Every Dog Has His Day – The Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z, or any of it's characters. I own a select few of the characters in this story, which shall soon unfold to you… all reviews (including constructive criticism), are much appreciated. This is the first of a two-part series. This story will be the baseline for the second story. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: How It Began…

It was a time of great evil deep in the recesses of space. A time where chaos and destruction ruled supreme. Fear was as a common feeling as dominance on a Saiyan's face. There was nothing that anyone could do. If they tried, they would most surely be killed, or worse yet tortured. The Saiyan Race was now a part of a sick plot, a plot with so many complicated twists and turns in the mind of a psychopathic genius, who's ego grew as much as his determination and greed. The mind behind the "Planet Trade", Lord Frieza had hired the warrior race as his assassins and exterminators, wiping out whole planets for Frieza to create a new. No one could surpass the Saiyans. And of course, no one would EVER surpass the power of Lord Frieza. But of course, a psychopath's paranoia is his own worst enemy…

For so long he had feared that a Saiyan would stand up to face him and put an end to his games. He knew that he had better cards than his foes… but he always feared that a "Royal Flush" would appear, that being the Legendary Super Saiyan that he was so sure would eventually appear to defeat him. So after much consideration, he had made his mind. He would take out all the stronger Saiyans at the same time by blowing up their home world, Planet Vegeta. The weaker ones he had another plan for. A plan that would not leave his head, one that only HE could think of… to send them to a planet inhabited by a stronger, unknown race before destroying it himself. Hovering ominously in his chair, Frieza let out a small snicker to himself. The handsome blue figure stood next to him peered at him out of the corner of his eye…

"Lord Frieza, what's funny?" the figure asked in a gentle, slightly Australian accent. His head turned to face his boss, as Frieza simply slid his eyes to the left side of their sockets.

"Never you mind, Zarbon" the powerful leader replied. "I've just come up with another plan to get rid of some of those pathetic monkeys without even having to lift a finger."

"Really?" Zarbon responded, with a twisted smile appearing on his face. He swept his long green hair behind his shoulder before fully turning to face Frieza. Both of them were now grinning. The intent of evil now was showing upon both their faces. Frieza's chair gliding slowly forward, heading for the bridge of his spaceship. At walking pace, Zarbon followed eagerly to learn more of this plan. "So what do you have in mind? Anything I can do?"

"Now now, there's no need to rush into things. There are still a few more details that I need to sort out." Frieza smirked. He was obviously thinking about something… ideas were racing along all the tracks of his train of thought. This plan was so perfect, it even made him shiver. "All I need to find is a strong race of people to wipe out the weakest of those dim-witted monkeys and then I'll destroy them all myself. I just need to find the right planet… strong… but not too strong." With that, Frieza smirked once again and faced Zarbon. "Tell me, are there any planets nearby with a population with a high average power level?" For a short moment, Zarbon stands without making any sound. He folds his arms and hangs his head in deep thought. Frieza waits, calmly yet obviously impatiently.

"There's two planets near here that have high power levels. The furthest one is Planet Namek. They've got a rather high power level, but they're peace lovers. They only fight to survive. They're a bit poofy if you ask me. Green Vermin." Zarbon shrugged off the thought of the Namekians by thrusting his head slightly.

"And the other one?" Frieza asked anxiously.

"The closer of the two in Planet Kanine, inhabited by the Kanine Race. They too prefer peace, but they are well known for their immeasurable fighting spirit. They are cannibalistic there, sir. If one of them causes an act of pain or suffering, they are mauled to death." Zarbon grinned. He could tell that Frieza was intrigued.

"Tell me more, Zarbon. There could be a reward in it for you if you get this right." Frieza snickered. The promise of a reward was good enough for Zarbon. His boss would give out the finest rewards, whether it was just a chance to blow up a planet, a big feast in his honour, or even the chance to control an entire army in a raid. It was good enough for Zarbon just to have that sense of power.

"The Kanines have been around for centuries. They are dog-like creatures. Good sense of smell, hearing, the works! Their planet is covered in red rock. Very little vegetation, their kind is carnivorous. They feed on deer, birds and anything they can find." Zarbon continued. "As I said, they are cannibalistic. Food is scarce, so they will fight to the death before the victor devours the loser. This is how their power level is so high. The average power level is around 10,000. Higher than many other life forms around. I've heard rumours that they can transform into giant monsters, like the Saiyans."

"SEND THEM THERE!" Frieza cackled, turning to face the screen glowing with blue words. "Tell the lower ranked Saiyans to invade Planet Kanine. If you're right, those poodles will make monkey-meat out of those Saiyans. Once the doggies finish them off, I'll blow up the planet. A Ha Ha Haaaa!" Frieza's laugh was a twisted one. His brilliance infected his ego, making it swell to an immeasurable size. Still with the same sadistic smile on his face, Zarbon nods obediently.

"Right away, Lord Frieza," Zarbon replied slyly. He turns around swiftly, his hair flicking back behind him once again. He proceeded to walk out of the bridge and headed towards a room down the left corridor. After walking around half of the ship's top deck, he finally reached a room with the words "Intelligence" written across it. Zarbon places his hand gently on a scanner on the left of the door. After a few sharp beeping noises, a green light blinked into life. Access was granted and the door slid open, hissing as it reached a stop. With a quick step, Zarbon enters the room. Upon arrival, two figures quickly stop and turn to face the blue alien creature that stood before them. They both turn and bow to Zarbon who grins back at them.

"Mr. Zarbon, sir," gestured a longhaired Saiyan. "What can we do for you?"

"At ease, boys," Zarbon smiled. "Lord Frieza wants me to brief you on a new mission." The two Saiyans stood upright. The taller of the two Saiyans was bulky and muscular. His beard was long, but he was naturally bald. His companion was shorter, but his hair was spiky, black and long, reaching right the way down to his lower back. Generals' Nappa and Raditz both looked equally intrigued as to what their new task would be. These missions were not suicide missions to them; to them they were challenges. Challenges that needed facing. "OK boys, we're en route to our new target. Planet Kanine." Zarbon grinned. "We shall be stopping at Planet Vegeta for supplies in about 12 hours from now. At which point you shall disembark the ship and head straight to the Barracks. For this mission, you shall only require the lowest level soldiers. This is the best chance for them to prove themselves."

"Planet Kanine?" Nappa growled. "Sire, I think even the low-level soldiers aren't necessary for this sort of…"

"Are you questioning me, General Nappa?" Zarbon glared. Nappa scowled a little bit more.

"No sire." Nappa snorted. Raditz took a step forward.

"Lord Zarbon, sir. I am unavailable for this mission. I had a message from Dodoria that I had to head for the planet Earth, since a Saiyan Child has yet to destroy it. Perhaps it is best for General Turles to take control of this mission. After all, I'm sure Nappa can sit this one out." At this comment, Nappa scowls at Raditz. Raditz shrugs. "It was just a thought."

"Good thinking, General Raditz," Zarbon snickered. "After all, Lord Frieza would be most upset if two of his more favoured henchmen were to be harmed in this invasion. Turles shall be able to handle this job no problem. General Nappa, you find Turles and send him to my quarters as soon as you do. General Raditz, upon arriving on Planet Vegeta, you shall head to the barracks and order the low-level Saiyans to head to the Launch Area immediately. Brief them of their mission. Do you both understand?" The two Saiyans take a moment just to stare at Zarbon. Simultaneously and somewhat reluctantly, they both bow to Zarbon once again.

"We understand, sire." They both responded in unicent. Zarbon grinned and turned to leave the room. The door opened, but Zarbon was not yet finished. He quickly pointed at Nappa's beard.

"Oh, by the way. Shave that ridiculous beard off. You look like some sort of ape with it," he snickered. He proceeded to leave the room. The door closed behind him, leaving Nappa's blood boiling with anger. Nappa almost snapped as he left, but Raditz stepped in front of him, calming him down.

"Nappa, relax," Raditz began. "You know full well we have to do what "Pretty-Boy" has to say for now. But just remember what Vegeta has planned. You know full well that our time will come. For now, just relax. Go find Turles and let him know what's going on."

"Fine." Nappa snorted once more. He stomped angrily out of the room, leaving Raditz to sigh heavily behind him…

-Meanwhile-

A desert of red dust covers the whole area. It doesn't seem as though life can exist on such a baron wasteland. There is not a single cloud in the green sky and no sign of water anywhere. There is no vegetation at all… but there are signs of life. Large footprints covering the ground. What we can see are what looks like ruins… ruins of buildings that once stood proud and tall somehow completely eradicated, but how? Burning in the sky is a larger-than-average sun, roaring ablaze. The ground is so hot; it would be like walking on red-hot charcoal constantly for a human. Even the wind brings with it a burning breeze. As the wind blows, dust scatters from a semi-buried skeleton. The skeleton was humanoid, but its skull was much more pointed, similar to that of a wolf. Its bones were much thicker than usual, particularly it's back legs, which looked incredibly strong…

This was the skeleton of a Kanine Warrior…

What seemed most surprising about the figure was that it's skull had been pierced by two large teeth marks. A good two inches in diameter. Not a single sign of decay was shown… no rotting flesh… the bones were perfectly intact… as if it's skin had literally just slipped off it's body somewhere. However, another distinctive feature was a strange weapon that he would have been wielding in his hands… It was curved like some sort of saracen, but the handle seemed to be made of bone, and somehow linked to his hand, as if it were connected to him somehow... All of a sudden, a shadow looms over the corpse. We see a large, hair-covered foot kick dirt all over the skull, burying it beneath the dusted sand once more. The creature takes a step back. Just what is this thing?

Standing at just less than seven feet in height stood an unusual sight to behold. His feet were large and pointed. Instead of toenails, the creature had talon-like claws that curved into the ground. They looked surprisingly durable, yet worn… as though they had been slicing through the rocky surface of this unknown planet… His ankles did not touch the ground at all. These things walked constantly on tiptoe. His legs were bulky, yet incredibly streamline. A thick and wispy tail flicks around his lower back. His chest was flexed, yet covered in battle scars. A noticeable point is three deep, parallel slash marks stretch from left to right in an upward-right diagonal. His arms were thinner than his legs, but the muscle could be seen bulging through the layers of black and brown hair. From his knuckles, long, dagger-like claws could be seen gleaming in the sunlight. The hair on its hair was similar to that of a true Saiyan. Large, spiky and black, but most of it was curved forward, hanging around a foot forward from his face… that face… so pointed. Wolf-like… He bared his jagged, ominous looking teeth. This was a living Kanine Warrior. He could suddenly hear a rustling behind him. He fell forward, landing on his "hands" and turned around. It is apparent that they can walk on all fours just as well, if not better, than walking on their hind legs. A second Kanine walked up to his comrade and let out what seemed to be a satisfied grin…

"Here again?" he laughed in a kind, yet gravely voice. "Looking for anything you missed?" His friend laughed with him, then turned to face the skeleton once again… "I've got some good news for you, sir." His ears pricked up and he turned back around once again, making no sound. "Well sir, your wife has had another successful birth. You are three-strong once again, sir." They both smiled in glee.

"Thank you, Ciaochow." The father responded deeply. "What about my other two?"

"They have both been preparing for the fight tomorrow. I'm telling you, sir; those two sons of yours are unreal. Your youngest has hunted down three buffalo today by himself!" Once again, they laughed.

"Ah, Tweiler… he's growing up to become a fine warrior. Just like his brother." The father smiled.

"Just like his old man, eh?" grinned Ciaochow. They both turned to face the skeleton once more. The unnamed Kanine uses his powerful jaws to pick up one of the arms and snaps it off the tendon as if it were a chicken wing. Ciaochow grabs the other one and does the same. They sling them carefully onto their backs and begin to walk back across the desert.

"You know, you don't have to do this, Ciaochow," the Kanine grumbled. "It's MY son that they killed. They'll pay the price tomorrow. Graidane will take care of them."

"Nonsense, Mr. Doberman," Ciaochow growled. "It's an honour to help you. You've saved us many a time. I wish that my children weren't such cowards and learned to defend the pack. You, Tweiler and Graidane are the best hope for our kind. I'm sure that Graidane will give that punk who murdered your son exactly what he deserves. I'm not sure what we're going to do with his meat. If he tastes as foul as he smells, we're in for some trouble." Ciaochow snickers to himself, but Doberman simply snarls under his breath and starts to run a little bit faster… "I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's alright, my friend." Doberman responded with a sigh. "It just angers me at how evil can triumph over good. It isn't fitting to see one Kanine slaughter your family and then have the last laugh… That darned Krussell will pay with his life." Doberman howled deep into the canyon that they were approaching. Soon, two silhouettes rose from the top of a high cliff. With leaps and bounds, they raced down the cliff edge, not losing their balance or grip. The two younger Kanines approached the much older of their kind and approached with great enthusiasm. Both looked similar, almost identical. One of the youths' hair was a lot fairer than his brother, his mouth and snout was smeared with buffalo blood. The other, being the older of the two, and much taller, was dripping with sweat. Not from the heat, but simply from the intense training which he had been undergoing.

"Father. Let us rejoice! We finally have a younger brother!" barked the youngest with delight. He was ecstatic, however his brother had a much more serious look on his face. Doberman nodded to his eldest son, Graidane. Tweiler was jumping up and down several feet into the air.

"We shall celebrate even more come tomorrow at dawn. Graidane shall avenge your eldest brother." Doberman smiled. Standing on his hind legs to become at equal height with his son. He stared straight into his eyes. "It is Kanine tradition that the eldest son heads into combat to honour his family, his pack and his pride. That scoundrel Krussell will not live to see tomorrow through," he ended. Graidane simply nodded, shaking a little excess sweat off his fur. Graidane turned away from his father and ascended the cliff face as fast as he came down and stood proudly on the edge. His head raised high, sniffing into the air. His ears had been alerted. He let out a growl…

"I am afraid that tomorrow will just be the beginning." Graidane said with a musky, serious voice. He continued to sniff the air. "I can sense a large power heading our way… it's obviously on a nearby planet. I've sensed it before, but now I can feel it more than ever."

"What?" cried Tweiler. "A huge power level? It's not that guy from the Planet Trade is it? You know, that Freeze-guy?" Tweiler was now as concerned as his brother. Doberman and Ciaochow lowered the arms they were carrying and ascended the cliff as well. They sniffed into the air just as Graidane had done. "Well? Can you tell if it's him or not?" Tweiler asked, anxiously.

"It's difficult to say. But whatever it is could pose as a major threat to us, but it will take days for them to reach us." Ciaochow barked. Graidane stepped back from the crowd and started to walk away.

"And where are you off to now?" Doberman called to his son.

"If there really is a threat," Graidane began, "then I will need to train a lot harder. If this is what it comes down to, them versus us, I want to be the most unmoveable object that they face. It's not about the family, it's not about the pack, and it's not about my pride. It's about the whole planet, OUR planet… and I will fight to the bitter end, even if it kills me. And I will not rest until each and every one of those vermin are killed." Graidane stops to take a deep breath, before turning around once again… "If you want me, I'll be around…"

And with that, Graidane leapt off the cliff edge, and on all fours sprinted at a great velocity towards his destination, wherever it was. Doberman, Ciaochow and Tweiler were left on the cliff, looking into the sky.

"Well, my friend… my son… it looks like a battle is brewing here. We'll need to get prepared. There is no time to lose!" And with that, Doberman followed in Graidane's footsteps down the cliff and onto the ground. Picking up the scythe-like arms of his slain son, Doberman headed off in the direction of his pack's village. Ciaochow and Tweiler follow, dragging the second arm behind them, all three just thinking of the days that lie ahead…


AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK, so there's the first chapter. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Please Read and Review, as I know you all love to do it (do I hell, heh heh). Oh, and if you're confused about the names (i.e. Tweiler, Graidane, Krussell etc.) then just think of what a Doberman is and work it out from there, ok?

Chapter 2 will be posted within the next few days! Until then, Peace and Chicken Grease!

ZeroGrandTour87