Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!
Chapter One: Arrival
Kakkhanadorisainkai, joined by Tenna Athenike, Ilowe, and Hodaia the Illusionist, raised his head towards the Tower. The particular resonance associated with the welcome of a newcomer to the Demon Dimension radiated outward from it. Many loud voices rang out in surprise and welcome; it wasn't often that the Dimension received new residents, so any new person was eagerly welcomed and hopefully made to feel at home rather quickly.
Within a ten kilometer radius of the Tower, everyone received a general impression of what the newcomer seemed like. Instantly Kakkhanadori noted that the stranger's dominant emotion was a combination of fear, desperation, and resignation—a package someone about to commit suicide usually had. He paid closer attention to the young woman's features then, noting her square jaw and her large triangle of a nose in addition to her shoulder length ebon hair and black eyes.
The impression faded just as he was memorizing the distinct circle of moles on her temple. As if released from a spell, the four people at the circular table sat in a daze; then Tenna Athenike turned to the Illusionist.
'Looks like I'll be getting that roommate after all, Daia,' she said teasingly, her khaki eyes gaining an extra light. "Daia" flicked her impossibly light eyes towards the teaser, but did nothing other than that. Tenna laughed gaily anyway, as though Daia had reacted exactly as she had expected. Ilowe joined in on the laughter, his white teeth standing sharply in contrast to his extremely dark skin, his stubby hands slapping the circular table in his mirth. Kakkhanadori, on the other hand, ignored them all.
Instead he rose and strode swiftly away, merging soundlessly into the stream of conscious beings that inhabited the City. Tenna didn't actually Know yet if the newcomer would be her roommate or not, but it was likely, since Tenna both lived conveniently close to the High Market and she had room for another person within her flat. The fact that she'd been petitioning the Demon Gods for a roommate for years didn't hurt her chances of getting the new Ki Breaker; the Demon Gods might just accept her petition with this newcomer just to get her off Their backs.
Kakkhanadori cracked a slight smile at that thought.
On his way through the High Market, he greeted Vendors that weren't too busy, who saluted him in ways accustomed to them. He paused long enough to speak to Tapheth, the weapons Vendor, and thank him for letting him borrow the sword he used to kill the future King of the Fay, Lelex Rex.
'I would likely need to borrow it again,' Kakkhanadori said to the amiable face of the Vendor, 'if my other sword does not recover by the next mission.'
Tapheth only nodded, understanding suffusing his features. It was part of why Kakkhanadori liked him so much: He didn't pry too much into the whys and reasons of his customers. He only asked the basic necessary questions such as 'You know it's not to be put only on display, don't you?' and 'You know how to use a weapon like this?' He was a very unassuming character, contrary to the three people Kakkhanadori spent the most time with.
Kakkhanadori saluted the Vendor and continued on his way behind the stall to the Basilica Vitae. Another psychedelic swirl of a portal appeared in front of him, which he stepped into without any hesitation or any other acknowledgement of its presence.
He strode forward onto the black-and-white tiled floor he saw and stopped. Behind him sounded the whoosh of the portal as it disappeared; he bowed his head as he waited for the chamber's occupant to acknowledge him.
'Yes, Immortal?' the rough voice of Lord Destiny resounded in his ears, bouncing off of the tile and the walls in that particular trick He liked. Kakkhanadori remained unmoved.
'My Lord,' he started, remaining still with his head bowed, 'I wish to inquire after the newcomer just arrived at the tower. May I do so?'
'Yes,' Destiny's voice informed him, still rolling like thunder despite the appearance of His actual form on His throne. When next He spoke, however, He did so much more normally: 'Though you already know the answer to your question.'
Kakkhanadori inclined his head, but made no other answer to this statement. 'My Lord,' he began, refusing to look up at the lounging form high above him. 'Is it the girl's destiny to kill herself?'
'No,' Destiny responded, confirming Kakkhanadori's hunch. 'But there is more to the Lady Ki Breaker than even you know.' A bony hand inserted itself under Kakkhanadori's chin to lift it. Destiny's face was raw-boned and sharp; His eyes were narrow in addition to their yellow color, lending their owner a perpetual look of smug cruelty. His wicked smirk did nothing to dissipate Kakkhanadori's first impression. 'As there is more to you than even you know,' He said, His smirk widening.
'Yes, my Lord,' Kakkhanadori only said, diverting his eyes away from the Deity's. Destiny abruptly released him, leaving him to recover from the loss of his chin's support, and alighted again upon His throne.
'Dismissed, Immortal,' the Deity said languidly, carelessly waving a hand at him.
'Yes, my Lord,' Kakkhanadori repeated, adding a bow to his deference. Turning about swiftly, he was as unsurprised as before to see the glowing portal waiting for him. He stepped into it, closed his eyes, and waited.
'My Immortal,' the Lady's voice greeted him. Kakkhanadori bowed to Her as deferentially as to Lord Destiny, but She chuckled lightly and waved him off. 'Come now, no need to be so formal outside of my shrine. I was just leaving, Yoki needed to be scolded again.'
'I am not surprised, my Lady,' Kakkhanadori answered. 'I only wonder at your not summoning him to You instead.'
'Even a Deity needs to exercise occasionally, my Immortal,' the Lady said. Kakkhanadori bowed his head at the mildly reproving tone in Her voice, but the Lady was not truly angry.
'I see you have visited Lord Destiny,' She said instead, Her hand on his shoulder was sympathetic. 'You always seem to be frustrated after visiting with Him.'
'Frustrated is not the term I would use, my Lady,' Kakkhanadori replied, keeping his eyes diverted. The Lady laughed, Her amusement unmuffled despite Her veil, and patted his shoulder. She disappeared in the next instant; Kakkhanadori's portal glowed brightly while it shrank.
'Yeah? What did Destiny want?' the brazen voice of the Grim Reaper called. The Ender of All Souls himself came into view a second later, carrying his half-polished scythe in one hand and an especially bloodstained rag in the other. The Horseman grinned when he noticed Kakkhanadori's raised eyebrow.
'Got a little bored,' was all he said, still grinning sadistically. Kakkhanadori rolled his eyes but did not otherwise comment.
Instead he said, putting his hands in his pockets, 'Destiny was talkative today. I was asking Him a question about the Dimension's newest Resident—I assume you also saw the impression from the Tower?'
He waited for Yoki's nod of assent before continuing. 'Well, not only did Lord Destiny directly answer the question,' he nodded at Yoki's whistle of amazement, 'But he also told me that there was more to her than I knew, just as there was more to me than even I knew. Now what does that sound like to you?'
Yoki set down the rag and stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'It sounds like life is about to become very lively around here,' he said. His strange eyes glinted. 'It's about time, in my opinion.'
'I thought that was what you were going to say,' Kakkhanadori snorted. 'Anyway,' he started, drawing back his sleeve to check the slim band encircling his wrist. 'I just wanted to tell you that, so you and your fellow colleagues could sufficiently prepare for the days ahead.'
Yoki gasped dramatically. 'Are you saying that you actually care for us? Why, Legendary Lord, I do believe you're slipping! Either that, or Destiny has shaken you up than you care to admit.'
'I deny either of those reasons, Grim Reaper,' Kakkhanadori declared indifferently. He stepped away and opened another portal, only stopping to give Yoki a parting salute and his last words:
'The fact that you even suggest them is evidence enough that you have far too much time on your hands.'
Yoki could be heard laughing all the way down to the lower reaches of the Basilica Vitae, where the Administrative offices, both private and public, were located.
Kakkhanadori himself didn't hear the laughter, though he probably would have known it happened if he had thought about it. The Legendary Lord had not the time to think about how entertained the Demon Rider was, however, needing instead to run an errand that he really should have done two days ago: grocery shopping. Though his appetite had greatly decreased since coming to the Demon Dimension, his refrigerator was still empty.
He felt like paying Kerbasi a visit today, instead of his usual haunts.
By the time the Legendary Lord had finished shopping at Kerbasi's Vending stall, it was long since time to set out for the daily gathering at the Himeno Tsuruki Café. Sighing at this necessity, Kakkhanadori turned and made his way across the High Market, through the Plaza (and around the terraced fountain in the middle), and by the news post before finally catching sight of the Café. He entered the only true shop in the High Market just in time to hear Tenna Athenike say:
'And I don't know where the Legendary Lord went, but that's him for you. Always going off and doing his own thing without telling the rest of us—'
Deciding to interrupt before Tenna got too far into her infamous (if infrequent) ranting mode, he knocked on their table and said: 'Tenna Athenike, you know very well that I'm always where I'm needed, whether or not that place is with you.'
'Oh, Kakkhanadori, there you are! I was wondering if you would show up,' Tenna chirped unrepentantly. Kakkhanadori snorted darkly, then noticed the stranger sitting at the table. Tenna followed his gaze and smiled again.
'Yes, as I was saying,' she said, directing the Human's attention upwards from the table, 'I was going to wait until Kakkhanadori arrived before doing formal introductions. If you'd sit, Kakkhanadori?'
He had to drag a chair from another table to obey Tenna's request (as the Lady Ki Breaker had taken his usual seat), but once he was settled, the introductions began.
'I am Tenna Athenike, as you know, and I'm a Drake, a lesser Dragon. I have no title, but I work as a veterinarian at the Demonic Parks, the demon kennel and/or apartment complex.' The Drake looked at Ilowe to continue.
Coughing nervously, Ilowe began. 'My name is Ilowe; I was born a Nightmare, but I don't work as one. I work with the Northwest Librarian at the Records Hall as a Linguist, which I suppose is also my title. Linguist, that is.' He cleared his throat again and fell silent.
With what appeared to be a roll of her eyes, Hodaia picked up the slack with a surprisingly light voice for her stocky form. 'I am known as Hodaia the Illusionist. I belong to the race of Kabarans, clan Sil. My occupation is that of Dimension Keeper, at the Basilica Officii.' She nodded to the stranger respectfully.
Kakkhanadori, while the other three had been introducing themselves, had been inspecting the newly-arrived Lady Ki Breaker. She looked much like she had in that impression the Demon Gods had sent out: black, shoulder-length hair, black eyes, square jaw and large nose. But this time she didn't seem desperate or suicidal, just terribly unsure of herself and those around her. Whatever the Demon Gods had said to this Human up in that Tower seemed to have done a bit in helping her forget her problems, at least temporarily.
Or it could have been Tenna who did that. Her cheerfulness was annoyingly infectious, he hated to admit.
He sighed. 'Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, at your service. You may, if you wish, call me Kakkhanadori,' he said, ignoring Tenna's pleased gasp. 'I am a Saiyan. Like Hodaia, I work at the Basilica Officii as a Dimension Keeper.'
In Japanese, he added, "And like you, I was born on Earth, so when you have questions that Tenna cannot answer, please, direct them to me."
He gave the Human staring wide-eyed at him a short nod of his own. He'd said that not out of a desire to connect with the Lady Ki Breaker, but out of a desire to help her feel less alone in this strange, new world she'd come into. If she decided to take comfort in this knowledge he'd given her, so be it. If she wanted friendship from him, she'd have that, too, but only the same degree that Tenna, Ilowe, and Daia received.
So while the Lady Ki Breaker stuttered, while Tenna demanded to know what he'd said to her new roommate, Kakkhanadori drew out a notebook and a pen. He opened the book to a clean, unmarked page, smoothed it down, and began writing in it in Laniin, the only language he knew the other three—four, now—didn't.
Tenna, seeing this, rolled her eyes. 'There's no use talking to him now,' said she in exasperation. Turning instead to the Lady Ki Breaker, who had again turned her gaze to the table, Tenna smiled.
'Your turn,' she said to the Human teasingly. 'Tell us all about yourself!'
At this, Kakkhanadori stopped writing and paid attention. The Human swallowed under his and the other's gazes, but she spoke up anyway.
'Um, I'm Watanabe Catherine, uh, sorry, um, Catherine Watanabe,' she corrected, blushing furiously. Tenna and Ilowe gave her encouraging smiles. 'I—I'm a Human, from planet Earth—' Tenna cast a surprised glance at Kakkhanadori, who nodded almost imperceptibly. 'I don't have an occupation yet, but, um, I was told that my title is Lady Ki Breaker.'
'Are you?' Hodaia asked, her eyes sharply assessing. Catherine looked, startled, at her; the Illusionist elaborated. 'Are you a Ki Breaker?'
'Oh. Um, yes.' Catherine squirmed. 'I—I don't really like being one, though.' She bowed her head again.
'Hm,' said Hodaia only, sitting back in her chair. Tenna cast her a warning look, Kakkhanadori saw. Ilowe, on the other hand, was leaning forward a little.
'Is that your real name and appearance?' the dusky-skinned Nightmare asked. Catherine froze; Tenna smacked Ilowe on the shoulder.
'You idiot! I can't believe you would ask that!' Ilowe attempted to defend himself, but Tenna went on. 'Didn't I tell you she was here for her own protection? Of course she's not going to use her real name and appearance!' She huffed and shook her head.
'Tenna, I know all that. Really!' he insisted at the glare the Drake shot him. 'I just wanted to know if she was using a glamour like me or if she had had that vlastik surgry—'
'Plastic surgery,' Kakkhanadori corrected absently, toying with his writing utensil thoughtfully.
'That,' Ilowe said succinctly, waving his mistake off dismissively. 'That was all I wanted to ask!'
'You don't ask things like that of somebody, least of all a female!' Tenna screeched, highly displeased. 'That Northwest Librarian has obviously been a bad influence on you; I don't remember you ever being this rude or stupid before today!'
'Then obviously you haven't been paying any attention,' Hodaia remarked lightly. 'Ilowe's been rude and stupid from the very beginning.'
'I have not!' Ilowe fended off. 'And since when have you started talking more than in grunts and gestures anyway?' he shot at the normally laconic Illusionist.
'Since I have an opportunity to make a good impression on somebody other than the simpering morons I usually come across on my missions,' Hodaia retorted. Ilowe was struck momentarily dumb; Tenna took this as an opportunity to tell Hodaia that it wasn't nice to insult other people if they didn't deserve it. Hodaia retorted that she wasn't insulting the beings she met on her missions, she was stating fact.
While they bickered and argued, Kakkhanadori turned to Catherine. 'While the circus over here plays,' he said, indicating the trio across from them, 'I have a question for you.'
'Oh,' exclaimed Catherine, looking startled. She clutched her arm closer to herself and looked down. 'Um, sure, go ahead.' Kakkhanadori nodded thanks.
'Is it true that Ki Breakers have no stable ki center? And that's why they have to have a constant influx of ki?'
Catherine blinked at him, having raised her head to look at him in her shock. Kakkhanadori returned her gaze gently, trying to tell her that he wasn't anyone to be afraid of. He was almost certain she was afraid of him, though he didn't know why.
'Uh, I don't know,' the Human answered, breaking their staring contest. 'I haven't really thought about why I need so much ki. Just getting it, I guess, was my first worry.'
'That makes sense,' Kakkhanadori commented. She knew that he held a lot of ki within him, he thought. Holding herself back from taking even a little bit had to be costing her a lot of energy herself.
With that in mind, he surreptitiously began establishing a link energetic in nature between them. To his non-surprise, he found traces of a link between them that had already existed temporarily—it had likely been created due to a massive transfer of ki, enough to completely fill the reserves of a starving Ki Breaker.
'Well, then, before I miss my opportunity,' he said, mostly to distract Catherine from what he was doing, 'I would like to welcome you to the Demon Dimension.' He motioned to the surroundings in the Café. 'As you can see,' he continued, frowning inwardly in concentration, 'It's not all that different from Earth.' He completed the reactivation of the link to his satisfaction. 'It just has a bit more variety in races,' he finished.
He saw Catherine smile weakly through the veil her hair had become. Nodding to himself, he sat back and started rewriting in his notebook. He had not forgotten the Laniin language, despite it being five years since he and Menrui (he still winced inwardly just thinking the name) had totally destroyed them. The language had served its purpose in those five years, even as it was now, protecting his words and thoughts from other's eyes with its very strangeness.
Finished with his entry, Kakkhanadori snapped the book shut. Tenna, Hodaia (who had retreated back into silence again), and Ilowe were broken out of their argument; Tenna asked, 'What? Aren't you going to stay?'
'No, I'm going home. I have to put this food away, or it'll spoil.' He indicated the boxes of groceries he'd bought from Kerbasi.
'Oh, you finally went food shopping? Good,' Tenna asserted, smiling. 'You never like the food I get you when I shop for you.' Kakkhanadori looked at her askance while Ilowe said he wanted to see what shop Kakkhanadori had shopped at; the greens poking out from one of the boxes looked very interesting. Hodaia merely nodded goodbye, her rare moment of loquaciousness already over.
And Catherine Watanabe, the Lady Ki Breaker, did not lift her head again, thus doing him a "rude" disservice. Inwardly, he sighed; Watanabe-san was definitely afraid of him. Outwardly he just nodded.
The City soon enough zoomed him away from the Himeno Tsuruki Café.
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Kuma: bear
Catherine: pronounced here as "Cath-ther-REE-nay"; an attempt at Japanese pronunciation on my part. LOL.
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A/n: Whew! Have I been busy or have I been busy? College is way more time-consuming than I thought. No wonder so many fics are "abandoned" until college is over. Sheesh.
I've mostly settled in now, but I should warn you: Classes haven't started yet, so I have no idea what kind of workload I'm going to be handling for the next couple of months. I'll try and get in as much writing and updating time that I can, but don't hold your breath.
With that said, I hope you enjoyed!
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SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Damaged
Grimacing, he held back the surge of his light core at that thought. Today just was not his day, he mused in exasperation as he forced the source of his light ki back to its dark cage. He distantly perceived Catherine's eyes widen, but he was too tired, too pained, and too plain upset to much care.
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Thanks to lpgohanfanatic and supersaiyaman for reviewing!
Ciao!
TheShadowPanther and Allati, from AASN
AASN; Writing is what we do for you at AASN. Enjoy.
Updated 09.04.07
