Dragonball: AFterlife - The Other World Saga

An epic continuation of the Dragonball Canon by Waterfelon

Author's Notes: Hey there all, and thanks for choosing to read what will hopefully evolve into the definitive Dragonball post-GT fan fiction, as that is my ultimate goal for this story (or eventually, series of stories!) I have long been a fan of all things Dragonball, and much like my Full Life Consequences sequels, I thought it would be cool to discover, in my opinion, what may have happened assuming new episodes of the anime for this cracking series were still being produced.

Influenced by all other variations of post-GT content, including many Dragonball: AF stories, New Age, the "official" fan-made AF series, and even other stories on this website, I am hoping that this series of my own will bring many aspects of the existing fanon together, along with my own original characters, storylines, and plot twists, to truly continue the Dragonball series and allow it to reach new heights!

There is one major difference which separates this from any other AF or post-GT fanfiction however. That is, unlike many of my contemporaries, I am doing my utmost to bring to you the ultimate continuation of the series. What do I mean by that? Well, you see, rather than write my own original story (with original in-world rules), my approach is to write what I imagine Akira Toriyama may have wrote were he to continue the series after where GT left off.

In other words, instead of creating my own story, adding in DBZ characters and calling it "DBZ fan fiction", I am instead endeavouring to write a story which seamlessly fills in the void left at the end of GT. There are no stupid changes to the series, characters, history or world of the canon in order to make what I have written fit. Instead, my intension is to create something which, ultimately, feels like it could actually be part of the series! ( And, with all these "ultimate's" flying around, you'll be surprised to hear that it is not going to be renamed "Dragonball: Ultimate!" )

I do not change the pre-existing rules of the world, change the personality of characters, make them act out of character or make other drastically incongruous changes to the series, as this goes against my philosophy of what a good fan fiction sequel should be, and besides, doing so would break the illusion of similarity and tarnish the good name the story of Dragonball has for itself. The hope is that this difference, coupled with the exciting nature of the storylines themselves, and my perfectionist approach to editing, this will become the definitive Dragonball Continuation!

So, what can you expect? Well, why not just start reading now? Scroll down further to read a short prologue to the series, or if you want to get stuck in immediately please turn to Chapter 1 - "Goku's Reawakening!" Alternatively, if you don't like surprises, read the last little paragraph below, then do what you please!

Dragonball: AFterlife will flesh out little-known characters in the series, giving them much bigger roles or possibly revealing new back stories etc., and introducing new, totally original characters, while still placing the majority of the focus on the existing Z-Fighters. I have also planned out solutions to existing plot holes, and interesting conclusions to loose ends which were left at the end of GT (such as what happened to Goku, what happens to Piccolo whilst in Hell, and so on)

My goal is for you to feel like this really could be the next series of Dragonball were it to be made into anime, albeit without the animation or voice acting. As a result, I want to be as loyal to both the existing canon, and you, the fans, as humanely possible, as I know how passionate DBZ fans such as myself can be, and I will do my best not to disappoint.

As always, if you feel strongly about anything in this story, please don't hesitate to contact me, and if your ideas are good enough, I will gladly consider altering the story, as this is your story as much as it is mine. And don't forget - comments, reviews, and page hits keep me motivated to continue writing, and I'm a friendly guy anyway, so please don't hesitate to get in touch, R&R, and enjoy.

Thanks guys,

Waterfelon

Dragonball: AFterlife - Prologue

"The One That Time Forgot"

…Far away, in some of the furthest reaches of the universe, a cataclysmic storm was rising. Growing. Beckoning. Deep within the most cavernous depths of the atmosphere, a tempest of pungent gasses surrounded an ancient, crumbling planet, swamping every available layer of vapour with vivid, yet hazy flashes of light. The florid sky was flecked with brisk streaks of green and yellow, melding into vast swathes of neon red and blue, although these were but a single grain of the painted sanguine mists which made up the atmosphere of the world. Arcs of thunder criss-crossed over the curvature of the land mass, cutting through the mists like a viper's tongue, and only when activity subsided a little did any further features of landscape come into view.

Shadow covered every available inch of ground, dimming all natural colour away from the harsh, brittle wastes, and instead infected it with a reflection of the colours above. Huge chunks of land rose into the air and nestled in simultaneously with pebbles and dust, all jostling for position, rising higher, as a frantic unison of power coursed through the air and sent colossal shockwaves ripping through the body of the planet. The slowly rotating orb exuded a warm, yet clinical tone of light, varnishing the surrounding moons with a monstrous impression of the power within…or, perhaps, upon, and this was confirmed by thunderous groans and roars from within the centre of the stone.

Monumental chasms erupted from inside the planet's core, churning the land above to its very foundations and generating heat beyond all measure. Infinite heat. A torrent of violent sandstorms whipped through the mountainous landscape, beating down on the rocks and cliffs which were scattered intermittently across the barren wasteland, and avalanches of flame and smoke fell from the heavens, scorching the already blackened sediment and adding further to the pandemonium which was consuming the dying rock.

Overseeing the comprehensive destruction below was a small, brazen figure. Perhaps it wasn't as small as first glance admitted - in fact, it was merely a long way away, far away from the apocalyptic haze which dominated from it's own perspective. It revelled in the tempest below with a fury and exuberance like a thing possessed, and this was almost truly an apt description. The figure seemed to be both protected and feared by the shadows, and - was powerful, so powerful, perhaps to the very resentment of nature itself. Bathed in smoke and fizzing with energy, the figure stood and gazed longingly around at the environment it had created for itself. After a few moments, a surge of energy erupted from the figure's body, illuminating the darkness which surrounded it with a series of short, sharp lightning bolts, mimicking the sparks below which were gradually amassing around the planet. Fingers outstretched, a hefty arm was raised, as the figure then abruptly clasped the digits of a hand together in a single motion, radiating authority and power from its entire body.

A few moments passed without alteration, although this soon gave way to an implosion so ferocious it seemed to warp the very fabric of space. Soon all that could be sensed was the swiftly doubling sound of immensely deep earth-shattering shudders, dwarfing the previous noise, and a blinding white-hot light emerged which engulfed the surrounding flames. All other senses ceased to exist for that moment in time, all overcome by the astounding nature of the immortal power that existed there for those brief moments as massive fragments of rock were blasted to the four corners of the galaxy.

Amidst this chaos of smoke and rubble, only the very faintest outline of the figure remained to be seen, hidden by the smokescreen of dust which had filled the void left in the planets wake. After a few still seconds however, without warning the large silhouette had vanished, and the residue of what was once a planet was left to crumble, doomed to co-exist with ruin and wallow in the decaying remnants of existence.

And thus, in light of these dramatic events, the threat faced by the universe had once again been reborn.

The past, it seems, was only the beginning.