Chapter One
…
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a young saiyan prince. He ruled over a great kingdom, known to be one of the most powerful in the world, and he had everything his heart desired. He was blessed with beauty and unimaginable power, but the prince was selfish, greedy, and proud. One night, during a harsh, rampaging blizzard, a wizened old namekian – one of the last of a dying race driven into extinction by the saiyans – knocked on the prince's castle doors, asking for shelter from the cold in return for a single senzu bean known to contain magical healing properties. The prideful young prince scoffed and turned down the old namek, disgusted and repulsed by the lower being.
At that moment, the namek realized that there was no pity in the prince's heart, and he was blinded by pride and selfishness. When the prince threatened to kill him if he did not leave, the old man transformed into a young namekian with emerald green skin and a billowing cape of white silk, for he was in fact the guardian of this planet - with powers equal to a god's. The prince, overcome by fear, tried in vain to kill the namek, but was easily defeated. The guardian knew that the prince could not learn to love as he was, and thus crushed the senzu bean over the beaten prince, who turned into a hideous beast, and took from him all his power. His glorious castle fell into ruins, the Great Forest lost its fertility and became a harborer of darkness and dark things, and his great kingdom at once became but a ruined shadow of its former glory. The Namekian left him only a crystal orb from which could be seen anything the bearer desired to see, a magic cloud that could only be ridden by those pure of heart, and seven golden balls. He declared that if the prince did not find true love, and if that love was not returned, by his twenty-first birthday and when the last of the golden balls turned to stone, the young saiyan would be cursed to live forever as a beast.
Time passed. The prince locked himself in his dark castle, ashamed of his appearance, and his pride kept him from seeking others out. But in time, he wandered off, in search of some way to find this love. But anyone who saw him fled at first site of the creature, and the Saiyan soon fell into despair, for hope had long since abandoned him, flitting away on emerald feet.
…
In the midst of a dark forest, a single man trekked his way through a great blizzard. Snow pelted the ground in thick white pellets, and the wind tore at his dark cloak with icy hands. Bardock growled to himself, rubbing his numb hands together and breathing on them. He stumbled forward, no longer able to see which direction he was going. The lightweight pack on his shoulder weighed down upon his shoulders like lead, and every step he took caused his lungs to heave two shaky breaths. The wind suddenly lessened and Bardock looked up to find himself under the shelter of tightly clustered trees. He turned around, shuddering at the sight of the merciless blizzard, and looked back at the forest.
"The Great Forest," Bardock murmured under his breath. It had been at least five years since anyone had dared enter it. Since the disappearance of the prince, the Great Forest had grown dark and eerie, the trees bore no fruit and were overrun by black moss and tough vines, and rumors of terrible monsters roaming within it had barricaded it from passage. Every so often, a traveler would attempt to journey through it and was never heard from again. Bardock pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, peering into the dark forest through the foggy mist. The blizzard behind him howled, and he made his decision. Adjusting the straps of his pack, the man marched forward into the cover of trees.
After hours of endlessly stumbling over jutting roots, slipping on ice-covered rocks, and clawing his way through thick underbrush and sticky spider webs, Bardock was fairly certain he was lost. He could no longer hear the storm, and a calm, eerie silence lay upon the forest like the thick quilt of mist that surrounded him. He sniffed the air, trying to locate a familiar smell, but only the strong scent of moist fungus and decay met his nose. The saiyan sneezed and continued walking, his boots sloshing through the muddy soil that had built itself over a hard layer of permafrost.
Suddenly, Bardock's nose flared and he froze in his tracks, head jerking upright. His eyes darted around, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A movement to his left caused him to lock his eyes on the spot, but whatever had been there vanished in the fog. Bardock hissed. He was not alone.
A low growl echoed around him, but the saiyan couldn't pinpoint the exact location. He took a cautious step back, slowly raising a hand to the dagger around his waist. Suddenly, a great shadow loomed over him, and Bardock had only a split second to spring away before a monstrous creature crashed into the ground where he had been standing before. He stumbled backwards, quickly regaining his footing and looking up at his attacker. The monster snarled and turned to the horrified saiyan. It crouched on four enormous paws, and resembled something of a wolf, only a great deal larger, with fangs the size of Bardock's forearms, glowing gold eyes, and a pelt of deep brown fur. Still frozen with fear, Bardock could only stare as the creature slowly turned, it's long, thick tail whipping back and forth, swirling the white mist around it. As the monster emitted a low growl, the man snapped back to reality and took a step back. A twig snapped, echoing loudly through the forest. Somewhere above him, a single raven released a raspy caw. The creature roared in response, and sprang at Bardock, claws outstretched.
The man, knowing he was much too weak to battle the creature, jumped away and shot through the forest.
He ran, without any sense of direction, his heart pumping loudly and vying for power over the snorts of the monster pounding after him. The ground trembled beneath the monster's every leap, and as Bardock weaved through the trees around him, his pursuer simply crashed through them, derooting the smaller ones with a flick of his mighty head. Breath coming out in ragged gasps, and legs beginning to burn beneath the constant strain, Bardock shot through the woods, more and more aware of the beast gaining on him.
Finally the man stumbled into a wide clearing, and, blinking the sweat from his eyes, noticed a great black gate before him. Without pausing to think, he ran towards the gate, which effortlessly opened as soon as he neared it. Bardock ran past the gate, breathing heavily, until he tripped and fell face-first into the snow-covered ground. He stilled, hands clenched tightly, and awaited the final blow of the creature, but it never came. After a few seconds, the saiyan raised his head and pushed himself upright, to see the monster standing in front of the open gate. Its glowing eyes stared at him menacingly, before it released a blood-curdling howl, turned, and bounded away into the darkness of the forest.
Bardock exhaled in relief and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His trembling had calmed, but now that the adrenaline had worn off, he shivered with cold. The saiyan looked up, surprised and relieved to see that the storm had let up. Light flecks of white snow tumbled through the white sky, rustled by a gentle wind. Bardock turned around and gasped.
A great castle stood in silent glory before him with crystal glass windows, intricate carvings, and a huge wooden double-door, shouldered by a pair of hideous gargoyles. The castle appeared almost ancient, covered in vines, ivy, and green-gray fungus, and parts of its once-looming towers had been reduced to ruins and stone rubble, save for one, huge tower that rose above the castle like a hand reaching in vain for the heavens. Bardock trembled under the overbearing building, but his cold and hunger drove him towards the double doors. He cautiously placed a hand on them and knocked. The doors swung open before his fingers, and he stepped inside a large, dark entryway. The huge doors closed behind him, and he was left in a darkness lit only by the gentle flickering of a few candles. However, the temperature inside the castle was not much warmer than that outside.
Across from him was a great staircase that ascended and split in in two. The only furniture in the room appeared to be a thick carpet rolled out beneath his feet spread to the edge of the stairs, and a few paintings hanging on the walls lit by the dim glow of the flitting candles. Every single one was torn, shredded across as if by the claws of a huge beast. Bardock suddenly noticed a movement to his left and jerked around.
"Hello?" he called out. No one answered. A candle flame flickered out, and then returned.
"My name is Bardock," he tried again. "I got caught by the blizzard and tried to venture through the Great Forest to escape the storm. However, I was pursued by some kind of beast and ended up here. Would it be impolite to ask for some food and shelter, for I am weak and I can no longer continue my journey home?" Again, Bardock was greeted by silence, but again, he heard a movement, closer this time. A few short whispers, or some sound of the sort, echoed through the room. Bardock was about to call out again when something that wasn't previously there caught his eye.
At first glance, he thought it was some kind of animal, but then realized that it was a gargoyle, much like one that he had seen on the castle, as tall as his knees, with stone skin, pointed ears, and a lean body. Suddenly, the gargoyle's ear flicked, and it looked up at him with beady black eyes. Bardock yelped and stepped back, only to knock into something else.
"Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going!" Bardock's twirled around and his eyes widened as a larger, more burly gargoyle rubbed its head with a claw in annoyance, glaring at him with three eyes.
"Stop that Tien, you're scaring him!" The first gargoyle said indignantly, hands on its hips.
"I'm the one scaring him? If I recall, he was backing away from you, Yamcha," the other retorted.
"He was probably just shocked by your ugly face." Bardock flinched as another voice joined the three, he turned to see a shorter gargoyle crawl up and join the others.
"Oh shut it, Krillin," the larger gargoyle replied with a snort. The short gargoyle huffed and looked up at Bardock.
"Excuse us if we frightened you, sir. We couldn't help but overhear you, and, well, we don't have much, but we invite you to eat and rest here tonight." Bardock blinked.
"Krillin!" The larger gargoyle hissed. "What are you doing? Do you think he'll be pleased with this?"
"If he had anything to say about it, he would have said so a long time ago." The gargoyle by the name of Krillin replied curtly before turning back to Bardock."Follow me, sir."
Bardock swallowed, but his stomach growled loudly and he had no choice but to follow the strange creature into a larger room, where a great table was laid out. He dropped his pack beside himself and sat down in a large, comfortable chair. The man groaned as he unwrapped a long, thin auburn tail from around his waist, flicking it sorely.
"Oh, a saiyan are you?" The gargoyle noted before turning around towards a small doorway. "Hey Bulma, could you set up the table for our guest please?"
Another gargoyle, more slender than the others waddled out of the kitchen, hefting a plate above its head and clutching a fork, spoon, and knife in its long tail. The creature nimbly leapt on the table and placed the silverware and plate before the saiyan. It bared its teeth in what Bardock assumed was supposed to be a smile.
"Here you are sir. I hope you're not too repulsed by your hosts tonight." It said in a clear, feminine voice. Bardock managed a small smile.
"I've met worse," he said. The gargoyle nodded sagely.
"Yes, we saw that beast chase you to the castle. Pitiful thing it is, really."
Bardock frowned, not quite understanding the gargoyle's empathy towards the monster that had nearly ripped him apart. Before he could say anything, however, two gargoyles jumped up on the tabled and set down before him a large plateau covered in a round silver lid. One of the gargoyles's which Bardock recognized as the slender one he had first seen, called Yamcha by its comrade, and lifted the lid to reveal a steaming bowl of thick stew. Bardock's stomach growled again as the bowl was placed on his plate along with a thick slice of golden bread. He heartily dug in, shoving the delicious, warm food into his mouth. The saiyan downed bowl after bowl, until finally, with a satisfied sigh, he sat back in his chair. The gargoyles quickly cleared off the table until it was spotless. Bardock, no longer hungry, began to feel the effects of the cold and exhaustion. He stifled a yawn, shivering.
"Oh my, come now, we can't have our host freeze to death. Goten, Trunks," another gargoyle, with a high voice and a light accent, called out to two, small gargoyles, "prepare a fire will you?"
"Yes Ms. Briefs," the two gargoyles's answered in unison, springing away to the fireplace on the far left wall.
"Come now sir, we must get you to rest." Bardock let himself be led away by the other female gargoyle to a large, wooden chair with a leg rest, where he plopped himself down tiredly. The small gargoyles had started a roaring fire, which crackled atop a few charred logs. One of the two walked up to him, handing Bardock a wool blanket, which the saiyan readily accepted and draped over himself.
"Are you warm enough sir?" The gargoyle asked in a sweet, childlike voice. Bardock smiled warmly.
"I am, little one. Thank you." The man closed his eyes, and within seconds he was fast asleep under the watchful gaze of the gargoyles.
Bardock awoke the next morning to a serene silence. He yawned, rubbing at a pair of well-rested eyes, feeling uncharacteristically spirited. He blinked as a thick blanket slipped off his lap, and looked around. Thoughts from the night flooded through his head, and he placed a hand on his forehead, wondering if he'd just imagined it all. But the castle he was in, the tall chair, and the fire, now reduced to a thinly smoking heap of black coals, were all present. The gargoyles, however, were nowhere to be found, and the saiyan wondered if they had been real at all, when a mouth-watering scent wafted up his nose. He stood out of the chair, shivering as the cold castle air touched his skin, and wandered up to the long table behind him. The table was set for one at the end, where two covered dishes were placed beside a round plate. The Saiyan eagerly uncovered the food and readily devoured a breakfast of warm chicken broth, bread and butter, eggs, and rice. After finishing, he looked around for the gargoyles, hoping to thank them for the meal, but they had simply vanished. Bardock shrugged, picked up his pack on the chair beside him, and threw it over his shoulders, making for the entrance to the castle.
He cautiously opened the doors, expecting the worse in weather, but instead was greeted by clear blue skies and a gentle breeze, the sun's bright rays glittering over a layer of clear white snow. Bardock blinked against the harsh light of the sun, and stepped forward with a wide smile.
"Kami be praised," he murmured, "I may make it home without incident after all. What a wonderful turn of events." The man closed the huge double doors behind him and made his way through the snow. As he reached the large metal gates at the edge of the forest, which swing open at his approach, something caught his eye. He halted, eyes widening.
"Great Kami," he gasped, "these must be the legendary senzu beans!" The man slowly approached a thick bush of entwined leaves and vines that rose up to his hips. Small green beans dotted the bush in abundance, glistening beneath the sun and contrasting against the white expanse which hid almost all other foliage beneath a thick coat of snow. The saiyan remembered his sick son, and tentatively reached out and plucked a single bean. Almost immediately, a dark shadow suddenly fell over the man, and he whipped around, gasping. A huge and terrible beast, unlike one he'd ever seen, faced him with bared teeth. With a vicious snarl, the beast snatched Bardock up by his collar, raising him several feet off the ground so he hung level with the creature's glittering onyx eyes.
"What do you think you are doing, you low class swine!" The beast roared angrily. "I offer you food and shelter and the comfort of a night's rest from the elements, and in return you steal from me one of my rare and powerful senzu! You ungrateful cur! I ought to wring your neck here and now!" Bardock yelped, clutching the creature's unfaltering arm to keep himself upright.
"Please sir," he pleaded, "I did not mean to intrude upon your kindness. To say I am ungrateful is unfair, for I owe you my life. I only took it because I have heard of the senzu's wondrous healing abilities. My son," he choked, "my son suffers from a rare heart disease that is slowly killing him. I have just come back from Satan City in search of a doctor or a cure for him, but I found nothing. I just want him to live!" The beast glared unwaveringly at the man in his grip before dropping him unceremoniously upon the ground. Bardock coughed violently, body trembling beneath the looming figure of the beast.
"If what you say is true, then I will not deny you the healing powers of the senzu. You may take as many as you like." Bardock released a sigh of relief, but the beast narrowed his eyes.
"However," he continued, "you have still stolen from me, an unforgivable act. In return for my lenient kindness, once your son is fully healed, which should take him no longer than three days, you must send him here. He will take your place and live with me in return for saving both your lives." Bardock's blood ran cold in his veins and his heart dropped. He fell to his knees before the creature.
"I beg of you, do not ask this of me," he begged, "I will return and stay with you, but I could not bear it if something happened to him. My son is pure and kind, untouched by the ravages of our cruel world." The monster snorted.
"Calm yourself, man. No harm will come to your son when he comes here. He will be treated just as you were during your stay. You say your son is kind and pure?" The beast raised a hand and looked up at the sky.
"Nimbus," he called in a commanding voice. Immediately, something small and white zipped out of the blue of the sky, and Bardock was baffled as a small cloud, as white and untainted as the new snow, hovered beside the host of the castle, who turned back to the man.
"If your son is as pure-hearted as you claim him to be, he will be able to mount this cloud, which will swiftly bring him to this castle away from the dangers of the forest." Bardock stood up shakily, glancing at the cloud which made no movement of recognition. The beast raised three, clawed fingers and glared menacingly at the man.
"You have three days upon your return. Heal your son, and send him to me. If it takes any longer, I will personally hunt you down and destroy your entire family." And with this last threat, the beast turned and bounded away from the saiyan with unfathomable speed, leaving Bardock trembling in the snow.
...
.:Author's Note:. I think it's rather obvious where the inspiration for this came from. I also saw a few disney-DBZ crossovers floating around a while ago, so decided to write my own. I think it's coming out rather well. It's using references from the Disney and original Grimm's version of the Beauty and the Beast storyline, as well as a DBZ twist of my own. Enjoy, and please review!
- Kerrigas
