Greetings, fanfiction lovers! Welcome to my fic, DBZ: DNA Saga, which was formerly known as "Hope Lives On." My fic was unfinished when I left it in 2002, so I would like to start it over with some changes to the plot. This should be significantly better than the first, as I'm much older now, which hopefully will translate out into me being a more advanced writer….hehe, we'll see about that. Anyways, enjoy the fic and don't read the old version because this one will be different!
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ, though it would be pretty cool if I did.
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DBZ: DNA Saga
By: Ponytail Goddess
Prologue
A tiny figure huddled up against the giant hutch containing a ton of old, fancy china, hoping that it would provide her with some stability. She quickly braced herself as the Earth started to tremble once more. Suddenly the hutch started to take small bounces forward as the floor shook hard. The weakened glass doors popped open and a few expensive plates shattered on the floor. She felt a few pieces hit the side of her leg, but the shaking then stopped and the hutch was still upright.
The stop was short-lived though, as the explosions outside kept going, getting louder and louder as the minutes ticked on. The Earth was coming to an end; all hell was breaking loose. Smoke was smoldering in from one of the broken windows, flowing from the ever-present fire outside as the battle for the planet raged on.
Hope elicited a short shriek as the hutch took a few more bounces forward, spilling out more and more precious china. She could feel the sharp broken pieces underneath her shoes, yet she still clung to the hutch for dear life. All was black…not that it mattered much to Hope anyway. It would have been black in the room on a bright and sunny day for Hope. Her blind eyes could not even see the faintest outlines of objects and thus were totally useless. To her, there was no escape from the hellish room. She was certain she would die there.
A whimper escaped her mouth as floor started moving again. The hutch no longer contained any dishes and now was starting to dangerously lurch forward in Hope's arms. She tried to hold it upright, but it was much too heavy. The giant case was hurled to the floor, taking a very distressed Hope right with it. Her arm that was holding the front of the hutch quickly released it as she took a hard landing on the back of the solid oak case. The wind was knocked out of her. Not thinking, she rolled off the edge and landed in the broken china.
"Aaahh!" She moaned sharply as she felt the shards piercing her fragile skin. Slowly, her shaky elbows elevated her torso and she cautiously put down her hands, trying to brush some of the dangerous pieces out of her way. Carefully, she arose to her wobbly legs, only to be knocked down again by a powerful, deafening blast that had clearly hit Capsule Corp.
Quickly, Hope took action. Despite her weakened state, she managed to pull herself up to her hands and knees and scurry over to an overturned sofa, using it to hoist her aching body back onto its feet. For a few moments she just stood there, hunched over, gripping the sofa leg. She took deep breaths and tried to find her orientation again. Hesitantly, she reached her throbbing hand back behind her, trying to feel for something that might still be in place. Her fingers gently brushed a smooth, cool brick surface—the fireplace. She reached out and grasped it with all of her might, finally feeling like she might be safe, even if it was just for a few minutes.
The fleeting moment of calm came and went though, as a thundering sound came down the hallway. Hope gasped for air as her heart tried to pound its way right out of her chest. Her face paled and she froze in place, now holding her breath, hoping that the intruder would not spot her on the far side of the room. The frantically running stranger, however, seemed to go right on past her and further down the hall. The running noise was interrupted by the next explosions, the floors vibrating yet again.
Loosing her balance, one of Hope's arms flailed away from the fireplace. A large, strong hand grabbed it in a tight grip. Natural instinct took over and Hope started screaming and struggling with all of her might, trying to escape the mighty grasp. Kicking, jabbing, and screaming, she was pushed up against the fireplace against her will.
"HOPE-CHAN! HOPE-CHAN!" exclaimed a familiar voice. A slight relief passed over her as she frantically touched his face with her free hand.
"G-Grandpa Trunks?" she whimpered pitifully. Immediately, she burst out crying, whimpering, "I'm so scared grandpa-"
"No time!" He bellowed, easily pulling her up into a piggy-back, "We have to go!"
And with that, he ran. She could feel his uneasy steps as he clamored down the shaking stairwell and through the house roughly, banging her elbows on the doorways like a madman. His speed was intense, though his stride was uneven—an injury, Hope assumed as she heard Trunks rip open the door and exit the remains of Capsule Corporation. There was no relief upon arrival though, no cool breeze to hit their faces. In fact, the air was even hotter outside and filled with smog, which Hope immediately started to choke on. She could feel little droplets of sweat forming on her brow as her grandfather plowed through the wreckage and into the unknown.
"Okay…" he gasped, coming to a sudden halt and letting her go. She heard the familiar 'pop' of a capsule releasing an object in front of her. "Get in, we must hurry! We haven't much time!" With that said, he grabbed her arm and led the way through the smoldering rubble.
"Wait, get in where? Where are you taking me?" Hope asked urgently as she felt her grandfather quickly give her a large boost up into the air and into a worn seat. Becoming quickly alarmed, she grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and jerked it several times with all of her might to get his attention. "GRANDPA! What's going on, please, please, tell me what's going on!"
She heard a sigh, then felt a gentle hand quickly find a place on her shoulder. "It is no longer safe for you here, my sweet. For that reason, your father and I thought it best to send you to the past."
"I'm in the time machine?" She gasped in horror, hoping that she had not heard right. Her hands quickly explored the vicinity, over controls, and she discovered that what she had said was true. A pang of greater fear than before struck her heart: fear of the unknown. "Are you coming with me?"
Click, click, click… She could feel him reaching over her to activate the panels and heard a faint humming noise as the old machine once again came to life. "I'm sorry Hope-chan…I cannot."
Hope mind was on fire now too, the fear spreading fast. Her entire body was shaking with it. "No, NO! What about father?" she asked, panicking and grabbing at Trunks once more.
"He's holding it off right now for your escape. We must hurry Hope-chan. I don't know how long he can hold it off." Replied her grandfather's forlorn voice, which was now hard to hear over the roar of the engine.
"And Gosan is helping?"
Silence.
The answer smacked her in the face as Trunks quickly tinkered with the controls. "NO! No, no, no, no, NO!" She wailed in agony, only to have her mouth immediately covered by a strong hand. Vaguely, she could hear her grandfather trying to say something of comfort, but she was almost gone, blinded by pain as her world crashed down around her. She sobbed uncontrollably.
As fast as she was lost though, she was found, shaken back to the world of heat and smoke by her grandfather's calloused hand, which was no longer gentle, due to the urgency of the situation. "It is time Hope-chan, all is set. Your father and I love you very much; take care of yourself and stay safe. We'll come looking for you when all is settled here." With a kiss on her cheek, he let go of her and pressed a few more buttons. She heard something close around her and all of the chaotic noises from outside suddenly became muffled. She was sealed in, the machine making funny noises as she felt it begin to take the air. Grasping the seat she moaned with fear and reached for a very familiar mind link, but was sucked into time before she could even utter a single word.
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Trunks watched as his beloved granddaughter acquired altitude in the old, but efficient time machine that she had, in fact, been named after. "Be careful…" he murmured softly, "You're all I have." While he had checked the time machine over, he had felt his son's ki fizzle out and feared the worse. "But at least you, dearest, will be saf-SHIT!"
Before the word was out of his mouth, Trunks realized that he had made a deadly mistake. "SHIT, SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO LAND IT!" Fast as lightning, he pummeled himself through the red, smoky sky towards the rising time machine. Just as he reached the bottom of it, the red hot thrusters came on. His eyes widened, but he had no time to escape, not even time to scream. The deafening blast grounded him back into the soil at a speed unknown to man.
He didn't get back up.
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From a distance, a shadow emerged form its hiding place after witnessing the whole show. "What a shame…what a shame indeed. Trunks was the only fighter here that was worth my time. Too bad he died before I got my second bout with him."
Of course, Trunks was not the target though and was quickly forgotten. His real target had just blasted through time. A small smirk arose on the mouth of evil. "Fools, you think that will stop me?" He cried out with a snort of laughter. Taking a stance, he instantly powered up then grabbed the air and tore it in two, creating a rip in time, which he stepped right through.
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So, what do you think? Please let me know and have an awesome day!
-P.G.
