"Don't be afraid, young Zyleth. Please step forward." Guru said, his hand still extended out towards me. "Within me is the ability to draw out one's innermost potential, to bring it forward for one to use. I wish to do so to you. Consider it a gift for what you have done for my people."
This was bad.
This was very, very bad.
The reason why they were still extending the olive branch with me was partially due to the fact that I had kept my energy within my own body, kept it contained. Because if the Namekians were to feel my energy, they wouldn't have even have been nearly as accommodating.
Each Ki signature was different.
Unique.
It's how the Z-Fighters and pretty much everyone else who can use Ki sense individual people.
And with that comes malevolence. Frieza's energy had a certain malevolent feel to it. You knew just by feeling it that he wasn't a good person, nor that he had good intentions. Cooler had that feeling to his energy as well, although not nearly as much as Frieza.
If Guru went digging around inside of me to unlock my potential, he would definitely feel just how evil I truly was. I mean, I wouldn't count myself as evil, but destroying hundreds, if not thousands of planets over the course of almost a decade didn't exactly make me good guy.
That, and he could also read my damn mind. But I don't think he will even get that far due to the influx of malevolent energy I have built up inside.
"Please, you really don't need to that, it's--"
"I insist." He says, cutting me off.
"You're already giving me so much by allowing me to use the Dragon Balls. I really don't want to take anything more from--"
"Do not worry, you are not taking anything. My ability only hones in on your latent potential and brings it to the surface. I do not give you your power, as it is and had always been inside of you. So please, rest easy, young Zyleth." He says with a reassuring smile.
I look at him with a complicated expression, trying to come up with something, anything that could justifiably make sense for me not to take a power up. But after a moment of running through scenarios in my head, I give up, unable to think of anything.
I let out a sigh before stepping up to the large Namekian, cursing his and his people's penchant for kindness.
"If you're sure..." I muttered.
He nods and says, "I am."
Goddamnit, there goes my plan to not kill anyone...
He places his hand on my head and his face shifts as he starts to focus on, what I assume, is my latent energy.
"Ah!" He suddenly exclaims.
I brace for the inevitable reaction of betrayal, but it never comes. Instead, his brows start twitching more and more, his breathing becoming increasingly erratic.
"Your power... it's... it's extraordinary! It's higher than anything I've ever seen before! And yet there's still so much more hidden beneath the surface!" He says, his hand still atop my head as he seems to push himself harder.
Suddenly, I feel something spark inside me. Like there was something deep inside my soul that was wanting, begging to be let out.
Guru suddenly removes his hand, and the feeling was gone.
I look up, wondering why he stopped, and saw that he looked as if he had just run a marathon. There was sweat running down his forehead and his breathing was labored.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Your potential... It's vast... like an ocean hidden away beneath layers of rock..." He said, panting heavily through his words. "I won't be able to bring it out... Maybe if I was thirty... No, twenty years younger I maybe could've brought out half, but as I am now, I wouldn't be able to bring out even a small portion of your true potential... I'm sorry..."
Damn, well that's a little bit disappointing. It's honestly no sweat off my back, but it would've saved me some more time on training if it had actually worked.
I'm honestly more surprised at how he didn't read my mind or noticed anything about my energy. Granted, he was probably too shocked by my actual power to do so, but for some reason, I don't think that's the case.
"It's fine. I'm just sorry that it seemed to take a lot out of you." I said to him.
"Oh, I'm fine, young man. Though I'm a little surprised. I never expected someone as young as yourself to have such power." He replied.
He seems to have caught his breath, looking better than he did just a few moments ago.
"Sorry about that. I guess I probably should've told you. I like to keep my energy stored inside when I'm not using it." I told him.
"I understand. You do not need to explain yourself. Everyone has things they wish not to reveal to others." He replies.
"Yeah..." I murmured as I took a seat on the ground.
It took around half an hour to get here from Moori's village, so I have a feeling that I'm gonna be waiting here a while. Then again, that Stropo guy was considerable stronger than Moori, so he probably can fly quite a bit faster.
A few minutes go of silence go by and I can't help but let my curiosity get the better of me.
"Can I ask you a question?" I suddenly asked the Grand Elder.
"You just did." He replied with a small smile.
"Well, can--"
Oh, he didn't...
I had to admit, I let out a hearty chuckle when he used my own thing against me, to which he responded in kind.
Fair play, Grand Elder, fair fucking play.
"What is your question, young one?" He asks.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume from your words that you felt my energy?" I asked, to which he nods, "So you... felt... my energy?"
He looks at me confused and I can't blame him for it. That was a very dumb way to ask the question.
"I heard that Namekians can tell when a person is malevolent or not based on their energy. How did mine feel?" I asked.
Technically, anyone who had experience sensing Ki could feel the difference between the energy of good vs malevolent people.
I could do it, and my family could after a few days of teaching them. But I don't know how much they know about Saiyans, so I'll just let them believe I can differentiate between them.
"You're worried that I might deem you to be a bad person?" He asks.
I don't answer, which seemed to not matter, as my decision to not answer causes a small to appear on his face.
"Even if you weren't a good person, I'd still release your hidden potential and allow you to wish upon our Dragon Balls. You made sure that our planet would not be invaded by others hoping to use them with nefarious motives, and for that, I have deemed that you are a friend." He explained, making me feel like an even bigger asshole, before adding, "But do not fret, young one. Your energy isn't one of malevolence. Granted, you are not a pure soul, but purity is for children."
That actually managed to shock me quite a bit.
My energy... isn't malevolent...?
[Word Count: 1,250.]