AU: The Rise of a Legend
Prologue Arc:
The 24th Tenkaichi Budokai Saga:
Chapter 11: A Day in Waiting – A Son Interlude
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"And this concludes the live broadcast of the Tenkaichi Budokai for today! Stay tuned tomorrow for the amazing conclusion of this exciting tournament! And now, we return to our standard programming."
Staring at the TV, little Gohan pouted in disappointment.
"Awww… But I wanted to see more of my daddy!" The little boy whined.
"Now, Gohan, we'll get to see him tomorrow." His mother said patiently.
"Yeah… But now daddy won't be back until tomorrow…" Gohan said, pouting some more.
Chi-Chi felt slightly disappointed herself. She had hoped Goku would win the tournament easily and return home satisfied and with a lot of money for them. But it seems that would have to wait a bit.
"Goku, you better win this tournament!" She thought.
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"ALL RIGHT! JUST WHAT DO YOU IDIOTS THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
All six males cringed as the loud voice of an angry woman caused them all to freeze in their tracks. A blue-haired woman was marching toward them, looking very angry, and these six brave warriors, who had courageously faced down their equally powerful opponents in the ring, now cowered in front of the awesome might of the Loud Angry Woman.
"U-Um…" Goku stammered, mightily terrified. "Hi Bulma."
"DON'T YOU 'HI BULMA' ME, SON GOKU!" Bulma shouted, moving closer to them. "I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF YOU IN THREE YEARS! NOW THAT A CHANCE PRESENTS ITSELF, YOU LEAVE ME OUT OF THE LOOP?!"
"W-We're sorry." Krillin explained. "B-But none of us were around to tell you at the time and…"
"Oh, spare me the lame excuses!" Bulma said, and the six were relieved to hear that she had stopped shouting, but she still sounded really pissed. "Yamcha is my boyfriend, damn it! HE COULD HAVE TOLD ME!"
The guys glanced at Yamcha, who looked increasingly nervous under all this scrutiny.
"So what do you have to say for yourself?" she demanded of him.
"I… I… I… I don't know what to say, Bulma." Yamcha stammered. "I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't m-m-mean t-to exclude y-y-you!
Bulma tossed her hair and folded her arms. "Hmph! You're lucky I'm such a nice person. I've decided to forgive you."
"Nice person." Krillin grumbled. "About as nice as the executioner who swabs your arm before he puts the needle in."
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Bulma yelled, advancing on Krillin.
Krillin held up both hands pleadingly, backing away from her. "Nothing! Nothing! That was nothing at all! I swear, I was just thinking out loud! I was wrong! You're the nicest person I have ever known! I mean it!"
The others laughed at the exchange.
"It's good to see you again, Bulma." Tien said, smiling. "I see you haven't changed much."
That stopped Bulma. "Well, yeah. And it's good to see all of you again too. I can tell you've all gotten a lot stronger."
"Hm-hmm!" Chao-tzu said excitedly. "And we've already advanced to the next round! Well, except for Yamcha."
Bulma sighed wearily. "And you fail in the quarterfinals once again. Just for once I'd like a boyfriend who makes it to the semifinals in the only tournament he's ever fought in. Are you cursed or something?"
"No, he's just Yamcha." Krillin deadpanned.
The others laughed again, even Bulma.
"Oh come on, you know that's not fair!" Yamcha protested. "I almost made it to the semifinals this time!"
"Oh, really?" Bulma said, highly interested. "And just who did you have to fight?"
Yamcha, realizing how he'd dug himself in, grabbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
"It was Goku." Yajirobe informed her smugly, crossing his arms together, seemingly very superior. "There was no way wolf boy here was gonna win his first match. He was doomed right from the very start."
"You're one to talk." Chao-tzu teased. "You lost your match also."
Yajirobe held up his fist, making Chao-tzu very nervous. "Hey, that's not very fair! You know I never wanted to be in this stupid tournament in the first place! I only came because Korin made me! Like I wanna risk my life against Piccolo."
"Oh yeah!" Bulma said, sounding like she had just remembered something she had forgot. "That's right! I've been wondering… where's Piccolo? Is he competing in the Tenkaichi Budokai, or has he already been defeated?"
"Well, now that you mention it, we haven't seen him around here yet." Krillin said. "It's like he just vanished."
"Huh, that's strange." Bulma remarked, confused. "I thought for sure that he'd come back and try to take revenge on you guys. I mean, you are the reason his plans for world domination failed in the first place."
"He may be planning a sneak attack." Tien advised. "So we'd rather be careful."
"Yeah, that guy is just like a cartoon villain." Krillin pointed out. "He's always up to something, and it's always something bad."
"Well, wherever he is, the next time he shows up, we'll be prepared for him!" Goku said determinedly.
"Yeah!" Bulma said. "That's the spirit! I mean, you guys already beat him. I know you can do it again."
"Hey, Bulma." Yamcha said, walking over to her. "The guys and I were just about to go have dinner. You interested? My treat."
Bulma looked at Yamcha, and apparently she considered this an appropriate enough apology for leaving her uninformed, because she smiled a genuinely happy smile and nodded her head once. "Yeah, sounds great."
And so the happy group walked off, wondering who would come out on top in their next matches.
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On the outskirts of town bordering the forest, it was quiet and still. The day animals had turned in to sleep while the night animals were just now awakening from their slumber for a night of carefully stalking their prey through the grass and the rivers and the trees. And not far from the edge of the forest, sitting cross-legged atop a gnarled stump, was Upa, trying to meditate, but the native warrior's furrowed brows and tensed-up muscles would make it obvious to the typical passersby that something was troubling him, making focusing his thoughts and achieving inner calm very difficult.
"Damn it!" He thought. "How could I have allowed myself to become so consumed with the thoughts of revenge? What will Father or Master Nam think of me? What will Goku think of me? If I've lost his respect, because of my own stupidity, I'll never be able to forgive myself…"
"Well, hello there." A voice said behind him.
Upa turned, and found an old man with a dark suit and briefcase standing behind him. He had sunglasses and a dark hat and looked vaguely familiar to Upa, though he couldn't place him from where.
"H-Huh?" Upa said. "Who are you, mister?"
"I'm the Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi." The old man answered. "And you are…?"
"Wait… I remember you now!" Upa said as the pieces fell into place. Now he knew — the white beard, the bald head, the sunglasses… it all came to him, as clear as a crystal. It all connected instantly, and Upa could remember where he had seen the old man before. "You were the man who accompanied us to Fortuneteller Baba's! Sir, it's me, Upa!"
"Oh, I see." He said. "Then you were that Indian boy whose father was killed by Mercenary Tao. I take it things went as planned."
Upa nodded.
"Yes! We managed to revive him thanks to Goku, and to all your help." Upa said happily. "But sir, what are you doing here?"
Master Roshi placed a hand to the back of his neck and began laughing. "Oh well, you know what it's like for old men! Heheheheh! I came here for the tournament… but I lost track of time, and then with one thing or another, heheheheh! And then, of course, there were the ladies…"
Master Roshi coughed, then regarded Upa seriously again.
"But anyway, I saw your fight with Tien." He told the young native. "Very impressive. You are quite a strong young man."
Upa blinked as the memories returned. He didn't feel very strong. He felt small, and weak, and shamed at the memory.
"Thanks a lot, sir." Upa replied politely. "But I… I still have a lot to learn."
"Yes, indeed." Master Roshi said, analyzing Upa closely. He could sense that he was troubled about something. "You look like a man with a great chip on his shoulder. Perhaps you'd like to talk? I know it may not seem like it, but it might actually help you feel better."
"I… I guess so." Upa said reluctantly. He turned his body to face Master Roshi fully and sucked in a breath. "The reason I came to this tournament was actually to honor my father's legacy, as well as my mentor, Nam."
"Of course." Master Roshi told the young Indian sympathetically with an understanding chuckle. "The allure of upholding a master's honor is quite appealing to a young boy. But I take it something went wrong?"
"Six years ago, at the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament, Master Nam faced a powerful and vicious opponent. Said opponent defeated him and not content with that, crippled him to the point he could never walk again." Upa said seriously, and faced Master Roshi in the eye as he spoke next. "He was the opponent I faced on the quarterfinals."
Master Roshi adjusted his glasses. "Oh yes. I remember. So, you are one of Tien's many victims. Or so you led yourself into believing."
"You know him too, Master Roshi?" Upa said, surprised.
"Who do you mean, son?" Master Roshi said. "Be specific. I'm an old man, you know."
Upa fell over. "I mean Tien Shinhan." He clarified.
"Ah yes. Indeed, I know him as well as any man." Master Roshi said. "As I knew his master, the man he served."
"I… I thought Tien was an evil man." Upa confessed shamefully, closing his eyes from that guilt. "I thought I would be facing a ruthless monster, but… but he seemed like a completely different person than I'd anticipated…"
"And that's to be expected." Master Roshi said wisely, staring out at the meadow. "This life, it's filled with twists and turns and unexpected surprises. What truth one holds as sacrosanct once is often proven to be completely false later on. Such is the way of change.
"I know." Upa said, somehow finding the courage to go on. "But… at that time I was unable to see that. I couldn't look past the past and at the future. E-Even Goku was convinced he had changed. Yet even then I was consumed by my rage. I-I desired to make him pay, even more so when I learned he was connected to that beast Tao…"
"Yes, I can imagine that was quite a surprise. And a compelling invitation to continue your vendetta." Master Roshi said. He could see the direction this conversation was heading. "But please, do go on."
"I was a fool!" Upa berated himself harshly, slamming his fists down on his legs. "I allowed my anger to rule my judgment and nearly made a horrible mistake. I sought to restore my master's honor, yet instead I dishonored his teaching, and I've even brought shame to my family's name and legacy. We are the guardians for the Land of Korin! We are supposed to fight in order to protect! Not selfishly attack other for personal grudges!"
"No, young man, you did not dishonor yourself or your teachings, though you obviously believe that you have." Roshi said.
He walked up and laid a comforting hand on Upa's shoulder. Upa opened his eyes and glanced up, surprised at the comradely gesture. Though his eyes were hidden by his sunglasses Upa sensed warmth and compassion emanating from him, and it felt reassuring.
"If you had truly dishonored yourself and your master as you claim, you would have murdered Tien, or crippled him as badly as he did your master, and yet, you did not," Master Roshi said simply. "It is only an illusion, the guilt that you feel. You showed him mercy and proved that your generation can be intelligent, and wise. Your only shame comes from not realizing this sooner."
Upa wanted to believe Master Roshi's words very badly, for it would show that he wasn't the cruel, evil monster he felt he had become. But it was very hard for images of Goku's disappointed face or his father's shame-filled features kept intruding upon his consciousness.
"Master Roshi, what should I do now?" Upa asked. "How can I look at my master, at my father or at Goku in the face ever again?"
"You do the hardest thing that one can do. You forgive yourself, and train your mind and your emotions so that the next time such a similar situation faces you that their faith in you and the high value that they place on your moral standards is not in vain." Roshi instructed.
Upa stared at Roshi for a minute, then looked down at his own hands.
"I'm not sure is it's as easy as you say it is." He muttered.
"I'm sure you'll find that it's a lot easier than you think it is once you really put your mind to it." Master Roshi chuckled. "That's the problem with this generation; you can't commit to something all the way even if your lives depend on it, but I know you can do it, Upa. I can sense it even now. Within you, there is the potential for a great warrior."
Upa looked back at Master Roshi in disbelief. "You really think so?" He asked hopefully.
"I know it." Roshi said with a gentle shoulder squeeze. "I'd stake my very life on it."
"I… I guess you are right, Master Roshi." Upa replied, sucking in a breath of fresh air to try and clear his head. "I just… I need to really think about what to do now." He smiled. "But you're right — talking about this DID help. Thank you, Master Roshi."
Master Roshi removed the hand on his shoulder.
"It was no problem, son. And now, I must be getting back to the others. I hope to see you again sometime."
"Right." Upa said. "I'll see you again someday."
"Bye." Roshi said, and he took off down the street, heading into town.
Upa glanced back down at his hands, thinking over all Master Roshi had said to him.
"Is it true?" He pondered. "Can I really forgive myself for what I've done? Is it really just all in my mind, or… am I no better than Tao Pai Pai or Tien's master?" He shook his head. "Looks like it's gonna be a long night…"
And so Upa returned to his meditations, feeling just as conflicted and confused as he had when he first entered the tournament, but now at least, he felt he could at least begin sorting out the mess formed in his mind…
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It was a sight everyone had seen multiple times before. The assorted fighters knew that by this point, they should have already gotten used to it.
However, no matter how many times they tried, they could never get over how Goku tended to gorge down bowl after bowl of food over and over. It was like staring at a giant black hole sucking everything it touched.
And there was no limit to what was chosen, either. Turkey, ham, lobster, chicken, roast beef, fish, lamb, sausage, steak, sushi, rice, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, spaghetti, egg rolls, all kinds of soups, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, then came dessert, where the naive young man filled himself up on various types of cake, ice cream, pies, several different kinds of pastries, and cheesecake.
"Ahhh, that was GREAT! Good food!" Goku exclaimed happily, patting his full stomach, after having consumed enough food to feed an army.
"Just like ever. This restaurant hasn't changed one bit." Krillin mused.
"I swear, the food's getting better." Yamcha commented.
"Yeah, no kidding. Whew, that was delicious." Goku replied in agreement.
"I'm not surprised. This IS a six-star restaurant, after all. Only a few restaurants in the world have that ranking." Bulma replied off-handedly.
"Hey, Tien, you alright over there? You barely touched your food." The ex-monk asked, looking at his three-eyed friend with slight worry.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking…" The taller man replied.
"About what?" Chao-tzu asked, even though he already guessed an answer.
"I'm mostly worried about Upa. I have yet to see him after our fight." Tien replied honestly.
"That's right, he did just sort of run off right after it, didn't he?" Yamcha added.
"I wasn't here. Did something happen to you, guys?" Bulma asked, deciding to make her presence known.
However, before anyone could provide her with an answer, she felt her firm butt cheeks be squeezed by a pair of wrinkled hands, causing her to almost jump in shock and embarrassment, before she quickly turned around and smacked the obvious offender's head, sending him straight to the ground.
"DAMN IT, MASTER ROSHI! I HAD A BAD DAY AND I DON'T NEED YOU MAKING IT WORSE!" The woman shrieked to the fallen master.
"Whatever you… say… eeeeeeehhhhhhhhh…"
"Yup, Master Roshi's still the same as ever." The ex-monk commented, stifling a small chuckle.
"Hey Master Roshi! Where have you been?" Goku asked his old mentor, not blinking an eye at the man's perverted antics.
"Oh, you know, out sightseeing. This is quite a busy town, heheheheheh! But asides from that, I was secretly watching your fights in the tournament. I think you've done very well, all of you, and I am proud to have been one of your instructors." The old sage replied, switching from that goofy tone he used anytime he did something silly or perverted into one of genuine pride for his protégés and pupils.
"Secretly? We came together! You just vanished when we arrived!" Krillin retorted with mild irritation.
"Uheheheheheh, well, to tell you the truth, there was quite a stir! All of a sudden, there I was, in a sea of people! Blondes, brunettes, redheads! I can't take it, I'm gonna…"
And like that, Roshi's nose erupted in a spray of blood, prompting Bulma to clobber him on the head all over again.
"You're hopeless…" She groaned.
"Master Roshi is about as predictable as the seasons." Tien pointed out, making everyone chuckle a bit.
"So, Tien, was that you were saying about Upa?" Bulma asked.
Upon hearing the mention of the young Indian, Master Roshi got up, as if nothing had happened.
"Upa? Why, I just met him on the way in here." He commented.
"You met Upa?" Goku asked in surprise.
"Well, of course, heheheheheheh!"
"Well, where is he?" Krillin inquired.
"Oh, just out past the highway, near the forest. He was meditating when I came upon him." The hermit replied off-handedly.
"Well, we should go get him, then." The former desert bandit suggested.
Agreeing with Yamcha, everyone made to get up. However, as they tried to leave, Master Roshi's demeanor changed completely.
"No, sit back down. I cannot permit you to see that young man just yet." He told his protégés, his visage now calm, but stern, more like that of a Martial Arts Sage.
"What, but why?" Krillin asked.
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses before speaking.
"Because he is going through a deeply personal conflict over his own basic morals: right and wrong, revenge and justice. He's come face-to-face with his own inner darkness, and it is a true test of one's values and what path a warrior chooses. This is a battle he must fight on his own, and we do not have license to interfere with it, no matter how badly we may want to. For now, let's just leave the next move up to him. All right?"
At his words, the assorted fighters tried to protest , but quickly found that they couldn't find any proper rebuttals, their mouths opening and closing as counter-arguments failed them before they were even worded.
"B-But Master Roshi…" The scar-faced man insisted weakly.
"No, Yamcha, he is right. We have to leave Upa to sort this on his own." Tien stated, having already returned to his seat.
"Yeah, I guess so. Man, this just isn't right, though. Upa is our friend and we should be helping him!" Krillin complained.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Goku chimed, echoing his best friend's frustration.
"I wouldn't worry too much. We all know he's a good kid. I assure you he'll be just fine." The elderly master replied, his tone somewhat softer as he comforted the young fighters.
"Well, if you say so, Master Roshi." Yamcha replied, resignation in his voice.
"Good. Now that that's settled…"
And with that said, he promptly grabbed Bulma's left breast. To which the blue haired beauty proceeded to smack him again… a lot.
"YOU OLD CREEP!"
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In the Papaya Island Hospital, in the very same room that, just six years previous, a certain scar-faced ex-desert bandit had occupied, lay a bandaged man connected to several medical equipment designed to monitor his personal condition, which, from all accounts, indicated that the man was in critical shape. The few parts which could be seen were a metallic gray color, but gray with cracks and scars in them, as if they were metal that had been broken off. And it was into this room that a dark shadow moved, opening the window and stepping quietly into the darkened area. He walked up until he was standing alongside the bed, staring down at the injured man in the bandages and metal parts.
"I see they were quite thorough in their punishment with you." The shadow mused in a smooth, cultured voice.
"Who… are… you…?" The man uttered weakly, barely able to muster words at all.
"Who I am is unimportant." The shadow said. "What is important is what I have come to offer you… Mercenary Tao."
"Just… state your business already…" The man uttered weakly, struggling against the overwhelming pain.
"Very well. I will come straight to the point, then." The shadow said, shifting slightly in the darkness that concealed it. "I have come to offer you, Mercenary Tao, the chance for vengeance, against all those who have wronged us."
"Us…?" The injured man, Tao, said.
"Yes, for I think you will find that although we are worlds apart, we share similar interests." The shadow replied.
Gathering his strength, the feared mercenary spoke again. "What is… your offer?"
"For now, it is simple. I require the use of your body in a, shall we say… little experiment." The shadow said. "But, if all goes as planned, it will restore you to your former state, and make you strong enough to destroy those who have cast us down, Goku and his gang of friends. I require your answer, though, before I proceed. What say you, Tao?"
Tao looked at this mysterious man, weighing his options. He had pretty much lost it all after this battle. More than half his fortune was spent on repairing the damage from his second duel with then-chibi Goku. And now, after Chao-tzu had beaten him, he had no means of repairing this damage. Tao could either remain the rest of his life a cripple, or see what was in store for him with this strange man…
It didn't take long for him to decide.
"Very well…" Tao replied, a malicious smirk forming on his charred lips. "When… do we start?"
A sinister chuckle issued forth from the hidden shadow, as cold and as cruel as the kiss of death itself.
"As soon as possible…"
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To be continued
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AN: Well, what can I say? This was mosty a filler episode, mainly so I could add a bit of character development for Upa, as well as drop that bomb at the end. Who is that man and what he may want with Tao? You'll have to wait a bit to find out... But if you bear with me and be patient, hopefully you will be satisfied with the result.
No power levels this time, though, as there was no mayor fight.