Author: "AUTHOR NOTE TIME! Well, you guys are in luck - I'm uploading this chapter early. Reason being that I've gotta go to work early tomorrow, so I'm not gonna have time to upload this in the morning, like I tempt to do. And I could upload it in the afternoon/night, but I'll probably get home like I just fought a war, so I'm not gonna have the energy to do it. As for this chapter, all I can say is... PLOT TWISTS! Read, review, follow, fave, do whatchu wanna do."
To Be Born Anew
Hercule: *climbing* "Hah... hah... man, how high is this thing?! I'd best get there soon, or I'm gonna fall off!"
Korin: "Looking for something?"
Hercule: "A talking cat?! Bah, whatever! I'm looking for my sweet little honeydew!"
Korin: "... your what?"
Hercule: "My wife."
Korin: "Oh... well, there's no one here besides me, but if ya wanna check, you could climb up even higher to Kami's. He might have some answers."
Hercule: "Ugh... this tracking device better not be broken, or I'd just be wasting my time."
Chapter 7: Fight for Survival
Last time on-
Author: "TO BE BORN ANEEEWWWWWW!"
... our... two young... heroes had finally managed to survive by themselves out in the wild for six months! Piccolo decided it was time to begin the real training, and took the toddlers back to their original meeting point to start. Goku finally reached Snake Way, and he began training with the almighty King Kai! Fennec, with the help of her recovered lab set, created a series of different chemicals, which would be useful for our heroes in their battle against Nappa and Vegeta! However, she had not yet tried these chemicals in an actual battle, but that was about to change...
Fennec: "Alright... no one's following?" *checks* "OK..." *steps under pendulum* *teleported to altered dimension*
Kami: "Hmmm..."
Against all odds, Fennec ventured into the altered dimension where Scarface and Shorty were found, all by herself. Oblivious to her was the fact that Kami had been spying on her, and that he could see her every move as she explored the dead battlefield. It was late at night, and no one besides her and Kami were awake, so this was the perfect time to try out her new tactics, as well as testing out her new strength after months of training.
Soon after entering the altered dimension, Fennec could hear Scarface and Shorty, seemingly laughing behind a wall. The evil Saiyans' laughter was interrupted, however, as Fennec charged straight at the wall, and with a single punch, broke the structure down into a hundred pieces. In a blink, Fennec reached for her pocket and took out a syringe, while still in mid-air from her dash, and injected Scarface's neck with it, flowing a yellow liquid into his body. She did not give Shorty a chance to react, grabbing him with her tail, and dragging him down one of the endless holes. Scarface looked on, but he could not move, as if he had been paralyzed! He then began hearing loud screams of agony coming from the hole, and he could recognize they were Shorty's! The ground was shaking violently, and it sounded as if a body was being constantly slammed against the walls with the force of an angry elephant. After a few seconds of screaming, Shorty reached his bloody hand out of the hole, trying to escape, but his hand was quickly grabbed by Fennec's. She dug her fingers into Shorty's flesh, releasing hot steam from his hand, and dragged it down once more, followed by even more screams. And soon after, the sounds stopped.
For the first time, Scarface looked terrified, knowing that he was facing a foe much stronger than he was. And worst of all, he was paralyzed, so he was unable to do a thing about it! Slowly, Fennec flew up from the hole, with several blood stains on her hands, legs, tail, and face. She gracefully landed back on the ground, and slowly began walking towards Scarface, whilst wiping the blood off her glasses. Once she was in front of the Saiyan, Fennec put her glasses back on, and took out a small beaker with a blue liquid inside it. She lifted Scarface's chin up, and forced him to drink the whole thing. Scarface then began to feel his body become softer - specifically, his bones. The chemical Fennec gave him caused Scarface's skeleton to weaken, making it much easier to break. Fennec was still holding Scarface's chin up, and she then began lifting it even higher, as high as it would without breaking. But she kept trying to lift, gradually putting more force into her hand. Scarface felt like his head was about to fall out, and he began murmuring in pain, as he could still not move his mouth. After enough force, a crack was heard, and Scarface's head became completely loose. Fennec let go of his chin, and watched as the evil Saiyan fell face first against the ground, dead.
Six months ago, Fennec was unable to keep up with just one of the two Saiyans, even with the help of her allies. But now, in less than five minutes, she had annihilated the both of them, with little effort, by herself. Her improvement amazed even her, but she knew, despite how much stronger she was, that she was still no match for the two Saiyans that were approaching Earth. Fennec's training would now have to ascend.
Fennec: "Well... that certainly went better than expected." *is teleported back to the lookout* "OK, now back to-"
Kami: "Impressive."
Fennec: "Waah! Kami? Did you..."
Kami: "Yes, I saw everything. Fennec, your strength is most formidable, and yet it only wishes it matched your astuteness. Your grace in combat only makes your brutality look the more fearsome. Though, I trust that you understand that your power still does not match that of the Saiyans heading to Earth."
Fennec: "Yes, Lord Kami, I understand. I will continue to train at my best, sir!"
Kami: "Of course. And... I hope you continue creating those strange liquids. They seem to be quite handy for you!"
Fennec: "Heh..." *holding string of syringes with tail* "... there's always time for a little science."
The next day, on the plains...
Piccolo: "Alright, here's the deal, you two. You are going to fight each other all day. Whoever wins gets to eat tonight."
Gohan: "What?! But, that's not fair!"
Piccolo: "Kid, do you think the Saiyans are going to be fair to you when they get here? I want you two to give it all you've got, every day. And I mean it. I've seen how strong you two really are. If I see any of you two holding back even the smallest percentage of your full power, you will both be punished by me."
Videl: "No way! Grr..." *gets in fighting stance*
Having no other option, Gohan and Videl got on their fighting stances and were soon throwing a barrage of punches and kicks at each other. Piccolo looked on, seeing how much braver and anxious to fight the two had gotten since the first day they met. The fight seemed ALMOST equal, but looking closer, Gohan seemed to have a slight advantage. His over-all physique and hidden potential was greater than Videl's, and it began to show after a couple of minutes of sparring. Videl started to grow tired and was having a harder time blocking and dodging Gohan's attacks. Finally, Gohan landed a finishing punch on Videl, and she came crashing down on the ground, exhausted and defeated.
Videl: *laying on the ground* "Agh... ow..."
Gohan: "Videl!" *flies towards Videl* "Are you OK? Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Piccolo: *shoots ki blast near Gohan* "Don't be sorry, kid. One must never show any signs of mercy against the enemy. Now, you, brat, get back up. It's not even noon yet."
Videl: *panting* "Hah... hah..." *gets on her knees* "Hah... fine... ugh..."
The two young Saiyans continued their fight, growing more and more tired by the second. It was like heaven on Earth when Piccolo finally decided to let the two rest for the night. The Demon King dropped a bowl of food next to Gohan, as he had promised, since it was the boy who "won" the fight. Videl, however, was left aside, beat and starving.
Videl: "Geez... I don't feel good..."
Gohan: "Hey, Videl, do you want some of this?" *show bowl* "We can shar-"
Piccolo: *shoots another ki blast* "No sharing! You won, kid, and she failed. Losers don't get a prize."
Videl: "Grr..." *lays down, trying to sleep*
Gohan: "S... Sorry, Videl..."
Videl: "Just eat, Gohan. I'm going to sleep."
Meanwhile, on King Kai's planet...
Goku: "I caught Bubbles!"
King Kai: "OK, now smack Gregory with a hammer." *hands hammer to Goku*
Gregory: "WHAT?!"
Goku: "On it!"
Back on Earth, Gohan woke up for a new day, rested and ready to start. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about Videl. She was still aching from the fight the day before, was quite hungry for not eating in 24 hours, and to top it off, had a hard time sleeping. Despite her issues, Videl would have to ignore it, knowing that Piccolo would not give a single care, and that he would want the two to be fighting relentlessly once more. The Saiyan girl tried to hide it, but Gohan could still see through her emotional barrier, and he was quite worried for her safety. Piccolo clearly was not, though.
Piccolo: "FIGHT!"
Videl: *running towards Gohan* "Haaa!" *throws punch*
Gohan: *blocks with ease* "Whoa!"
Videl: "Grrr...!" *throws a barrage of attacks*
Gohan: *blocks and dodges everything* "Waah!"
Piccolo: "(Hmmm... he doesn't want to fight back.) Kid! Quit being on the defensive already! If you don't fight back, you'll both get hurt!"
Gohan: "Aah! Sorry, Videl!" *kicks Videl*
The fight continued, and once more, Gohan had the over-all advantage, this time even more noticeable, as only he was in top condition out of the two. Videl continued to get beaten, and Gohan apologized for every successful hit, only to be yelled at by Piccolo constantly. Night time came, and Videl was now barely able to move, as her body was extremely sore from their sparring. Gohan was able to eat another bowl of food, but for every bite he took, he looked at Videl, and felt like a criminal for letting a poor girl like her starve, even though he could do nothing about it.
The next day came, and Videl was starting to look sick from the lack of food, sleep, and constant pain. Her performance was even more miserable, as she had just enough energy to attack occasionally. Piccolo's training method was not helping Videl at all, or at least it seemed as so, proven by her decaying strength. Once night time came, Gohan tried to sneak some of his food so he could give it to Videl in secret, but it was no use as Piccolo watched every last movement the two made. In the middle of the night, Videl woke up, making sure not to bother Gohan, and proceeded to walk.
Videl: *walking* "(I can't take it anymore...)"
Piccolo: "And where do you think you're going?"
Videl: *turns around* "To get food. I'm not gonna starve to death because of your stupid training."
Piccolo: "I've already harvested all the fruits and vegetables this land has to offer. And I've scared the animals away. You'll be lucky to find a worm to eat."
Videl: "Hmph... watch me." *walks off*
Ignoring Piccolo's words, Videl went off to find something - anything that seemed edible. After two hours of walking, all Videl could find was a bush, with only leaves and branches, though it seemed that it was home of cherries at some point. At first sight, it might have just seemed like a bush, but Videl remembered some of the science lessons and jungle stories her mother had told her. She remembered some basic survival cooking tips, and gathered several leaves and branches. Using some of her ki, Videl melted a liquid from within the branches, and mixed it with the softest parts of the leaves. After minutes of stirring the leaves and branches with her tail, Videl created what seemed like a strange salad, but it was enough to fill her empty stomach, and allow her to fight better the next day.
Regardless of Videl's better shape, however, she was still defeated by Gohan the next day, as pain and stress had caused her to lose focus. For the rest of the week, Videl got up every night to make the same salad, as she was just not on par with Gohan's abilities. Piccolo began getting frustrated, but no more than the Saiyan girl had, and Gohan would be scared all the time, feeling the tension between the two.
Meanwhile, on Kami's lookout...
Fennec: "Tien. Chiaotzu. Are you two ready?"
Tien: "Are you sure you can handle us both, Fennec?"
Fennec: "More than sure, handsome."
Tien: *blushes* "What? Oh... heh..."
Chiaotzu: "Tien? Why is your face red?"
Tien: "N-No it isn't! OK, on your mark... get set... GO!"
Fennec was, without a doubt, showing the most progress out of everyone else on the lookout. It came as no surprise; her Saiyan blood gave her a major advantage on the way she learned, fought, and thought in battle. The scientist and fighter became too much for a single man to handle, so she was now fighting groups by herself. Tien and Chiaotzu rushed towards the Saiyan, ready to attack, only for their blows to be blocked and countered. Fennec focused on Tien, putting pressure on him, giving a chance for Chiaotzu to attack. The small, white-skinned boy became shocked as he discovered this was Fennec's plan. She had never stopped to sense Chiaotzu, opposite of what he thought, and in a blink, Fennec changed her focus from Tien to Chiaotzu, leaving the tall man motionless for a second, as he needed time to recover. Not surprisingly, Tien and Chiaotzu were quickly defeated by Fennec, who then gave them a helping hand.
Fennec: "Hehe! Need help, boys?" *helps them get back up*
Tien: "Oh, man... you're awesome, Fennec!"
Chiaotzu: "You're really, really, REALLY strong, Fennec!"
Fennec: "Oh, shush! You two did gre-"
Hercule: "FENN!"
Fennec: "Was that...?! HERCULE?!"
Hercule: *exhausted* "Hah... hah... hah... oh, golly, that was a LONG climb up!"
Fennec: "Herc, what are you doing here?! Actually, HOW did you get up here?!"
Hercule: "With this here gizmo!" *shows Power Pole* "But that's not important! I'm here for you, Fenn!"
Fennec: "What? Herc, I told you, I can't co-"
Hercule: "PLEASE, FENN! It's too lonely without you! I was alone for a very long time back in the day, and I'm not about to go through all them barney-willies again!"
... what's a barney-willy?
Author: "I dunno..."
Hercule: *crawls up to Fennec* "PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!"
Fennec: "Hu..." *sigh* *kneels in down to speak to Hercule* "Look, Herc, I'm sorry I had to leave like that, and I'm sorry you've felt so bad all these months, but this is a matter of world safety. If we don't stop those Saiyans, then there won't be a home for you, or me, or Videl to live at."
Hercule: "Oooo...! If you're not coming back with me, then I'm staying with you!"
Fennec: "Herc, you need to go back home!"
Hercule: "NO WAY! You're my wife, I'm your husband, we'll go through this together!"
Fennec: *sigh* "... there's no reasoning with you, is there?"
Kami: "I think you should let him stay, Fennec. You have space in your room, and he is your soul mate. Who knows, he might actually be of use in the battle."
Hercule: *jumps really high* "YAA-HOOOOO! You heard the boss, Fenn! I'm staying with you and that's final!"
Fennec: "Ah, Herc... always so silly, yet certain of what you say." *wraps tail around Hercule's arm, tickling him* "Come on, champ, we gotta get your things set up." *walks to her room, holding Hercule*
Hercule: "Oo-ooh-ooh-ooh... I've missed that tickling sensation!"
Meanwhile, on King Kai's planet...
Goku: "I smacked Gregory!"
Gregory: "Oooowwww..."
King Kai: "Now to tech you the Kaio-Ken."
Goku: "Yaaay! ... Kaio-what?"
Back on the plains...
Gohan: "... umm... are you OK, Videl?"
Videl: "... Gohan..." *points at Gohan* "... I'm gonna eat today!"
Gohan: "W-What...? Uh, s-sure, I wish you luck."
Piccolo: "Hmm... cocky today, aren't we? Let's see how long that lasts... FIGHT!"
Videl had had enough of Gohan beating her every day, and having to eat the same kind of salad every night. She had practiced a new technique, all to Piccolo's back, which would come to be a surprise for all. The Saiyan girl rushed towards Gohan, but instead of hitting him straight on, she ran past him. When he turned around, Gohan saw a glowing fist right in front of his face, just before being sent flying across the field! This strike was unlike any Videl had ever given him, as if Gohan had been hit by a dozen Videls at the same time. The glow from Videl's fist disappeared shortly after, just as Gohan got off the ground, covering his face from the pain. Piccolo's eyes were wide open, showing the shock from Videl's power level skyrocketing for a few seconds. The same phenomenon happened again, this time Videl's foot glowing, as she jumped and dive kicked to where Gohan was. The boy made a cross with his arms, shielding himself from the incoming attack, but the force of Videl's foot was enough to break through his defense, and deal yet another devastating blow! The fight continued, but unlike the others, it appeared that Videl would finally have the upper hand!
Came night time, the fight was over, and for the first time, Videl had come out victorious! She helped Gohan with his injuries, but was satisfied to feel that it was her the one treating him for the first time. Keeping truthful to his word, Piccolo dropped a bowl of food in front of Videl, but proceeded to stand in front of her and interrogate her.
Piccolo: "Alright, tot, what technique was that?"
Videl: "A little something I learned while you weren't looking! If focuses all the energy of my body into a specific spot, making a single attack much stronger than normal. Though, I have to let my body cool down for a second."
Piccolo: "Tsk... so it's not perfect."
Videl: "Neither are you."
Piccolo: "Don't push it, brat."
Videl: "Hm... hey, Gohan, say 'Ah.'"
Gohan: "Huh? Aaaaahh-" *Videl throws some food into his mouth from a distance* "Mmm! Mmm!" *chews*
Piccolo: "WHAT?! Why, you little-"
Videl: "What are you gonna do, kill one of the only hopes for the planet?"
Piccolo: "Grrrr...!"
Videl: "Sorry, Piccolo, but I win this one."
Slowly but surely, Videl was becoming stronger, though she was also starting to develop a hatred towards her forced mentor, Piccolo. Fennec and Hercule had been reunited, though keeping the mentally challenged husband would turn out to be more difficult than expected! What new tricks will these two Saiyanii learn? Will they be strong enough to face the terrible Nappa and Vegeta? Stay tuned for the answers on the next To Be Born Anew!
To be continued...
Bonus Skit
After finally setting his things up, it was time for Hercule to be questioned by his wife, who had a million questions gravitating on her head.
Fennec: "OK, Herc, now, HOW, in detail, did you get up here?"
Hercule: "Well, using my ingenious mind, I figured that you would sooner or later miss your beloved lab set. So, I hid a tracking device in your lab coat's pocket, and that way, I was able to know your exact location!"
Fennec: "Clever... well, that's how you found me, but how did you get UP here?"
Hercule: "This Indian kid told me to climb Korin's tower, and that I would find you here! So I did, and it was very hard, but for you, I'd do anything, Fenn! Anyways, when I got up there, there was a white, talking cat, and he told me to climb even higher to Kami's lookout!"
Korin: "Here, use this Power Pole replica I made. It's made exclusively to go up to Kami's lookout, so you best not use this thing to fight, or it'll break!"
Hercule: "OK..." *sets fake Power Pole down* "Power Pole Extend!" *Power Pole extends towards Kami's lookout* "Whoa! Look at that thing go!"
Korin: "... you know, you could have hold on to it, so you wouldn't have to climb that, too..."
Hercule: "Haha... my arms still hurt..."
