. Sax coughed, clearing his throat and getting the little ones attention in the process. He pressed his fingers against his temples, exhaling before moving his hands to gesture the smaller one to try the same. 'What was that! How is that even going to help!?' The rage seemed to build more from not being able to understand rather than being angry at the slightly taller and lanky Sax. 'It doesn't work! Can you even do it!?' He continued his small exclaim, Sax let out a large sigh as he seemed to even pass the volume of his screaming brethren.. and that was the last straw. 'This is stupid!' His yell disrupted even the grass around him, Sax's eyes widening slightly before containing himself within the eyes of his company.

The little one seemed to stop, he may have either caught Sax's surprise or ran out of steam, he looked to the tree beside him.. It was almost cracked from the pressure of his energy alone just now.. He looked back to Sax with a childish grin on his face before he seemed to almost eyeball Sax's idle hands.. He knew he wasn't going to say anything even before Sax could think of doing it. His response was a smile, raising a hand to form a fist, bearing his teeth and thrusting it forwards. The child understood, looking towards the tree he yelled with almost as much ferocity as his previous uncontrolled outburst, the tree ripping itself from its roots and catapulting into the water. He was met by a smile from his advisor, his guardian, his friend. 'You knew that was going to happen all along.. You Jerk..' Sax simply laughed under his breath, before giving him a thumbs up. 'Sax.. You-'


'- Coward...'

Sax blinked for a moment, his flashback had not lingered his real presence, but it made him realise who was standing before him, as the small image of a namekian child with irregular features grew before him, and into an adult with nothing but foul intent in his eyes. But was it really him? Surely the brother he knew would harbour no ill feelings towards him.. But after all had been done, he was sure the heroic namekian was dead when he left him that day for the Alien ships. 'Snare..' It dawned on him, and he almost cursed under his breath towards himself for not even remembering his name straight away.. Let alone not remembering him.. He'd gotten a lot bigger that's for sure.

'I do-.' He didn't seem to have time for words, that pent up rage which fuelled his power level seemed to have found a source to unleash it upon, leaping towards him in a manner almost primal. Though it was not intended Sax couldn't help but smile at the ravenous brother almost ready to send him half-way through this forest in a single punch. It had been a long time since they have seen one another and his response was the response he gave to most things he was anything but happy about.. Violence. Sax took a stance, if there was anything that could prove that this was Snare he would be able to do it in the flick of a wrist, awaiting the namekian almost tripping over himself in anticipation to get within range, Sax remained calm and collected.. As always. He watched the namekian's punch line up with face, shifting to the side entirely as the namekian breezed by.. But not without a parting gift..


Clap!


Sax's hand slapped hardly against Snares bald head as he passed by. Pulling himself into a standing position before lurching out again with claw like hands and loose arms to match his legs. There was presumably a moment of silence once his now apparent opponent realised what had happened, but he should know that's how it has always happened. 'Looks like someone still doesn't look before they leap..' A childish chuckle came from Sax before he took a more casual standing position, folding his arms and giving his enemy a tilted smirk to show he was no longer interested.

'Good to see you too Brother..'

[Snare]

Snare heard him speak, but the actual words were lost upon him. Words had no meaning in this situation, they held no power or definitions when fists could easily replace them. One punch could easily convey the feeling of complete anger and the swallowing tide of abandonment that ate at him. One punch could tell the story of his hardship, could convey the lack hesitation that engulfed his frame. One punch could right all the wrongs that Saxophone had made, could finally make the world understandable to Snare once more. It was all it took, it was all he needed, it was all he could do. Words had always failed him, feelings had always lost their significance, but fists? His fists were him, the tension in the skin over his knuckles conveyed his intentions and emotions far better than any story had.

His black eyes dilated as he got closer, feeling as though the world was slowing down. He could easily imagine countless times much like this, with his frame on a path toward Sax, and the elder of the duo looking so serene. It was always like this, Snare always threw the first punch, acted first, while Sax stood there like some omnipotent being awaiting what he always knew was coming. Yet despite the feeling of the nostalgia that washed over him, the spotted being knew this was different. No longer was Saxophone the peaceful, brave, pure soul while Snare was the chaotic, maroon of a being; this time, he could imagine the roles were switched and he was the good hearted avenging those before. This time he wanted to do more than just hurt the illusive man before him. This time he wanted to tear him limb from limb, to make him physically feel what it was like in his head for the past years. He wanted to make Saxophone understand, and if it took killing him, he would do it.

The wind shifted as a weight was pressed on the top of Snare's cranium, barely catching the glimpse of Sax's knowing eyes before he speed past him; momentum carrying him forward to a goal no longer there. The namekian stumbled to an ungraceful stop, his black footwear digging into the hard soil. He paused briefly, and slowly but surely he placed meaning behind the gentle tap on his head; he was smacked! The insanity of it was not lost on him, neither was the shameful familiarity of it, or the new flush of embarrassment that only seemed to goad on his rage. He seethed through his teeth, hands clenching in on themselves. He was that close to getting him, to getting his revenge from the torments and demons. He spun on heel, facing the elder with his back slouched forward and a demented look in his eye. Yet none of this seemed to be taken seriously, for all Saxophone did was wear that knowing look before chiding him like a child. Snare nearly howled at the chuckle, adrenaline pumping through him; he was not to be made a fool of, not to be underestimated!

"Brother?" He said rhetorically, a twisted smirk crossing his green lips. "I would never sully such a title with your dirty name you traitorous hound." He growled back, voice deep and reverberating; dominating the very air. He would show the elder that things have changed, that he was the bigger one; the better one. He would prove to Saxophone that he was strong. "So you better understand that the past is gone, that things are different now. You are no brother to me, or any of the nameks you flithy worm." He seemed spurred on by his own words, rage sinking into his veins like ice. Snare looked on with confidence, content to notice how he was bigger, more muscled, stronger. "Prepare to die the coward's death you owed years ago Saxophone!" The words quickly turned into a guttural call, echoing through the forest woods and shaking the trees as his energy exploded outward. He would leave no remains to bury, and he could only hope that the afterlife would offer the similar action for him.

Snare's frame bulged, muscle pulsed and grew. He chuckled as energy shot off in waves, frantic patterns that blew the grass to and fro. His hands began to glow a dark purple, sphere appearing almost out of no where in his green palms. This was it, this was when he would finally put to rest the demons of his past. He gave a long shout and pushed the two ki balls together, causing an explosion that radiated outward in two tailed comets; ones that curved toward him with intention to hit him and each other. The black balls lurched toward them, and Snare watched with satisfaction as the purple aura surrounding them meshed and then exploded. As though that were not enough he hurled several more comet tailed ki balls at the explosion, effectively increasing it's size exponentially.

The purple light of the explosion danced across his face before fading and leaving nothing but a crater in it's midst. His eyes widened at the result, chest heaving as he took in the amount of damage he did. It was spectacular, the crater was rather deep, and the shock wave leveled some nearby trees. He chuckled faintly through his sharp teeth, feeling somewhat elevated from the rage moments ago. "What did I say?..." He said rhetorically to the nothingness that was left; more than confident he had finished the coward off. Correcting his breathing he finished, smugness written across his maw. "Things have changed..."

[Saxophone]

'Hm.. You've always been one for words..'

Sax had to admit to himself, the words that were coming out of Snare's mouth were a suprise, but then again he was a fool for thinking he would achieve anything less than a cowards welcome after what he had done. much to his suprise Snare's vocabulary had expanded even in profanity, something he though wasn't even possible from the last time they saw each other.. None the less he was still lacking control, it was a major flaw they had worked on for years, his inability to contain his feelings left him vulnerable and exposed both socially and in combat. Sax was pretty sure he wasn't going to take any further advice from the traitorous hound, his views on what they have had seemed pretty hurtful too.. Though it was the truth in some cases, he left Snare on that planet when he should have simply stood by his friend. Though in argument it wasn't his fault that he saw a battle not worth fighting. But the damage would not have been repaired in any small talk Sax had to offer, the look in his eyes showed that he meant business and all he could do now was oblige until he cooled down. 'We shall see..' He took a more serious stance to at least give Snare the satisfaction of having his full attention, as he seemed more than ready to vent out his anger from the whole event on one of his closest friends. 'After you..'

What happened next was unexpected, Sax suspected an attack or even a mindless second attempt at rushing him. But he seemed collected if not sinister as he began to condense energy in his being. For a namekian who had no control over anything in his life, let alone his power since he remembered.. Snare had really learned how to harness his potential, but does he know how to use it? He prepared himself for any kind of incoming attack, Snare seemed to be collecting energy but him and Snare knew too well how little control he had over his energy based attacks.. Maybe he had improved? Maybe he shouldn't be taking his attacks so lightly, the last thing he wanted to do was let his guard down and lose something in the process. He could not pinpoint his next plan of attack, he was collecting energy but to what end? He wasn't seriously going to consider using his angered Ki powers to launch a projectile? The explosion would be huge and wild, let alone the lack of trajectory. 'Alright, I'll bite.' He covered himself with his arms as opposed to having them ready to attack, if Snare wanted to prove something to him.. Even kill him, he had his chance. 'Hit me.' His tone was dark and ominous as always, much to his disadvantage his playful banter slid though.. He made it sound like a challenge.

So he had collected energy into one attack, the aura and environment were paying the price for such an untapped energy being unleashed so quickly, but his prior rage was more than a conduit for this kind of attack. If he was going to launch that thing, it was going to be big. Sax decided to dig himself further into the dirt beneath him, covering his face with his arms and hell bent on making sure this attack didn't cause the worst kind of aftermath. Without any warning Snare threw the energy right at him, it was reckless by its nature alone.. This was going to be tricky.

Pshooo!~

The impact felt like a brick wall running into him at insane speeds, the heat of condensed energy spinning against his arms as it awaited solidity before exploding, his skin hissed from the energy burning away at his arms before he threw them down to his sides, the energy ball exploding in the ground instead of directly at him.. But the damage was still point blank, he couldn't have avoided that so soon even if he tried. Amongst the dust and the crater he tried to quickly collect himself, he knew that wasn't the end of it. He looked through the dust with squinted eyes and cuts appearing around his arms and chest from the lashing energy he just re-directed, as lights began to emit from Snare's general direction.. He wasn't going to let up, so he had to move. With a quick bounce through the smoke and into the sidelines he watched as his brother devastated the previous place of impact almost like he was firing for effect, he hadn't changed but Sax couldn't help but feel a lack of comfort from how much stronger he had grown. His punches were backed up by raw strength now, his uncontrolled Ki levels flourished and berserk. What was he going to do with him..

After he had finished his Ki blasting escapade Sax shuffled over to his side, Snare was sure he hit his target though left no time for the smoke to clear and collect himself.. Another fatal mistake from good old Snare. Sax approached up behind him, it was only when he got closer he could truly analyse a person's power level, he wasn't exactly in-tune with its true potential as of yet.. Looking at distant powers was like looking through a foggy glass, he knew the general idea of it but never anything specific. Snare's power level much to his suprise was the same as his own, if not more. All of this training he had done had only been matched by his brothers rage, but he knew from day one that once he had grown he would surpass him in pure strength.. He just doubts he will ever beat him in wits or skill. He wasn't sure how to approach the quite volatile sparring partner, but he went with his gut feeling.. And simple acted how he would have acted before.

He let out a large sigh to get his attention, thrusting his arm forward as it continued without him, extending a few feet before attempting to wrap itself around Snare's neck, then uncoiled to spin Snare in his direction. Whether the attack was successful or not another hand followed directly afterwards to hit his exposed face or smack him in the back of the head again. His arms snapped back to their normal length, allowing him to fold his arms before throwing his leg up into the air and down like a jack-hammer, afterwards sweeping underneath Snare's feet before coiling back like his other limbs before. He understood all too well that all this was doing was making him mad.. But this is how lessons got through to him. 'You trained, huh?' A light chuckle emitted from him as he eye balled the probably furious Namekian up and down. 'But without the right principles, as always.' He prepared himself for another attack, who knows? Maybe he would back down and actually say something rather than present more violence to him, but Sax showed no intention to fight.

He was not going to actually challenge his closest friend.

[Snare]

It was odd, the silence of his mind; it was a foreign concept, something that was lost on him. His mind was never quiet, it never stalled for even the briefest of seconds. It was always on full blast, like a stereo in a bare room it echoed back over and over. A constant chant that rung in his ears, that raked his frame and pulled his muscles taunt with tension. It was no wonder he was easily aggravated, annoyed; he never knew how maddening his mind was. So now that he had this silence, this tangible relief in the back of his head, why did he feel empty? So hollow and brittle, as though even the wind could topple him. Was that all he ever was? Was the rage and noise of his mind - the unyielding chaos - really all he was? Did he not have anything else to live for, to press on for, besides to destroy and break; to own and dominate. Was that his whole life? It was a shallow sinking feeling that engulfed him, squeezed him uncomfortably. Snare could only be thankful it lasted only moments.

The silence was shattered by a sigh, a familiar noise that brought everything back; that rekindled the fire of his mind and welcomed him back with a bladed embrace. He shouldn't be alive, he should be dead. The tension rebuilt itself back in his large frame, firecracker like eruptions that spurred on his body. It was only thanks to this he was able to hear the oncoming threat, feel the shift in the winds and the pressure of the air. He ducked, his head narrowly bypassing the limb. Unluckily enough, he let his guard down seconds after, cocky over such a simple victory. It was then that history repeated itself again, smacking his head full of nostalgia and the odd notion of affection. He growled, thoroughly humiliated not only by the gesture but by his twisted and backwards emotions. Turning on heel and standing up straight, he watched as a being he once saw as a friend bring his elongated leg down. Snare could only smirk maliciously, snarling at the idea; he could see it in his eyes, Saxophone thought he wouldn't need to fight, that he didn't want to hurt him. Apparently he didn't understand how much he wanted to hurt him, how his mind howled and jeered at the notion. He would learn not to underestimate him soon enough, learn to fight for his life.

Cockily, he brought one arm up, tensing it slightly he allowed energy to flow into it. The result was an increase in size, almost barely noticeable to the naked eye. Saxophone's leg hit the forearm, and the momentum sent Snare feet deeper into the ground; it was all superficial, it was without intent, it was weak. He chuckled, adrenaline pushing him on as he easily jumped over the leg. Was that it? Was that the grand plan? He laughed out loud this time, almost maddened by the sheer ridiculousness of it. "Training is training, don't try to give it some stupid meaning. If I punch shit enough, I'll get stronger; it's simple. It's a shame you didn't do such a trivial task! You've gotten weak in your flight Saxophone!" Confidence oozed off of him like an oily substance, staining the air around him. His anger was no longer dominating, now it was pity and cockiness; he couldn't be furious with him when he felt so elevated knowing that he was no longer out of reach.

Snare's lack of anger only lasted moments longer before it quickly replenished itself from the omnipresent source of his mind. Memories shredded him, reminding him of a once golden past that was in his grasp. But it was gone now, it would forever be gone. Things could not be undone, only altered; yet with the oppressive regiment that now controlled the universe, change was becoming more and more a myth with each passing day. The namekian was not a complete fool; he did not believe Saxophone to be at fault for this, or his death to right any of the wrongs. What he did know, however, was that this ghost from his past had tormented him. Every step he would take he would be reminded of the damned companion that turned his back on him, that secured his own freedom rather than the planets. Yet what was the most scary about that was the fact that he had preached about protecting those weaker, about saving those you could; but he never followed his own rules. All he did was set Snare up to fail, to build him up to watch him crumble down. But he didn't crumble, he adapted and evolved, he made the situation benefit him as much as he could. He bet Saxophone would be proud.

He flinched at the thought, grabbing his head as though in pain. Why should he care what the traitor thought? The past shouldn't hold any control over his thoughts now, he was free now; he didn't need to deal with the confusion of his mind. He snarled. Saxophone was as good as dead, Snare was going to make sure of that; if not for the past, for the present. The namekian let the rage once more grip his frame, hold him in a way breathing became hard and shallow. If he could deal with him, he could deal with all of his other problems. Sax was just the beginning, he assured himself that. With a flourish, he brought his hand from his head flexing it and channeling it. His arm tripled in size, his body also expanded due to his lack of focus. With a sadistic look in his eye, Snare stretched out his limb and brought it down in a diagonal chop at the ghost; grinning like a fool all the while.

Not wanting to let another opportunity pass him, he quickly retracted his arm and sized himself propotionately; making himself only slightly larger than before. Within seconds Snare lunged forward, springing to life with speed granted by his new legs. Once Saxophone was within attacking range and leaped forward, bringing both his hands up then down with the intent to crack his green head open. Quickly following up, Snare attempted to grab the enemy's purple covered arms; a means to help propel his head forward into the man's face for immediate damage if it worked. If it didn't, he would keep the pressure on with a barrage of punches; uncontrolled and unpredictable. He wanted to whip any remnants of a smirk off of Saxophone's face, as he was going to be the one to stand over his cold corpse.

[Saxophone]

'So when I said hit me.. I meant hit me.'

Maybe in hindsight the idea of annoying a very agitated namekian with power at his fingertips may not be the greatest plan. Saxophone was seeing him as a partner, a friend, someone who he wasn't too keen on picking away at with his complete potential. Though the look on Snare's face told it all. He wasn't going to back down, not even give him a moment to explain himself. Sax had a bit of a tough decision to make, never once had he needed to go out of his way to instil peace in a situation between him and Snare... He just had a wonderful tendency to calm himself down before any kind of action was needed, usually once he realised that he had learned something or could perform something which was annoying him he'd back down. It seemed this wasn't going to work this time though, his passive acts of aggression only made Snare want to feast on his insides even more, or at least that's what look Snare was giving him implied some sort of horrific end. Part of him knew that this was just Snare with a grudge, in his childhood he often had such a feeling towards a tree, or a small animal... Never towards him. None the less he was going to have to act, this lock down of subconscious thought seemed to be shared between them, no one had made a move in minutes. What was he planning next? Sax only hoped it wasn't something rash, though this was Snare he was talking about here.

Snare repeated to throw all sorts of retaliations his way, it seemed he had erased Sax's training as well as his existence from his mind all those years ago. Sax was tempted to match in kind but as always the words simply churned in his mouth instead of coming out, he was forced to raise an invisible brow to the namekian, shaking his head with a light tsk before taking a stance in retaliation to his frustrated remarks. 'So I will have to keep showing you.' His dark voice commanded before he tensed, his muscles bulging as a pulse of energy shock waved through the forestry, a smile appearing on the namekian's face once more. He could understand Snares problem with him of course, but he was never one to take things to such levels of emotion let alone show any emotion bar rage. Maybe he had been gone for too long, the whole idea of saving his race began to take a back seat once he considered what the rest of the namekian people had become. Was everyone like Snare now? A barbaric race which knew only slavery and strength? Had they really chosen to bend to this stronger being's will rather than perish with pride? But then again who was he to talk about pride, he used the lingering presence of revenge to excuse his retreat... But that was why he was here now wasn't it? He had grown, become stronger, he needed to show them that their freedom is still worth fighting for... Somehow..

'Okay.. No more games..' If he was going to have to fight him, then he was going to have to show him just how much stronger he was than Snare, despite this whole power level thing, just as his teacher showed him. He watched closely as his brother began to take shape his next attack. His body expanded, typical namekian growth technique improvised as his arm seemed to be the focus of his attention. Despite it's size it was still fast, the horrors of having matching power levels removes the pleasantries of sacrificing speed for power. It came forth like a chop, he hadn't had to deal with something like this since his training back on Namek which was faded at best. He decided with the save approach he made towards the ki blasts, if he was going to show Snare that he had no power over him, he was going to have to show him he had no fear of his attacks. He positioned his hands to claws, shifting his upper body to take the attack.

The impact came with a crunch as his hands sunk into the enlarged version of Snare's chop, his eye forcing to close slightly from the sudden pain which arrived from the aftershock bouncing up and down his arms and legs from the collision. Snare got nothing more than a grunt out of him as he shook on the spot, grappling onto his enlarged limb with a lot of effort. He pushed hard against the limb, hopefully pushing it to one side long enough to slide underneath it and prepare to launch a counter attack, sadly he was mistaken. Snare continued his onslaught, with barrages and punches of all sort Sax was forced to raise weak defences to block enlarged attacks, staggering from every blow only barely blocking the next, he had to think of something! This wasn't him thinking tactically! the idea that this was Snare was getting in the way. Maybe this wasn't Snare, maybe the Snare he knew had gone much like he said... He had to tame the new Snare, just like he had before. First to quit this insistent offence with a sharp defence. Collecting himself for the next attack he once again grappled onto Snares striking limb, giving a strong shove forward with his upper body as he vented energy from his being, his aura flaring suddenly as a wave of force hopefully pushed Snare back enough to give him some breathing room. Time to land a few punches of his own.

He had to strike back with as much ferocity or else he wasn't going to make his point. Crossing his arms but maintaining claw like hands he dashed forward, swiping his hand followed by his elbows towards the enlarged Snare, taking advantage of the small speed boost he was positive he didn't have, though used in excuse to keep him enthusiastic. He could beat around the bush all he wanted with his talks of skill and tactics, but in some forms Snare was fight... Brute force takes dominance from time to time. Aiming for key areas of his limbs, joints, connections to the body. He aimed to bring this beast to it's knees before he could do any more damage to himself or the surroundings. Sax was having to take a page out of Snare's book, and resolve to heavy hitting.

If he didn't deal with him quickly, he was going to have to deal with a lot more than a single Namekian.

[Snare]

It took all he had to hide the surprise from his face; the emotion that stained his mind. He couldn't understand how he was keeping up, how he was taking half of these punches. Had he underestimated him that much, was Saxophone just playing with him like he always did? The traitor not only took the full force of his growth attack, but recovered fast enough for him to quickly meld into a defensive position. Snare's fist was met by forearms and hands, always countered and reflected, never making contact with his mass. He felt helpless again, frustrated at how he was not doing more damage. He threw another punch only for it to be countered once more. He grimaced, canines glinting in the sun. This was ridiculous, no matter how hard he pushed forward, how he kept at it to the point his chest was heaving with effort, Sax did not stumble or mess up once; always saving himself at the last second possible. Annoyance flushed in his face as he brought his knee up, trying to mix up what he usually did; even this did nothing. Snare grunted as he kept the pressure on, staring hard at the elder's face. That had to be it, there was no other answer he could come up with; Saxophone was toying with him, again.

Letting the anger cloud his judgement, he threw an sloppy punch only to have it caught. This time he didn't hide his surprise, he let to engulf his face as he stared blankly at the hand that caught him. His eyes wandered up from that, chest heaving from the throws, meeting Saxophone's gaze for moments. Then something hit him, some invisible force that snapped his neck back and caused him to stumble back to keep his balance. His eyes sharpened in dilated as he tried to breath, feeling winded just by the timing. He had no time to question what had happened as he heard the ground crunch before him, Saxophone no doubt taking advantage of the situation. But he was not going to recover fast enough for the first attack, he knew it as he finally straightened himself upright. A claw raked across his face, slicing through his skin like a razor through paper. Angry purple lines formed behind the trail, following down his cheek to his jaw and coating Sax's hand. Then the follow up came through. The sheer force of the jutted appendage was enough to dislocate his jaw, cause his head to turn abruptly, and force his mind to blur and scream in agony. White hot flame licked at the back of his eyes, and whatever sanity he had shut off for madness to take it's way.

Snare quickly recovered, and shifted his center of gravity so the oncoming attacks would not move him. He would take out his chance to dodge to prove that he would not be disrupted by this dog. The first attack in the chain came in fast and powerful, snapping into his forearm and coming scarily close to hitting his elbow in. He had never seen Saxophone fight dirty before, but it didn't surprise him. If he thought he could break his arms and legs he was wrong. Letting his mind all but shut down, Snare relied on nothing but his senses and muscle memory; doing his best to keep the onslaught of bloody fists and claws away. He could feel his arms cry in terror, feel the beginnings of bruises as elbow after elbow crashed into his defense. Every hit was hurting more and more, causing him to grunt at the impact and hiss at the pain. He was trying to find an opening, but there was none, there was nothing to do but stand there and take it. He would if he had to, he would not back down from this berserk clash. Without thinking it through, he tried to swing his fist forward to hit anything, but was stopped.

Agony raked through his leg, causing eruptions of dysfunction to shudder through his muscles. It was a slow process of shutting down, breaking down, and with his center of gravity so twisted it was no surprise Snare found himself falling forward. He felt like everything slowed down as he fell like a god from his throne. His knees slammed into the ground, a surge of painful electricity running through the nerves of his mangled limb. Momentum carried him forward still, and he would have hit the ground with his face had his arms not stopped his decent. Snare stared bewildered at the grass below his face, eyes shifting back and forth as he tried to find reason behind what had happened. He hadn't even seen the attack, what the hell was wrong with him. "No..." He growled, anger fueling him as his blood dotted the ground. HIS! Not Saxophones. "No... no, no..." His chest began to heave faster as his heart raced, fury lacing his eyes with daggers. "This. Is. Wrong." This wasn't how it was going to end, he would be damned.

And then it clicked in his mind.

A maddening laugh echoed through the forest, his mind racing with adrenaline. It was perfect. A terrifying smirk crossed his maw, his intent becoming more and more in focus. Blood dripped from his mouth as he continued to rumble with dark humor, which only escalated to yet another eerie laugh laced with cyanide. He shook his head, still chuckling. "I thought you had me for a second there." He stated stoically, the plan finally pieced together. "But you left, didn't you?" He asked rhetorically, his breathing becoming increasingly worrying as his ki spiked. "Yes you left. Things are different." He mumbled incoherently, sentience slipping from him as his eyes nearly rolled back. "You left... different..." he chanted once before abruptly stopping his breathing moments to let a chuckle slowly escape his lips. His hands started to go dark, glowing purple before everything when white.

The explosion rocked the surrounding area, erupting with a shock wave that tore trees from their roots before engulfing everything in a heated force. Snare was sent flying into the air, ascending heights he could not achieve before plummeting like a rock into the crater. The force smacked squarely on his back, causing a brief unconscienceness as he vomited blood and gore beside him with his ears ringing. He came to slowly, adrenaline finally subsiding the waves on a beach and leaving him bare to the flash of pain. He let out a bloody howl, feeling as though thousands of knives were slowly pressing into his frame. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as his scream died and turned into a hollow look. He coughed once more, racking his body like tremors. Snare rolled, trying to get up, and that's when he noticed his missing arms. Another scream tore itself from his maw, which only escalated as he forced his regeneration to work. A new arm grew from the right empty socket of his shoulder, exhausting him to such a point he couldn't scream and couldn't even fight the tears from his eyes.

Snare's pride flashed, demanding he stood; and he obeyed, rolling onto his lame body. With a several grunts he pushed up with his one arm, failing several times and thumping back into the ground. With a yell he finally stood, stumbling as pain continued to caress his battered body; only tripling when he put weight on the leg that was attacked. He made an attempt at balancing his weight before he looked around weakly, not really seeing with his eyes. He was drenched in sweat, his chest rammed, and his ears were still ringing. Maybe this was his body shutting down. The wind blew through the area, raking through the crater and brushing past the lone namekian. It was then he took in how damaged he was, how close to dropping forever. His left arm was gone, leaving only a stub that leaked purple life. His chest had several cuts all over, probably from the bits of sharp rock and tree he was forced to feel. The same went for his legs and pants; his whole frame. Shaking his head, he weakly jammed his jaw back into place without so much as making a sound. He fought back a new wave of tears as he grabbed the stub of his left arm with his new one, the feeling entirely too foreign. Despite all this he continued to stand, to wait to see if the demon of his past was finally gone; he could finally sleep then.

"Things ha-... ch-changed..."

The rage subsided and Snare was numb.

[Saxophone]

Saxophone didn't have words for his previous pupil, his previous brother and friend, his attention was too consumed in the lesson he was trying to teach with his actions rather than lectures. He had been twisted, he saw that now, and with no one to blame he had to point the finger at the only person Sax believed he ever considered proper brethren. His retaliation was hitting all the right notes, Snare was already tired from the amount of effort he had put into single K.O attacked which proved almost ineffective. He could see it in his eyes, that troubled look he used to have when he felt even his best wasn't going to get him out of this, he hardly noticed that Saxophone was far from okay in this fight... Though by simply showing vigilance he, as always, threw a hand over Snare's eyes. What was he going to tell him? To calm himself? The last thing he wanted to do was advise his current enemy, even with words of wisdom he would only become more infuriated by Sax's apparent trivial words.

Strike after strike in sequence of swings and thrusts left Snare almost treading over himself in attempts to evade or block the incoming barrage. With all of that strength at Snare's fingertips, the last thin he wanted was to give him a chance to unleash it in even the slightest controlled state. But they were becoming two of a kind, with all of his defence of such brutal attacks, he wasn't sure if he could keep up with this onslaught much longer. He locked eyes with Snare for a moment as he saw for himself the fury which was building up inside him.. Almost like he was going to explode. Sax wouldn't be surprised.

'Open!' He grunted in suprise as he saw what he exclaimed to Snare, he had let down his guard for a single moment and Sax was more than really to make him regret it. He sent a pulse of energy through his open hand pressed suddenly against his chest, forcing Snare away in a winded state. He would have yelled, screamed profanity had it been anyone else... But this was Snare he was facing, and as far as he recalled he didn't need words to learn. A sharp swipe with all of his back put into his launched across Snare's face, the sudden shock of it all seemed to work at his Jaw and leave a mark across his face. Sax backed away slightly, the last thing he was going to do was kick a dog while he was down, give him a moment to recuperate... This wasn't serious after all. 'This is reckless Snare, did you leave your teachings on Namek?' He folded his arms to reinforce his wisdom, though it seemed Snare expected him to do just that. The words that came out of his mouth afterwards were bitter, Saxophone could hardly make sense of it all in the heat of battle, despite the break. They were bitter, harsh and cold serving to Sax's ears. Did he really thing that little of him now? Or was he simply projecting his hatred for other onto him because of what he had done. There were so many questions he wanted to ask him, why did they all have to be responded with violence.

'Stop, Snare...' what else was he supposed to do? Snare would have them both dead on the floor if it meant bringing him down too. But his words had fallen upon deaf ears, it seemed Snare really didn't want to give this up until he was shown why he should in the first place... It was a real shame he had to do this, but Snare was at least a better person back then, and he wanted that one back. The moment of silence seemed to make them share the toll of their conflict, both of them hissing in pain or yelling in agony as the bruises and injury brandished through Sax's adrenaline. 'Neither of us are going to win.' He uncontrollably said out loud, and he wasn't sure if the sudden outburst from Snare was from what he said or simple second wind. Apparently it was neither, his body ground to a halt as he seemed to just stare at him with an extended fist.

Snare muttered words which went right through him, he was right after all, Snare was taking this so seriously where Sax, as always had treated this like a game. Things were different, he didn't want to believe it, so he chose to simply not understand it. The past was trivial as far as he was concerned, he had worked for so long with a goal so far in the future as he drive, the years that had past were nothing more than necessary collateral. But he had to question himself now that Snare had placed thoughts into his mind, was Snare collateral too? He may have escaped, but these years weren't exactly expendable to those fighting for freedom and survival... In a way he was starting to see what Snare was talking about, though only in a way. What came next seemed almost unreal, he let his guard down when he listened to Snare and was going to pay the price through his brethren's reckless act. He watched helpless as the sudden energy spike around his hands came out of the blue, a white haze blinding Sax leaving him with nothing to do but bring his arms up to defend his face.

The noise was deafening, a constant monotone noise bounced around his head instead of the explosive audio display. He didn't really have time to recollect what was going on, only that it was too much at once for a weakened defence to take. He rocketed backwards, a firm tree catching him as the energy emitted danced around his body like blades of air. Cold and without mercy the seconds of pain lasted hours, and once the vision had returned to the area only a dusty crater with scattered trees and uprooted field land remained. It had all happened so fast, his mind took a little while to catch up with his nervous system as he suddenly flinched from the arrival of additional pain on his person. A hiss and a sharp exhale came from Sax as he dug his nails around the wound on his chest. His scarf was hanging on by threads, his pants torn to ribbons almost as much as his exposed skin. That was the lengths he was willing to go? This wasn't revenge, this was primal. And if Snare thought he was going to get away with this just by trying to blow them up, he was harshly mistaken.

The dust eventually cleared, a few screams and cracks emitted from both namekian's it seemed, Sax just couldn't tell which one of them was making what noise for the moment of recovery. He flexed his chest inwards suddenly, his loose arms jolting forward with a harsh crack and crunch as they slid back into place. The green Snare was slowly becoming visible through the smoke screen, and once the view was clear Sax couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock, he was still standing? No, that can't of been right, Sax leaned forward, crossing his arms and tapping his foot with impatience over the clearly suicidal move which had left him almost unconcious. 'The sooner you learn to control yourself..' He said in a educational tone, taking limp strides towards the non-reactive Snare before being within arms reach. 'The better.' He pressed his hand against Snare's head, pushing him lightly as the unconcious body submitted while the functioning mind mumbled in a crumpled heap. For a reunion this was a first for Sax, he hadn't seen one of his own race in years and the first one he finds tries to kill him, and just so happens to be his previous friend.

So maybe Snare was right after all, things are different. And if they were going to do anything about it Sax was going to have to force him, and they were going to have to try a whole new angle rather than this whole beating each other up. he shoved one hand into his pocket, looking down at his friend who had almost destroyed himself trying to bring him down, he had so much potential, just like before... But will he ever know how to use it? None the less Sax had a few things he needed to learn too, and it was good to see his friend again even if they aren't exactly on the greatest standing right now. Though time will tell what comes of Snare, or so Sax thought, he wasn't exactly going to leave him dying on the ground. Time for a fresh slate, reaching down he grabbed the namekian's leg, turning back towards his home within the forest quite a bit from here by the walk he had to make... Well he better get started, and with a casual limp he dragged the armless Snare away from the town, the idea of all the other enslaved there couldn't be saved today discouraged Sax a little bit, but if they were anything like Snare, he would have to learn their story not to mention get stronger. So back to the grind, nothing like a life lesson from a disgruntled former sparring partner.

Boy was Snare in for the time of his life..