THE OTHER WORLD SAGA
Chapter 1 - A New Adventure!
Several Hours after Cell's defeat...
"Goodbye," a happy, yet solemn voice echoed throughout the massive skyline of the afterlife. This voice belonged to none other than Son Goku, a hero and warrior of Earth, who only learned of his heritage of being a Saiyan, an alien race that conquered and wiped out dozens of planets across the galaxy.
Despite his lifelong goal and aspiration to be a warrior of justice, his existence seemed to attract more and more evil, as if they were targeting Earth because of him. Though his friends weren't convinced, he was sure of himself that even if it wasn't the case, he was more than confident that his son, his friends, and Vegeta could handle the Earth's protection while he explored the Afterlife.
Until then, it was just him and King Kai.
"Thanks King Kai," Goku retracted his hand from his mentor and friend's shoulder, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he looked down at the floating rotund demi-deity, "sorry about your planet. I guess I should have thought that through a bit more-"
"Thought? You actually THOUGHT that was a good idea?!" King Kai bellowed with undignified rage, as he jumped up to have himself eye level with the idiotic student of his, flailing his arms with anger, "you place blind faith in your son, you teleport yourself with Cell and blow up my planet, and you kill me, yourself, my pet monkey and my grasshopper! How did you think that was going to turn out?!"
"Uh...yeah...sorry," Goku meekly apologized, raising his hands up defensively as his face smiled in a sincerely apologetic way, "I just didn't know of any other planets less populated than yours I could lock onto their energy signature fast enough. All the dead planets around my solar system hardly have a energy signature at all, so I couldn't figure out where to take him..."
"You never think, Goku! That's your problem, and it will always haunt you no matter where you go!" King Kai growled out, before turning his back on him, crossing his arms with a huff over his chest.
Bubbles and Gregory looked on with an awkward pair of stares, not really sure what to make of it. The monkey, grasshopper, and the two humanoids standing in front of them all had glowing halos hovering over their heads, signifying their passing onto the next life and beings capable of retaining their physical forms.
A loud grumble broke the silence, turning even the rotund Kai around to stare gawkingly at his student, his mouth hanging open incredulously at the sound, "W-What was that? You can't seriously tell me you're hungry just mere hours after you died!"
"Well yeah, sorry," Goku rubbed his gut sheepishly, laughing aloud, looking around only to see clouds. His mind beyond reasoning due to his sudden drive to eat, he rushed over to the nearest batch of yellow clouds, grabbing clumps of them, and began to shove them into his mouth and down his throat, "MMMMM! This tastes like candy! OM NOM NOM NOM NOM!"
"This is my star pupil," King Kai sweat-dropped with embarrassment, hanging his head with mild depression, muttering to himself, "I don't know why I bother..."
It wasn't until long that the explanation for their bodies being kept came around when Goku had calmed down. Due to his heroics displayed multiple times, and his quick initiative for self-sacrifice to keep his planet from being destroyed, Goku was awarded to keep his body after death, and given a special privilege to train with overseer and boss of King Kai, along with the other three Kais: The Grand Kai.
Using Instant Transmission, Goku transported himself and King Kai to the Checkout Station, arriving before King Yemma's massive desk.
"Oh, Goku?" King Yemma leaned over his massive desk, moving his paperwork to each side to allow his black-bearded, red face to peer down at the much shorter Saiyan, "dead again? Is this a habit for you? Should I just expect your visits on a regular basis, or are you just not a lucky person in your world?"
"Ahahahaha, well, I guess I did get carried away a little," Goku laughed with a light-hearted t one.
"And you, King Kai? How does a god get killed?" King Yemma looked down with a perplexed look. He never even considered the idea of a deity even being killed. He scratched his chin and stroked his beard as he pondered this fascinating revelation.
"By letting his hot-headed, idiot student of mine call the shots," King Kai twitched angrily, side-glancing at Goku with a heatedly glare behind his glasses, earning a sheepish smile from the pure-hearted Saiyan, "the only reason I condone this, is that it allowed maturity to blossom from the most unexpected places. For that, I don't regret my death."
"Hmmm, if you say so," King Yemma shrugged, his booming voice sounded nonchalant, unsure if the reasoning was as sound as the rotund deity claimed it to be. Looking at his book, he nodded at the description labeled on the circumstances of Goku's arrival, "saved the Earth from suicidal Bio-Android, Cell. Hmm, seems everything is in order," with a smile, King Yemma thumbed towards the exit to his right, "your plane is that way. Good luck on your visit with the Grand Kai by the way."
"Thanks!" Goku saluted to the large demi-deity, walking around the vast mahogany desk, he stopped himself short. As if something pricked at the back of his mind that he almost forgot. Looking up at King Yemma, Goku raised his hand to ask, "hey, King Yemma, did that guy named Cell walk through here? Did he look like he was going to start problems?"
"Well, anytime I send someone to Hell, they are always itching to start problems," King Yemma spoke with an exaggerated sigh, remembering every soul he condemned and sent into the black pit into the brimstone-filled air of the world they would spend the rest of their miserable lives. Raising his head to look back at Goku, however, he had a disturbed look on his face, "but that Cell is a curious one. He didn't seem surprised that he was being sent to Hell, clearly understanding of his predicament. He just gave me a smile, and said that he'd find a way back, and that he couldn't be caged forever."
"Cell," Goku briefly glared in thought, the name exiting his tongue like ash. The mere thought of Cell plotting more machinations, even in death,caused the righteous Saiyan warrior to begin balling his fists as his teeth grinded with a show of his anger at the Bio-Android, "that menace will never stop, even when he's been killed again and again!"
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't heard anything about him causing trouble down below," grabbing large folders, he repeatedly tapped them onto the desk, speaking in a nonchalant, and hopefully encouraging note, "if he has, then the Grand Kai will send someone to stop him. He does that a lot to keep order in the underworld."
"Hmmm," Goku stroked his chin, a smile worked its way back on his face, voicing his thoughts, "maybe if Cell starts acting up again, I can have that rematch with Cell I always wanted, while stopping him from causing more harm to everyone else."
"I wouldn't push your luck, Goku," King Kai waved a finger from his hand, trying to implore the chances of Goku's thoughts coming to fruition would be, "the Grand Kai is not someone to merely ask a favor of. And he only sends in the best. If he sees what you got and recognizes your potential, he MIGHT respect you enough to give you the training you've earned, as well as any additional favors you might ask of him."
"Well, we'll see, now won't we?" Goku balled his hand into an anticipating fist, before waving to King Yemma as he sprinted off to the plane mentioned, "so long, King Yemma! Hope to see you again!"
"It would be too soon for you, Goku," King Yemma sighed, before nodding off to King Kai in particular, "take care of that pupil of yours. I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble, here, in the Other World."
"Knowing him, he'll probably jump right into it, head first, with a dumb grin on his face," King Kai sighed, chuckling as he followed the hyperactive pupil of his off to the plane, in order to meet the Grand Kai of legend.
The flight didn't take very long, much to Goku's amazement.
While originally taking a clunker of a plane in comparison to the shiny, big transport ones the majority of the souls took, the exchange of views was quite amazing. The Other World, layered with luminous clouds and lights, took up most of the view, as most of the spirits of good merit and character, lived in harmony and tranquility within its known high terraces and expansive living areas.
Though they briefly passed over it, they saw a planet, not much bigger than King Kai's, up straight ahead, growing larger and larger as they approached it.
"Wow! Another small planet, huh?!" Goku laughed aloud with humor, looking over at his rotund mentor with a jocular grin on his face, "do all Kais have small planets, or is there a reason for that?"
"I don't have a planet anymore, so you tell me, bone head!" King Kai snarled at Goku, earning some sheepish chuckles from his apprentice, before the aged deity sighed with nostalgia as he looked out the window at the planet, "all Kai planets are that size. Mine was, at one point."
"WHAAAA-?!" Goku exclaimed comically, his eyes bulging at the thought of King Kai's planet being that much larger than what he remembered it, "w-w-what happened to it? What caused it to become so small?!"
"It got smashed into pieces by an angry god, one of the likes I hope you never meet," King Kai spoke in a melodramatic tone, his body shivering in fear from the experience.
Goku scratched his head briefly in confusion, before letting it drop with a shrug of his shoulders, "Well, at least that mystery is solved...sorta..."
As the rest of the flight retained silence, a brief announcement was hailed to the sole two passengers as they touched down upon the landing strip, right in the middle of a large green field.
When Goku stepped onto the planet, he felt as if it was back to standing on King Kai's planet, except with a much larger horizon on the scope. Not only that, it was dotted with trees, ponds, small houses of spartan living arrangements, as well as dozens of entities of all races and sizes.
Goku looked in awe as he kept in step with King Kai, noting each of them wearing golden halos over their heads, while in intense training. Whether it was solo or paired up, or even within a large group, each of the warriors wore expressions of intense concentration. It reminded him of the good ol' days when he would focus on nothing but training.
The Saiyan student also took note that several of the warriors stopped when they caught sight of King Kai, making sure to bow and/or wave at the small deity that walked past them.
"Nice to see you, King Kai!" A human martial artist waved to the rotund Kai, a pleased expression crossing his face in greetings as he took a minute to stop his training.
"Nice to see you again too, Jack Lee," King Kai nodded, wearing an appreciative smile that he still was remembered so far into the Other World. He probably had made an impression over the last few years with Goku's exploits. He could only guess.
"Likewise," lightly tanned, black haired man looked up at Goku, and bowed in greetings to Goku in return, "I see from the manner of your entrance that your King Kai's newest apprentice. This your first time in Other World?"
"Thanks, Jack," Goku smiled with greetings, bowing in return politely as well, before scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "oh no, this isn't my first time. I died a few years ago, and that's how I met King Kai. This time around, I guess we both bit the dust in the end, hahaha!"
"That's not funny, Goku!" King Kai yelled out at Goku, slamming his foot on Goku's, causing the Saiyan to wince and wave his arms in protest to yield his attacks on his person.
"Dead?" Jack cocked his head to the side, realizing there was indeed a golden halo hovering over the Kai's head, blinking with perplexity, "huh. I guess I never realized that Kais could die too. Weird..."
"Yeah, yeah, nothing is sacred anymore, I know!" King Kai grumbled aloud, causing Jack to smile at the well known Kai's predicament. As he was about to excuse himself, another outburst caught all three of their's attention.
"Kakarot?!" The voice of a dumbfounded Kanassan spoke as it approached with a paled expression, "th-the son of Bardock?!"
"Huh?" Goku looked at the martial artist with a confused expression, obviously having never met the fish-man, nor knew that this aged deceased entity knew of his real name, and the name he was briefly told of that was his father, "no, my name is Goku, but you wouldn't be the first to-"
"I knew it!" the Kanassan suddenly shouted with ecstatic joy, realizing something beyond King Kai and Goku's incredulous comprehension. Raising his arms he began to shout in a deranged tone, "I TOLD you I saw the future! I saw the child of Bardock, stand here, next to King Kai, tell me his name is Goku! I CAN see the FUTURE!"
"Uhhhh," Goku felt a wave of embarrassment rub across him, causing him to bend down to whisper at King Kai, "uh, hey, can you just tell me which direction the Grand Kai's place is? I'd rather not make a scene with this, uh, guy right now..."
"Oh sure," King Kai nodded, pointing in the direction of where he knew of his overseer would be, "its right over ther-"
He wouldn't get the chance to finish, as Goku quickly grabbed King Kai's shoulder, before pressing a finger to his forehead, and transported himself and his mentor out before the crazed Kanassan could turn around.
"And they're gone?!" The Kanassan spoke aghast, before speaking aloud in a deranged tone once again, "I totally saw that! IN THE FUTURE!"
Within a short burst of instantaneous travel, Goku and King Kai appeared directly in front of a large, white mansion of surprising western-design. It hardly looked like the place a martial artist of grand standings would be living. It certainly was a bigger step up from King Kai's living space, back when he had a planet.
"Ohhhhh!" King Kai, however, immediately rushed towards a shiny car, forgetting to explain anything to Goku about whose house they arrived at, "wow! I always wanted one of these! I can't believe he got this! HO HO HO HO!"
"Ah, King Kai, we really don't have time for this," Goku complained, seeing the King Kai get distracted so easily upsetting him. He really wanted to face this Grand Kai and have a real challenge!
"AAAAAAAAAH! ITS YOU!" A voice cried out in a similar, yet a bit more high-pitched octave than King Kai's.
Looking over to the source of the voice, both Goku and King Kai looked at a pair of entities standing not but ten meters away from them. One was a rotund Kai, similar in shape, but a little smaller than King Kai, but had a spectacle on his left eye in place of King Kai's preferred oval shades. The other standing directly next to him, was a large tubular-shaped turban wearing green skinned amphibian man. With thin salmon colored lips, and a stoic glare that could rival Piccolo's, it was apparent that this unknown entity, who also bore a golden halo above his head, is the current student of the Kai in question.
"Agh! West Kai!" King Kai growled, as he hobbled over and met the West Kai just a spare foot apart from each other, glaring daggers at each other. Comically, the air seemed to thicken, and grow heavy. In fact, Goku could see vibrant energy ripple off their bodies, something that not even he was privy to witnessing.
After the tense moment of glaring silently, the West Kai pointed at King Kai in a suspicious tone, "What the Hell do you think you're doing here?!"
"I dunno, short-stuff! What the Hell do you think I'm doing here?!" King Kai retored with a snort, a vein sprouting across his blue colored forehead in response.
"Well, I hope its not to get an audience with the Grand Kai! No fighter here alive is stronger in the West Quadrant than my Pikkon!" The West Kai boasted, stepping back a few steps as he puffed his chest and waved towards the stoically silent, tall creature standing near him.
It unnerved Goku just how hard his stare was when observing him. He could tell from the fact he projected no ki to give off the sense he was a powerful fighter, if he could barely feel any presence from him what-so-ever.
As the West Kai laughed, he suddenly realized King Kai's halo, hovering just above his head. With a few suppressed snickers, the West Kai began laughing aloud, falling to his back as he held his belly from the sheer hilarity of the situation.
"W-What are you laughing about?!" King Kai demanded with an angry vein protruded from his head.
"Y-Y-You're actually dead! I can't believe the high and mighty King Kai died! HAHAHAHAHA!" The West Kai snorted and chuckled with great humor. Sadly, it seemed he was the only one laughing about the irony of a god dying.
"Y-Yeah so what of it?! I-Its not that big of a deal!" The King Kai insisted.
"Oh yeah? Finally, you bit the dust, and your death will be the first funny thing that's happened!" The West Kai chortled, still greatly amused by his fellow Kai's predicament.
"I-It wasn't my fault!" King Kai tried to implore, furthering more laughter from the West Kai.
Goku, feeling that he should own up to it, stepped in between the Kais and spoke apologetically and sincerely, "He's right, it wasn't his fault. It was my mistake to begin with. I had to transport this monster, named Cell, there to keep my planet from blowing up. It was a stupid call, and it costed both my life, and the life of my mentor. Please don't hold this over him," he bowed humbly, trying to regain some sense of dignity for his teacher.
"Heh?" The West Kai could do nothing but listen to the strange Saiyan, bowing before him and speaking with such humility and sincerity, "who is this, King Kai? A Saiyan?"
Regaining his composure, King Kai smiled with pride as he extended his hand to the now standing Goku, "This man is named Goku. He is a strong, righteous warrior, bearing incredible talent as a martial artist. He's saved the Northern Galaxy, and his own home planet, many times in the past."
"Oh, so you ARE trying to visit the Grand Kai, eh?!" The West Kai immediately retracted from his quiet tone, and yelled out with indignation, balling his fists with emphasis, "well we have an appointment! The Grand Kai specifically asked Pikkon and not this Goku to help!"
"If you weren't so short, you'd hear what I'd have been saying, West Kai! Goku and I have been given permission ahead of time to come straight here so that he could begin training immediately!" The King Kai fumed, almost reaching the edge of his limits. For the first time in centuries, he felt as if he actually wanted to punch the lights out of something, especially a fellow Kai.
"Oh yeah?!" The West Kai glared at King Kai, baling his own fists with indignation, "why you-!"
"Cool your jets, my fellow Kais!" A booming voice was heard from overhead the mansion, following up a flashing orb of pulsating light. It thickened the air and crackled with intense energy, causing Goku to goggle up at the display.
While the two Kais and Pikkon immediately bowed before the rapidly descending orb of light, Goku insisted on standing, in total awe and wonder of the force approaching his way.
"Get down on your knees, Goku!" King Kai growled, finally pulling him down to the grassy lawn, before the orb finally erupted the earth below it, and revealing the most unexpected thing.
The Grand Kai, decked out in a blue jean jacket, wore a pair of square-shaped black shades that matched his black gloves and boots, and the shredded jeans below his white sleeveless shirt. He currently was rocking out to a beat on an old-time stereo, holding it next to his head, he hummed and grunted out the beat as he approached the four with a few slides of his feet.
"This is the Grand Kai?!" Goku thought, as his eyes bulged and his face dripped of nervous sweat, "that energy I felt from him was real enough, probably a lot stronger than mine. But why does he look so weird?"
After a spin on his boot-covered heels, the Grand Kai dropped the stereo and promptly turned off the music. Wearing a big grin that reminded Goku of Master Roshi, but a bit more refined in a way. The Kai squatted in front of his guests and put his hands on his hips.
"Ah, so you came at the same time, eh, West Kai? North Kai?" The Grand Kai asked in a low, yet hip-sounding way.
"If you want to get technical about it, I got here first!" King Kai raised a fist in the air before pointing at himself with a smug grin.
"No way! Pikkon and I got here way before you did!" The West Kai insisted, glaring at the King Kai, who in turn, glared back at the accusation.
"Settle down, both of ya!" The Grand Kai ordered aloud, sighing as he crossed his arms over his chest, "this petty rivalry of ya'z need to stop, y'know? Any time I see you two, ya at each oth'az throats! You're fella Kais! Start acting like it!"
"Yes Grand Kai!" The two Kais immediately bowed in apology, albeit, begrudgingly having to put their differences aside just this once.
"That's betta, man. You all just need to chill," The Grand Kai nodded with approval, gesturing his hands briefly in emphasis. Taking the time to see the two fighters at either side of the Kais, he stroked his beard in thought, grunting in thought, "yeah, dat'a do, fo sure."
"What will do?" Goku asked, being the first to speak since the Grand Kai arrive, having stood back up along with Pikkon since the Grand Kai officially introduced himself.
"Hmm, you must be Goku," The Grand Kai smiled widely, raising a hand gesture in the form of a fist, "pleased to meet ya!"
"Oh, uh, sure," Goku awkwardly looked at the fist before looking at his own hand, and slowly bumped his own fist against the Grand Kai's, "nice to meet you too."
"Hmmm, that was a little weak fist bump there, bro," Grand Kai spoke with a little disappointment, before grinning in succession, "we're going to have to work on our greeting later. I have something I want to tell you and Pikkon."
"What is it?" Goku spoke, this time, in unison with Pikkon's own level toned voice, earning a brief look over the Saiyan's shoulder to see the green-skinned man's stern visage never wavering.
"I need you both to go to Hell," the Grand Kai nodded with a smile on his face.
"Ah! That's not a very nice thing to say!" Goku recoiled back, clearly not realizing the literal meaning behind the Grand Kai's order.
"No you idiot! He means to go to the Underworld, Hell, to help out on something of great importance!" King Kai explained with an angry tone.
"Ohhhh, phew! For a minute there, I thought that I made a bad impression or something, hahaha!" Goku laughed sheepishly, earning a look of embarrassment to be shown from his mentor.
Whispering, the West Kai asked with a smug grin on his face, "Not one to pick a smart student, eh, King Kai?"
"Shut your mouth, West Kai!" King Kai hissed back, but still retained a look of clear embarrassment from his pupil's reaction.
"Glad ya understand, good to be on da same page," Grand Kai nodded with satisfaction, he turned his head to Pikkon first, saying aloud, "there's been some problems escalating from the Saiyans near their territory. I hear some of the local gangs have been trying to provoke a response. I want you to mediate a diplomatic solution of sorts, ya know?"
"Understood," Pikkon spoke with affirmation.
"If things get outa hand, you have my permission to use unpleasant force, kay?" Grand Kai spoke with a serious tone, clearly understanding the volatility of the situation better than the rest did.
"Hmph," Pikkon responded with a grunt, before turning on his heels, and shooting off into the sky, leaving a white-hue trail of energy behind him as he soared into the distant beautiful vista of the planet, before reaching escape velocity.
"Now, Goku," Grand Kai started, getting the Saiyan's attention, who clearly looked confused by what he meant by Saiyans, continued, "I want ya to understand how Hell works before I send ya on a job of ya own. Ya know how I said how the Saiyans have a territory? Well, each race tends ta follow the same footsteps of misbegotten deeds as their ancestors, and begin to populate and gather together in Hell. We call these places, Territories, due to how they try and keep them free of outsiders."
"Oh," Goku nodded, furrowing his brow as he asked aloud in seriousness, "so, all of my ancestors are in Hell?"
"As far as I can recall, there hasn't been a single Saiyan in the history of ya race that's considered to be righteous enough to be given the right to be in Heaven," The Grand Kai spoke matter-of-fact, grinning as he met Goku's eyes with hidden twinkling ones behind his shades, "which means that this is all the more surprising that you, a Saiyan, get to stand here before me and help out the side of good, instead of vice versa, ya know?"
"Wow," Goku's eyes went wide with enormity of the true meaning by what the deity said. To think he, Son Goku, was the first Saiyan that would be considered worthy enough to retain his body and even meet the Grand Kai, among being able to stay in Heaven's domain, made him feel all the more humble, "I didn't realize until now how much more amazing it is to be standing here!"
"Mhm, that's right," Grand Kai nodded, before continuing on his debrief, "now ya going to go to a place what I like to call No Man's Land. I say this cause nobody in particular makes it their own territory, and anyone from anywhere can traverse there. It also happens to be where the most trouble is caused between hotshots and arrogant jackasses, prancing around like they're hot stuff. If we're not careful, the violence could escalate and cause a lot of problems for us to clean up afterwards, ya know?"
"Oh, I see," Goku fist-palms his hands together, trying to make himself appear to know what the Grand Kai was speaking of, "so you're saying bad guys usually try and fight other bad guys, and it can get a bit much for the ogres monitoring the place down there. And that all of Hell might be destroyed!"
"Yes and no," Grand Kai said with a little humor, waving a hand around the planet and then towards the distant large celestial space of Other World beyond Other Space, "while this would be bad if we lost a few ogres and whatnot, the damage done to Hell is automatically undone. Its basically impossible to destroy this place with raw force. Well you could, but the damage would basically be undone within a matter of a few seconds to a few minutes. Same here for those who are already dead. As long as you stay in Other World, you can come back from any death you might sustained from real quick, see."
"Wow! Really? That's cool!" Goku exclaimed in a childish fit of amazement.
"Its just a big pain for us if they don't destroy stuff entirely, leaving us to clean up their mess. That, and them being violent isn't good for their state of mind anyways," waving his hand off to Goku, he beckoned him to get a move on it, "well get! From the way I heard, the Arcosian Royal Family is the root of the trouble, so ya better get a move on it!"
"Got it!" Goku turned to leave, but halting dead in his tracks. Sheepishly, he turned around and scratched his head with confusion, "what's a Arcossan?"
"An Arcosian is the thing you fought against both on Namek, and then later on Earth. You probably remember them by their names, Freiza, Cooler, and Cold. They're part of the Royal Family, that is, and most of the henchman followed them into the underworld, and are now at their beck and call," The Grand Kai informed them.
"That's horrible!" Goku exclaimed, before tightening his fists with anger, he realized the urgency of the matter now, "they can turn that place upside down if they get angry enough! I gotta go now!"
With a sudden flourishing discharge of white-blue energy, Goku leaped into the air and soared into the horizon, locking onto the familiar energy signatures he'd know belonging to his old arch-nemesis and his family.
"There he goes, yo!" Grand Kai spoke with a grin, nodding his head as he stroked his beard. He looked over at King Kai, querying, "so tell me: is that hairstyle natural for Saiyans, or is he the only one that always look out of whack?"
"W-What? How am I supposed to know?!" King Kai bellowed with confusion and indignation, earning a few chuckles from West and Grand Kai collectively.
Goku propelled himself at mind-numbing speeds off the Gand Kai's planet as he rushed towards the luminous, cloud-covered world that hovered in the middle of the multi-colored Other Space. The aura screamed across the air as if he were a rocket, disregarding the countless entities taking refuge among the tops of the world he barreled down past, as he aimed to go exactly straight to Hell, like he was ordered to.
All the while, Goku had mixed feelings.
On the one hand, he reveled the opportunity in teaching Freiza and his family a lesson in bullying others and trying to get their way all of the time with their conceited look on life. Their arrogance was one of the biggest reasons that got them killed, after all, thinking they were the strongest, and therefore, crush anyone underneath their boots whoever they felt deserved it.
On the other hand, Goku hoped that the Arcossans or the Arcosheens would try to be reasonable and not start any trouble. If what Grand Kai said was true, killing them wouldn't solve the problem permanently either. The endless cycle of death and pain wouldn't end, even if he rushed down every time they started something.
Goku only hoped he could come up with a solution that would benefit everybody, and not just a simple, temporary patch-up to the big problem. But what?
Just then, as he felt the gathering of power levels beneath him, he also felt familiar and unfamiliar signatures. There was one, that he never thought he'd ever feel, and feel this strongly, surprised him greatly.
Deciding to be subtle about his entrance, he found himself cutting his descent short as he halted atop a red-rocked plateau, overlooking an endless, familiar barren wasteland. He could feel power levels all over, but most stayed clear from this area. Drawing his eyes to source of the energy signatures, he gasped aloud as he saw one familiar entity standing before the rest.
"R-Raditz?!" Goku gasped, trying not to sound too loudly, as he tried to listen in on what was transpiring not but twenty meters away.
"Well, if isn't the renegade family?" Freiza, standing at the head of his older brother, and his father, being flanked by his fractured Ginyu Force, minus Ginyu. He wore a sneer mixed with a false smile, appearing to be very displeased with the sight of the brother of Goku standing before his presence yet again, "does gluttony for pain run in your family, or are all Saiyans just this stupid?!"
"That depends, Freiza," Raditz spoke in a familiar haughty tone, grinning smugly as he narrowed his eyes at the Frost Demon, "do all Arcosians sound like girls, or are you the only exception to be the family bitch?"
"Insolent little-!" Despite being so easily goaded, and this having happened at previous intervals before, it seems history repeats itself easily within the afterlife. With a swing of his hand, he yelled out to his goons, "Ginyu Force! Take this wretched monkey down!"
"Yes sir!" All four Elite soldiers rushed out immediately, shouting in battle cries as they discharged auras of energy around themselves to speed up their attack. Certainly Raditz couldn't take on all four of the finest soldiers in Freiza's arsenal-?!
"Weak," Raditz spoke softly, as he saw them all come towards him as if they were moving in slow motion. Flaring a brief scarlet-white aura of energy, Raditz twirled around Burter to get to his flank, kneeing him in the kidney hard enough to detonate most of his internal organs, and hurtle him sideways over his charging brethren.
But he didn't stop there.
Raising his left hand over his head, a scarlet ball of crackling electric energy gathered above his skin, before he hurtled it at Jeice and Guldo, catching them both within a violent web of shocking energies, muting any gargled screams of agony they had before collapsing unconsciously.
Recoome halted as he felt the simultaneous shifts in the air that took out both of his comrades, looking over his shoulder in horror to see three of the four-man squad taken out with such ease. It barely looked as if Raditz had even moved.
Before Recoome could retaliate, he saw Raditz charge at him as if he was a blurring rocket, and then found his chest cave in and his back explode backwards, in sync of a devastating right hook moving through his whole chest cavity. He tried to claw at Saiyan's head, but found himself doing nothing but twitching, puking out his own life force, before falling onto his back.
"Well, that was disappointing, as usual," flicking away some organs latched onto his hand, Raditz looked over at the steaming tyrant and his family, "come now, certainly you don't want me to kill all of your subordinates again, do you?"
"FILTHY MONKEY!" Freiza shouted out in a crazed tone, his eyes blood-shot with sheer anger. He rushed forward with his own aura of ki, aiming to clock out the renegade Saiyan's face with a single strike, "DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!~"
Then, something happened that surprised not the gathered Royal Arcosian Family, nor their subordinates, but Goku, huddling behind a group of rocks on the large over-looking plateau.
VMMMMM! Within a violent blast of yellow energy, Raditz power shot through the rooft, allowing his emerald eyes to lock onto the incoming white fist and grab it with ease, stopping the Frost Demon straight in his tracks. The release of such violent energy crushed the ground beneath Saiyan, sending rivulets of electric shocks along his hair, causing it to shift into golden-blonde coloration as it stood up half-way on end, due to the legendary transformation.
"Y-You damn Super Saiyans!" Freiza growled out, even as he felt his fist crunch and shatter under the increasing pressure Raditz placed it under, forcing him to his knees with tears of pain snaking down his face, "I'll get you all, eventually!"
"Really, Freiza?" An unfamiliar voice called from the shadows of a nearby rock formation, just underneath Goku's perch, basking in the shadows with his own sleeveless, dark green-black armor. He strode forth with a similar ease and focus that Goku had when facing down forces of evil he wholly despised. Yet, his tone was much deeper, older, scarred. Who was this Saiyan? "it seems to me you and your family still can't cut it, even after my son killed you all. The idea of you being outclassed must sting a lot, especially since you can't flee in this world."
"B-Bardock, I'll-YAAAAAAAAH!" Freiza tried to snarl, but felt himself scream in blood curdling agony, as Raditz pulled his entire arm out of his socket, leaving a spray of blood and bones in the the wake of the ruthless maneuver that further sent the tyrant to his knees.
Meanwhile, Cooler felt his blood boil at the sight of the familiar renegade family. Taking a step forward, he only felt himself stopped by the large hand of his towering father's form, discouraging the move.
"But father! They're disgracing our name-" Cooler tried to insist, wanting to strike at them despite how outclassed even he was in comparison to the pair of Saiyans.
"Its as it always has been, since I've joined you in the underworld, my sons. Here, our honor, our influence, our wealth, means nothing. We're wasting our time picking fights which we haven't won in years," King Cold sighed with finality, knowing that the method of his enemies wouldn't even give him a chance to battle appropriately. No, these Saiyans were much too ruthless against their ilk for there to be a use of proper battle to take place.
"Tch, fine with you, father to take refuge behind my brother's skirt, and flee when that doesn't help you at all," Cooler snarled, as his body began to brim with energy, and his body began to shift into his own, personally founded form of absolute destruction, "I intend to crush these so-called Super Saiyans!"
Bardock shifted his gaze to the growing power of Cooler, taking the wafting gale force wind flourish past his hair and blood-soaked headband, glaring coldly back at the Frost Demon that ascended into the 5th Form.
"Stay out of this, brother!" Freiza snarled, trying his best to stay conscious from the immense pain and not take his guard off the Super Saiyan in front of him, "this is none of your concern!"
KRAK-KOOM! "Our family's pride is most definitely my concern!" Cooler's voice boomed out as a bone-shaped mask shifts over his jawline, as his transformation finally completed. Despite the immense force and energy he withheld, it was still a little weaker than Raditz's energy, something that caused a scoffing laugh to energy from behind the Frost Demons.
"You trash really don't know when to give up, do you?" A female voice punctuated the air as a long-black haired Saiyan emerged with startling speed, punctuating her last two words by smashing in the skulls of the two largest cohorts of Cooler's Armored Squad.
Before the leader of the triad could react, the female Saiyan head-butted Salza into the backside of King Cold, causing the latter Frost Demon to keel over with a startled look on his face.
"All three of them are here?!" The eldest of the Arcosians groaned out with terror, causing even Cooler to turn around with fear in his blazing red eyes.
VMMMMM! "That's right, Cold," the female Saiyan spoke with satisfaction, as a burst of golden energy emerged from her own body, causing her own hair to blaze a yellow light, as the aura full enraptured her form. Fully immersed in power, the mother of Raditz's emerald eyes took time to glare back at the three outmatched Frost Demons, "life's a bitch in Hell, ain't it?!"
"Get out of our sight, trash!" Bardock punctuated by powering up into the legendary transformation himself, his eyes eerily looking a lot like Goku's when he was enraged, something that sent fear down the spines of the two younger Arcosians, "before I have to break you all over again!"
"L-L-LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Freiza screeched, almost feeling like he shed his skin in sheer terror of the forces standing before him, taking off into the sky with a trail of violet-white, that was soon followed by the two other family members of the Royal Arcosian line.
As silence followed the haste-filled retreat of the hated enemies of the Saiyans, all three of the Super Saiyans turned to each other with a knowing look. It wasn't long before all three of them burst out laughing, with Raditz keeling over onto his knees with great hilarity, and the other two parents lifting their faces up to let their laughter echo the air.
"D-Did you see the look on Freiza's face when I tore his arm off?! Priceless, hahahaha!" Raditz guffawed as his fists beat the ground with unintentional great force.
"That's nothing! I think he pissed himself when he saw me come out of the shadows! That never gets old!" Bardock barked out his own throaty laugh as he wiped a few tears from his eyes.
"I liked how truly terrified their father was when I came out behind the lot, right after I took out their remaining lackeys! Ahhhhhh, good times," the mother of Raditz chuckled as she settled herself down, but still not relaxing her aura.
It wasn't after a few minutes of laughter had erupted, that the sound of rocks falling from behind them confirmed what they all felt.
"Hanassia, I believe we have company," Bardock spoke with a grin, turning around to cross his arms and face the pleateau, of which Goku now felt little effectiveness in hiding from plain view, "you can come out now! I know you're a Saiyan, but its best to show yourself before we kick you back to King Vegeta's place!"
Goku didn't know what to do. From the way they talked, showed off incredible power, and looked, they looked to be his family; Raditz, his long-lost brother whom had died all those years ago; Bardock, his father who stood up to Freiza and died along with his mother, Hanassia, with most of the Saiyan race.
After debating for a few seconds, Goku felt himself pale as Hanassia aimed a golden-hued orb of energy at the plateau, "If you don't come out, I'm going to kick your ass across Hell all day! Come out now!"
"Way to be subtle, mom," Raditz muttered, but still intrigued by the spy, lurking within the rocks.
"Shut it, Raditz!" Hanassia comically barked back with angry veins protruding from her forehead, still holding her aim at Goku's position.
"WAIT!" Goku finally stood up, causing all three Super Saiyans to calm down and halt their musings entirely. A sheepish smile crawled onto Goku's face as he scratched his chin, even as he jumped down to greet the three of them, he was wary. After all, they were all sent to Hell for a reason, "I didn't mean to spy. I was just sent here to-"
"KAKAROT!" A triad of startled voices rose out, as all three Super Saiyans de-powered, and stared at Goku with amazement.
"Uh, yeah, I guess that's my Saiyan name," Goku tentatively agreed with the triad of family members, but none-the-less smiled back at them warmly, "its nice to meet you, mom and dad. I never thought I'd get the chance to-"
He found himself cut off, as Bardock clasped his shoulder with a proud look in his eyes. As Goku's eyes locked onto Bardock's, he felt a familiar, approving smile crawl onto his deceased father's, "You're the one who put Freiza and his family into the ground, didn't you? For that, my son, I'm proud of you."
"Uh, thanks, it was nothing really," Goku laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head as his father backed off, allowing Raditz to approach him, ceasing any form of laughter he had.
"Uh...sorry Raditz...y'know, about the whole having you die, and all-" Goku tried to apologize, but that only furthered Raditz's growing fury towards his brother.
With a violent lunge, only halted short by their mother grabbing his ear, Raditz snarled almost rabidly at Goku, "You freaking jerk! You killed me! I'll get you back for this! I swear-ow-ow-ow-ow!"
"That's enough, Raditz, or I'll swear I'll give you another beating," Hanassia sighed with a roll of her eyes. After taking a good look at her son, she smiled warmly, "Kakarot. I never thought I'd get to see you again..."
"Uh, thanks mo-OOOMF?!" Goku found himself cut off yet again, only this time by a blurring left hook smashing him in the face, and hurtling him straight back into the rock formation, shattering it to pieces.
"THAT was for not visiting us when you died the first time!" Hanassia fumed, still holding Raditz by the ear much to his chagrin, as she balled her fist with anger towards her son.
"Owwww...ah...sorry about that, I was in a little bit of a hurry," Goku apologized as he got up onto his feet, rubbing his nose and face with discomfort. He was surprised how hard his mother hit, but then, he knew where he got his insane strength from.
He smiled, none-the-less, back at his mom, causing his mother to smile with acknowledgement.
"Why don't we have a talk, Kakarot?" Hanassia then insisted, letting go of Raditz finally as she crossed her arms over her black breastplate, speaking with sincerity, "I'd like to know just how my son has been fairing in his life, over the rest of his family's..."
A/N: And there we go! First chapter of the Other World Saga! A series that will follow closely to the Vegeta Chronicles while keeping Goku's exploits in the Afterlife all his own and not robbing the spotlight unnecessarily for the rest of the Z Fighters on Earth.
I'm glad I got to place Goku in a way that would be fitting for him to be introduced to his family. Even Raditz gets to be a badass, and for that, I thoroughly enjoyed his scene, despite how short it may have been. Bardock is a favorite of mine and many others in the Fandom community, so I felt obligated to give him a proper showing as well. And lastly, Hanassia's entrance, I hope, was as satisfying fo you readers as it was for me.
I hoped you all liked the little bits of humor I placed here, and I hoped I portrayed the rest of the characters closely to how you remembered them. If you have any comments or suggestions for future chapter releases, let me know! :)
Until then, I will be producing another Vegeta Chronicles chapter within the following week, and a follow-up chapter here next weekend! See ya then ;)