A/N: Sorry about the longer being than expected wait. I would have had the chapter up sooner, but my old computer ended up going out. Well, more like the power cord nearly started a fire, but it's all the same to me. Got a new one now, so the old one won't be missed. But yes, were it not for the delay, the chapter would have been up over a week ago. To make up for that, I present to you a 12.5k word beast. Next one shouldn't be as massive, but expect at least 9k or so.
As it is, I still need to proof read it a bit more, but it seems acceptable now. Overall I like it, but I want to hear everyone else's opinions, especially on Goku's little stay in hell. That is the part I'm most uncertain about.
So yes, by all means, read and review. Don't abstain from criticism, as that is what makes all good stories better.
And yes, before I forget...
Dragonall, Dragonball-Z and any copyrights are all owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation. All characters (Aside from any OCs I may or may not decide to make up.) belong to Akira, and are in no way shape or form mine. The concept, and it's implementation are mine. Nothing more and nothing less.
In less than a quarter of a cycle-with a cycle equating to about 48 standard Earth hours- the pods had arrived, and were orbiting a few hundred miles over the surface of Arlia.
Being in identical design, both Saiyans heard the same description of the planet from the attack pods central on board computer.
'Arlia: Largest of seventeen moons, of the XNT class planet Aron.'
Both groaned inwardly as the machine went on in its grating monotone voice.
' Diameter: 4,500 miles. Atmospheric analysis complete: Atmosphere is composed of 74% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, .55% Xenon .5% Carbon Dioxide, .5% Hydrogen, .45% Argon; remainder constituted of water vapor, with traces of Ammonia and Sulfur. '
'Mean surface temperature: 40 Degrees Centigrade. Maximum daytime temperature: 58 degrees. Minimum nighttime temperature: -10 degrees. Gravity level is estimated at 1/20 of a standard unit.'
Vegeta allowed his head to fall flat into the door pane. An action that his companion obviously could not see. The conditions sounded deplorable, and the air toxic after prolonged exposure.
Nappa didn't seem as off put though as his prince. "Well, let's check it out Vegeta. I'm sure the locals will appreciate having some tourism."
...
Seconds later, two deafening explosions were heard across Arlia. And from each crater emerge one of the two Saiyans.
All they could see for miles around were rock formations, other than that, nothing indicative of any intelligent species. Just rocks, and bizarrely colored foliage. The air reeked, but they figured that they were lucky in one regard. They had landed during twilight hours, and according to Planet Trade data, they wouldn't have to worry about the freezing cold night for another half a cycle. By which time they would be light years away from the floating hell hole; if Vegeta had his way that was, which he nearly always did.
But at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to throttle his older comrade. Nappa had served first as his body guard, then as he got older, a mentor.
Vegeta had great respect for him, but he also resented his partners lack of common sense and foresight. It would have saved the lot of them a lot of grief in the past if the older Saiyan had simply employed a bit more tact. The same held true in this scenario.
All of sudden their scouters came to life, with nearly a dozen energy signatures popping up.
"You see those Vegeta, ten of them. Too bad none of them have a power level over fifty." remarked Nappa with a frown.
"Yes, quite disappointing, I know. But I don't recall coming here for a slaughter, which is what this would be if we fought them. Though a little excitement might do us some good, it might even make me forget about wanting to beat you to within an inch of your life for dragging us to this damn place."
The burly Saiyan gulped, then gave a nervous laugh. Then he noticed a cloud of dust in the distance. "Looks like they are almost here, right Vegeta?"
All Vegeta responded with was a irritated "hmph".
Within a couple minutes they were able to see the natives clearly, as well as the beasts they were riding in on. The prince knew he was right when he figured the inhabitants to be be a primitive, barbaric lot, but he didn't expect them to have such a grotesque appearance. Bug like, with no definable mouth, more a set of mandibles than anything else. They had two arms and two legs, and what appeared to be wings folded behind their backs.
No sooner than they arrived, than did they immediately surround the two warriors.
"You two!" bellowed the one Vegeta and Nappa both assumed to be the leader. The voice was high pitch, nasally, with a crackly overtone. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, surprised that they even spoke the Standard Language.
But the leader, or whatever he, or it was, wasn't done yet. "You are hear by charged with trespassing on the glorious Planet Arlia."
Vegeta smirked, before sending Nappa a look that suggested they play along. The larger warrior nodded in understanding. It was simple really, as far as Vegeta was concerned. They would humor these weaklings, and allow themselves to be taken into custody. Then, once those insects let their guard down, they would provide a show of force, to show these savages who really was in control.
Nappa and Vegeta heard the bug captain bark, or hiss some order to his subordinates in whatever passed for speech on this planet. Then their hands were bound behind their backs, and they led at sword point to what they could only guess was some sort of prison within one of the rock formations.
Both kept an eye out for anything even remotely resembling ki dampening equipment. They had their doubts about this moon possessing that type of technology, but they had felt the effects of such devices in the past, and did not want to be at the mercy of the moons inhabitants.
At the first sign of any such device, they would shatter their bonds and atomize the legion of guards surrounding them.
A short while later, they found themselves inside a crudely fashioned jail cell. Their 'captors' had been foolish enough to put them in the same cell together, which Vegeta found hilarious. They hadn't even the sense to take, or at least attempt to take their scouters.
And as impossible as it seemed, the cell actually smelled far worse than it did outside.
"Great, were in prison now Vegeta." Nappa said. But it was in a bored tone, considering he knew how easily they could get out of it. "So, what exactly is the point of this, if you don't mind me asking?"
The prince laughed darkly. "Nothing more than a little game."
Nappa simply raised an eyebrow. "A game?"
"Yes." replied Vegeta, "Since we're here on this shit-hole world, thanks to you, I've decided to make the best of it. These incompetent roaches seem to think so highly of themselves and this rotten dirtball, so I think we should show them what real power is."
Vegeta gave an insane laugh, then charged up an orb of energy and launched it through the wall, where it continued though several more sections, till it finally detonated into a wall several hundred feet away.
Before the guards could even blink twice, Vegeta was out of the cell and had darted through the opening he made. Nappa was hardly a step behind him; they both found out that the room they broke into was actually a massive coliseum, with a throne only a few feet up into the stands. Of course it was separated from the others by a big distance, and had several guards surrounding it. The king, was dressed in more extravagant armor, and seemed just as stunned as everyone else was at the intruders.
Vegeta clicked his scouter, and laughed. The guards had higher battle powers than the ones that had taken him and Nappa into custody, but were still pathetically weak, with none of them even breaking seventy five. After scanning the kings power, and seeing his cowardly manner, Vegeta clenched his fist in anger.
He thinks he is a king, a ruler, pathetic. A ruler like that would have been deposed within a cycle on Planet Vegeta. This cretin makes a mockery of the term king.
The fool had a power level of fifteen, and seemed to rely on his guards for everything. Even protection. On Vegeta, the king might not have always been the absolute strongest, but a king there was more than capable of defending himself, without having to hide like a coward behind his guards.
After staring for the better half of a minute, the bug king managed to stow away his terror, and addressed the Saiyans with an air of pomposity. "You, prisoners, how dare you damage my palace, and break into my coliseum?"
Vegeta's eyebrow twitched. "Who do you think you are, you pathetic excuse for a king, to dare talk down to me?"-"I could crush you disgusting insects in an instant. Those, soldiers-" he snorted as he said the word,", if you could call them that, had the nerve to take us into custody. Yet not once did they think to ask who we are. They underestimated us, a very unwise thing to do to anyone. Apparently no one ever told you ugly fuckers about how dangerous a pair of Saiyans could be."
Uproar, starting with the guards and soon encompassing nearly every member of the audience, which easily had to be several thousand. The hissing and clicking was nearly deafening, but both Vegeta and Nappa found amusement in their reaction; at least these backwater dwellers had heard of the fearsome reputation of the Saiyan race.
Indignant at be spoken to in such a manner, the king forgot his fear for a moment. "Saiyans, on my planet...never!"-"Guards, kill them!" he screamed shrilly.
Eight guards appeared, surrounding Vegeta and Nappa. They were dressed in thicker armor, and as soon as Nappa pressed the button on his scouter, his suspicions were confirmed. "Well Vegeta, they all have power levels of about two hundred and fifty."
Vegeta laughed. "Guess this is what passes for power around here. Nappa, shall we show them what the word truly means?"
The bald Saiyan grinned, then nodded. Before the guards could even swing their weapons, Vegeta and Nappa vanished from sight.
Seconds later, they reappeared a few meters away from their starting position. Blood and goo began oozing from the guards mouths, and any other opening on their heads, and they quickly collapsed into a messy heap.
The king shrunk back in terror. "Who...who are you...wh-what do you want from us!" he said frantically.
"I am Vegeta, the prince of all Saiyans. And this, is Nappa." he said, as each took a few menacing steps toward the throne.
"Now, you pathetic excuse for a monarch, if you want to live, I only request one thing. It's simple enough. Bow down before us." Vegeta smirked, as Nappa tried to keep a straight face. "Swear allegiance to me, and I'll let you live as my regent."
The insect king, was incensed at the comment. He forgot who he was dealing with, as he allowed his anger to consume him.
"Before you, NEVER!"-"Guards, summon the Ragnoron!"
The entire arena began to shake, violently, as two panels opened up in the center. A platform began rising, lifting a giant creature bound in chains up to face them. At least fifty feet tall, and greatly resembling the natives, it roared loudly, snapping it's chains as if they were made of paper.
Both Saiyans looked perplexed. "Nappa, what do you make of that thing?"
The muscle bound man didn't have a chance to answer, as the king began laughing.
"Behold the results of our greatest experiment, prepare to meet your death you filthy invaders!"
The shorter one crossed his arms over his chest, smiling arrogantly as the numbers flashed over his scouter."Nappa, take care of that pathetic creature. I'm sure you've been dying for some exercise after all. Be quick about it, the sooner we get off this moon the better."
Vegeta knew Nappa would have no trouble. Even Raditz would have been able to kill that thing without much trouble.
The audience in the stands suddenly burst into a raging applause, as the creature threw a clumsy fist towards Nappa. Vegeta, despite the things he had done, the people he had killed, found himself disgusted at the display. The crowd expected a slaughter, for that thing to rip he and Nappa apart. Of course, they had no idea how outmatched that monster was, but Vegeta didn't think they would mind much, so long as there was bloodshed aplenty.
He knew from his time as a child on the Planet Vegeta, and then from the teachings of his older comrades, that there was no glory in senseless killing. No honor. Saiyans lived to fight opponents that could push them to their limits, not to pick apart weaklings, least of all not for sport. Much to his chagrin, the prince knew that even Frieza wouldn't tolerate this type of event on any of his worlds. He was a tyrant, cold, calculating, even cruel at times, but even he had some standards. Unlike his brother. Frieza almost never wanted to have a planet purged, why kill off an entire planet, when so much more could be made by keeping it's populace alive.
A world like this though, even Frieza would find appalling. Worlds like this, ruled by savagery and barbarism, would be the ones burned to a cinder. Much as he hated it, he agreed with the lizard philosophy on that regard.
The prince looked, and saw that Nappa had caught it's fist. The larger Saiyan appeared to be struggling a bit, but it was because the behemoth had thrown nearly all of it's weight into the blow, rather than from it's own raw power. With a grunt, Nappa flared out his aura, and heaved, sending the creature tumbling over backwards.
It managed to pick itself up, as it glared at it's opponent. Nappa frowned, then charged up a small orb of energy. Right as the monster was about to charge, the mustached Saiyan hurtled the bolt of energy at it's chest with a slightly upward curve. The blast struck just above it's abdomen, with the beast giving a mighty roar of agony as it ripped up into it's chest cavity. With an ear shattering boom, the blast detonated, vaporizing the entire top half of the creatures body. The lower half, little more than a mangled set of cauterized entrails attached to a charred set of legs, fell to the ground with a massive thud, rocking the entire arena.
The crowd fell silent, more out of surprise than anything. Then, they began a slow applause, building until it was nothing but a massive cacophony of hissing and clicking.
Slowly, the king motioned for their silence. Before he could begin, Vegeta cut him off by firing a small red beam of ki through his head, immolating his brain instantly.
The crowd made to cheer again, but a massive burst of power from the enraged Saiyan forced silence from the deranged lot.
"ENOUGH!" bellowed Vegeta, using his ki to amplify his voice enough that it echoed throughout the entire ring.
"YOU INSECTS DISGUST ME!"-"IF ANY YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES, GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS PLACE. OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE JOINING YOUR KING IN DEATH."
With a vein bulging in his forehead, and face reddening, he pulled out a small remote control. After pressing a few buttons, both his and Nappa's space pods tore across the distance, landing smoothly right next to the pair.
With nothing more than a glare, he and Nappa stepped inside. Vegeta quickly came over the comm system. "Don't enter the coordinates for TerreErrde yet Nappa. I have one bit of unfinished business to attend to. Set the pod to go into orbit five miles above the surface.
"Of course." Nappa said, nearly stuttering. He wasn't sure what his prince was up too, but he had a good idea.
In a couple seconds, they were hovering five miles directly overhead over the prison. The readouts indicated that the air was breathable at this altitude, and after a moment, Vegeta opened the door to his pod, and stood atop it, a look of disdain on his face as he viewed the ground below.
After a few minutes, Nappa joined him as well. "So, what are we doing out here like this Vegeta?" A thought suddenly hit him, and he brushed a few drops of sweat away. "You...you're not going to blow it up, are you"
The younger man turned his head, and shot Nappa an icy look. "No. Not that I don't want to, but I think it's only fair to give them a chance to survive. After all, maybe there are some that aren't as deplorable as those down there. Still, I do feel in the mood for some entertainment."
He looked, as saw a few shapes, appearing no larger than ants, fleeing from the rock complex. Which seemed oddly appropriate that he would perceive them that way. They were already several miles away, apparently they had taken his threat at face value. Which was smart. He would make sure they didn't get caught in the blast.
He gathered some energy in his hand, before nonchalantly firing it down into the center of the coliseum. A massive explosion, over a mile across lit up the entire sky. The Saiyans watched, as the smoke cleared, and the debris settled to the ground. The only thing left was a crater, several hundred feet deep. Everything else, nothing but soot and ash.
His point proven, Vegeta saw no further reason to remain. So with that, he and Nappa reentered their attack pods, and tried to relax as the gas rushed in, pulling them into a state of suspended animation.
Down he fell, through the layers of clouds. It wasn't till he was less than a thousand feet up did Goku's eyes suddenly snap open. In his state of panic, he was unable to react fast enough to stop, and instead plowed into the ground at full speed. The impact blasted a crater several feet into the ground, and made the spiky haired Saiyans head spin. After a few seconds the nausea passed, and Goku began to become aware of his surroundings. Less than a mile away, he saw a huge tower, surrounding by jet black storm clouds. Every few seconds, purple lightening would arc from one of the clouds, either flashing into a neighboring cloud or hitting the tower itself.
He didn't know why, but just looking at that building made his hair stand even more on end than usual. It felt evil, full of darkness and malice. Being this close made him want to run away, screaming in terror, which was an unusual feeling for the hero, who wasn't used to such a thing. Daimao never even managed to fill him with such dread.
Looking away, and up to the sky, he quickly realized that his first guess was correct. He had no doubt fallen off of Snake Way, and had landed in hell. Considering his options, he was about to head back into the clouds, before his senses picked up another ki signature. An all to familiar one.
Right as he was turning, a fist slammed into his cheek, sending him spinning into a collection of rocks. Goku looked up, and saw his deceased brother glaring at him. It was not a look of hate, but rather of disappointment.
Before he could say a word in protest, Raditz cut him off sharply. "Kakkarot, you idiot!"-" Despite all the things you were told, the warnings even, you still manage to fall off the road?!"
Goku gave him a look that suggested utter embarrassment, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but it wasn't my fault. I was riding on top of some vehicle, then I fell asleep. I must have slid off at some point, otherwise I wouldn't be here, right?"
Raditz nearly fell on his face. "That is a stupid fucking excuse!" he shouted at his brother. "But we can't stay here and argue about it, believe me, you have no idea how dangerous this place really is."
With that, he motioned for Goku to grab his hand. Once the younger Saiyan had done so, he flared his aura and blasted off at full speed.
The feeling was intense, and Goku had to fight to keep from crying out. But once they got moving, he found that it wasn't so bad. Over the sound of air rushing over them, Goku managed to find his voice. "So...where are we going Raditz?"
The elder grunted. "Somewhere where someone might be able to help you get back on Snake Way. Be prepared brother, otherwise you might be overwhelmed by how the others act. Assuming we actually run across them."
Others? Goku thought. As in, other Saiyans?
Within a few moments, they had left the menacing structure behind, and touched down in a small mountainous region. As Goku looked around, he could see several crudely made homes, which looked like they were built into the hills themselves.
In the immediate area, he only sensed a couple others. Extending his senses, he picked up on several dozen, just within the first few miles.
Raditz looked at his brother, keeping a neutral expression as he did so. He wasn't angry per say about his death, but neither did it please him. In his mind, Kakarot had done what virtually any Saiyan would have done.
But, there wasn't time for any idle sightseeing, the pressing matter was finding a way for to get his idiot brother out of hell. So with a smirk, he quickly raised his hand, before smacking Goku across the back of his head. The force made him stumble forward, nearly toppling over before his vision cleared.
"Hey, what the hell was that for!" he half shouted towards Raditz. Goku caught himself, right before he could enter a fighting stance, normally he didn't angry this easily. But he still hadn't completely gotten over what Raditz had done; plus, something about the place was starting to play tricks on his mind. Then again, hell probably was never intended to be the pleasantest of places.
Raditz noticed the change in Kakarots demeanor, and shook his head. He knew full well the effect that this place could have on people, which made it all the more imperative to find a way for his brother to get out. "Relax Kakarot. Until you get used to it, this place can really mess with your head. Getting angry only makes it worse. Believe me, I know firsthand."-"Now, like I told you, I do know someone that can help. In fact, you know him too, in a way of course."
Goku raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I do, but how...if he is a Saiyan then...that shouldn't be possible..." Then another thought struck the spiky haired warrior. "Wait, why are you so eager to help me?"-"I mean, you did warn us of the other two heading to Earth, and I am grateful for that...but, why do you care if I'm stuck here for a whole year?"
"A good question indeed, Kakarot. But the idiot did start the whole mess that lead to your death, so perhaps he is trying to make amends for what he feels responsible for." said a third voice. Raditz balled his fists up, more angry at himself that anything. It was the truth, and he had been berated heavily ever since arriving here.
The man hovering a few meters in the air looked almost like a mirror image of him. He had the same spiky hair, and was almost the exact same height and build. The only real differences were his harsher, rougher facial features, and the scar running across his left cheek. A few feet to the mans right, Goku spotted a woman, one that bared more resemblance to Raditz than anything else. She had the same long hair, and was at least the same height. But her face, along with the shape of her eyes, had more in common with him than with Raditz, who had the same sharp features as the one with the scar.
A realization struck Goku suddenly. Raditz did say that he was his older brother, and the two Saiyans that arrived, seemingly from the blue, resembled each of them to an uncanny degree.
Bardock looked at the expression on his younger son's face. The older warrior saw the look of recognition, and smirked. So, he's figured it out then. Guess the visions were right, he is a quick thinker when the time calls for it...
"I see you've figured it out then. For a moment I was afraid I had misinterpreted the vision, good to know my second son at least has some sense." he frowned at Raditz briefly, before shaking his head. Then again, perhaps this is exactly how fate wanted it to be all along.
The fact that both of his son's died fighting each other saddened him, and in Raditz's case, angered him as well. He knew he wasn't around for much of his life, but he still had hoped that he had taught him better. Apparently working with Frieza...and that brother of his, had jaded him, made him forget what it really meant to be a Saiyan.
At the same time, he knew the guilt Raditz felt for causing Kakarot's death, and felt bad for constantly reminding him of it. He also had yet to tell his eldest what really happened to their planet. To be sure, Raditz probably had guessed at the truth, but no matter what he suspected, it meant nothing unless he knew every single detail. Frieza was responsible, and he would pay in time, but he wasn't the only one to blame. Cooler, the name alone made Bardock's blood boil. He and that worthless Saiyan traitor deserved nothing more than to suffer in the deepest realm hell had to offer. The Saiyan clenched his fists, hoping that when the time came, for him to confront each and everyone of them, that he would have the strength needed to make them suffer.
But that wasn't important, not yet. Kakarot needed to get back on that path, and get the training from that North Kai, or whatever his title was. Bardock knew that the training he was going to receive would be key to him surviving all his upcoming trials, until he managed to fulfill the legend.
To his right, dressed in traditional Saiyan armor, was his mate. Well, in life they were constantly fighting and bickering, but in death both had finally managed to reconcile. It was similar in some ways to Planet Trade armor, but it lacked shoulder pads, and was a deep crimson in the center.
He turned back to his son. To both of his sons. "Well Kakarot, I have to say it's good to see you all grown up. I wish I could have been around for you and Raditz but unfortunately, certain circumstances prevented that. But yet, I feel like I already know you. You can call me crazy, but what I'm about to tell you is true. Shortly before my death, me and a team were sent to purge a planet named Kanassa. I'm not proud to say this, but we accomplished our mission. But there was a single survivor, and though mortally wounded, he managed to strike me, right where the base of the skull meets the spine. When he did that, he passed on a gift, though at the time, I considered it a curse. You see, those people, the Kanassians have the ability to see into the future, through visions. He told me that he wanted me, to see my demise, and my people's, just as he foresaw his own. And because of that, I have been able to see glimpses of your life, of your noble deeds and exploits, to this point."
Bardock studied his reaction, trying to gauge whether or not his son believed him. His expression fully conveyed his astonishment, but Bardock could see the trusting look in the other's eyes.
"Even now, I'm not sure whether it's a blessing or a curse...but I'm definitely leaning towards the former right now."-"Now, as much as I would like to continue this reunion...time is of the essence here, and I do happen to know of a portal that will lead you out of here. It won't work for those of us who are sentenced to hell, but you shouldn't have any trouble."
They spent a few more moments conversing, and Goku managed to finally meet his mother. Like his father she seemed very proud of him. It also gave him more insight as to where his innate kindness truly stemmed from. Before he thought that it had simply been the brain injury that caused it, and he supposed that he was half right...but the good in his heart, in his soul, wasn't simply created from a bump on the head. No, it had to come from somewhere, and his falling into the canyon as a baby probably just restored that part of his personality.
But time was short, and they had to say their goodbyes. Both his mother, and Raditz wished him good luck, and he stepped over to his father.
Bardock would have left sooner, but while his son and mate were speaking, he had a vision. Not as vivid as the norm, but more than enough to make him nearly numb to the outside world. In it, he saw Kakarot, standing on a strange world, with blue grass and a green sky. He looked angry, and then a flash of red. It then skipped forward by at least several minutes, and he saw his son again, standing across from a white skinned lizard. One that looked very familiar. Frieza. Then a flash of gold, and he saw his son, surging with golden energy clashing with the tyrant as the world crumbled around them.
With a gasp, the premonition faded, and he saw Kakarot striding over to him. Telling him was out of the question, as it could alter his future entirely, and likely not for the better.
With nothing more than a quick jerk of his hand, motioning for the other to follow, he took off into the sky.
Goku was surprised, not by the speed with which his father sped off, but by the sheer volume of ki radiating off of him. He was easily several times stronger than Raditz, and appeared to not be straining himself in the least.
After a few minutes, Goku saw the other touch down, in what appeared to be some bizarre ruins. Why hell would have such a thing, Goku figured was best left unsaid.
Once he landed, he could see it, a glowing disk of energy, bright, and giving off colors that he didn't know existed; ones that he couldn't dream of putting a name to.
"So, this is it then, this thing will take me back to Snake Way?" Goku said.
Bardock coughed into his hand briefly. "Not quite...It won't take you there, and certainly not to the point you fell...if my sources are right...you'll have to start all over again."
Goku nearly fell over in shock. "Damn it!" he said after steadying himself. "Well, I still have over eleven months...so hopefully this won't cost me much..."
Bardock nodded. "Indeed. Good luck, my son. I'd say I hope to see you soon...but that means you would have to die again, and be sent here. So I hope we never meet, unless they ever let me out of this damned place." he rubbed the back of his head, before laughing to himself.
Goku smirked, before turning around. "One more thing..." he said, with his back to Bardock, "Tell Raditz, tell him that I've forgiven him for what he did. Who knows, maybe I can convince my friends into bringing him back as well, eventually ."
Without another word, he jumped into the portalm
...
And straight out of King Yemma's desk.
The Otherworld judge had seen many strange things, but this was easily the most bizarre incident in the past several decades. Of course, he knew full well of the portal in hell. And that those condemned to hell could not pass back through it. He also knew that it had been undergoing some fort of temporal disturbance lately, with it's endpoint fluctuating randomly. He had been told, that the problem was fixed. Apparently that information wasn't entirely accurate, otherwise his drawer would have never flew open of it's own accord, with Son Goku nearly falling into his lap.
Goku, likewise, was equally surprised where ended up. And very embarrassed. But he knew time was short, and that he couldn't afford to waste it on a lengthy explanation. "Sorry about your papers King Yemma, but I don't have time to explain this one...I have a lot of lost ground to make up for."
Out the door he went, in a flash, beginning his journey anew.
Three months after the battle with Raditz...
A series of explosions tore across a large, rocky landscape. Piccolo smirked, and took a brief moment to admire his handy work. But he knew better than to get caught too distracted by the scenery. He was reminded of this when an orange blur shot of of the debris cloud, and straight towards him. Piccolo darted up into the air, before hearing something from below.
"Masenko...Haaaa!"
The purple blast tore through the space between him and the boy, giving him just enough time to cross his arms, in an effort to shield himself. The heat from the explosion shredded his cape, and he nearly winced at the burning sensation as the flesh on his arms was seared to a crisp. The burning smell lingered in his nose for several seconds, but that didn't concern him. Gohan had become so much stronger since he had began training him, and was remarkably quick at learning new techniques. He was already nearly at the level he displayed against Garlic Junior, and he no longer had to rely on his anger to maintain that level of power. Piccolo knew he was guilty of provoking the boy, to try and bring more of his inner strength to the surface. To that end, he had often paid for his actions, with Gohan often reaching levels of power that surpassed his own. But that wasn't the only reason he did so, Gohan was able to control his power better, even in a state of rage, without passing out. He was also able to remember his explosive outbursts, not always with clarity, but he was mostly aware of what transpired when he did lose it. And that was Piccolo's ultimate goal, to teach him to always be in control of himself, no matter how angry or enraged he became.
Piccolo felt a lot of pride because of this. Not just as a teacher, but in Gohan as well. His progress was nothing short of amazing. Soon, Piccolo knew, he would have to start fighting all out in their little spars. And if he didn't watch it, the boy might even surpass him. Not that he was a slouch, by any means. His own power had grown immensely since fighting Raditz. In fact, he was confident that if he could go back and fight that Saiyan, that he could probably win without any help. Not that it would be an easy fight, but it still spoke volumes for his progress.
The green warrior spun to the side, avoiding a tiny fist that had been aimed square at his nose. Out of reflex, he fired a set of eye beams at his target, only for Gohan to cancel them out with his aura. Piccolo smirked, before rushing in and planting a fist deep into the child's gut, doubling him over. Piccolo could see tears still threatening to form in his eyes, but Gohan held them back through sheer determination. Then, surprising Piccolo, he grabbed his mentors wrist with both hands, and began focusing as much ki as possible into his palms.
With a roar of pain, Piccolo threw him off to the side, only to be rewarded with a sharp blow to his temple. He stopped himself a few hundred feet away, and saw the finger shaped burn marks on his skin. By then, the anger had passed, and he had to admit, he was a bit impressed with his students creativity. But when he looked and saw Gohan desperately blowing on his own hands, in an effort to cool them down, he had to repress a groan. The kid was pretty skilled, but he had a long way to go. That little blunder of his showcased that perfectly. Had it been on the battle field, and Piccolo an enemy, such a mistake could have proven fatal. Yet, he couldn't help but imagine Goku doing the same thing if he had been in the same predicament. The thought brought a smile to his lips, right before he rushed in towards Gohan.
The kid dodged the first strike, and tried to throw a kick in retaliation. Piccolo caught his foot, and spun him around, using his own movement to send him sailing into the distance. Gohan tried to right himself, but was quickly hammered into the ground by a palm strike from the other fighter.
By then, the sky was already growing dark, with the moon coming up over the horizon. Piccolo noted in passing that it was completely full. He saw that Gohan was looking up at it, starring blankly, which seemed odd. Something inside him clicked a moment later, when he remembered something Goku had told him. Apparently during a full moon, he would transform into a large ape, and completely lose control of himself. That is, until training under Kami. There, Goku had said, he learned to control himself, for the most part. But Gohan had never had any sort of training; in fact, he had never been allowed to stay up when there was going to be a full moon. Goku had said that he wasn't sure if Gohan could do the same thing, but it was for the best not to find out the hard way. Not yet at least.
Sheer coincidence had prevented him from seeing the moon, as he almost always spent the day training, and would be sound asleep by the time night fell. But Piccolo had a bad feeling about what was to happen. Goku was a Saiyan, meaning Gohan was half Saiyan. Transforming like that wasn't a human trait, as far as Piccolo knew, so if Goku could, then his son probably could as well, considering he had the tail too.
He was about to yell at Gohan to stop looking at the moon, when he felt a huge spike in the boys ki, and then a deafening roar. Piccolo could see that he was already several times his normal height, with fur beginning to sprout all over his body. Already Gohan's level of ki had surpassed his own, and was showing no sign of stopping.
Trying to stop the transformation would be foolish, considering how easily it could backfire on him. Plus, he didn't want to risk injuring Gohan, at least not severely. A thought hit him, that he could blow up the moon. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he had the power to do so. What the old hermit, Master Roshi did at the 21st Martial Arts tournament was nothing more than a clever illusion. This was another thing Goku told him. For the longest time everyone thought that he really had the power to blow it up. Foolishness. All he did was blast a massive chunk out of it, with all dust and debris from it masking it's reflective light, making it nearly impossible to see from earth. Well, the blast did knock it out of it's orbit as well, hence Kami's restoration of it, but that was besides the point.
Destroying the moon and destabilizing its orbit were two very different things. But he was over a dozen times stronger than what the old man had been back then, so Piccolo figured it might be worth a shot. The trick was in gathering the energy to do so. He had been training, and had greatly reduced the charge time for his Special Beam Cannon, all without losing any significant amount of power; but it still took over a minute to charge up completely.
The transformation was nearly over, and Gohan's power was finally starting to level off. By Piccolo's estimate, Gohan had increased his power roughly tenfold, making the boy well over five times stronger than he was. To fight him head on would be suicide, a power like that could take him out in a single, well placed hit. No, he had to be more clever than that. Gohan was at least fifty feet in height now, so his speed probably didn't increase in proportion to his power. Still, it was best not to take chances, as even a glancing blow could prove debilitating. His own giant form would be useless as well; all it did was make the user larger, and spread their attack power over a larger surface, it did nothing to increase one's raw power. That lesson had been taught to him the hard way, by Goku of all people.
So before the building sized ape could get his bearings and spot him, Piccolo decided to put his hastily made plan into action. Gohan could sense energy normally, but with his mind clouded by rage driven instinct, his usage of that ability might be poor, at best.
Quickly, he concentrated his own energy, and used the multi-form technique to create an identical copy. At least from the out side it looked the same. In reality, he had managed to improve the technique, to the point that he could control exactly how much ki went into the duplicate, and what attributes that ki went to. This particular one had less than a third of his power, but all that power was focused on speed. Meaning that copy would have next to zero attack power, but would be nearly as fast as he was. Perfect for distracting the ape.
His copy immediately took off, flying towards Gohan at top speed. When he was within a few hundred meters, he formed a small orb of ki in his hand. "Hey, you over grown monkey, try this on for size!"
As Gohan turned around, snarling wildly, the clone fired the bolt straight into his eye. The explosion did little damage, but did cause the ape to take a step backward as it nursed its wounded eye.
After that, the Piccolo duplicate began flying in wide arcs around the massive being, careful to dodge any of his clumsy swipes.
The real Piccolo gave a grimace, before bursting off toward the sky. As soon as he was above the cloud bank he took a brief glance down. He couldn't even see the copy, and Gohan looked no larger than a speck of dust. But he could see the occasional flash of light, both from his other self, and from the creatures own maw. As quickly, and quietly as possible he flared up his aura, intent on gathering as much energy as possible.
A good forty seconds later, he felt a sudden jolt, and then a small rush of ki. That only could have meant that the duplicate had been destroyed. Which was all part of his plan, as the the technique was designed to return all the energy to the original body upon the destruction of the clone. Piccolo had counted on that as well, as he wasn't sure if he could blow up the moon without his full power. But now, it was a race against time until he was spotted.
In the distance, he heard a loud roaring noise. Come on...just a few more seconds.
He tried not to allow it to distract him, despite the fact that it was growing louder. But when a large beam ripped through the stratosphere, less than fifty feet from him, he knew he was out of time.
Shit...I didn't think he would be THAT fast in such a huge body, if this doesn't work, the planet might be wiped out before those Saiyans ever get here.
Right then he felt Gohan's massive energy signature, less than a hundred meters away. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the beast appear right behind him, muzzle already glowing with energy.
"Damn it all...it's now or never, SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" he roared, as he fired the corkscrew beam off into space, towards its target.
On instinct, he manage to flip underneath the massive mouth blast, the heat causing him to break into a sweat, despite how chilly it was at that altitude. Then came the fist, which he barely avoided. But the wind from the punch was enough to blast him back several meters. A bright flash lit up the night sky, and when he looked, he could see that the moon had been almost entirely obliterated. Luckily, most of the pieces appeared to be rather small, and would burn up harmlessly within the Earth's atmosphere. The bigger problem would be the massive tidal effects caused by the moons destruction, and Piccolo felt guilty of all the damages that were sure to happen because of it. But it was the lesser of two evils, if Gohan had been left to run wild, millions could have been dead by morning, possibly even more.
Feeling almost drained of energy, Picolo turned to see that Gohan was already shrinking back down to his normal size. Thinking ahead, he rushed down, grabbing the boy just as he began to fall. Within a few minutes, Piccolo touched down on a large Mesa, and using his materialization to spawn a small blanket, and a fresh gi for Gohan.
The thought crossed his mind to remove the tail, but Piccolo decided against it. The moon was gone, so what was the point in doing so now?
He looked at Gohan and shook his head, unable to keep a smile from forming on his lips. "Damn you kid...you've put me through hell, and yet, I can't help but think that its all going to be worth it in the end.
From his vantage point, many miles above the Earth's surface on the Lookout, Kami saw the entire spectacle unfold. While it was true Piccolo should have been more careful, at the same time, the guardian understood that it wasn't fair to blame him for Gohan's transformation. With the threat that was already approaching, it was little surprise that he wouldn't remember something that Goku only briefly mentioned once or twice. That was a painful subject for the young man to think about. Considering what it reminded him of. His adopted grandfather, the one he named his son after, had died from being stepped on by a large beast. That was what Goku had thought at least. The young Saiyan had found him the morning after, broken and barely clinging to life. Sheer force of will was the only thing that kept the old man alive, with nearly all his bones broken, and his organs ruined. He lived just long enough to tell Goku that it wasn't his fault, and to never blame himself for what happened.
For years that was the case, with Goku believing that it was some giant monster that killed his granddad. He had transformed several times since, but fortunately, no one was ever seriously injured, and his rampages were always cut short. At the same time, no one ever opted to tell the boy. Whether that was a good idea or not, Kami couldn't say for sure, as he had made many decisions in the past, and often suffered for many of them. Piccolo was one of them. When Daimao used his last moments to create him, Kami had foolishly believed that he was evil incarnate, reborn into a new body. Despite many showings to the contrary as the younger Piccolo quickly grew up, he still held fast to that belief. He had even urged Goku to kill him back at the tournament, even though it meant his own death, and the loss of the Dragon Balls.
How foolish and ignorant he had been. If he had done the right thing, and taken Daimao's spawn in, before his sires darker impulses had a the chance to take root, so much pain and anguish could have been avoided. Instead he shunned him, and he knew that Piccolo might never forgive him for that. But, seeing his dark sides reincarnation now, Kami had to admit, that things had still worked out rather nicely, though the road there had been long and treacherous. Goku had saw in Piccolo, what Kami himself had missed. Good. Or at least the potential for it. It had taken Kami years, but eventually he had pieced it together.
And when he did, he realized Daimao's biggest mistake. Piccolo Daimao and himself used to be one being. When Kami cast him out, he had unknowingly transferred a part of his own essence into the demon. Due to that, their lifeforces were forever intertwined. If one died, the other would surely follow within minutes. Daimao, whether by conscious thought, or pure instinct, had managed to repress that infinitesimal element of good within himself, burying it deep within his psyche.
The demon was never able to figure out a way to sever that connection between he and Kami. Which was a shame, because if he had, Kami knew that he could have struck Daimao down in an instant.
When he was dying, he grew desperate. Yet, he was also selfish. He could have easily coughed up only his essence, not only ensuring his own reincarnation, but leaving his link with Kami behind in his dying body. That would have sealed Kami's fate, and allowed Daimao to return, free of restraint. But he thought that by doing so, he would lose himself, his identity. Not wanting to go a second without that, he did something different.
He passed on as much of his own evil as he could, all of his vile ambitions and impulses, along with most of his memories. It wouldn't be enough though, to create a complete being, not with him hogging the majority of his original person. So he searched, till he found that one piece, that one remaining fragment of Kami's soul that was still within him. Seeing the chance to not only create a being to follow in his footsteps, but sever his link to Kami, all in one fell swoop, he eagerly did so.
Yet it was that action that allowed not only Kami to live, through the connection in Piccolo, but for the latter to become a complete individual, with his own free will. It also gave him an innate goodness, that despite being molded by darkness, could eventually overcome it. With the proper guidance of course.
That was provided for him. Goku's words, and his act of mercy had a profound effect on the former demon, even if Piccolo didn't know it right away. Then Gohan helped finish what his father started, breaking Daimao's hold on him, and driving away the darkness in his heart. True, he wasn't perfect, but he no longer did things out of malice or evil.
Hence the guilt Kami could sense over his destruction of Earth's celestial body. The guardian could tell how much his actions were weighing on him. But the same thing had happened when Master Roshi knocked the moon from it's orbit more than a decade before. As he was the appointed god, or guardian as he preferred to be called, he had the ability to manipulate a great many things on the planet. The tides were one of them. Of course, he could never counter the effects completely, but through enough focus, he was able to greatly reduced the damages, till the Earth's oceans stabilized. In time, if the moon was restored, he would have to do the same. Assuming he lived to see that day.
But Piccolo didn't know that, and was afraid that his actions might have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, from the runaway tides. However, it was by far the lesser of two evils. Gohan, in that state, was immensely powerful. With no means to control it, had he found his way to any population centers, the damage would have been catastrophic. Tens, maybe even hundreds of millions could have been killed; and though it was through no flaw of his own, Piccolo's estimate had been very conservative. Yes, deaths were inevitable, that much was certain. Possibly thousands, but it was still the better course of action than just leaving Gohan be. And it saved the boy's conscience, should he ever become aware of what he had done.
Now that ordeal was done, and Kami found himself breathing a sigh of relief. Piccolo had come so far, and all of it without him. Yet, just as Piccolo felt pride in his students actions, so Kami found the same in Piccolo. The young warrior had come so far, in such a short time. And Kami couldn't help but feel that he was destined for more. How, he couldn't say for sure. It was just a notion he had.
Then he remembered something. The others training on the lookout had made great progress, but it would soon be the time for a test. Krillin, Gohan and Piccolo would have their own, soon. But it was time for the rest of the Earth's defenders to get an idea of just what they were going to be up against.
Which is why he soon found himself walking, to the inner chambers of his lookout. As expected, Mister Popo had brought them all to the appropriate spot. It was a large room, nearly pitch black. But that wasn't what made it stand out so much. Their walls and floor nearest to the center were covered in patterns of light, in the shape of various clocks. The center space was shaped like a clock as well, with strange symbols that appeared to signify numbers. Inside that outer layer, was a dark red unearthly light, in the shape of a pentagram. Overhead, was a massive pendulum, swinging nearly ten feet over the floor.
With a cough, he quickly addressed the group. "Well then, I can see that you all are wondering why I've brought you here, and precisely what this test is."
"To be honest, we sure are." Yamcha said.
Chaoutzu looked around, nodding towards Tien. "Yeah, this place is not what I expected."
"Gives me the creeps." Yajirobe said with a shiver. "I mean, not that I'm actually scared or anything."
Tien smirked at him. "So I guess your legs are trembling from excitement, then?"
The samurai huffed in annoyance.
"Then I suppose an explanation is in order. Where you are right now is the Pendulum Room. By standing on that circle in the center, you can go back in time, to a given point in the past. Today, that will be of my choosing. Don't worry, you will all find that it has everything to do with the trials you are soon to face. Keep this in mind though. Your bodies will remain here, and you will not suffer any physical harm from whatever happens. But to your minds, there will be no difference. Any sensations that you can feel here are what you can and will feel wherever the room sends your minds." Kami observed the reactions of his students. He could see the uncertainty in some, and knew that he had to give them the option to back out if they felt they weren't yet ready.
"If any of you think that you can't handle what is to happen, feel free to say so. You will be allowed to continue training here, until you consider yourself ready for what the room has to offer."
Tien, Yamcha and Chaoutzu all looked at each other. With an unspoken agreement, they all nodded their heads. All except one.
Yajirobe looked as if he wanted to bolt from the room. But when he saw their determination, he quickly made up his mind. If they were willing to brave the unknown, then so was he. If he backed out now, he might be considered a coward. And that was a perception he desperately wanted to change. "No way I'm letting you guys show me up like that. Count me in too!"
"So were all on the same page then. Good. Now, just step into the center and close your eyes. The room will do the rest." After that, Kami took a deep breath, wiping some sweat from his brow. The Pendulum Room always was a few degrees warmer than the rest of the Lookout, and its temporal properties could be nausea inducing after prolonged time.
The team of four journeyed to the circle. The light grew brighter, and several purple star shaped patterns flashed across the ceiling. Then they faded and the lights dimmed, with the swinging pendulum appearing to drain all color from the room. The next thing they saw was a flash of light, and a falling sensation, into a black abyss.
After a few seconds, the blackness began to fade, and slowly a world began to take shape before their eyes. Dreary, with a deep amber colored sky. Overhead dark blue storm clouds brewed, lightening crackling periodically.
The gravity felt a lot heavier, but since they didn't have weighted clothes on here, it did little to encumber any of them.
From the looks of things, they were on the fringes of a ruined city. Buildings, not like those on Earth, but still bearing some degree of similarity, were crumbling all over. The place looked like a war zone, only one where the war had ended years before. Together they walked down the broken streets, trying to ignore the stench permeating the air. Despite the fact that the city appeared empty, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Because of that, they all had their guard up, just in case. Given that this was part of one of Kami's tests, then something was bound to happen.
"This place, like something straight out of a horror story..."Yamcha muttered. "What could have caused all this, or who for that matter?"
Yajirobe grunted. "Beats me. Whoever, or whatever is responsible, sure looks like its long gone now...still, I think I take back what I said about that room, I'd much rather be there right now."
"Same here." Tien said. His days as an assassin weren't pleasant to think of. Killing people, for money...even if most hadn't been innocent, still left a bad taste in his mouth to this day. But he had learned a lot from those days, and from training under Master Shin. Namely, he had learned a great deal on the art of stealth, as well as developing a keen sixth sense for when one was stalking him.
Yamcha figured the same thing. His life up until meeting Goku and Bulma wasn't as violent as Tien's, but it was filled with strife nonetheless, always scapping and stealing, trying to survive in a hostile desert. So while his senses weren't as refined, and his manner typically much more casual, he could still tell something wasn't right.
From inside an alleyway a came a clanking sound, like metal on concrete. The group inched closer, taking note of every detail of their environment. Yamcha moved to push aside some rubble, only for a pile of moldy clothing to fall on top of him. In annoyance, he attempted to swat it away, but in doing so he caused them to nearly disintegrate knocking the garments former occupant out, and onto his shoulder. All that was left was a skeleton, with only a few rotten tendons and fragments of flesh holding it together. The way it fell, made it look like it was locked into a morbid embrace with the former bandit, as it's skull rested on the crook of his neck, and its arms around the center of his body.
Nearly screaming, he flailed about, finally knocking the remains back into the dark alley.
Still white in the face, Yamcha couldn't help but stutter out his next sentence. "Gah, where the hell did that come from?"
Tien glanced around for a moment, before turning back to his companion,"Probably a victim of whoever attacked this town. Don't worry, its not like it was still alive."
"No, but were are" a voice said from out of the shadows.
"Yes. Don't concern yourselves with the dead, otherwise you might wind up joining them even sooner." A second voice. Then laughter sounding as if it were coming from all directions.
Everyone tensed up, trying to get a feel on where exactly the two newcomers were hiding.
"Thats it!" Tien roared, tired of the nonsense. "Enough of these damn games, cowards!"-"Either come out and fight, or get lost."
"My, my...big words coming from such a weakling." Scoffed the second voice.
"Yes. The scouter lists your power as just over a thousand."-"Alright Brocko, lets come out and play."
"A very fine idea, Onoin."
Two warriors, dressed in strange armor came swaggering out of the alley. One was tall, about Tiens height, with long scraggly hair going halfway down his back. The other, was of a more modest stature, barely reaching Yamcha's chest in height. He also appeared to be the older of the two, with thinning, receding hair.
Yamcha noticed something strange, not just their armor, but the fact that the had tails. Exactly like what Goku had.
His eyes widened, "You two...you're Saiyans, aren't you?"
"What gave it away, huh scarface? What did you expect to find on Planet Vegeta, Namekians?" With that, the two erupted into a fit of laughter.
After a few moments that tapered off to a quiet, menacing chuckle. "I think its only fair that they be properly introduced to their executioners though, don't you agree?" the shorter one said, as he cast a wicked glance toward his taller compatriot.
"Seems fitting. Well then scum, my name is Brocko." the taller fighter said, with a dark grin plastering his face.
"Hmph. I'm Onoin. Now that the introductions are over with, we'll be sending you all to hell now. Trust me, it will hurt, alot."
"You think so, guess we'll have to see about that then, won't we?" Tien said.
Immediately afterwords, he opened a mental link with Chaoutzu. With his superior psychic abilities, he opened a full link between all four of them.
"Okay guys, I have a plan." Tien said.
Yajirobe struggled to stop the shaking of his arms and legs. "Well I hope its a good one then, cause those two look tough as hell."
"And can you sense the ki their putting out...incredible..." Chaoutzu spoke, sounding more impressed with their opponents power than he did worried.
"We're not that weak ourselves, but let them think that for now. With your help Chaotzu, I think I can make short work of the long haired one. He seems a bit stronger anyway. Yamcha, you and Yajirobe can handle the short, ugly one."
"Hey, why do we get stuck with the ugly-" The Samurai said, before Yamcha cut him off. "No, Tien's probably right with this one. Either way, I for one agree with his judgment."
"So its settled, on my mark, rush your target." The triclops smirked.
"What they hell do you find so funny there freak?" Brocko said. To that, Tien charged up a small ball of ki.
"Okay everyone, attack!" and in an instant, he chucked the orb at the Saiyan. Brocko laughed, and made to swat the blast away, but with a gesture of his hand, Tien sent it soaring into the sky. As he saw the confused expression on his enemy's face, he flicked his hand downward, sending the orb crashing into the ground below the others feet.
Taking advantage of that, he flew in, and planted a first firmly in the warriors gut, doubling him over in pain. Tien was about to pull back, but Brocko suddenly lunged forward, delivering a powerful headbutt, knocking the man back in a daze. His foe stunned, the Saiyan charged in, landing a kick that sent Tien crashing through several ruined houses. Before he could fire a blast at him, Brocko's scouter went off, and he jerked his head to the right. When he did, he turned right into a haymaker, that sent him reeling end over head. Within seconds he was back, hand outstretched, inches from Chaoutzu's face.
"You're out of your league here clown, so get lost!" a black ball of ki shot out, taking the hapless fighter along with it, till it detonated several hundred feet later in the middle of a skyscraper.
In the distance, a sudden boom went off, as Tien blasted himself out of the rubble."Damn you!"
Seconds later, he was on the Saiyan once more, decking him clean in the face. Brocko recovered quickly and delivered another strike, causing Tien to groan in pain as he blocked it with his forearm. Several more times they clashed, the shock waves made from each strike pulverizing all that remained of that city block. Chaoutzu had already pulled himself from the debris, but was blown back by the shockwaves. As it was, he would have a tough time getting very close to the fight, and even if he did, he might end up getting hurt worse. From what he could tell, Tien was at a noticeable disadvantage as far as power and speed went. But skill was on his side, and because of that, the fight was almost even. The miniature fighter knew that he couldn't hold out forever. Even one slip up, and it could be over in an instant.
That was when he decided to help out in another way. He had done it before, most notably against Goku when he fought Tien back at the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament. He had been able to paralyze Goku on the spot, allowing Tien to get several free hits in. That got him the scolding of his life once Tien found out, but this was different. While Kami said nothing could actually happen to their bodies, Chaoutzu didn't want to take any chances. Given the stakes, he didn't think Tien would mind, given that this was a two versus one fight from the beginning. His only problem was that he didn't think he could paralyze the Saiyan completely, or for very long stretches at a time.
He had improved his psychic abilities greatly since that tournament, but he knew that the difference between that fighter's power and his own was far greater than than the one between him and Goku had been.
Still, anything to tip the odds in their favor.
...
Tien aimed a Dodon Ray at his opponent, but was surprised when the Saiyan managed to block it with a blast of his own. Taken off guard, he threw up his arm in at attempt to block the incoming blow, but it never came.
Instead, he saw the fighter hovering in mid air, struggling to move his limbs, as a pale aura surrounded his being. "What the...what the fuck is happening to me?!"
Of course.
All it took as a single glance for Tien to know what happened. "Thanks Chaoutzu, I owe you one..." he whispered. Then he looked towards Brocko, with a maniacal grin. "Ha, that's it. You're finished, friend."
"No, wait-" that was all the Saiyan got out, before an elbow slammed into his throat. Limbs still unresponsive, he was unable to avoid the beam that dug deep into his back, going deep into the flesh before fizzling out.
...
...
Yamcha picked himself out from under some rubble. A few meters away he could see his opponent glaring at him, the smirk long gone from his features. Up in the sky, he could sense Tien's battle with the other crazed Saiyan, all the while wishing that his and Yajirobe's fight was going half as well. While they had injured the stubby Saiyan, it was not enough to slow his attack by any significant margin. His face was bloody, and his body covered in bruises, but it seemed like he hadn't lost any power. Yamcha on the other hand, was just as injured, and struggling for each breath. The only reason he was even alive was thanks to Yajirobe, who was barely even managing to find his feet. Unless they came up with something fast, they were done for.
Something hit him, something he should have figured out at the beginning. Yajirobe had a sword. So if Yamcha could distract the Saiyan long enough...
Straining, he opened up a link with the fat samurai."No time for talk. I know you have a sword. I'll distract him, after that, you know what to do."
The scarred ex-bandit didn't look to see if Yajirobe acknowledged him visually. There wasn't time, and if he hadn't heard him, then his next best chance would be of Tien bailing him out once his battle was over. Which from what Yamcha could see, might not be all that long, considering the pounding the three eyed warrior was giving that Saiyan.
Clenching his fist, Yamcha gathered a bit of ki into his hand. Instead of his usual, he decided to try something else that he had came up with. Putting more energy into it, it grew brighter, as gold and blue danced around his closed fist.
The Saiyan saw him, and smirked. That was all Yamcha needed to see. The bastard was overconfident, and from his posture, would eagerly take the blast head on, just to prove his superiority. A mistake that would cost him dearly.
In a blur of movement, he extended his palm, and thrust his hand forward. "Dodon Kamehameha!", the warring colors in his hand merged into a vibrant yellow-blue, and the beam shot forth from his hand towards Onoin.
The Saiyan reached out and caught the beam, but was being pushed backwards as he struggled to control it. Yamcha then used his free hand, and conjured a miniature version of his Spirit Ball. His focus on the main attack lowered, the balding warrior managed to brace himself, as he prepared to throw the blast back towards its owner.
"I don't think so. Take this!", the gestures he made with his other hand seemed erratic at first, but to one actually observing his second attack, they were clearly being done with perfect precision. The tiny orb flew around behind Onoin, and slammed into his back. The shock from that caused him to lose focus, with the other beam pulling him off and into the ground. One second later, a deafening explosion rocked the area, leveling almost every structure for almost half a mile around.
Panting slightly, Yamcha looked, and saw the evil Saiyan climbing shakily to his feet. The human was about to panic till he saw Yajirobe in the air mere feet behind him. The sword was drawn, and Yajirobe was poised to strike. All to late the Saiyan's scouter went off and he turned in time to see his fate.
With a chop diagonally from one side of his head, down to his elbow, the samurai cleaved the Saiyan in two. But he wasn't done, following up with a dozed other strikes, before leaping back as a sudden blast from Yamcha incinerated the remains.
"Hey, careful will ya, you almost got me with that!"
Yamcha merely chuckled, before turning his eyes to Tien's fight. By the way it looked, Tien was seconds away from victory.
Tien was hovering in the sky, only a few meters up. His shirt had been ripped to tatters, and one eye was swollen shut, but that was a lot more than he could say for his enemy. The aforementioned was lying face down, both arms broken, in a heap of rubble. That was thanks to Chaoutzu's powerful mental abilities keeping the Saiyan frozen in his tracks. By the time he had been able to fight back again, it had already been too late. His power had nosedived, making him nothing more than an interactive punching bag. But Tien could see that the other battle had ended, with the second Saiyan's ki having vanished completely.
The one below him was alive, if only barely. That was about to change. It was a dangerous move, but if he exercised proper control, it would pose no risk to his life. Not that he was terribly concerned, since none of what they had experience was actually real.
"Ki...Ko...Ho!"
Though he did his best to contain it, the explosion still managed to knock him backwards nearly a thousand feet. As he looked around, he saw the others had escaped it as well, and were closing in on his location. One last glance, and he could see the mushroom cloud reaching several miles into the mesosphere, blasting away whatever clouds were hanging around.
Then, all went black once more. The next time they opened their eyes, they were back in the Pendulum Room, in the Lookout.
In front of them, they could see Kami leaning on his staff, with a knowing smile on his face. "I take it everything went well then?"
Tien wiped the sweat from his brow, half expecting to find his hand coated in blood as well. "Yeah, we won. I got to say though, those two...those Saiyans, were by far the toughest thing I've ever faced in my life."
Around him, everyone else nodded.
"That's good to hear then. Perhaps I should let all of you in on something else. The place you went to was planet Vegeta, Goku, and the Saiyan's homeworld, about fifty years ago. I know that because of the North Kaio, whom I've been in contact with recently. No doubt the gravity was a lot heavier that here on Earth. Lucky for you this room has other abilities. What you experienced was only about half of the planets true gravitational pull, well, when it still existed. Which leads me to my next point. You know full well that the two that are heading for Earth are vastly stronger than Raditz, the one Goku and Piccolo faced."
"Yeah, I remember someone saying that." muttered Yajorobe.
Kami's expression became grave. "Then you should also know this. The Saiyans you fought, were only the equivalent of Raditz in power, give or take a minuscule amount.
"What, no way...that...that is unreal!" Yamcha stammered out.
Yajirobe gulped audibly, "Wha...what are we supposed to do then, how can we ever fight them?!"
Tien tightened his fists, till his palms were about to bleed. "The only thing we can do. We train even harder than before."
One month later, over Snake Way.
Goku had spent the past three and a half months flying, doing his best to make up for lost time. Only this time, he listened to the advice that road worker gave him, and tried to sleep at least a few hours every other day or so. On his way, he actually passed the same guy. The man was adamant in apologizing, once Goku told him what happened, and how he fell down to hell. But the young Saiyan assured him that it wasn't his fault, that he should have been more careful where he fell asleep.
So after a few more words, they had parted, and Goku resumed his travels. Now, after all that time, he finally saw what looked like a planet in the distance.
As he got closer, he could also see that the road ended up ahead, the tip looking appropriately enough like the tail of a snake.
The planet, as far as he could tell, appeared rather tiny. Probably no more than a few miles around. When he got close enough to the surface to see a house, with a red car parked in front, he knew he had reached his destination.
"Yes, I've did it. I've finally reach King Kai's..." only then did he notice that he was being pulled down again, by the planets powerful gravity.
"Wait a minute, what the hell is going on-" he never got a chance to finish his sentence, because sooner than he expected, the ground came up on him. For a moment he lied, several feet down, in a human shaped crater. The irony of him being almost six feet under was enough to make him laugh to himself. Reaching an arm up, he managed to grab the ledge. No sooner did his head pop outside the hole did he find himself face to face with a monkey.
"Are...are you King Kai?"
Power Levels:
Yajirobe (Three months of training): 1,284
Yajirobe (Exhausted and injured): 750
Chaoutzu: 1,409
Yamcha: 1,696
Yamcha (Tired and injured): 1,550
Yamcha (Dodon-Kamehameha):2,135
Yamcha (Spirit Ball): 1,000
Yamcha (After Dodon-Kamehameha/Spirit Ball combo): 1,148
Tien: 1,986
Tien (Restrained Kikoho): 2,450
Onoin: 2,200
Onion (Battle damaged): 2,157
Onion (After Dodon-Kamehameha/Spirit Ball combo):1,431
Brocko: 2,306
Brocko (Wounded): 1,643
Krillin: 1,987
Gohan: 1,342
Oozaru Gohan: 13,420
Piccolo (Suppressed): 1,650
Gohan+Masenko: 1,630
Piccolo (Full power): 2,419
Piccolo Copy: 765
Piccolo (Moon Destroying Special Beam Cannon): 3,823
Ragnoron: 1,450
Nappa (Not full power): 3,000
Vegeta: ?
Bardock (Heavily suppressed): 15,000
Goku (Tired): 1,380
King Kai: ?
And I have a tiny Team Four Star reference hidden in this. So an internet cookie to whoever finds it first.
