Before a young Namekian named Dende proceeded me as guardian of this beautiful planet, I was a witness to something incredible. How incredible, you ask? Well, what if I told you that mere human beings managed to save the world from destruction.
Yes, that's right.
Not only a human beings, but a young princess just shy of her nineteenth birthday.
A man who had more hair than courage, but had heart as well.
A duo who emerged from an abusive teacher.
I must tell my tale before it is too late so you can understand why we must honor the warriors who allowed us to keep living longer than what we were meant to. These warriors, especially our heroin, are the last people you'd expect to save our hides. A gang of misfits, up to no good. You know how that goes.
My only wish at the end of my story, is that you can see you're stronger than you think.
I am getting a little ahead of myself, sorry. That happens in old age!
Our story begins a year after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Our princess failed to sign up in time for that tournament due to her ailing father, and therefore missed the historic final battle between Son Goku and Junior.
Now those two enemies had joined temporary forces to defeat their strongest opponent yet...
A sweat drop lingered on the tip of Goku's nose as he closed his eyes tightly. His hands were becoming too clammy to hold onto the furry tail of his brother any longer, and the sound of his pleas were making the situation even more hard for the pure hearted Saiyan.
"Kakarot... I beg you... I've changed..."
"How the hell do you manage to change in one second!? Don't be fool, Goku!" Piccolo shouted from behind his charging fingers, ones that appeared to be on fire with electricity. Goku looked up at his rival and blinked.
Never had the hero found himself in a situation where he had to chose which person was the lesser of two evils. The alien claiming to be his brother had threatened to murder the population of Earth and even went as far as abducting Bulma and Master Roshi, just for the sole purpose of tempting Goku into a fight! The last person he expected to assist him was the reincarnation of the demon king, and that alone made the messy-haired fighter uneasy. '
"Please brother... we're family..."
Raditz words were barely escaping him lips, coming out in wheezes due to the pain of his tail being squeezed. Goku's determined smirk turned into a frown, remembering how badly it hurt when someone pulled his tail as a child.
"H-How do I know you're not lying!?"
Before his brother, the Saiyan with the black hair that cascaded to his thighs, could manage another breath, Piccolo Jr. beat him to it.
"Makankosappo!"
Simultaneously, the brothers looked up in horror to see the extended fingers of the green being release a coiled laser beam. It glowed brighter than the burning sun above them. Goku sucked in his breath as he watched the beam penetrate the back of Raditz for what seemed like hours. He was frozen in place, still holding onto the tail until it was all over.
"I knew you were going to let go," Piccolo growled as he stalked towards the hero, causing Goku to let the tail slip from his hands at last. The Namek crossed his large arms over his purple-clad chest and glowered at the bloody, holed Saiyan blocking their distance. "I wasn't able to charge my attack fully because of your foolish trust, so we'll be lucky if this killed him."
Stunned into silence, Goku looked down at his dying brother's body. He had brought his fate upon himself, but there was still a little tingling in the poor hero's heart.
"What if he was being truthful, Piccolo!? Then what? It's just a pointless death!"
Piccolo chuckled cruelly, and gave Raditz's already bleeding mouth a kick. The Saiyan cringed, cursed, and continued to spit up red fluid.
"It's too late to know that now. But I know how guys like this work. He would have killed you and your friends immediately after you released him."
Goku raised his hand to say something in defense of the dying alien, but there was no denying the evil that could be felt the moment he arrived to Kame House. Master Roshi felt it, too. Raditz had no problem kicking Krillin so hard in the gut that it nearly killed him, and there was no doubt that he would kill Bulma and Master Roshi as soon as Goku and Piccolo were out of the picture.
Sighing heavily, Goku hung his head.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you did the right thing."
"Hmph."
The two smirked at each other the same way they did before their fight at the tournament began. A little over a year later, and nothing had changed. After Junior's humiliating defeat, he hadn't harmed another soul (until now), but continued to train for the day he'd encounter Goku again. A fight that Piccolo would win.
"It's a shame he wasn't standing up with you," the Namek flashed his fangs. "I could've killed two birds with one stone."
Goku shook his head with the same smirk he held earlier. "Funny! Sorry, Piccolo, you're going to have to do more than that to get rid of me!"
"Spare me, you're the one that's been hiding for a year."
"You should know the only reason I haven't gone after you this year is because we need you around for the Dragon Balls. You never know when we're going to need a wish, especially with crazy guys like this coming around!"
"I wouldn't start laughing so soon if I were you..."
The hero blinked.
"Piccolo? How can you talk without moving your mouth?"
The green man's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. "It wasn't me, you idiot!"
The two looked down to see Raditz chuckling between winces. He used the last of his strength to tap the crush device that rested on his eye. Piccolo raised his finger to end Raditz completely, but Goku held one palm outward while shaking his head for the Namek to wait.
"My scouter not only detects power levels, it also works as transmitter," he coughed up what had to be the last of his blood. "My two partners heard everything you had to say, and now they know Kakarot is alive they'll come for him and those Dragon Balls. They're much stronger than me... Oh, what's the matter? Not laughing now?"
Piccolo growled under his breath. His eyes were directly on the dying Saiyan, but both he and Goku could feel a low-powered crowd heading their way. Bulma must have found a way to contact someone while trapped in Raditz' pod.
"They'll come back for me," Raditz continued. "I know it, I know they will... They'll finally complete the job Kakarot never finished."
"When will they be here?" Piccolo demanded, but was surprised by actually receiving an answer.
"One year. They'll be here in one year... and your whole planet will pay for your mistake..." was all he finished to get out before finally succumbing to his wound. Goku held in his breath until Raditz let out his final one. When the messy haired hero looked up, he was surprised to find that Piccolo had disappeared.
But that wasn't what made him jump.
"Jeepers! More guys like him will be here in a year!? What are we gonna do!?"
Goku looked at the man whose voice had startled him from behind, knowing that someone was coming all along but wasn't expecting this. It was King Koku, the leader of Earth in all his dog-ness.
"Uh," Goku rubbed the back of his neck. Bulma and Roshi, now free from the pod after some soldiers exhaustively sawed them out, were running towards them. The scientist Mr. Brief was congratulating the men on a job well done. "B-Bulma called the king?"
A red faced but blue-haired woman punched Goku's arm forcefully and stomped on his foot repeatedly with her blue tennis shoes that matched her skirt. "Goku, you idiot! We waited and waited and waited for you to rescue us! Do you know how horrendous it is being trapped in a cramp space with that dirty old man!?"
Master Roshi wriggled his white brows. "Aw, c'mon it wasn't that bad!"
Bulma shot him a look before returning to Goku. She grabbed him by the collar of his gi and shook him. "That reeking alien was too stupid to realize I had my phone on me! I called my father and told him about the whole thing and the next thing I know he's arriving with King Koku and the whole army!"
The king's white mustache moved as he smiled. "Glad to see you're alright, Ms. Brief. We would hate for anything to happen to one of the world's best scientist," his expression changed to serious as soon as Bulma removed herself from Goku to reveal the confused face of the male. "But I heard everything that-that alien had to say. Our world is unsafe again and it looks like it's up to the boy who saved us from King Piccolo to do it all over again."
"You don't understand sir," Goku frowned. "I wasn't the only-"
"We have an entire year, my boy!" King Koku gave him a firm pat on the back. "Or should I say man! I won't make you face two aliens alone. You have already proven my military to be of no use in this situation, but I know of a fine group of individuals that far outrank my men any day. I'll call for every person who has ever fought in the World Martial Arts Tournaments to join at the temple for training! And you'll be the trainer!"
Goku blinked twice, and a third time. Everything the dog was saying was too much to take in at one sitting. Piccolo was no doubt already training for the Saiyans' arrival, and here he was just standing like a buffoon.
"I'm sorry, sir, I need to go."
"Goku! Wait!" Master Roshi held his shoulder tightly before the young man could call for Nimbus. Some of the secret service members were taking Raditz' dead body and pod for inspection, making the whole scene much worse. "I know you're a bit overwhelmed right now, but you need to hear what this man is saying! If you and Piccolo could barely survive against your brother, just imagine what's going to be like against two stronger versions of him! This whole tournament reunion thing doesn't sound too bad!"
Goku pouted over his shoulder, looking more like his child self than anything. "But Master Roshi, I don't want to train! I want to be trained! Can't you do it?"
Master Roshi shook his head. "I'm sorry, Goku. But the student has far surpassed the teacher. At this point in life, there's nothing better you can do than bring others to your level."
Bulma clasped her hands together and pressed them against her heart. "Come on, Goku. The world needs you. You always loved the tournaments, right? Well, just imagine it as a year long one! With non-stop fighting against the world's best fighters from years past and years to come!"
Roshi scowled when Goku's eyes lit up. He raised shook his cane at the woman he was trapped inside a pod with. "Darn you! That's exactly what I said!"
While Bulma laughed and flashed a peace sign at the old man, Goku looked up at the sky one more time to see if Piccolo was somewhere flying up there. There was no chance in hell that stubborn green man would ever be a part of this, but at least the new-found Saiyan was certain when the time would come Piccolo would be on his side.
Even if Piccolo ended up trying to kill him shortly after.
"Alright, sure. You got yourself a deal, King!" Goku struck out his hand to the short creature and pumped twice. "You just send the message out to them, and I'll be waiting at the temple!"
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Goku?"
"Yeah, I don't have anything better to do!"
"Oh no..."
Chi-Chi read the letter up and down, left to right, right to left, back and forth over and over again. Her father was sitting behind her on his throne, coughing loudly after refusing to drink his tea. The young princess turned around, her long black hair whooshing from her breasts to her shoulder blades. A fiery look in her eyes matched the action.
"Papa, you're not going. You're way too old and out of shape for this."
Ox King had exchanged his golden and horned helmet for a pair of glasses and his battle armor for overalls. His beard had lost some hair, but was still as mighty as his voice. He turned his nose up the tea once again as Chi-Chi tried forcing him to drink it.
"It doesn't matter, honey! It's my civic duty!"
Chi-Chi slapped the rejected cup on the table near her father's throne and used her now free hand to point at some words at the bottom of the letter. "Look what it says right there! It says any member of the Ox family, as long as they have basic knowledge of martial arts, can take his place if he is unable to participate. Hmmm..."
The poor father rested his face in his large palm. She was every single bit like her mother, but definitely had more power. She had missed the last world tournament to take care of him...
Maybe the right thing to do is to let her go...?"
"No!" Ox groaned. "A beautiful young woman your age shouldn't be concerned with fighting for the sake of the world at this point in your life! I trained you when you were young for the fun of it, but I didn't expect you to make a life about it. You should be married by now, honey... I should have grandchildren to take care of, not health problems!"
"Papa," Chi-Chi sighed. She rested her chin on top of his hand that rested on the arm chair. "You know I would have been married by now if I went to the tournament. If you want it to happen that badly, I know for a fact he's going to be there..."
Ox looked down at his daughter and squinted even though he was wearing glasses. "The only reason you want to take my place is so that you can find a husband?"
The princess fumed. Not only had her body matured over the years, but so did her outfit. No longer did she wear a revealing blue bikini. Her entire body was covered from head to toe, with a beautiful blue Chinese dress, red pants, red armband, and red shoes. Of course, a sash tied around her tiny waist was the same red color as everything else to keep up with appearances.
Nobody from her childhood would recognize her at all.
"If that was the case, I would have left your sick butt at home last year and went to the tournament instead," Chi-Chi had her mother's stare down pat, so much so that it caused Ox to nearly coward in his mighty throne. "I'm just saying with me going to this training to save the world or whatever they're calling it, I'll be able to defend your honor while bringing you home a son-in-law."
Ox scratched his thick brown hair while Chi-Chi swooned at the memories of her childhood crush. When she began humming to herself, he coughed to get her attention.
"Honey... How are you sure Goku even remembers you? It's been a very long time..."
The princess twirled on her heels twice while wrapping herself with her arms, as if she were dancing with somebody. "Oh, Papa. One of his other promises was that he would think about me again. I saw no lies in those wonderful eyes!"
Ox rubbed his large hands together contemplatively. His daughter who had been by his side all these years really did deserve everything she wanted, and taking his place in the training would do just that. At the same time, he would be without his little girl for an entire year...
He already knew the answer when he looked up to see those eyes shimmering with hope and curiosity for the journey that surely awaited her.
"We will pray to your ancestors, and then you have my blessings to leave the nest."
Before he could even get off his throne, Chi-Chi's strong hug nearly sent them flying backwards onto it. She held onto as much of his waist as her arms could reach even as they headed to the small temple beside the Fire Mountain castle dedicated to her mother and other family members who have perished over the years.
The stone temple had a roof that curved outward, embracing those who approached it. Inside, separate tombstones in memoriam had letters engraved beautifully by generation after generation of Chi-Chi's family. Her father was the one who wrote her mother's.
Although it was shameful to admit, Chi-Chi never felt as saddened as Ox when she was here. The girl was just a baby when her mother died of a strange fever.
She helped her father kneel down and quietly joined his side, bowing her head while he spoke to their family who had long past. When her father began to go off on a tangent about how much she pestered him to drink tea, Chi-Chi rolled her eyes and glanced around the dimly lit room. Instead of the common dragon stone that represented strength and guardianship, it was a pig hanging from chains on the ceiling.
The princess found this a little strange, but didn't question it. Perhaps one of her ancestors changed it one night when they came to haunt the living world.
"CHI-CHI!"
Startled, the black-haired beauty looked to her way upper right to see that her father was already on his feet and finished with his prayer. Blushing, Chi-Chi stood and dusted pretend dirt off her dress.
"I was listenin', I was listenin'! Thank you ancestors!"
Ox wrapped his arm around his girl's shoulder while shaking his head. He gave her a little shove to get them walking towards the doorway.
"Oh, honey, what am I going to do with you? Come on, let's go back inside. I have a gift I want to give you before you leave."
A candle was blown out, leaving the temple completely dark. Once the sound of the Fire Mountain royalty had faded away, a strange breeze entered the area where they were just sitting. A green aura began rising from the tombstone, looking like complete mist until it took on the shape of a woman.
Her hair was in a high bun, completely perfect except for two strands that danced down her small ears. If she had any other color to her, her teeth would shine a bright white. Her smile wasn't the only engaging feature she had. Two eyes that were as round as a doe's were complimented by a pair of long eyelashes. A slender arm reached up to flick the hanging pig statue twice.
"Wake up Oolong," her voice was flowing and hauntingly pure. "I know you can hear me."
The formerly golden statue shook until it turned pink and fleshy, and soon it was animated. The pig cursed under his breath while stretching, and hopped off the platform to stand in front of the ghostly woman.
"Lady, if Chi-Chi is going to look like you when she's older, I might have to transform into Goku."
"Cut the sweet talk Piggy," she laughed when he growled. "What's the promise you made to me when you came in here and destroyed all of the real guardians while trying to steal from my family?"
Oolong's entire body turned red. How in the hell was he suppose to know this temple was a cemetery and not a safe? It's not like they'd be missing anything...
"I said I would take their place," the transforming pig whistled as he turned his back on the spirit. "Buuut since I don't see a need for that, I'll be going back to my old life now-"
"OOLONG, GET BACK HERE!"
Every hair on his back stood up. He nervously tugged on the straps of his overalls while pivoting around.
"Y-Yes, ma'am?"
Chi-Chi's mother and the Ox Queen pointed an accusing finger at him, causing the poor Oolong to squirm. If there were any color to her eyes, they would be burning red as fire.
"If you do not join my daughter and protect her during her journey, I will give you the mark of a thief so everyone will know what you did."
Oolong cringed, not wanting to know what they mark would look like. Judging by this strange family, he would probably have sixteen ox horns coming out of every part of his body. Too bad transformations couldn't last long enough.
"Alright, alright," Oolong dropped his head. "I'll protect your dumb daughter, but if she comes back a hero, I get to leave this depressing place! Sound fair?"
The two shook on it.
Chi-Chi grunted while trying to hold her father's heavy ax with her right hand and balance her even heavier bag of belongings on her left shoulder. Her father had given her everything she needed except for transportation to Papaya Island.
The hiking trail she was on at the moment was absolutely beautiful, counting more palm trees than the strands on her head. She could hear tropical birds singing their songs, and a scented breeze of mango kissed her nose.
But she wasn't having it.
"Well this is just great," she blew her bangs away from her sweaty forehead. "Am I just suppose to keep walking and then swim?"
"Or, you could just ride me."
Oolong screamed when he was greeted by the blade of Chi-Chi's ax instead of a hug. Chi-Chi blinked at the pig who had just fallen onto his bottom. She was expecting to see perverted man, not a dirty (but familiar) pig.
"Oolong?" she raised an eyebrow. "Where the heck have you been? One of Goku's friends came by months ago, that Master Roshi guy, wondering where you were. They were really worried about you."
The transformer scratched the back of his head while sweating. It didn't help she looked exactly like her mother. "Well, to tell you the truth, I kinda picked up a second job."
Chi-Chi used her free hand to help Oolong up, but made a face when she noticed how much perspiration was on his skin. "Doing what? Sneaking up on unsuspecting women?"
"Nope, those days are behind me!" Oolong laughed awkwardly when Chi-Chi's features remained the same. "Look, you're going to find it hard to believe but I know you're an upfront kinda gal so I just gotta tell you. Your mom sent me here to guard over you while you do this training deal, and at the end of it I'm suppose to give you a message from her. But it's only if you complete it without crying or running back home to Daddy."
Chi-Chi touched her face for a moment, thinking. The pig statue in the temple did look familiar now...
"My mother...?"
"Yeah, yeah, your mother!" Oolong pulled out a scroll from his back pocket and waved it in front of her knees, the highest place he could reach in his base form. "This is the message as proof in case you gave me the crazy eyes you are now. You can't read it but you see the symbol right there? It's your family's."
The pig allowed the princess to observe it before snatching it away from her and putting it back into the rightful place of his backside. Chi-Chi was drained of color until she decided to just go with it.
Stranger things have happened.
"Well, mother is crazy to think I need guardianship but since you're here anyway, turn into a big bird or something and let's get us to Papaya Island."
Oolong mumbled under his breath, but Chi-Chi watched in amazement as the small pig in front of her transformed into a substantial bird with red and yellow feathers that made him look like he was on fire.
"A.. phoenix?" Chi-Chi clasped her hands. "I'm riding into Papaya Island on a phoenix!?"
The bird rolled his blue eyes. "Is there any other way, princess?"
Oolong's pretend wingspan actually helped the duo arrive to the temple of the World Martial Arts Tournament quicker than either assumed. When they came in for a landing on the edge of the island, out of sight from the world's best fighters, Oolong went back to his normal self. He began groaning about the weight of her bag on his back while Chi-Chi ignored him to look around.
She could see ships out on the sparkling sea approaching the island, full of men that her father either trained with or followed in his footsteps. Behind her, the large temple where the training would take place towered so high above that it was almost draining to look at. There were vendors setting up their food and jets landing on the grassy areas to drop off some more fighters.
When Chi-Chi turned her body around to look in another direction, she bumped into someone. His hairy, exposed chest caused her to scream a little. She placed her hands on her hips the same time the man crossed his arms over his chest. They wore the same scowl, but only the woman's eyes were wandering.
He wore a brown gi, and his blue eyes stood out against his black hair. His afro looked out of place with no facial hair to be found, but his enormous mouth was the reason for his confidence.
That large mouth turned into an even large grin, and he released a laughter that shook the very ground they stood on.
"HEY!" he pointed a finger directly at the fuming princess' forehead. "You're a girl!"
Oolong, now in the form of a snake, slithered up the back of Chi-Chi's neck. "If you're not going to punch him, I'm going to bite him! Shut the loud mouth up already!"
"I've never heard of a fighter named Shaggy," Chi-Chi stuck her tongue out at the man, causing him to stop laughing. "Well, I guess it would fit if you could grow a beard to match that chest hair you seem so proud of."
"Ooh!" Oolong cheered. "You got 'im, girl!"
The young man dropped his dufflebag by his black boots and raised his chin. "The name's Hercule, and you better learn it missy. You're the only other chick here besides this RanFan, FuFu, RaRa, something lady. And she's a lot more appealing than you!"
Chi-Chi opened her mouth for a comeback, but something orange caught the corner of her eye.
In all his muscular glory, Goku and the main trainer of the year long event, was standing in front of a short bald man wearing the same outfit. Although he had a new body, Chi-Chi would recognize her future husband in a heartbeat. His messy black spikes that pointed out in every direction didn't change at all, and his smile combined with that laugh was like music to her ears.
She hadn't even noticed Hercule was snapping his fingers in front of her face to get her attention, and she even became deaf to Oolong's warning. She threw him off her neck and ran to the strongest man in the world.
"GOKU!" she cried out, with her arms reaching towards him. His friend's eyes grew wide and moved out of the way for her, and she was finally able to hold him in her arms. She was tugging on his neck, trying to bring him down to her level. "Oh, Goku! I missed you so much!"
"Uh... Do I know you?"
A/N: Okay, okay, I know! I'm trying to stay true to the Dragon Ball world and keep the characters to their nature! There will still be training in Other World by King Kai and kaio-ken happening (not overdone of course) but I know it needs to happen or else defeating the Saiyans will be very hard. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and I'll update shortly!
As for those following my other stories, I am leaving on a road trip to Colorado in a few hours and will be writing plans for how I'm going to combine certain things so I can give you a really great chapter. I'll have my other two updated as soon as I get back, which is less than a week for now! Thank you so much for following me! I appreciate everything!