Chapter One
Goku kept his body crouched low to the ground as he shuffled his way over to the window. King Kai had told him that under no circumstances was he to interrupt this 'special meeting' between the Kai's.
Well. He wasn't going to 'interrupt'. He was just going to snoop.
With Bubbles sneaking just as carefully by his side, he levelled himself with the flowered windowpane and chanced a glance through the lavishly decorated glass. Everything appeared in wobbly, blue-hued vision. He frowned as he made out a few shapes at the other end of the hall and grunted inaudibly in frustration, he was too far away to hear anything that was being said.
"We need to get closer Bubbles" he whispered. His hairy companion nodded and preceded to shuffle away down the long marble wall until he stopped beneath another long window. He motioned silently for Goku to follow, which he did by crawling on his stomach out of sight, all the while wondering if Frieza had ever known just how smart some monkeys were, considering the ex-overlord had seen fit to constantly refer to him as some king of inferior primate. As Bubbles skilfully slid the window up just enough for them to be able to peek inside and hear the Kai's muffled discussions, Goku grinned and concluded that Frieza undoubtedly did not.
"-it's a preposterous idea!" came the shrill voice of the Kai he recognised as belonging to the East, "There is absolutely no way it can be done! Once dead, a person stays that way for the rest of eternity unless the Eternal Dragon sees fit to grant them life once more. And even then there are limits! Otherwise, we'd be resurrecting warriors left right and centre!"
"She has a point" a gravely voice replied. Goku immediately identified its owner as Grand Kai. He scratched his head in thought… who was going to be resurrected? And why? His thoughts were broken when he heard the nasal tones of the Kai he'd been spending the past two decades with (not that Otherworld had time, what with everyone being dead and not aging…).
"I understand that East Kai. But these are very special circumstances. Jonah is a threat unlike any other, and we need to send the best warriors we have to the lower realms to help. Do you even remember the state the universe was left in one thousand years ago thanks to his armies? How long it took to rebuild almost two thirds of the universe?"
"Yes… but… when Jonah awakens he won't have his armies any more. He'll be one lone man. Surely you're overreacting-"
"Who's Jonah…?" Goku hissed to Bubbles, who shrugged lightly and placed a hand over Goku's mouth to silence him.
South Kai was speaking now, arguing animatedly with East Kai as he seemed to take King Kai's side. Goku risked another glance through the gap and could easily see the pair, who were currently shrieking madly and pulling on each others antennae. West Kai seemed to be speaking to the Grand Kai, while King Kai was merely watching the group silently. His face pulled into an uncharacteristic expression of seriousness and thought.
"Silence!" bellowed Grand Kai. Goku ducked his head once more below the pane and continued to listen, his eyes glancing around too make sure no one was approaching. Being caught snooping on the Kai's themselves would surely result in some kind of punishment.
"Of everyone in this room, only I witnessed the rise and fall of Jonah, destroyer of all. You Kai's were only instated into your positions seven hundred years ago! And Jonah has had one thousand years to hone his skills. Do not forget that!"
Goku could hear muffled arguments come from the pair who had just been scuffling like a pair of school children. Grand Kai continued on regardless.
"And North Kai here, is the only one seemingly capable of showing an unbiased analysis of the situation, which I'm afraid to say, is dire despite Jonah's separation from his armies. He alone brought about the end of countless civilisations, without an army at his side. So if you really think you can handle it yourself East Kai, then be my guest. There are plenty of others who I'm sure would fill in your position as Guardian of the East once he pummels you into little more then a stain on existence"
The four Kai's were now completely silenced, save East Kai's quiet sniffling. Goku heard the sound of footsteps as Grand Kai descended from his throne and down the marble steps. His voice sounded slightly louder when he spoke once again.
"Our biggest problem is that no mortal remembers the time of his reign in any other form then myth or legend. The Seven Sleepers even less so. In some sections of the universe, they're regarded as Gods. In others, a fairytale. But most worryingly, no one on the lower realms knows how to access the dimension our warriors were sealed in one thousand years ago, and therefore, they cannot be woken"
A gasp reverberated around the hall, "Surely… surely you're not saying… that it is hopeless?" East Kai said in barely more then a whisper, "I know we're not supposed to contact mortals on the lower planes… but this is an extreme situation"
Nothing but heavy silence reached Goku's ears for a few minutes, and he could almost picture the oldest Kai running a hand through his long grey beard.
"Not hopeless East Kai. Bleak yes, but never hopeless. Not when there are those in the universe who show as much promise as they likes of Pikkon… or say… Goku"
Goku jumped at the mentioning of his name, hitting his head on the panel painfully. Bubbles wrapped his tail around the mans mouth to muffle the sound of his hissed curses.
"Then you agree with my idea?" North Kai said optimistically.
"…perhaps. There is still a lot of risk in this… mission. And I don't think Goku alone would be able to do what is necessary. I'm thinking… I pull a few strings and see what I can do" he finished mysteriously.
"Are you seriously suggesting a multiple resurrection!?" West Kai piped up, sounding sceptical, "To return more then one soul to its original body is difficult enough. But more then one! Impossible! It would throw the entire universe into chaos!"
"I remember Chaos" Grand Kai said, sounding bored, "It wasn't that bad. Now, if you are all done being insubordinate and argumentative… I have a few omnipotent beings I need to bribe and blackmail"
Goku practically fell over his own feet in his effort to shuffle out of sight as the four Kai's exited the manor. He watched from behind a large palm tree as East Kai stormed off, closely followed by West Kai. South and North Kai were the only two who seemed to be having a reasonable conversation, one which Goku couldn't overhear this time. South Kai eventually left, looking grave and solemn. And North Kai turned and looked directly at Goku's hiding spot.
"You can come out now" he said bluntly, sounding less then happy, but not too angry.
Goku stepped out from behind the tall trunk and grinned sheepishly, "I err… it was Bubble's idea!"
The monkey squawked loudly and hit Goku on the thigh before crossing his arms angrily and storming off. King Kai sighed heavily and motioned for Goku to come closer.
"We have a lot to discuss" he said grimly, "The fate of the entire universe may rest upon our very shoulders Goku. And I'm much to short to bear such a burden!"
Goku wandered over, looking guilty. But his expression soon slipped into one of concern when King Kai didn't even laugh at his poorer then normal attempt at comedy.
Thing's were definitely more serious then he'd thought.
One Hour Later…
"Wow! Really!" he chirped excitedly, "Back to Earth huh? I mean, I know the others will be upset about it. And it's been great being able to catch up with them all… even though Chi Chi's only been here a few years… but I'll be back eventually won't I! I mean, I never could stay alive for too long without dying-"
"Goku, this is not a time for celebration! This isn't the same as being wished back by the dragon. A resurrection like this has repercussions. If we can even manage such a thing…"
"Repercussions? Like what?"
"That's just what I was worrying about to be honest. Not even the Grand Kai himself knows for sure… it might not even be possible" King Kai said sullenly, trailing off into deep thought.
They stopped in the middle of a field filled with long, sweeping grass which reached to Goku's knees. He reached down and picked a blade, running it between his fingers as he let King Kai think in silence. Bubbles had disappeared somewhere, Goku guessed he was going to have some apologising to do before the monkey forgave him. Perhaps he could find some bananas in one the fields… did bananas grow on trees or underground like potatoes and carrots? "Hey, King Kai" he said slowly.
"Yes Goku?"
"Do bananas grow underground?"
King Kai had to catch himself before he fell over in shock, "Here I am telling you about the potential annihilation of the universe… and you're thinking about your stomach!?" he yelled.
"No. Not my stomach. I was going to give them to Bubbles…"
"Why?" King Kai asked shrewdly.
"Uh… no reason. Just a gift…"
Goku breathed a sigh of relief when King Kai dropped the subject and turned back to his musings. He almost gave away the fact that it was his idea to eavesdrop earlier! Perhaps Krillen would know about the bananas though…
"Well, we've plenty of time before Grand Kai comes back with his answer, but you'd better get out of here Goku. And don't go spreading this news around, ok! If the others hear rumours of resurrections…"
"I got it," Goku waved, lifting off into the air, "See you later King Kai!"
The Kai of the North watched as his most promising student floated off towards the main training grounds of Otherworld. His shoulders slumped tiredly as he turned to make his way back to Grand Kai's mansion, only to fall face first into the ground when a small, fluffy brown creature got in his way.
"Bubbles!" he shouted, "Just what do you think you're up too?"
He was met with several grunts and shrieks as Bubbles jumped about wildly, obviously in a state about something or other. King Kai listened closely, his eyes darkening as the monkey finally finished flailing his arms madly.
"Is that so… that sneaky little she-witch! Come on Bubbles," he said firmly, grabbing the monkey by the tail and dragging him through the field, "If she thinks she can just go about telling everyone about the resurrections, she's got another thing coming!"
In his rage at East Kai's disobedience of their orders, he didn't notice Bubbles attempts to bite his hand while earnestly trying to pull his tail free. Eventually the monkey gave up, crossing his arms unhappily and frowning up at the sky as he allowed for himself to be pulled most ungraciously through the field.
"Oh if only I could speak" he thought to himself heatedly, "Animal protection would be all over this place!"
Gohan sat cross-legged in the middle of the training arena. He was using the indoor gym, treasuring the peaceful silence as everyone else preferred to train outside. His eyes were closed and he was concentrating on nothing in particular when a sound from outside broke his trance. He blinked rapidly as his senses came back to normal and the noises outside grew louder. Floating over to the window (which was really just one of many large holes in the stone wall that ran around the room, much like Earth's old castles) he peered outside and spotted Krillen standing not too far from him.
"Hey!" he called, jumping through the gap and jogging over to his friend, "What's going on?"
Before him was some sort of riot. The field across from the training arena was filled with many, seemingly incensed, ex-warriors.
"I'm not sure… but if thing's don't calm down, I'm out of here! I've only been here about twenty years, no way am I getting caught in a fight with warriors who've been training for centuries!"
"I'm gonna see if I find out what the fuss is all about" Gohan said, leaving the shorter man behind and taking off into the air to float into the middle of the riot.
"Calm down, Calm down!" called the voice of a woman who sounded at the end of her tether! "Only warriors from the east please, the rest of you, bog off!"
Gohan ignored the woman's distressed shouting and scanned the crowd for someone he recognised. Standing just off the edge of the crowd was a woman he'd met about five years ago, looking thoroughly pissed off. He pushed his way over to her.
"Hey Sineya. What's going on?" he said breathlessly.
The woman pulled her long mane of dark purple hair over her shoulder and tugged at it agitatedly, "They're resurrecting some of the warriors, and everyone wants to be chosen to go back. Well, almost everyone. They're acting like a bunch of fucking animals" she said darkly.
"You wouldn't want to go home?" Gohan asked, frowning slightly.
She laughed bitterly, "Home? No thanks. Besides, Otherworld's been getting more interesting lately" she said, her crystal blue eyes running over Gohan's face in way that made his stomach do a strange kind of back-flip. He swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say, but all that came out of his mouth was something that sounded like gargling.
She smiled slightly, her eyes filling with amusement. Gohan felt his cheeks begin to redden, which should have been impossible considering he was dead and technically had no blood.
"Would you go back?" she asked casually.
Gohan almost said 'No' immediately, but his mouth twisted into an unsure frown as he really thought about the answer. The only thing that could take him back to Earth was a boy he'd left behind a long time ago. Trunks would undoubtedly be struggling as the only surviving Saiyan in the universe. He must be terribly lonely…
"Forget I asked" Sineya muttered, turning and walking away before Gohan could figure out what he'd done wrong. His eyes fixed on her retreating back before they wandered down the gleaming tumble of violet hair and landed just below her waist. He swallowed as he watched her hips sway too and fro in a manner he'd never really noticed before. His eyes were too busy to notice her glance over her shoulder and smile secretly at his attention. Nor did he see his father land right beside him.
"Hey Gohan. What're you looking at?"
"Nothing" the young demi-Saiyan said quickly, "Have you heard about the resurrections yet?"
Goku's face paled as he glanced around the crowd, "So that's what this is about. How does everyone know?"
"How do you know Kakarot?".
A man with a mass of black, flame-like hair forced his way through the crowd by elbowing them roughly out of his way, "That damn harpy started shouting about her lot getting sent back to the lower realms about five minutes ago, before you even got here". He was eyeing Goku with angry suspicion, which only intensified when Goku scratched his head slowly and tried to look unconvincingly innocent.
"Well… I might have er… Bubbles told me to… hey look, there's Piccolo! Hey Piccolo!"
"You might as well tell us what you know Goku. We're all aware that King Kai confides in you most, out of all the North Warriors" the Namekian said bluntly.
Goku clasped his hands together behind his back and rocked back in forth on his heels, "I'm really not supposed to say…"
But as Vegeta looked about ready to beat his face into the ground, he sighed deeply and motioned for them all to move away from the crowd and out of earshot. West Kai came running past them, shaking his fists and cursing loudly at the group who were steadily getting out of hand. One man, or creature was more accurate as he greatly resembled a walking rhino, lifted West Kai high into the air and flung him over everyone's heads, straight at East Kai, sending them both crashing to the ground while the crowd cheered.
"I guess that's why Grand Kai told them not to tell anyone" Goku said thoughtfully when they reached the other side of the gym, looking over his shoulder at the rampaging throng of people.
"'Not to tell' what Kakarot? Tell us now before I put my fist through your thick skull!"
"Jeez Vegeta. You should be more grateful, if it weren't for Goku you'd be in hell right now-"
Krillen appeared by Goku's side, ending his sentence quickly and looking stricken as Vegeta turned his heated glare on him instead.
"That is no business of yours. I don't know why the likes of you were given special privileges anyway. You could barely fight for all the running you did from the androids-"
"Enough Vegeta. Krillen's got just as much right to be here as you" Goku said calmingly.
"More so" Piccolo added, staring hard at the Saiyan.
Vegeta turned his nose up at the two and crossed his arms arrogantly, "Whatever. The likes of you aren't even worth my time" he muttered.
Krillen visibly relaxed as the attention fell back to Goku, "So, you know what's going on?"
"Uh-huh. But don't tell anyone I told you this ok…"
The group nodded.
"Right. Well, King Kai said that over one thousand years ago there was this guy from the South, who were really strong warriors back then, and he started taking over planets one by one. Building up an army. Kind of like Frieza" he began to explain. The group were listening with rapt attention. Goku continued, "His name was Jonah. He was known as 'The Destroyer Of All' through most of the universe. He took over the West pretty easily and his army was nearly indestructible. That was when the East started to fight back, and even the North joined forces with them to stop him. But they just weren't able to get through Jonah's armies to defeat him himself"
"So? What's this got to do with resurrections?" Vegeta snapped.
"I'm getting there!" Goku pouted, "So anyway, that was when the Kai's got involved, the one's that came before the ones we know now. They weren't allowed to go to the lower realms and fight Jonah themselves, something about a sacred oath between 'higher beings'. I didn't really listen to that part. But they could help some of the mortals in their fight against Jonah by giving them special powers"
Goku was really beginning to look excited now. Gohan shifted his weight as he listened, and the slight movement let him catch sight of a shadow that looked pretty familiar hiding behind one of the gyms decorative pillars. He suppressed a smile, remembering that Sineya was the best of the West Quadrants mercenaries (or had been when she was alive) and sneaking came pretty easily to her. He turned his attention back to his father, who was still grinning like an idiot as he babbled on.
"-and they completely decimated Jonah's army! Seven people! They must have been really strong… It's a shame they're not here. I'd like to fight them some ti-"
"Kakarot, stay focused you fool. Why aren't they here in Otherworld, surely they'd be dead by now?"
"Well, that's the thing. When Jonah realised he was loosing his army he panicked. King Kai said he was strong enough to take out The Seven one by one, but not if they all attacked together. And none of them ever tried to take him on alone, they worked as a team. So he used some ancient ritual from a race in the West to seal his body and soul in a tomb. But the power could only protect him for one thousand years. After then, the tomb reveals itself and can be destroyed – which would take Jonah out too. It would destroy his body and his soul would be… well that bit got a bit complicated, so I didn't listen to that part either"
Piccolo rolled his eyes as the group stared at Goku in surprise. Never had they heard any of this tale since entering Otherworld. The Kai's must have kept it completely secret… until now.
"So… I'm guessing it's about time for this Judah-"
"Jonah" Goku corrected.
"Right, him," said Krillen, "to wake up. But what do resurrections have to do with it? Can't someone back home stop this from happening?"
"Well, sure" Goku said, "But no one remembers what happened one thousand years ago. Any trace of Jonah and the seven chosen warriors, The Seven Sleepers I think they were called, only exist in myths and legends. The entire universe is completely unprepared for Jonah's arrival, and when he does wake up the first thing he's going to do is start re-building his army"
"So they're resurrecting some of us to stop him? Can't one of the Kai's just tell someone? What about Trunks! He managed to destroy the androids a couple of years ago didn't he? Get him to find the tomb and-"
"He can't. Not alone" Goku interrupted his son, "And they're not bringing people back to life to stop Jonah, but to awaken The Seven Sleepers so they can stop him"
The four of them looked at Goku with wide eyes. He shrugged, "Oh yeah. Didn't mention that bit did I… well, once Jonah sealed himself away, no one could reach him. The tomb was hidden from the lower realm in another dimension for one thousand years before it would re-appear… I think I said that. Anyway, when the Kai's realised he would be back eventually, they convinced the seven warriors they chose too… kind of do the same thing. Except, they would be frozen in time until they were woken again. But Jonah… the power he used to seal himself away would allow him to train in whatever dimension he was hidden in while he waited to be free again "
Piccolo was wide-eyed and looking greener then usual. "With one thousand years training… a monster like that could become…"
"It doesn't bare thinking about" Krillen finished shakily.
"Yeah. Which is why they want to double our chances of defeating him. When The Seven Sleepers are woken, they'll be the same as they were one thousand years. North Kai said he doesn't know if Jonah would have become strong enough to take them all on or not, but they're not taking any risks. They want to resurrect another seven of Otherworld's fighters to help, just in case"
"Is… that possible?" Piccolo stammered, thinking about the limits the Dragonballs had on returning life to the dead, "And what about you? You died of a heart virus, not in combat. Natural death's can't be reversed"
Goku shrugged, "By the Dragonballs, no. But King Kai… well, he wouldn't tell me exactly how the resurrections would happen. Only that the type, and time, of death wouldn't matter if they could get permission from… whoever they need to ask"
"Is that everything you know" Gohan asked his father.
Goku nodded, "Yep. King Kai was kind of irritated, so I left him to it. He'll tell me what'll happen later"
Vegeta cracked his knuckles loudly, eyeing the crowd which was growing larger by the second. Gohan loosened his shoulders by rotating his arms, his face pulled into a look of apprehension. His main concern wasn't just for the universe, but Trunks. He'd left the kid behind with so much to shoulder. His guilt at having died when the boy was only thirteen had only eased when King Kai informed him of Trunks defeat of the androids… that was about five years ago. The same time he'd met Sineya.
His eyes wandered to the pillar he'd seen her at a few moments ago, only to find that she was gone. He looked around, trying to spot her in the crowds, but there was no sign. Krillen and Piccolo had left to find Yamcha, Tien and Chaotzu while Vegeta had stormed off to who-knows-where.
Goku watched his son closely, trying to see the young boy he still remembered from long ago. Gohan had grown so much, he looked a lot like him in build but Goku could easily see Chi Chi's features in his face.
"What's up dad?" Gohan said slowly.
His father smiled, "Nothing. I'm going to go pay a visit to someone. Keep an eye on the others, ok!"
Gohan watched his father ascend into the gold streaked sky before heading back round to the other side of the gym. He stopped dead in his tracks.
If his father had meant for him to keep and eye on the fighters who were currently beating the hell out of each other - some in anger, some for the sheer hell of it - he had another thing coming. Gohan leapt onto the top of the stone building and took shelter behind the low wall that lined the rooftop.
He sighed. Heaven wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Disclaimer: I own no rights to dragonball z.
In case you hadn't figured it out. This is set during the timeline in which Goku died of the heart virus and the androids killed everyone. Ok!? Good.