The planet Earth, home to a vast variety of amazing and mysterious people and places. Origin of the greatest warriors the universe has ever known. The battlefield of countless wars waged against the forces of evil. The birthplace of a powerful legacy carried on to this day, featuring generations of heroes, warriors, and legends.
It is the year 904. The countless battles fought by Goku and the rest of the Z Fighters have come to light, inspiring people around the world with their amazing power and never ending selflessness and sacrifice. The efforts of these legendary warriors have become the stuff of legend, their effects felt centuries later. The population of Earth has known the satisfaction of peace and prosperity for over two hundred years now. Even now, the descendants of those warriors continue to bask in the light of the legacy left to them.
But a bitter and timeless lesson is about to be learned. Nothing good lasts forever. Dark shadows creep from the bright lights. Evil forces arise once again to threaten the Earth. And now, the descendants of these legendary heroes must face the legacy left to them. Taking up arms to once again protect their home and the people they cherish, this new generation of heroes, of warriors, must carve their own story into the towering stone of time. This is that story. This is their legacy.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH-HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
An uproarious screech of excitement echoes through the rocky forests of Mount Paozu. Streaking through the air like a bullet, a small yellow cloud scales mountainous walls, rips across the surface of bubbling rivers, and curves and twists through the branches and trunks of countless trees. Riding that cloud is a young man of his early teens, bracing himself readily against the howling winds. Jet black eyes brimming with excitement as the grin of an excited monkey spread across his face, black messy hair covering his head with two particularly large bangs hanging over a sky blue headband. The young man relished the gravity-defying exploits of his non-sentient steed as it flew through the air at amazing speeds.
"Come on Kintoun*1, show me what you can really do!" the young man said excitedly. Acting in response to the order, the cloud released a powerful burst of speed, leaving a ring of its own substance in the wake of its sudden acceleration, racing just across the bubbling river. The cloud and its passenger soon neared the exit of the ravine, which opened to a large mountainous forest. The brook below them gained speed and ferocity as it neared the same destination, transforming into a powerful wall of falling water. His large grin condensing into a determined smile, the young man crouched against the cloud's soft surface. "Here's the drop off point Kintoun! See ya next time!"
Releasing an excited shout, he performed a powerful leap off of the cloud, which took a sharp dive parallel to the waterfall. "Thanks for the ride!" the boy called out, giving a two-fingered salute mid-fall as the cloud flew away into the distance. Reaching out his hands to the towering trees he was falling towards, the energetic teen gripped the nearest branch his hands reached, said branch bending from the speed and recoil of the boy's descent. From there the young man jumped among the treetops like a monkey, hopping from branch to branch with incredible ease. However, the teen's acrobatic traveling was soon interrupted. A reddish-brown theropod with a crest of bony protrusions on its head happened to notice the boundingteen. Seeing the young male as a morsel of food, the dinosaur lunged as the boy was in mid-air, its large jaws full of sharp teeth already surrounding the boy and ready to close. "Holy sh-!" the teen cried out in shock as the dinosaur made its attempt to turn him into a snack. However, an expression of momentary panic quickly turned to a surprising calm as the boy drew an apparently normal red pole from the holster slung across his back. Grasping the pole firmly, the young male gave a verbal command, "Nyoi-Bo*2, extend!" At the boy's order, the red pole suddenly and quickly extended, meeting the enclosing jaws of the carnivorous reptile and forcing the dinosaur's jaws to remain agape. Realizing there was an obstruction, the massive predator soon began to thrash its head so as to free the blockage. The teen meanwhile had his arms and legs wrapped tightly around the red pole, the only thing keeping him from becoming a meal.
"Geez, why does this keep happening to me of all people? Do I smell like some sort of prepared dinner!?" the teen complained out loud, only to try and find out for himself after a moment's pause. Unfortunately the only scent the young teen could find was the rancid scent of the dinosaur's hot breath, causing him to gag. But after a short moment, the boy took in another reluctant sniff of the terrible scent. "Ewww! Not only does this stink, I know this stench!" He said. Just then, the monstrous reptile raised its head in another attempt to undo the extended pole. Seeing a prime opportunity, the young male released his leg hold around the pole and, using it as a gymnastic bar, performed two full swings on the Nyoi-bo. Reaching his swings apex, the teen gave a command "Nyoi-Bo, retract now!" and the pole did just that. The young teen was sent flying from his own momentum up and out of the dinosaur's mouth, which abruptly closed as soon as it was capable. High up in the air, the boy twisted himself around and looked at the dinosaur below him, placing the red pole in its sheath. He gave a slight chuckle as he noticed the dinosaur wore a familiar burn scar on one of its eyes.
"So it is you, Ichigan*3!" the teen called out, having named the enormous beast and knowing it from similar encounters in the years past. The dinosaur however, had no desire to reminisce. Contracting its muscular legs, the massive reptile leapt upwards towards the airborne morsel. "Oh crap." The teen said with slight panic as Ichigan lunged at him. Holding his hands out to the side, a faint bluish-white glow formed around his spread hands, before condensing into spheres of like-colored energy within the teens palms. Thrusting his palms forwards, the spheres erupted into twin jet-like blasts of concentrated energy that sent the teen flying in the opposite direction, and more importantly out of the way of Ichigans open maw. The teen caught himself against a rock formation, recovering from the close call. Ichigan did the same however, growling in tune with its rumbling stomach.
"Sorry Ichigan, but I can't be caught running late again. And I'm running out of time as-is!" The teen said before he sprung off the rock side, seemingly flying right Ichigan. The boy then positioned his hands palms inward in front of his face, fingers spread wide. "Adios!" With that, the teen closed his eyes and released a blinding flash of light. The dinosaur's one good eye was caught in the bright flash, causing Ichigan to roar as a result from its blinding. Landing on the dinosaur's crest, the boy then used it as a vaulting point before landing and quickly sprinting down the confused reptile's spine. Leaping off upon reaching the base of the tail, the teen made his escape. The dinosaur's roars began to fade as the young male sprinted across the treetops with increased speed. His unfortunate encounter with his old "friend" Ichigan had forced the teen to rush. Seeing another mountainous rock formation and with no time to go around it, the boy made a straight rush for it. Using almost inhuman agility and acrobatics to jump from one foothold to another, he quickly reached the top. The boy grinned, not losing his pace as he neared his goal. The teen quickly gained speed as he neared the edge of the formation, before performing a powerful leap off of the ledge. As he flew through the air, the teen caught sight of his destination; two regular houses perpendicular to each other, with a simple domed house sitting between them. On the descending part of his trajectory, the young teen used a large tree in his way as a platform, hopping off as the tree bent as far as it could.
"I'm home!" the teen called out as he casually opened the door and entered his family's simple abode. "Sorry I'm late; I ran into Ichigan again and he nearly turned me into a snack!"
"Nach*4 Son*5, you don't have time to 'be home'!" a feminine voice said in response, its origin being the house's kitchen. "You have an appointment with the doctors at Capsule Corp., and you need to meet Kosh*6 at school before that. And don't forget to turn in your own work as well, understood?"
"Naturally, Mom." Nach said, sighing at his mother's henpecking. Looking around, he continued. "Hey Mom, where's gramps? I was hoping he could get me to school with that awesome teleportation move to help me out." Unfortunately, Nach's calm demeanor soon became less and less so. The house had little to no places to hide in, and while spacious, was small enough that it was difficult to not hear everything said in the house. Yet there was no response from the man Nach was looking for, nor could the teen locate him. "Um… Mom?" Nach said nervously, "Gramps iis/i here, right? ….Right?" Nach had already tried sensing for others in the vicinity, but he desperately hoped he was just having a bad day.
"I would suggest you pick up your pace if you want to make it on time~" was the response given with a teasingly melodious tone. "But before you leave, we're having a nice dinner so I want you to ask Kosh if his parents can... Oh dear," Nach's mother muttered, scanning the living room as she exited the kitchen but finding nothing more than an empty room and an open door, "the one time I need him to stay and listen, he rushes off to school. Figures." She huffed in frustration, before quickly returning to her work in the kitchen. "Seems I may have to go out soon," she thought absentmindedly, stirring a pot of stew that came to boil, "we're almost out of meat. I better do it in the morning though; finding plentiful sources is such trouble at night."
"Come on Kintoun, come on!" Nach said with urgency as he rode his yellow cloud at maximum speed towards the bustling metropolis simply named West City. "If we don't make it on time, I'm gonna be in big trouble! And I don't wanna even think about what'll happen!" Fortunately for the teen, his school came into sight after about half an hour of high-speed flight. His time was still short however, so rather than come in for a quick landing Nach leapt from his cloud, descending towards the courtyard before landing on his feet gracefully. A few of the students took note of the young teen literally jumping off of a cloud and into the courtyard, but beyond that few seemed to treat it as an unusual occurrence. Seeing that it was a break period, Nach figured he would have an easy time getting into school without trouble. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by the cacophonic command of another familiar feminine voice.
"Nach Son, hold it right there!" Sighing with frustration, Nach turned around to see the source of the command. She was a woman who practically embodied the stereotypical appearance of a teacher with her stuffy wardrobe, her dark blue hair being her only unique feature. It was one of Nach's teachers and his least favorite at that, Ms. Fona*7, nicknamed "Megaphone" among the students for her constant speeches.
"Hello Ms. Fona. I'm just here to turn in my latest batch of homework and meet Kosh." He replied, maintaining a polite tone and hoping he could pull out of this without incident.
"You know it doesn't work that way, Mr. Son." Ms. Fona replied, dashing Nach's hope of a quick resolution. She crossed her arms as she continued. "You may be the descendant of Earth's greatest hero, but that does not grant you special privileges. The very fact that you don't have to attend daily and merely turn in your schoolwork is purely due to the fact that you live in a very remote area. But part of that arrangement is that when you do attend, you must attend on time like everyone else. And yet you're here at the end of the day. I should write you up for missing attendance!"
"W-well Ms. Fona," Nach quavered, scratching the back of his head "I lost track of time training, so I headed right for home when I realized I was late. But then I ran into this huge dinosaur I know and-"
"MORE training!?" Ms. Fona interrupted loudly, to which Nach facepalmed. Ms. Fona was a staunch supporter of 'brains over brawn', so Nach's mention of training was undoubtedly not his brightest moment "Now I most certainly will write you up for this absence, Mr. Son! Wasting time training when you could actually be present and learning something useful is inexcusable!"
Nach needed a way out quick; the last thing he wanted was more delays and more problems. Scanning the students and faculty bustling about while Ms. Fona rambled, Nach saw a guaranteed solution to this obstruction. The results going to be pretty, but it would have to suffice. Calming himself and putting on the best mask of anger he possibly could, Nach responded with a raised tone, the best he could manage. "Miss Fona, with all due respect it seems like you're only giving me this amount of grief because I prefer martial arts over school. What's more, since my ancestors' exploits became public the general interest in martial arts increased dramatically over the last two centuries. So as far as I can tell, you hold me responsible for the results. In short, your problem is your dislike for athleticism and martial artistry being chosen over academics and scholarship!"
Ms. Fona recoiled at her students accusations. "How DARE you treat a teacher with such disrespect! That is it Nach Son, I am taking you to the principal's office and I will make sure you are-"
"Hey, hey, what's going on over here?" a deep masculine voice interrupted. Ms. Fona practically bit her tongue in frustration, while Nach tensed in preparation for the fireworks. The origin was none other than Mr. Roppa*8 the school gym teacher, and as far as most of the school was concerned, Ms. Fona's arch-enemy. "I overheard you guys having a bit of a debate?"
"Oh, no you don't!" Ms. Fona pointed an angry finger in the stocky man's face. "I will not have you getting involved and encouraging Nach's self-destructive behavior, again!"
Mr. Roppa's relaxed tone became indignant in response. "Self-destructive!?" he repeated. Mr. Roppa was Ms. Fona's exact opposite usually, relaxed and calm. Insults towards athletic endeavors however, were a definite exception. "Are you actually calling the training of the body and focusing of the mind "Self-destructive"!?"
"Yes, I most certainly am! Training your body does nothing to 'focus' the mind, nor does it improve one's chances to help a student learn the skills they need to be successful!" Was Ms. Fona's answer, raising her tone in heightened anger.
"There are many successful and famous athletes, especially martial artists!" Mr. Roppa countered, his volume likewise rising.
"Yes and how many other martial artists wallow in poverty and work low-class jobs, because they had no other skills to fall back on!?" Ms. Fona practically yelled now, her face practically flushed with anger.
"Martial arts offer far more than just payment! It also offers practical uses like self-defense and self-confidence!" Gone was Mr. Roppa's calm demeanor, as he was practically roaring with impassioned fury.
"Self-confidence can come from all kinds of places, and in these times of peace self-defense like that isn't necessary!" Ms. Fona was screeching now, her face inches from Mr. Roppa's.
"Just because Earth isn't on the verge of destruction every day doesn't mean people don't need to know how to defend themselves!" Mr. Roppa countered, his volume matching Ms. Fona's.
As the arguing of the two teachers garnered a crowd, Nach was quietly making his escape into the school. It was practically guaranteed that getting Ms. Fona and Mr. Roppa debating on anything would result in a free pass, and was a favorite maneuver among the student body. Nach felt a pang of guilt for pulling the same stunt, but had to stifle a chuckle as he heard the argument get louder and more ridiculous. Besides, he had to prioritize given his limited time, and he'd much prefer a dirty trick than face the ire of his family, his mother in particular.
Sometime later, Nach was preoccupied opening his locker, having previously turned in his schoolwork. Now he needed this week's work, while dreading the grades for last week's batch. Nach was distracted from his thoughts when an all too familiar voice interrupted him. It seemed like that was the theme for today.
"Heeeey Nachy boy!" a bulky boy called out, carrying a pencil and notepad while wearing a cheesy grin. "What's up? Got any interesting news today?"
"None I feel like sharing with you, Cillis*9." Nach teased, knowing quite well the exploits of Cillis, one half of the schools resident paparazzi duo. Thanks to his bloodline he was all too familiar with them. "Now, where is she?" he continued, leaning against his locker door. He was short on time, but this distraction was too persistent to be lost without confronting it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Cillis responded. His expression and tone however, betrayed him all too easily.
"You don't go anywhere without your photographer Penny*10." Nach explained, his smirk growing. "You've got her hidden somewhere waiting to take pictures."
"N-now you've got it all wrong, Nachy-boy!" Cillis' voice started to break with increased nervousness. Nach couldn't help but reflect on how for a would-be reporter, Cillis had a terrible time keeping a straight face.
"Uh-huh…" Nach, having had to deal with this duo throughout his school years, turned his attention to his locker. "Okay, time to bring this to a close. I really don't have time for this you guys, so Penny needs to come on out."
"I-I have no idea what you're-"
"C'mon Cillis," Nach interrupted the sputtering Cillis, before raising his hand. He clenched and unclenched his fingers slowly as he continued "Don't make me break another locker door."
"Say whatever you want, I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Was the answer Nach got, Cillis flashing one of the most obvious fake smiles possible. Nach was all too familiar with such tricks.
"C'mon, Cillis. You've got a lousy poker face and you're a ruthless reporter, but I know you wouldn't want Penny to get hurt. I've had a bad day today y'know; a lack of control may be included." Nach clenched his fist, the faintest of glows surrounding it. "Lockers are small after all, so I might not be able to stop before I hit something."
"A reporter never gives up!" Cillis' tone was determined in spite of himself, standing firm and steeling his quaking arms. "Say what you will, I'm not leaving until I get a story."
"Okay then," Nach gave a simple shrug. "It's on your conscience if she gets punctured." Nach prepared, aiming his fist at the door of his locker while Cillis tensed up, waiting for the inevitable. But just as Nach was about to thrust his arm into the locker, a loud banging was heard from inside. Nach chuckled while Cillis relaxed, albeit soon followed by a sigh of defeat. 'Mental note: change locker combination again.' Nach thought as he opened his locker door. With a chuckle and gentlemanly bow, he led the lanky girl out into the hallway. She could only give him a contemptuous snort in response. Grabbing his bag, Nach checked its contents and confirmed it was all there. However, following a quizzical look at the two perpetrators, the young martial artist held his hand out. "Hand 'em over."
"I've got no idea what you're talking about." Penny scoffed at whatever Nach was insinuating she had.
"The pictures, Penny. I can see your cameras right there. I've got no time for this, so it's either the pictures or the cameras themselves."
Penny's expression immediately turned to horror at Nach's threat. Grimacing, Penny reluctantly pulled a memory chip out of the compact camera around her neck, placing it in Nach's hand.
"The negatives too." He said knowingly. "You're way too thorough to have only one set."
Penny gave a frustrated whine, but nonetheless relented. Handling the second camera- this one much older than the other- she pulled out a roll of undeveloped pictures, putting it with the chip. With a victorious smirk, Nach closed his hand tightly, a bright flash escaping from within it. When he opened it again, the result was smoldering dust that blew away helplessly. Leaving the two to wallow in their utter defeat, Nach slung his backpack over his shoulder and made a mad dash for where he needed to be. 'A dinosaur, a teacher, and the residential paparazzi; is Kami trying to make me late!?' Nach thought, bemoaning his horrid luck throughout the day. Nonetheless, he managed to avoid getting lost within the school for once. With a few slips and turns, Nach made it to his destination: the MMA Club Room. As a relieved sigh escaping his lips Nach walked into the room, before coming to a sight that quite surprised him.
Two men were standing in an MMA-styled ring. One was a strapping young man, in the stance of a confident and thoroughly experienced fighter. On the other side was a male who despite thick, weighty clothing could be clearly seen to have a thin frame and build. His most noticeable trait however, were the many thin bangs sticking out from under his skullcap. In comparison to his opponent, his stance was utterly casual; as if he didn't even care that he was in a ring made for brutal hand-to-hand combat.
"You sure you wanna do this, Kosh?" the muscular man questioned confidently, as he began lightly springing from one foot to the other in a certain rhythm. "I've gotten pretty good, and I don't wanna hurt you. You sure you don't wanna change into proper gear?" Kosh on the other hand, simply rubbed his neck as if it were sore before looking at his opponent with eyes full of calm and apathy.
"Yeah, we've gotta make this quick, so I wanna get this over with." He responded. "And I don't want you guys bugging me in the future, so don't pull any punches, clear?" Soon after speaking, Kosh noticed that Nach was there watching, turning his attention from his opponent. "Hey Nach, what're you doing here? Decided to meet me here at school?"
"Naturally." Nach replied, giving an almost stupid grin. "You wouldn't believe the trouble I've had getting here today! I almost thought I was gonna be late."
Kosh could only give a simple smirk at his friend's complaints. "Waiting until the last minute, that's all too like-" Kosh was abruptly interrupted by a reminder from his still present opponent, narrowly dodging the straight jab with but a simple step. "I never pegged you to be one for cheap shots, Muhal*11." Kosh almost spat with a cold, sharp tone, narrowed ice blue eyes showing little appreciation for the attempt.
"Heh, sorry. But you said don't pull any punches," Muhal answered before throwing a powerful left hook, "and how can I restrain myself when you're practically ignoring me!?"
Kosh instead let his actions speak for him. In typical style Kosh dodged the attack by a hairs breadth, before catching Muhal's wrist in a vice-like grip. Before Muhal could even registerbeing caught Kosh released a rapid jab right into his opponent's gut, his fist almost a blur. The wind knocked out of him, Muhal could barely stand. Kosh however, kept him standing with his firm grip on Muhal's arm. Tossing Muhal's arm to the side to force an opening Kosh performed a short spin before striking with a hard straight kick, striking Muhal in the chest with enough power to send him flying across the arena and into the wired barrier. The wind knocked out of him and barely able to retain consciousness, Muhal slumped down against the wires. "And with that," Kosh spoke as he was dusting off his hands, "I'm out of the Mixed Martial Arts Club. Sorry Muhal, but I've outgrown this club and I can't have you guys relying on me. No hard feelings?"
"Yeah… no worries…" Muhal wheezed as he tried to fill his lungs with air, straining to give a shaky thumbs-up tied with a grin, before passing out.
"Wait, you're quitting!?" Nach cried out in surprise, looking at Kosh. "Dang, I was planning on joining you in the MMA Club next year. I could have sworn I told you, too." The tone in his voice carried clear disappointment.
"Huh, really?" Kosh questioned, exiting the ring. He shrugged at the apparent revelation. "It must've slipped my mind. Sorry 'bout that." Nach was incredulous however. He gave Kosh a focused look, as if trying to read his childhood friend. Kosh was in the middle of grabbing his backpack, when he immediately stopped and gave Nach a very sharp warning look. "Don't you ever try to read my mind again, got that?"
Nach winced at being found out before giving an innocent chuckle. "Sorry about that Kosh. I just had a hard time believing you of all people forgot. Won't happen again, I promise."
Kosh on the other hand, gave Nach a long hard look before finally relenting with a sigh. "Geez Nach, why do you have to make it such a pain to stay mad at you? C'mon, let's get to my place," Kosh was heading for the outdoor exit. "I don't think either of us wants to feel the wrath of the so-called "fairer" sex."
"You mean you don't want to look irresponsible in front of my older sister." Nach teased knowingly as he followed Kosh out.
Kosh gave Nach an even fiercer glare following the comment, but the immediate break in his stoic tone gave him away. "J-just shut up and call your cloud thing." He muttered as he pulled a small case out of his pocket. Nach could only stifle his laughter at Kosh's embarrassment.
"Alright, alright," Nach managed to say after fully restraining his laughter. "Geez, you need to lighten up Kosh. KIIIIINTOOOOOUUUUUN!" Just a moment after his bellowing call, the yellow cloud came streaking from out of the blue, diving down to stop in front of Nach. Kosh on the other hand, pulled a small pill-shaped capsule out of his case, pressing down on a button before tossing it out in front of him. With an explosion of blue smoke, a one-man hovercraft appeared from where the capsule had landed. The pair mounted their respective transportation, before taking off to the air. As they flew overhead, Kosh could hear loud screaming and bellowing shouting coming from below.
"What the hell is going on down there?" Kosh asked in surprise as he looked to the courtyard. An enormous crowd had gathered around two people having a shouting match over something. He could make out words like "chili" and "salsa", but everything else was indiscriminate shouting. "Hey… is that Ms. Fona and Mr. Roppa? What idiot set them off?" Nach meanwhile, chose to whistle a tune rather than carry on the conversation. Nach's attempts at innocence didn't go unnoticed by his friend, whose turn it was to give an incredulous look. Moments later, Nach's whistling came to a sudden close.
"…Ha! And you chewed me out for trying it!" Nach cried out, feeling rather smug. It was Kosh's turn to wince at being found out.
'Damn, and here I thought it would be easy with him.' Kosh thought to himself.
'Busted~.' Or so he believed, at least. Giving a frustrated snort and this time making sure to lock down his brain, Kosh looked ahead and saw the familiar large yellow dome that served as both home and his family's company. The cloud and hovercraft both came to a lofty landing in front of the massive building and the respective riders quickly dismounted and headed towards the entrance. Kosh had the misfortune of entering first, with the result of a classic trap dropping a water balloon on his head. Nach had to actively stifle his laughter at his thoroughly soaked friend, especially knowing it was most likely meant for him.
"…You have a crazy family, Nach." Was all Kosh could say, giving a weary sigh as water dripped off of him. Otherwise not even reacting to his current state, Kosh continued on. After managing to regain control of himself, Nach followed his old friend through the many halls and rooms of the building.
"I'll never understand how you manage to avoid getting lost in this place." Nach commented, astonished as he looked around at the huge building and its identical hallways.
"This coming from the guy with a forest for his backyard." Kosh replied, giving a light chuckle as Nach pouted. Leading his small friend to their destination, Kosh entered the room. "Hey, we made i-" was all he managed to get out before yet another object was dropped on him, this time a fragile bag of flour. This time Nach couldn't restrain himself and released an uproarious laugh, which was nearly drowned out by the laughter of the rest of the people present; most of both Kosh and Nach's immediate family. Kosh had to restrain himself in the face of repeated pranks, an active twitch of the brow and a flush concealed by white the only signs that would betray Kosh's true emotions. Giving a deep sigh, Kosh pulled his hat off and disrobed down to his soaked cargo pants, before walking deeper into the room.
"Oh come now, don't be so upset." A young feminine voice called out, causing Kosh to nearly trip over himself. It was Heru*12, Nach's older sister, who was followed behind by the younger sister Panni*13.
"I-I have no idea why I would be upset." Kosh replied, attempting to retain his cool demeanor, turning away as if indignant towards the accusation, but really attempting to conceal his flushed embarrassment in the presence of Heru. To Kosh her auburn hair and flawless skin were only matched by those beautiful green eyes of hers, an unusual feature among her family. He could never maintain himself in front of her, bringing endless delight to Nach and all present.
"Cause we pulled that prank that was meant for Nach?" Panni asked innocently, earning a giggle from Heru, a sigh from Kosh, and a snicker from Nach. The young girl was nearly identical to Heru, except her hair and eyes matched the coloration of her older brother
"Alright, alright, enough of that you two." A woman of her mid-thirties spoke up, deep violet locks flowing to her shoulders. "Kosh, you'll need to get yourself cleaned up later." The woman giggled as she continued, "Nach, your mother's preparing dinner for all of us, right? Does she want us to bring anything?"
"Yes mother…" Kosh wearily sighed, at this point welcomed the white mask.
"I don't think so; she didn't mention anything Ms. Lume*14. Then again I was in a rush." Nach answered innocently. Referring to Kosh's mother by her first name earned Nach a good elbow from his old friend.
"Well, I can always ask her when I head back, it's no trouble." Nach immediately jumped when he heard the familiar voice he had hoped to hear back at his house.
"Gramps!" Nach said, running towards the dark-skinned old man, nearly knocking the man off his walking cane as Nach hugged him. "Geez, I was looking for you earlier today! You weren't there so I ended up late and had all kinds of trouble!" Nach explained, doing his best to seem upset. "Seriously, you gotta teach me that teleporting move!"
The old man simple chuckled, smiling at Nach through his short greyed beard. Gramps, as most people among both families called him, couldn't return Nach's tight hug, with only one arm already preoccupied holding his cane "When you're older Nach. I don't think you're ready for that type of technique just yet." Nach groaned in response, but nonetheless relented.
"Okay, come on you two." Kosh's mother was tapping her foot. "We've got to give you two a thorough examination, and it's going to take time. I don't want to keep Chikee waiting. Particularly since we'll be eating her cooking and she could put all kinds of things in it." Lume's tone carried a clear tone of humor despite her comments.
'She doesn't even know my mother would really do it if we keep her waiting too long.' Nach mentally messaged Kosh, causing his friend to gulp nervously. Nach then undid his white sash and took off his blue gi*15, leaving him in just his navy blue pants. "Well, let's get this examination over with."
Kosh simply nodded in agreement, still a bit offset by his friends surprising warning. "Besides, you guys promised to tell you what this whole thing was about after this final examination, and I'm curious."
"Yes, yes." Gramps commented, nodding in recognition at the two's curiosity. "As soon as these tests are over, we'll tell all of you exactly what it's about."
"You sure nothing's wrong with them though?" Heru was clearly concerned as she questioned the old man.
"Positive!" Lume's voice carried great amounts of confidence and positivity. "Trust us, Nach and Kosh are in absolutely no danger." Lume's attempts at comfort didn't have the desired effect however, as it left all the younger family members with the same question ringing in their heads: 'Then what makes these tests necessary in the first place?' Nonetheless, Kosh and Nach went through the numerous tests as they had before, most of them being physical displays of their abilities; speed, reaction time, strength, and so on. Both Lume and Gramps watched both the tests and the monitors with rapt attention and despite their previous comments, the utmost seriousness and concern. Such expressions didn't go by unnoticed by the sisters, who watched the adults more than the tests. Afterwards the final test was as simple as drawing blood, which Lume analyzed under advanced equipment. The rest waited outside the room, where Gramps regaled the four with stories of heroes past.
"And then, he escaped in his ship to recover. That resulted in a rivalry and, eventually, a friendship that's stayed strong long since their deaths. As all of you can attest." Gramps finished his story, all four of the children, even the normally apathetic Kosh, fully focused on the tale.
"Man Gramps, it's amazing how you know all this stuff!" Nach was clearly enjoying the old man's latest bout of storytelling. "It's way more exciting than the history books."
"I'll say. Sometimes it seems like you were actually there." Kosh chimed in, though his tone wasn't one of admiration. Gramps simply gave a hearty laugh.
"Oh I can assure you, I wasn't there. Namek either." The old man joked happily. "Now, shall I continue onto Namek, or would you prefer-" Gramps was however, interrupted by the sliding doors opening and Lume stepping out to join the group. The old man's jovial disposition quickly turned stern, even with his eyes hidden behind sunglasses. "So… the results?" he asked warily, his cautious disposition sending shivers down the four childrens' spines.
"It's as we thought, that's all." Lume answered calmly, earning a relieved sigh from Gramps. "But still, the odds of this are… astronomical. I mean I know they adapt to previous challenges, but this…"
"Okay, okay. Can we please decipher these cryptic remarks and get to the point" Kosh's serious expression and tone concealed a great deal of worry underneath, something only Nach caught on to. Nach was likewise tense, which was something extremely unusual for the almost chronically relaxed teen. Kosh's mother had said nothing was wrong, but the comments and atmosphere brought out anything but comfort.
"Alright. But I don't want you taking that tone with me again, mister." Lume both answered and admonished her son. "It's a lot to explain, but basically…. You and Nach carry something I can only call a… 'Berserk Gene'."
"Berserk Gene?" Nach and Kosh questioned simultaneously; both were curious about what this entailed, but at the same time dreaded what something named 'Berserk Gene' could cause for them. It obviously didn't seem like something that would carry positive effects.
"It's… very simple, really." Gramps said. "Do you recall those stories I told you about the Legendary Super Saiyan?"
"The one our ancestors faced before the Cell Games?" Nach wondered what that monstrous brute could have to do with him and his friend. It's not like they were related to it or anything.
"Yes, him. His name was Broly, and he was an enemy unlike any other faced by your ancestors, with sheer power unmatched until the days of Majin Buu." Gramps explained, tightening the grip on his cane suddenly. "He was born with a unique genetic code that gave him unimaginable power from the day he was born, and that power only continued to grow. And the source of that power was the very gene you two carry in your bodies." Kosh, Heru, Panni, and even Nach were all left absolutely dumbfounded. Kosh couldn't even attempt to compose himself; his mind was reeling from the revelation that something like that was actually in his body. Heru and Panni were both shocked and confused as to the entire subject, barely capable of following. "I see this is all a very big shock for you…" Gramps observed, seeing the shock and surprise that had spread across the faces those present.
"O-of course…" Kosh, practically the only one who could actually speak amidst the torrent of questions tearing through his mind, replied. "I-I mean, we're like… ten generations after they fought that monster, right? We're p-practically pureblooded humans rather than Saiyans of any sort, much less 'Legendary'!" Kosh however, quickly picked up on the expression of worry and apprehension across his mother's face. "…we… ARE human… right Mom?" was all Kosh could choke out.
"I-it's a bit more complicated than that…" the affect this revelation was having on the children was clearly affecting Lume as well as she struggled to maintain an even tone. "Y-your DNA retains its human source and relation, but beyond that it's…. like this thing… 't-took over' the rest of your physiology, giving you traits and abilities that would normally recede in anyone that was less than at least half Saiyan." Lume was practically in tears, barely able to contain herself as she was forced to explain that her son and his best friend weren't what they spent their lives believing. "I-it's all very complicated… even I don't fully understand the effects it's had, but... basically you two are a different kind of Saiyan Hybrid…"
"I'm sure this is quite a lot to take in for all of you, especially the two of you," Gramps took over the explanation, allowing Lume to calm herself, "but… it would explain a great many things." The old man's last comment seemed more directed towards Nach, who up to this point despite initial shock had managed to remain at least somewhat calm. But when hearing what Gramps said, Nach immediately tensed up, his body nearly shaking. His expression was a myriad of emotions, but what most stood out was one Nach hadn't shown or expressed in many years; genuine rage and anger. Kosh didn't quite register Nach's subtle display; having managed to calm himself he was preoccupied keeping his mother from breaking into tears while sorting his own numerous questions. Nach's family took immediate notice. Heru, who had Panni sitting in her lap, seemed to hug the girl almost protectively while Gramps made his way over to the boy, sitting down and putting a calming hand on his shoulder. With a deep breath, Nach managed to calm himself and looked up at Gramps.
"So… what does this mean for us? Does it mean we can get really strong like our ancestors were? Do you think we'll be able to turn into those giant ape things? Maybe we'll get stronger every time we're nearly killed?" Nach's tone as he spoke was relaxed and somehow positive, as if any emotional displays from this revelation were had by a different person. Kosh turned his attention to his friend, dumbfounded as to how he could be so relaxed and seemingly treat this all as a joke. But nonetheless, the fact that someone two years his junior could remain positive reminded Kosh that he couldn't lose control either. Soon Kosh had regained composure and was back to his normal apathetic self.
"What this exactly means, we can't say." Gramps explained. "How such a thing happened and what this Berserk Gene will do to you two is… entirely unknown to us. All that we can say is that it's granted you two a great deal of potential. I'm sure both of you have noticed your abilities exceed your run of the mill fighter." Both Nach and Kosh thought back to how easily Kosh had beaten Muhal, the MMA Club's second best fighter up until today and a year older than Kosh. Kosh himself realized the irony of his statement towards Muhal, and had to shake his head. "One thing is certain, however." The old man piped up, regaining Nach and Kosh's attention. "While Earth is at peace and neither of you may end up choosing the life of a martial artist, it will do you some good to learn how to use the potential stored within your bodies. For that reason, I need you two to do something for me." Both boys looked at the old man with questioning looks, wondering what he could possibly want from them. "In the vast forests of Mount Paozu, there is someone who has both the knowledge, and…" Gramps somberly looked to his missing arm, mentally cursing the injury, "…the ability, to teach you two how to use your power. However, I will not lie to either of you; this someone is a true and vicious demon, who has lived a great many years. He only teaches those who manage to impress him, and that is a very hard thing to do."
"…And those who don't manage to impress him?" Heru was the one who asked the question, very apprehensive about how this whole conversation was going. The old man could only bow his head, unable to speak the words that they all already knew. Panni squirmed as Heru hugged her tightly, nearly losing her composure at the thought of what could happen to Kosh and her own brother.
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to impress him." Everyone turned their heads to Nach, who was already getting up and heading towards the door. "Kosh and I both have quite the pedigree as-is after all; descendants of famous heroes with some genetic mutation that makes us super strong. That's gotta be impressive!" Kosh could only give a little smirk as he soon followed Nach towards the door.
"And if that doesn't work, I could always bribe him; I come from a multimillion zenny company." Nach raised an eyebrow at his friend, because with Kosh you could rarely tell if he was joking or being serious unless he made it blatantly clear. But truth be told, both of them knew they were kidding themselves. They were going to be in a fight for their lives and they may not make it out. But they had to keep their spirits up and their minds calm, or their chances would be even worse.
The two made it out of the building and were heading towards their respective rides when they were followed out by their families. "Hold it you two!" Heru called out. They both came to a pause, but only Nach managed to turn around and face her. Heru walked towards him first, a beautiful smile on her face. "Make sure to come back, little bro." she said, before embracing him in a hug. Nach was about to do the same when he suddenly felt a powerful jolt course through his body, nearly paralyzing him. Nach was left twitching as his sister revealed an "extra-power joy buzzer" concealed in her hand, hiding her laughter behind a serene smile. Heru made a point of taking the joy buzzer off when she walked over to Kosh, tapping him on the shoulder so as to get him to face her. Kosh slowly turned to face her, but had practically recoiled into his thick clothing to conceal the red on his cheeks. "Make sure to come back, okay Kosh? To all of us." She then embraced him in a non-joy buzzer hug, but she may as well have hit him with a taser. When she released him, Gramps called out to the two in warning.
"Don't hold back against him, understood? He's very dangerous, and even if you want to learn from him he won't hesitate to kill you." The old man's tone was very serious, as he meant every word he spoke.
"You two had better make it back! Otherwise your fathers will be very upset! Tomo*16 will be especially heartbroken!" In stark contrast to Gramps, the tone in Lume's voice was uplifting despite the puffiness lingering in her cheeks. Both boys managed to compose themselves, and gave confident nods in acknowledgement. Climbing onto their respective rides, the duo rose up into the air and flew off towards Mount Paozu.
'Please Kami,' the old man thought pleadingly, 'do whatever you have to in order to bring them back to us…'
The fly towards Mount Paozu was a quiet one. Both of the teens were stuck in their own thoughts, recalling the day's events before a simple blood test had changed and unknown amount of things in their lives; maybe everything, maybe nothing at all. They were each thoroughly thinking through all the questions and concerns they had as they mulled over the possible effects this unknown gene in their bodies could have. But Nach especially was in deep thought, and Kosh was thankful his friend was riding something that essentially came with autopilot; otherwise he could only imagine Nach would have crashed by now. Kosh debated internally whether to ask Nach what was bugging him or not. Nach was a perpetually happy kid who could roll with the hardest of punches and just deal with them. It seemed like anger was a foreign concept to Nach, as he always had to actively fake any such emotions. Kosh could scarcely remember the last time Nach had ever been angry, but today he seemed… troubled. It was like he was off in his own world that in itself was in another world entirely, and Kosh just couldn't read him. When he finally opened his mouth in an attempt to make small-talk, Nach interrupted him.
"Oh hey, we're here!" Once again, it was as if Nach didn't even realize the emotions he had been emanating. It was something Kosh both admired, and was disturbed by. Nonetheless, he was thankful to be at their destination as the two came in for a landing in the area Gramps had mentioned. "So, y'think this demon guy is a huge monster? Or maybe a really tiny trickster?" Kosh just shrugged in response.
"Dunno. We'll find out." Nach huffed in response to Kosh's simple answer. He was always like that; he never seemed to really invest in anything. He wasn't what Nach would call a loner, but Kosh was always so apathetic, sometimes even cold. He never showed any real interest or enthusiasm for anything, except for maybe Heru. But unless she was around Kosh might as well have been a machine, doing what he had to do as efficiently as possible but with no personal investment, like everything was just a job to him. He had seemed to show some genuine joy for the MMA Club, but in the recent months it seemed like even that had lost interest. Somehow Kosh managed to be present, yet at the same time it was like he wasn't there at all. He didn't even acknowledge his own accomplishments or the compliments of others, as if it didn't even matter; Kosh just shrugged it off. It wasn't like he was humble, Kosh just… didn't care. The only time Kosh reacted to anything was when comparisons were made, and he never reacted positively. When they were kids Nach had genuinely contemplated whether or not Kosh was a robot- though such a belief was dispelled with a simple bite- but even today he had to wonder how Kosh went through life like a perpetual professional. The whole thing began to gnaw at Nach's mind more and more, and he was just about ready to blurt it out when something distracted him.
It was like a blizzard had rushed through their bodies. The power they were sensing was so overwhelming that their legs turned to stone, and their lungs burned as if filled with water. Sweat immediately began to form in answer to the chill in their bodies, while their hearts were pounding like a caged animal demanding release. Both had been off in their own little worlds, so this sudden surge of power nearly knocked them over, and they could barely turn their heads to the source of this crushing abyss.
Sitting on a single stone was one lone figure. Cast in the shadow of its own bat-like wings was a draconic, demon-like figure. A powerful tail lashed through the ground, leaving a deep gash in the earth. The sharpened eyes of a predator were trained on the two, red as blood and shining with years of combat and carnage. This dragon-like thing in front of them licked its lips, revealing rows of sharp teeth concealed within its scaly maw. When it spoke it had a gravelly voice, but the hissing undertone sent another chill through their bodies.
"So tell me young ones," it hissed out from a smile befitting a serial killer, "have you come here to learn? Or have you come here to die?"
It was then that a realization struck them both. The realization struck them both with such fear that the bones within their flesh seemed to transform into solid ice. Whatever the two teens had come to this forsaken place for, in the presence of this apparent demonic spawn only one thing stuck in the minds of both Nach and Kosh.
Neither of them could answer its question with any degree of certainty.
* = foreign terms and names
Bold indicates techniques that have not been named in-story.
Stars:
*1: Kintoun = "Plot Box Cloud"/Flying Nimbus.
*2: Nioy-Bo = "Mind Stick"/Power Pole.
*3: Ichigan = "One Eye".
*4: Nach = Spinach
*5: Son = Name taken from the original "Journey to the West" fable, which Dragon Ball is based on.
*6: Kosh = "Tomorokoshi", Japanese for cream corn. His name had a different origin, but I can't remember it.
*7: Fona = Pretty obvious, based on Megaphone.
*8: Roppa = Based on Rope.
*9: Cillis = Based on Pencil.
*10: Penny = Based on Pencil.
*11: Muhal = Partial combination of Muhammad Ali.
*12: Heru = "Hell".
*13: Panni = Based on name of canon character Pan.
*14: Lume = Based on "Bellumeo", Korean name for bloomers.
*15: Gi = traditional garb for martial arts like karate.
*16: Tomo = "Tomorokoshi", which I explained earlier.
Bold:
*Thrusting his palms forwards, the spheres erupted into twin jet-like blasts of concentrated energy that sent the teen flying in the opposite direction = Escape Buster
*The boy then positioned his hands palms inward in front of his face, fingers spread wide... ...the teen closed his eyes and released a blinding flash of light = Solar Flare/Taiyo-Ken/"Fist of the Sun"