Author's Note: This Dragonball fanfic is set after the Buu Saga and replaces the storyline of GT (which was horrible in my opinion). I've taken some liberties with the ages of characters, but I think it works better this way. It's rated T for Teen because it has cursing, violence (though not too graphic), and sexual scenes (again, nothing graphic). Enjoy!
Disclaimer (I'm only doing this once): You guys know I don't own Dragonball, Z, or GT.
Prologue
"Shar, I understand that you've explained this a thousand times, and I understand that asking this may very well result in my head getting cut off…But why have you dragged us to the ass end of the universe and down to this barren planet when we could be out on Volta having some real fun?"
Three figures stood on the planet of Pica 12, commonly known as Finis. Due to its abnormal orbit, Finis spends millennia at the edge of space, threatening to fly off into the void of nothingness beyond. However, once every ten thousand years, the Pica System's orbit brings it closer to the other surrounding systems, thus enabling travelers to visit Finis. Though Finis leaves much to want. Nothing lives there, not even plants. It is an empty ball of ice and rock.
The smallest of the three figures sighed. When she spoke, her voice was sharp and annoyed. "You didn't have to come along, Cuddy. Especially if all you planned to do was complain the whole time."
"I wasn't gonna let you two find some schway treasure and not get my cut." Cuddy shrugged. "Besides, Brik here needs me around to keep him outta trouble."
The largest of the three, who stood more than twice the height of Cuddy, merely grunted.
"Whatever," Shar said crossly. "Just keep shut. I think we're almost there."
Shar walked over to a large crevice and looked down. Even in the middle of the day, the light from the sun did little on Finis. Shar could barely see, but she was sure that they had finally come to their destination. She jumped down, closely followed by Brik and Cuddy, who stayed on her heels so they wouldn't lose her in the dim light.
Cuddy spoke quietly to Brik as they took care to keep up with the rapidly increasing pace of Shar. "Almost there? There's nothing here. I swear, if we don't find anything, I'm gonna—"
Cuddy was cut short as the trio came to a stop in front of two massive stone circular doors. Worn with time and covered in strange markings, the doors were much taller than Brik and equally as wide. Where they came together, several more markings surrounded another circle with two slots in the middle of it. Shar ran her hand across the slots, wiping away the thick frost that had accumulated over the many centuries.
"Shar, you are delectable. If I wasn't afraid your mouth was full of razors, I'd kiss ya," Cuddy laughed. "Whatever riches lie beyond this door are well worth all the running around you've had us doing."
But Shar was ignoring Cuddy. She was studying the markings, running her hand along the cracks of the doors. She examined the two slots in the middle carefully before turning to face Brik and Cuddy.
"This here," she gestured toward the two slots, "appears to be some sort of lock with a description on how to open the doors. But I can only assume that, because it seems to be written in Kaioshin."
"The language of the gods?" Brik asked, finally speaking. He voice was deep, but refined. Not at all as brutish as his demeanor would imply.
"Exactly," Shar smiled. Her ice blue eyes sparkled. "And that means this must be the place. And now…if you two would be so kind."
Cuddy snorted. "So that's why we're here, for the heavy lifting."
"While I do have the power," Shar stated flatly, "I lack the force. You two have both."
"And never forget that." Shar shot Cuddy a cutting look, but he ignored her and stepped forward to the door. "Now then, Brik, shall we get started?"
The two circular doors exploded inward, shattering the still silence behind them. Brik entered, a combination of smoke and dust swirling around his feet and trailing off his broad back. Cuddy walked in behind him, breathing heavy with a slight sheen of sweat on his dark blue skin.
"Wah. That required more energy than I thought," Cuddy said as he leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees. "Those Kais sure know how to build a door."
"It was probably one of the Kaioshins," Shar mused as she strolled into the entrance last. "…or maybe even the Dai Kaioshin…Cuddy, what can you see."
Cuddy raised his head and surveyed their surroundings. He opened his large, purple eyes wider to take in as much light as he could. They were in a small foyer that had only one hallway at the far end that lead out of the room. The foyer had a very simple design, with bare walls and floors, and a ceiling that seemed to be carved straight from the rock itself. Cuddy walked to the other side of Brik where a small panel sat on the wall next to the doors they had just destroyed. The panel, like the walls, was simple and flat, without any buttons, switches, or levers. Bracing himself, Cuddy placed his hand against the panel. Instantly, the foyer illuminated. The light seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, as if the walls themselves were giving off a soft yellow glow. The light also continued down the hallway to another room.
"Let there be light," Cuddy said softly.
Before he could move away from the panel, or Brik could take a step forward, Shar was already across the room and making her way down the hallway. Brik took a quick look around and nodded at the fact that everything was very accommodating to his large size, even the hallway. He and Cuddy half walked, half jogged down the hallway to catch up with Shar. The next room was only slightly larger than the last, but still just as bare. Shar was standing next to a rectangular stone slab in the middle of the room. As Brik and Cuddy walked up to her, she ran her fingers along the edge of the stone and re-wet her lips.
"Aw, what the hell!" Cuddy snarled as he threw his arms up in exasperation. "There's no treasure here at all! Once again we come up with nothing, Shar. Come on, Brik, we're getting the hell outta here. This place doesn't even look like a treasure cache. It looks like a tomb."
"Yes," Shar grinned with giddy excitement. "The tomb of Avadez."
Cuddy stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare wide-eyed at Shar. Brik stood with his mouth slightly agape.
"Did… you just say…Avadez?" Cuddy asked slowly. "As in the Avadez?"
"The very same," Shar said as she laid the top of her body onto the stone slab and moved her arms across its surface.
"Avadez is only a myth, a legend. Nothing more," Brik said.
"And if it was him," Cuddy added, "Wouldn't there have been more security? Or even some traps or something? We practically walked right in."
"The Kais probably never expected anyone to find him," Brik answered. "We were lucky Finis was close enough to actually get to."
"Not luck," Shar said as she stood back up. "Fate. I knew Finis would be reachable. It's as if I was meant to find him…to free him."
"But we still don't even know if it's really him," Cuddy sighed. "I mean, it's Avadez we're talking about. The baddest of the bad."
Shar's face turned from one of elation to frustration. "Then we'll awaken him."
She gestured toward four panels at either corner of the stone slab. They were identical to the one Cuddy used to activate the lights at the entrance except for a thin line that lead from each to the center of the slab, were they converged at the base of a raised circle with more markings on and around it.
"Cuddy, you and I will each take one corner," Shar instructed. "And Brik is large enough to take two on his own. This should work just like the lights."
Cuddy eyed his panel skeptically, but nonetheless placed his hand on it at the same time as Brik and Shar. For several seconds nothing happened. Just as Cuddy was about to speak, though, the trio was suddenly racked with pain. The slab erupted in a blinding light, whiting out everything in the room. Their bodies contorted as they felt their energy being forcibly ripped from them. And then the pain was gone and they were thrown to the ground, gasping for air.
"What?…What?…" Cuddy started.
"It must have…needed a jumpstart," Shar concluded. "Some sort of initial charge to awaken him from sleep. A lesser being…would have been killed."
"Well, thank the Kais," Cuddy growled as he sat up.
All three got back to their feet and looked to where the stone slab once sat. What remained was a shallow hole in the floor, where a body laid. It was a burgundy-colored man wearing a skin-tight black jumpsuit. He had white hair that spiked slightly up and back, and appeared to be in fairly well condition. He stirred and stretched, sitting up and looking around. Realizing he was being watched, he flexed and sent out a wave of energy. The trio was sent skidding back a couple feet, shielding themselves from any coming attack. But the man only stood and dusted himself off.
"Such power," Shar said quietly. "Even after laying dormant for so long, the tiniest show of force pushed us back."
The man studied each of them carefully. "You are not Kais," he finally said. His voice was smooth and confident, almost regal.
"No, we are not," Shar said, moving forward. "I am Sharna Atna, and this is Brik…and Cuddy."
"And who might you be?" Cuddy asked as he folded his arms.
"Who are you that do not look upon me and instantly recognize your ruler?" the man said as he stepped from the hole and stood to his full height, which was as tall as Cuddy.
"Forgive him, Lord Avadez," Shar said quickly. "You have been in this tomb for a long time. Many, many things have changed."
Avadez walked over to Shar and looked her over. She had to forcibly keep herself from being knock over from his aura.
"Then you will tell me everything. And I shall pass my judgment upon this new world."
