(Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Dragonball GT. All rights are to their respective owners)
Author's Note: Hello guys! Here with another update for you all! Have work to do, so another will take a week+ to churn out, but I'm hoping you all like it so far!
I do need to note, I know Goku learned to fly during Dragonball, but it's very inconsistent in the anime, Goku seems to forget randomly that he is able to fly between scenes/episodes, especially in the episodes when he is travelling on Snake Way to meet King Kai. Please suspend your disbelief for that one part! He'll be flying after meeting King Kai anyway!
More feedback, good or bad = Faster it will be done!
Raditz felt the power over his own limbs being restored to his body, as he fell to his hands and knees. "Looks as if you'd be having some company for travelling down Snake Way, Goku" King Yemma remarked, as he looked down at the group from over his desk.
"Yeah! I guess so!" Kakarot replied, as Raditz was able to climb to his feet. He noticed he was still wearing his brown Saiyan armour, albeit with massive hole in the middle of his chest and back where... Well, you know what happened... the missed Special Beam Canon what took out his shoulder pad also still retained it's damage. No matter, he'd find a replacement sooner or later, it was hardly the most pressing concern he had at the moment.
"So since Nappa and Prince Vegeta will be making their way to Earth in a year, what was you planing to do in the meantime little brother?" Raditz enquired, as he looked around the large oversized room, built especially in order to accommodate the gargantuan size of King Yemma. "That's right, Kami is sending me to meet a great martial arts teacher called King Kai, He's at the end of a road called Snake Way apparently." Kakarot answered. "It's for special training, it should give me enough strength to defeat your former Saiyan comrades!" Kakarot mentioned aggressively, though with a excited smile protruding across his face, as his older brother adjusted his gauntlet, listening attentively.
Well. Kakarot definitely had a sense of humour, didn't he?
Raditz regarded the fact that this ignorant fool believed that he had a snowballs chance in hell of standing toe to toe with the Prince was quite simply, laughable. Even after getting training from a god in the afterlife, there was still absolutely no way he'd be able to even dream about killing the greatest Saiyan this generation had seen, he only had a single year to leap from a pathetic power level to one of the most respected in the galaxy.
His train of thought was disrupted by by a large banging sound that echoed throughout the entire room.
"Come on! Move it! I've got a line forming longer than Snake Way with you four just standing there!" King Yemma angrily shouted, as he slammed his hands onto his massive desk. "Yes! Yes! Sorry King Yemma! Goku and his older brother will be heading off now, right?!" Kami quickly retorted, as he looked up at the great giant behind the desk, a anxious expression painted upon his wrinkly green face.
"Yeah sure! We've already wasted enough time as it is, safe trip back to earth you two!" Kakarot smiled, as he waved goodbye to both Kami and Baba, and began to run towards the exit of the great room. Raditz gave Kami a smirk as a goodbye, as he turned with his arms folded, following the path of his little brother, although much less enthusiastic.
Kami scratched his chin, as he saw the two Saiyans leave the room, giving a concerned look at the two as they walked into the distance. Only time will tell...
Kakarot and Raditz were escorted to the entrance of Snake Way by one of King Yemma's helping hands, a short, skinny looking blue toned ogre with square glasses. Upon arriving, the two looked at the large, vast, trailing body of a stone snake, what seemed to twist and turn before disappearing within the horizon, consumed by a sea of yellow clouds.
"What's with this? Some sort of joke?" Raditz remarked, as he observed the massive snake head at the entrance of Snake Way. "No sir!" King Yemma's helper replied, as Kakarot climbed to the top of the head to get a good look into the distance.
"Woooooooow! It looks so long!" Kakarot mused, climbing on top of the Snake's head to get a rough idea of the journey ahead of him. "How long is it?" He asked the skinny ogre, as he too, similarly took a look into the distance. "Well, they say it's over ten thousand miles! Though nobody really knows for sure".
"TEN THOUSAND MILES?!" Kakarot exclaimed, as he almost fell of the head of the snake. "Has anyone ever made it to the end?!" Kakarot added, as the little ogre turned to face him. "Only one person, King Yemma, and that was centuries ago!".
Raditz looked inside the mouth of the stone snake during his inspection of it, curiously. He began tapping the stone tongue of the Snake to see how tough it was.
"If I knew Snake Way was this long, I would have packed a lunch or something!" Kakarot replied, as he looked down upon the small looking blue ogre.
When a small crack started to emerge, Raditz decided to tap the tongue even harder. With each tap, more and more cracks appeared upon the surface, until the tongue's structural integrity began to fail and the stone tongue slowly collapsed into a ruin within the mouth of the stone snake.
"What?! What the heck are you doing?!" The blue ogre blurted out, quickly turning to Raditz as he looked at the shattered tongue. Raditz looked up and gave a mischievous smirk in return. "You!... You can't do that! Snake Way is an ancient walkway! You can't go around vandalising, Ki-" He was stopped by Raditz, was was now walking towards him, a sadistic smile laying claim to his face while the blue ogre started to walk backwards, clearly intimidated by the stance of this warrior.
"Or what?" Raditz asked, as slowly walked towards him, enjoying himself sadistically in the ogre's fear. "Are you going to fight me? I'd be willing to give you a free punch..." Raditz would, of course had checked his power level with his scouter if he had his old one on him, but a blind man could see that this skinny little ogre was anything but a fighter.
"That's enough Raditz! What did he ever do to you?" Kakarot chided, climbing down from the Snake's head to scold him, clearly in an agitated mood by his actions. "You know, I didn't expect much from you in terms of kindness. But we haven't even left yet and you're being a jerk!"
Raditz stopped walking towards the ogre, Thankfully as well... The poor little guy was standing on the very edge of the platform, one more step backwards away from Raditz and he would have been swallowed into the yellow cloudy abyss below.
"It's not too late to send you to hell, Raditz" Kakarot threatened, as his older brother took a step back, reliving the pressure and tension in the air.
Going to hell and not getting revived was definitely not a route the older Saiyan wanted to take...
"Hey! It's all a good joke right?!" Raditz laughed, pulling the ogre away from the edge and putting his arm around him in camaraderie. "I was only kidding! Man, you should have seen the look on your face!" He joked, as the glasses on the blue ogre began to slant in one direction on his face.
He was scared stiff. Remaining in a constant plank like motion as Raditz manhandled him.
Kakarot gave him a look that shot daggers, he knew exactly what Raditz was doing.
"Seriously though" Raditz snickered "You really should consider building these things with a better material! It's like it's made of something weak! Like paper-mache or something!" Raditz obnoxiously laughed out loud, letting go of the ogre as he fell over backwards onto the platform, who was still panicked into a coma-like planking position.
"Anyway! Dear brother! We should probably going shan't we!" The larger Saiyan suggested (with a hint of sarcasm), as he began to levitate up from the platform.
Kakarot sighed as he climbed back up onto the snake's head, before starting to run along the back of Snake Way. Raditz once again followed suit. He decided he'd go at his little brother's pace, considering how much weaker he was and all... as he casually flew after him.
Raditz flew at a steady, slow pace, as Kakarot happily jogged along the back of snake way.
"Kakarot!" he heard a shout from above, as he stopped and looked upwards. "Your power level is 416, correct?" Raditz stopped, as he began to descend to face his little brother.
"That's what that machine you had on your face said, huh?" Kakarot replied, indulging his elder brother's inquiry.
"Yes... but you can't fly?" Raditz asked, as he looked at his brother with stern eyes. "Well, I uh... I've never needed too I guess? I've always had the Nimbus handy with me, and that goes pretty fast! I used it to come over to you so quickly" Kakarot responded, not understanding what point he was getting at.
"That's pathetic!" Raditz screamed in an outburst, startling Kakarot slightly. "Ten thousand miles on foot? That'll take you forever!" he complained.
"Well.. You have a point. I'm starting to feel like I'm getting nowhere all of a sudden..." Kakarot agreed, as he looked on at the winding body of Snake Way, looking identical to the previous couple of miles he had seen.
"Well, I may not be able to fly, but I can still jump!" Kakarot smiled at Raditz, as he began jumping over vast areas of Snake Way, giggling as he does so. "Wahooo! I should have done this is in the first place!" He laughed, as giddy as a schoolgirl as Raditz begrudgingly continued to follow.
Was Earth really the planet his brother was sent to?
Kakarot was in bad shape, panting voraciously as he swung each arm In front of the other in order to keep himself going forward. It felt like he was on a never ending path, trapped within purgatory and condemned to repeat the same action, over and over and over until the end of time...
"What's wrong Kakarot? Feeling tired?" Raditz mocked his brother, as he predictably drew to a halt, bending over panting, gasping for air. "Wow... I'm... exhausted!".
"Is this really the best you can do? Please Kakarot! I was running faster and further than you when I was a teenager!" Raditz continued his snide comments, as Kakarot looked up at him "Wow, It's nice to know you have my back, brother..." He mentions, disappointed in tone in-between breaths.
"Pathetic! It's simply not good enough! You want to save your friends? Try not to be such a disgrace! You're a Saiyan, act like one!" Raditz taunted his brother, as he smiled, he seemed to be getting at him.
"I don't care about what you think! I am, who I am! And my name is GOKU!" Kakarot replied, as he began running again, effectively ending the conversation between the two. He was running with renewed vigour, as if a fire had been lit underneath him... still fatigued, though still pushing forward. Raditz smiled, let's see how far little brother could really go...
Minutes melded into hours, hours melded into days, as Kakarot continued to travel along the back of the stone snake. Neither Saiyan having a clue how far they was into their journey, how long was left... or even where they was. They both simply just had to keep pushing forward, and hope they'd approach something that resembled the residence of the martial arts master, King Kai.
"I see something up ahead!" Raditz called to Kakarot, who in turn, peeled his eyes into the distance.
Surely enough, a massive castle stood elegantly in the middle of nowhere. "This has to be it..." Kakarot concluded, as he approached the castle, he stood staring directly at the great gate, the primary entrance, patiently waiting for something to happen. The castle was three stories tall, a large, grand estate. King Kai sure had a knack for style!
"This place looks fit for a king! Though it doesn't seem like anybody is home..." Kakarot observed, as Raditz descended and landed next to Kakarot. "Aren't you going to knock? Little brother?" Raditz gave a hard slap to Kakarot on the back, making take a few steps forward.
Ouch! That stung!
"Watch it Raditz!" He protested, as he turned to face his older brother with an aggressive expression However, a playful smile was spread across the face of Raditz. "Please! I'm simply having a bit of fun! That's what you did down on earth, right? You 'play' with your pitiful earthling 'friends'?" Raditz snapped at Kakarot, incredibly arrogant and condescending in tone. "You're being out of line! You're making me regret my decision, I could have just forced you to wait at the Check-in Station for an entire year, ya'know?!" Kakarot barked back, clearly having enough of his older brother's downright annoying demeanour.
Raditz's attention was caught regarding the castle... it seemed to be morphing into something?
"Kakarot... What the hell is happening to the castle!" Raditz pointed towards the castle behind his brother, what seemed to be taking a different shape... Transforming even... It was turning into the head of a giant snake!
"Yeah, right Raditz... I'm not going to fool for that. Apologize! Now!" Kakarot sternly demanded, as he stared at Raditz, refusing to turn around to get a look of the castle.
"Kakarot! I'm not kidding! The castle is turning into a..." Raditz attempted to finish, but he could feel a gust of wind begin to take a grip of his body, by the looks of things, his little brother did too!
"Whoa! What's this?!" Kakarot asked, feeling an the gust of wind touch his body also, as the wind become more, and more intense... It actually lifted the two of them off of their feet! The massive snake head was actually sucking them in!
The two Saiyans, caught by surprise, were both devoured by the strange looking shape-shifting snake, as it closed shut behind them, preventing any sort of escape.
Now the two brothers were falling... Falling through a massive golden tunnel, as Kakarot was rendered screaming in surprise "This is all your fault! You idiot!" Raditz shouted at his brother, as the two plummeted into god knows where. "Woaahhhgh! This is crazy!" Kakarot called out, as Raditz grabbed him by the left foot and began to levitate, controlling himself in mid air.
Raditz dangled his brother over a pit of darkness, as he held him by his shoe. "Raditz! Fly up! Fly up!" Kakarot pleaded, as he struggled in mid air, he was hanging directly over what seemed to be, the bottomless pit. The older brother smiled, "Stop struggling, I'm going to lose my grip!" he sternly conveys, as Kakarot stops moving and droops in Raditz's grip, swaying from side to side. "Okay, so now can you fl-".
"Whoops" Raditz smirks, as he releases his grip of his younger brother's shoe.
Kakarot continues falling, yelling all the way down and eventually out of Raditz's view and into the gloomy darkness below.
"I've got the dropsies...".
Kakarot continues falling, oddly enough, a trapdoor opens and the younger Saiyan hits the hard, blue marble floor with a large thud.
"Ugh... man.." Kakarot mutters to himself, as he massages his injured tooshie. Well, it seemed as if Kakarot was definitely inside the castle now, as the interior of this room seemed to definitely match the style of the exterior the pair had seen just a few moments prior.
Strangely enough, a dark blue skinned attractive woman with a gong stood attentively by, as if she was ready and awaiting Kakarot's arrival. She promptly hit the gong in order to make an announcement.
"Summon the Princess! A visitor just dropped in to see her!"
Yeah, he sure dropped in alright, Raditz thought to himself, as descended further into the tunnel, though not entering the room, but rather remaining incognito behind the trapdoor in the ceiling.
A green double door at the other side of the room opened, as the woman hit the gong a second time.
"Her highness has arrived!"
Both of the Saiyan's were dumbfounded, what the heck was going on?
All was made apparent, as Kakarot turned to face a beautiful looking woman with regal dress and vaguely snakelike features with her escort of likewise attractive handmaiden's came to greet the new stranger in their midst.
"Woah! King Kai's a woman?!" Kakarot said, shocked,as they approached him. Raditz was similarly surprised and interested. Looks can be deceiving, he guessed?
"Ahhh! Sure enough, and cute too!" Kakarot happily proclaimed, carefree and honest in his compliment. "Oh! My, aren't you bold..." the beautiful woman said, blushing and looking away in embarrassment. "Oh, Sorry your highness!" Kakarot quickly replied, trying not to cause any sort of offence. "I, uh came here to study with you, if that's okay?" Kakarot asked, as he was quickly interjected by one of the handmaidens for the Princess. "Look at her highness, I haven't seen her this excited since King Yemma dropped by a long time ago!".
Raditz had to listen closely in order to make out what words they was saying, it was quite far away from his vantage point to Kakarot on the floor below.
"Well, the real reason I came here is to receive your training so I can help my friends back on earth!" Kakarot happily explained, as Princess Snake blushed again, taking cover behind her coat.
"Oh, training? I'm flattered, Alright then!" she seductively approved, as she grabbed both of Kakarot's hands and led him in a dance.
Raditz wanted to laugh, but he more interested than anything. They had only met a minute ago and now they was dancing. Either way, Kakarot's dancing was like watching a dinosaur play chess, it wasn't exactly pretty to watch.
"He's married you know!" Raditz called out from the ceiling, as everybody in the room promptly stopped and looked up to see the source of the voice, as he descended into the room slowly with his arms folded "He has a kid and everything... maybe he's married?".
"Hm, Raditz..." Kakarot acknowledged as his older brother, as his two feet hit the floor.
"My, who might this odd looking beast be?" the Princess asked, as he looked the older Saiyan up and down curiously.
"That's my annoying older brother... his name is Raditz, and he's been a pain ever since I've first met him". Kakarot looked on disapprovingly, folding his arms and looking away in a strop, "I'm wondering about my choice of even inviting him to come here with me to train with you, King Kai!".
"King Kai? Me? Ohohohoho" the Princess chuckled as her handmaidens joined him. "My name is Princess Snake, I'm not King Kai, I've won the Otherworld beauty contest and I'm known all throughout the land for my beauty!" she proudly proclaims.
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry!" Kakarot added, "I thought you was King Kai, see you later!" he explained, as he headed toward the direction of a door (He assumed would be the exit).
"Oh no! You can't leave just yet! At least stay for dinner!" Princess Snake insisted, as she blocked Kakarot from moving any further.
"Dinner?" Raditz added. He may have been dead, but he was most definitely famished. "That does sound like a good idea, Kakarot". His little brother's stomach honestly didn't lie, and it seemed to be in cahoots with himself.
"Sure... I'll stay for dinner, but we really must be getting going afterwards!" Kakarot agreed, his stomach rumbling in approval with his choice.
"Dinner is served!" Princess Snake happily revealed, as her handmaidens revealed the dinner that was prepared for the two unwitting Saiyans, laying it out on the table for them to pick and choose what dish they desired the most
"mmmmHm!" Kakarot happily licked his lips at the gratuitous amount of food Princess Snake was presenting to the both of them. "There's brazed crocodile head, sautéed paw of bear, muscles and roast turkey if all the rest of it doesn't fill you up!" The Princess proclaims, looking devilishly at the two of them. "And of course, we've prepared three types of desert! So be certain to save some room for that too boys!"
"You know, you didn't need to cook any of it!" Raditz claimed, garnering odd looks from his little brother, the Princess and her handmaidens before he shrugged.
"Whatever!" Raditz mentioned, breaking the awkward silence before grabbing the crocodile head and starting to gnaw down on it, scales and all. Kakarot was not to be outdone, as he starting going to town, chomping large mouthfuls of turkey leg, in an attempt to keep up with his older brother
This garnered looks of shock, Princess Snake looked like she had trauma from seeing two Saiyans eat for the first time, as she looked on at them with awe. Whatever bad feeling there was between the Saiyans, it evaporated when dinnertime was concerned.
After ten entire minutes of gorging themselves, the two Saiyans were finally done feasting, licking the plates clean just for good measure. "Yeah! That hit the spot!" Goku added for good measure, leaning back and patting his belly, while Raditz was picking his teeth with a crocodile tooth.
"Shall I prepare two beds, you must be sleepy after all that food?" One of the handmaidens offered, shocked as she asked the two Saiyan's, almost intimidated by how much these creatures can wolf down their food.
"Well, I guess I am a little bit, but we must go! We really must be getting to King Kai's place!" Kakarot insisted. "No, no... I'm afraid you can't go... Please, come and get some sleep" Princess Snake also insisted, as Raditz now raised an eyebrow.
"I'm doubting your integrity... Princess Snake..." He sternly looked at her, trying to deduce what her agenda could possibly be. Why would she be so nice too to two of them? What could she possibly want? "Oh please! I'm just trying to take care of both of you! Snake Way is such a long, arduous journey! A little rest in order before travelling onward, don't you think?"
Kakarot also felt pretty suspicious, it's like he was being detained against his will!."I think I'll be leaving now! Thank you so much for the meal, but I really must be going!". Princess Snake's reaction to this sentence was like somebody just drove a dagger into directly into her heart. "Oh please! It's so lonely here in the middle of Snake Way! I haven't seen another soul in such a long, long time! And now two show up at my doorstep!" she pleaded with the younger brother. "Just stay one night! That's all I ask!".
"Well..." Kakarot seemed conflicted, however while the two were talking, Raditz flew over to one of the doors', and promptly tried to open it... but it wouldn't budge."Oh my!" Princess Snake quickly noticed what Raditz was trying to do. "I'm afraid that's locked! You can't get in there! No access to visitors!".
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't notice..." Raditz replied, as he pulled his hand back, and attempted to ram his fist through the door.
"Aargh!" Princess Snake called out, holding her gut... The entire room seemed to change slightly as she did so... more soft... and red looking, before quickly returning to normal.
"Please! That door is very fragile!" she pleaded the larger Saiyan, as the handmaidens huddled around her.
"What are you hiding? Shapeshifter!" Raditz threatened, in an aggressive tone, as he punched the door again. This time, things were changed VERY differently.
"Hurgh!" Princess Snake yelped in pain, before her, and her handmaidens began to evaporate like a mirage in the far distance. The entire room began morphing... changing... until it looked like...
It looked like Kakarot and Raditz were inside somebodies stomach! He walls turned red, pulsating like flexing muscles, as stomach acid began to fill the floor of the belly!
"Curses! You two idiots may have seen through my little rouse, but my stomach acid will incinerate you both within seconds!" a voice slightly resembling the previous tone of Princess Snake could be heard, though this was much more sinister and evil in tone.
Raditz turned to Kakarot, who this time, rushed over to him and picked him up by the arm this time. "You know I could just blow a hole right through her stomach, right?" Raditz said to his little brother, as he began flying upwards, in an attempt to escape the stomach of Princess Snake. "No Raditz! That would be impolite! She just gave us dinner!" Kakarot protested, as Raditz snorted and sighed. "Fine! But you owe me, Kakarot!" Raditz accepted, as he navigates through the red, muscle ridden cave.
"Up there! I can see the light!" Kakarot announces, as a small slither of light in-between teeth could be seen in the distance, using all of his flight ability, Raditz bobs and weaves through the multiple attempts of Princess Snake to contain the two fighters, but to no avail!
"NOOOO!" Princess Snake screams, as both the Saiyans shoot directly out of the mouth and body of the long snake princess, who was desperately snapping her jaws repeatedly in an attempt to catch the escaped meal.
"This isn't the last you've seen of me you two!" Princess Snake calls in frustration, angered at herself for failing to devour and keep the two brothers in her stomach, as Raditz flies his absolute maximum speed off into the distance, outrunning and escaping the snake royalty.
When sure he was clear, Raditz flew to the nearest point on Snake Way to unceremoniously dump his younger brother back on track. "Raditz? Why did you pick me up back there? You know, you could have just left me there for dead? If that makes sense... I guess I would have died twice?" Kakarot questioned his brother, ultimately ending up confusing himself in the process.
"Don't mistake my intentions, you ignorant fool!" Raditz was quick to shoot down any idea's that his younger brother was to conjure. "I picked you up because your friends would have been suspicious if I was to be revived all by myself!" He exploded at his little brother, borderline shouting directly in Kakarot's face "I need you to be there, otherwise, I doubt that the green man would be happy, got it?! And then I'd have to stomp his green head into the dirt before I destroy him, alright?"
Instead of being angry, Kakarot simply smiled in return, "Well, whatever your intentions, thanks! See Raditz, it doesn't hurt every once in a while saying thank you!" Kakarot said, as calm as a summer day, trying to forget his brother's downright evil, negative personality.
His older brother grumbled in return. "If you grew up on Planet Vegeta, you'd be singing a different tune, fool..."
"It's the end! I can see the end!" Kakarot called out, in absolute elation while gaining Raditz's attention. "Hm?" The older brother stated, as he looked ahead. True enough, the end of snake way!
It had been some time since the encounter with Princess Snake, and they had been travelling non-stop since they had escaped.
Kakarot was absolutely bemused! He began sliding down the remnants of the track towards the end, giggling all the way, happier than ever. Raditz could hardly blame him, he was honestly starting to question if they'd ever reach the end... if he had any method of keeping track of time, he was certain that it had been well over 2 months of travelling... But, here they were! Ten thousand miles!
The end of snake way, was just an abrupt stop... like the end of a Railtrack, there was simply nothing more to see when you'd be expecting it go further, and further. Kakarot promptly paused at the end of Snake Way, standing over the edge looking around for any signs of the so called 'legendary master arts teacher' King Kai.
He looked right.
He looked left.
Nothing but the same old shtick. An endless expanse of infinite yellow clouds, adorned with a strangely alluring pink skyline... but no sign of the residence of King Kai...
"How about up there?" Raditz pointed out, his head tilted upwards.
High up in the sky, a tiny planet could be seen. It seemed as if it had a road running straight through the middle of it... a couple of trees and a single house... a quaint little retreat at the end of everything. "Well then, let's go see this martial arts teacher, shall we Raditz?" Kakarot asked, as he turned his head to look at him.
Raditz shot him a look saying 'What the hell do you think?' before the younger brother turned his head back around.
"Still as miserable as ever, I see?" Kakarot sighed.