Sorry the ending was a depressing. Unfortunately, Gohan and Roxas can't save everything. And thank-you for reviewing. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the last one. This chapter won't focus on the little duo as much as they have been. Anyway, please enjoy…
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Dragon Ball Z/GT series or its characters. Akira Toriyama owns it. Not me. Nor do I own any of the quotes that appear at the beginning of each chapter.
CLAIMER: I do own any characters that were not in the series.
Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism.
Chapter 13: Untamed
"Bitterness is like cancer.
It eats upon the host.
But anger is like fire.
It burns it all clean."
-Maya Angelou
"Roxas!"
A soft groan escaped the female as she rolled over. A small hand gripped her shoulder and began to shake her.
"Roxas!"
With tired eyes, the woman groggily looked at the adorable face that gazed downward at her, "Wha…?" Forming coherent sentences was a challenge at the moment.
"Good morning!" Gohan chirped merrily, a broad smile plastered across his face. "Look, I've got breakfast."
Rubbing her eyes, Roxas sat up and turned her sleepy gaze on the nourishment that the little boy had provided for the two of them.
It was a bowl full of edible seeds and berries. She smiled softly and retrieved a handful, "Thanks, Gohan."
"Your welcome." He dropped three of pink berries in his mouth and began to chew on the delicious fruit.
Days passed after they abandoned their cave. It could have been months for all Roxas knew. There was no way to count the months. But after they awoke the day they chose to move on, the pair found that the skeleton that once belonged to their injured dinosaur friend. The Saiyans paid their respects to the deceased creature and then continued on; standing idle and constantly mourning the fallen being was not an option. This was another of life's lessons.
Gohan was growing stronger everyday, while Roxas remained fit and ready for battle. She took the time to improve her swordsmanship after her first defeat. The pair would spar every afternoon before they went to forage the night's meal. After traveling for some time, they took shelter in the valley where their adventure began.
Still, they did not see any signs of the green man. Roxas was sure that he had gone to train this time.
The two sat across from each other as they consumed the berries. Their quiet morning slowly evaporated as the ground began to shake.
Gohan casually looked upwards, beyond the woman who sat across from him, "Hey, Bubba is standing behind you."
"He is?" she glanced back at him and rolled her eyes.
After their first defeat, Roxas named the dinosaur that continued to stalk them 'Bubba'. They went through a list of names before finally deciding on the name it now currently held.
The dinosaur seemed to despise the two. Of course, who could blame it? The creature lunged at them. Calmly, the Saiyans leapt out of its path and began sprinting through the large valley.
The reason behind its desire for revenge lay with its tail. Each and every time the dinosaur assaulted them, Gohan or Roxas would carve a slice of its tail away. That piece would usually end up as dinner. They learned to maneuver the humungous carnivore during each attack; now it was merely a game to the duo. Now was no different then before.
Roxas and Gohan leapt from peak to peak, to and fro, with Bubba following closely behind.
"Over here!" the woman called, making a face at the overgrown lizard.
It growled at her angrily and lunged at the plateau wall. Roxas did a back flip out of its line of fire and ricocheted off of its nose, landing on another peak. Meanwhile, Gohan snuck up behind the reptile. He leapt from one of the plateaus and landed on its back. Running up its spine and neck, he slid down its snout and came to a rest at its nose. The dinosaur looked at him cross-eyed.
"Wow, you've really let yourself go," the child marveled as he gazed at its girth, "you need to lose some pounds."
Saliva dripped from its fangs as it bellowed. Gohan chuckled and leapt off of its nose, continuing the ever changing pattern that the pair created. Reaching a dead end of the plateaus, they both ricocheted off of the rock wall and into the air. They waited just for the right moment when the dinosaur was close enough that it slammed into the peak head first.
Roxas winced, but her grin never faded, "Oh, that one had to hurt."
"It's my turn to get him this time, right?" The older Saiyan nodded to him. With his question being answered, Gohan unsheathed his sword and brought it down on the dinosaur's tail as he landed in the ground. Blood pooled from the open wound as a slice fell, only to be caught by the boy.
"You know," Roxas said in a conversational manner as she examined the remains of the stub, "If you keep this up, you won't have a tail left Bubba."
Gohan was looking at the wound as well, "Yeah. I used to have a tail too," he gestured to the other Saiyan, "she still has hers though."
It was knocked unconscious. Feeling victorious once again, Gohan and Roxas left the sleeping creature to its own devices. They wandered through the wide open valley until they felt that they had gone far enough. Stopping, Gohan found a log. He extended his open palm. Roxas watched as his will called to the ki energy inside of his body. It began to twist and churn before escaping the flesh of his hand; the result was the burning of the log they had just found.
During their time alone, Gohan and Roxas taught themselves to use mediocre ki attacks; such as setting wood ablaze.
The little boy could still remember the day his father first taught of him of the energy known as ki.
Using his sword as stick, Gohan held the meat over the open flame. Roxas made herself comfortable on the grass and gazed upwards at the clear blue sky. So other Saiyans are coming from the sky, hm? I wonder…what're they doing right now?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The darkness swallowed all who dared to enter. A plane of existence incapable of supporting life. The beauty created by silver diamonds would intrigue the pedestrians who choose to view it. One planet came into view. It was quite large. The main body of the planet was a clean azure blue streaked with ivory and pale lavender. The gravitational pull of this planet was quite strange. A strange substance that mimics oxygen existed within the pull; this allowed the inhabitants to hover in space freely and enjoy the wonders of the galaxy.
The land, which was filled to the brim with vibrant green grass and forestry, was also covered in tall cities. A scene that would amaze outsiders.
A large city made up of tall, ivory skyscrapers lined with pink tinted windows and designs was recently added to the design.
Deep inside of the capital building, there was a small control room. High tech computers allowed two reptilian men dressed in ivory space suits to view several small monitors. Each of the screens allowed them to view a different corner of a decent sized, darkened room with dim light bulbs built into the ceiling.
A burly man dressed in black and gold Saiyan attire was leaning against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. A patch of messy dark brown hair covered his head; a skinny mustache was added to his appearance. His wore a confident expression.
Locked within the darkened room was a group of eight, short little green men. Hideous grins and wide orange eyes locked with their prey. Standing in the center of them was a lean five-year-old boy. The child bore spiky dark brown hair; his bangs fell over his dark irises. He wore a dark, navy blue jumpsuit that covered his torso and his legs; straps were hooked around his shoulders, and his arms were left bare. Ivory gloves protected his hands wrists. Last, he wore boots that matched his gloves to a tee. A dark brown tail swished back and forth.
The violent green men lunged at the child, who dodged their assault with ease. He moved faster then the untrained eye could follow.
"Whoa, did you see that?" one of the men in the control room gasped, awestruck by the child's performance.
His partner nodded, "Yes. I see it all the time."
"There's no way…!" Even adults struggled to defeat eight Saibamen at once.
"Heh, not for any kid you've ever known." the other male chuckled. Just as all of the Saibamen lunged at him from all directions, the child extended both arms. A wave of powerful ki engulfed the green men, propelling them into the walls and floor. With on finger, the child finished them with a few simple ki blasts.
"Unbelievable!" the reptilian man gasped, eyes wide with shock.
His partner did not share his surprise, "I told you."
"My God, what's he going to be like when he's full grown?"
The muscular man in the corner chuckled as he pushed off of the wall, "Nobody knows that yet. But take my advice and stay on his good side." He moved towards the exit of the training room.
"Shoot yeah."
"Open up you fool!"
Jumping at the order, the man quickly clicked the code into the large computer. "S-sorry sir!"
Outside of the control room, in the white hallway that was tinted pink, the boy emerged from the darkened room. His escort was holding his extra accessories.
"You're the best prince!" he cooed.
This seemed to annoy the boy, "Stop kissing up, Nappa." He took the ivory armor from his hands and slid it over his head, firmly placing it around his torso and shoulders. He took the bright orange cape and tied it to his shoulders before stepping onto sidewalk that moved on its own; it was controlled by a computer somewhere within the building.
"All of these training exercises bore me," the five-year-old huffed, "I want another combat assignment. No more drills. Hmph, Frieza," his spoke the name as if it were a curse, "the day will soon arrive when we won't have to take orders from him, you watch."
"Think so?"
He grinned at his escort, "I know so."
"I'd love that!" Nappa clapped his hands together, excited at the idea of being freed from their current leader.
The duo continued making their way to Frieza's quarters…
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two silver pods tore through the darkness of space. They passed a large, yellow-brown planet surrounded by golden rings. In truth, the rings were made up of asteroids and space trash that had been taken hostage by the planet's orbit.
Resting inside of one pod, there was the shorter of the two Saiyans. He was sitting in the seat of his transporter with his eyes closed. His arms were hooked around his chest as it rose up and down evenly. As he slept, a holographic control panel materialized between himself and the sealed door. A golden light flashed as a female voice echoed off of the walls of the small pod.
"Prince Vegeta," the computer called, "we are now within one parsec of the planet Arlia. Initiating vapor bank. It is time to wake-up now."
The voice ended soon after giving the command. A light mist filled the small pod. The lights flashed on. Vegeta's eyes twitched in annoyance as he slowly regained consciousness.
Sighing, he reached for his scouter his and opened a line to communicate with his large fellow.
"Nappa," he called, waiting impatiently for the other male's reply. He said nothing. "Nappa, are you awake?"
A low groan sounded from the other end. "Now I am. What's going on?"
"Nothing really," Vegeta leaned against the back of his seat, "but I thought we would make a stop and stretch our legs. We need the exercise. Planet Arlia's not far from here. We might be able to sell for it for a decent price."
"Sounds good to me," Nappa could care less. He would be satisfied as long as he could wreak havoc on the masses. An excited chuckle sounded from the other end of the line, "These Arlians better know how to fight. I can't remember the last time we had real competition."
His prince had to agree. For years they encountered nothing but weaklings. Vegeta was beginning to think that the Saiyans had been the last race truly worthy of the name 'warrior'. He watched as they approached an orange planet with swirling crimson clouds at a fast rate. Hungry flames licked the silver pods as they broke through the atmosphere and made a crash landing on the soil of the planet Arlia.
The doors to the pods clicked and hissed as they opened. Gripping the outer edges of the doorframe, Vegeta pulled himself from the pod.
His handsome face twisted with disgust as he scanned their surroundings. Old darkened ruins protruded from the dying soil that seemed to crunch beneath their boots. They sky was a mix of crimson and orange. Unfriendly black clouds churned violently. Some of the little fluffy clouds hovered near the ground. It was an atrocious sight. Nothing but an empty wasteland.
"Not much here, is there?" Nappa seemed to agree with his leader.
Vegeta finished his scanning of the surroundings, shaking his head in disappointment, "Obviously not," nevertheless, he did not give up. "Let's have a look around, shall we?"
They thoroughly examined the tall stone towers and clouds. The atmosphere was breathable. But the air smelled of some kind putrid substance that was impossible to name. Nappa merely tapped one of the short towers and it came crumbling down. It was as weak as a newborn.
He gazed at the ruble left from the small stone, "Are you sure we can get a high price for this place?"
"Doubt it," The short Saiyan muttered, crossing his arms over his strong chest. "Let's look around a little more. There might be something of value here."
Just as they were about to continue their search, Vegeta's scouter beeped to life. He followed the readings, his body slowly turning around. Within seconds, a pair of gigantic blue bug-like creatures with large red eyes and white pincers broke free of the dying soil. They loomed above the Saiyans. Riding on the heads of the caterpillars were beings resembling the cross between a human and an insect. They wore loincloths and bore long, sharpened swords.
"You are trespassing on Arlian territory!" one the bug-men croaked.
The other had a deeper voice, but it could hardly be associated with either a Saiyan or a human, "If you make one move we'll blast 'ya!"
"We should blow them up." Nappa raised his palm.
But his prince would not have it, "Easy."
"Surrender or face the consequences." The Arlian to the right ordered.
They have got to be kidding me. They're power level is weaker then a newborn Saiyan. Pathetic. Vegeta found the idea of testing their patience to be quite amusing. "No."
"Very well then," the mouth of the Arlian to the left began to glow crimson,
prepare to die!"
Before the crimson blast could connect, both Vegeta and Nappa held up their hands. The attack was canceled out immediately; smoke enshrouded their bodies. As it cleared, the Arlians who dismounted their caterpillars realized their mistake.
"Uh, surrender this instant!" one of the Arlians ordered, unsheathing its sword.
Nappa stepped forward, a defiant expression on his face, "Make me!" Nappa! The older male stopped, looking towards his leader out of the corner of his eye. Surrender to them. Let's have some fun while we're here. It was a simple task using ki to connect with the energy of others to communicate with them telepathically. One of the many techniques a Saiyan learned to master.
Sighing irritation, Nappa gave into his prince's wishes. Both males held their hands out.
"T-they gave up?" The Arlians were surprised by their change of heart. Chuckling, the one to the left shackled their wrists, "We must've been too much for them."
The other Arlian nodded his head in agreement, "Yeah," he eyed both Saiyans. It was difficult to see read their expression. The Arlian's faces never moved. "But man, they're a complete eyesore."
"No arguments there," his Arlian ally grabbed the chain connecting Vegeta and Nappa and began leading them to their mounts, "but they'll prove to be interesting entertainment for his lordship."
Once all four of the sentient beings boarded the backs of the caterpillars, said insects began crawling through the horrid wasteland.
It was not long before the large insects came upon a large coliseum. The building, if it could qualify as such, was slowly crumbling into rubble. It was darkened and ancient, much like the architecture that seemed to be common on this planet. The four dismounted the strange insects, which quickly burrowed back into the dying ground. Vegeta and Nappa followed the duo as they led them into the open entrance of the coliseum like castle.
They passed what the prince assumed to be the throne room. It was a wide arena. There, saw rows of Arlian guards. Standing in the center were two armed Arlians; the bug-men fought as though their lives depended on it. Steps led towards a set of thrones saved for the rulers of this worthless planet. Sitting on the steps was a lavender colored Arlian dressed in what could be considered 'high class' dull red robes trimmed with gold. An Arlian kneeled before him, serving some kind of fruit on a metal platter.
Perched on the thrown to the right was a strange looking Arlian. She appeared to be covered in pink fur. Depressed, round glossy black eyes gazed at the chipped and cracked floor. Ivory cloth was wrapped around its body.
The Arlian guards led their new prisoners through the corridors of their home. They descended a set of stone steps. Damp, dark stone hallways soon followed. They passed another set of guards as they stepped through a pair of double doors. Cells containing Arlian prisoners vanished as the four drifted along the disgusting smelling corridors.
"Here you go," one Arlian unlocked the door of the cell and stepped aside. Both Saiyans entered willingly. Closing the door, he laughed, "You'll be relieved to know that your cell is rat-free. The other prisoners ate them all." And then left them to their own devices. They never bothered to remove the shackles.
"Oh my," a male voice gasped from across the cell, "Look at those hideous aliens!"
Vegeta wore a bored expression as he looked to the small group of Arlians huddled in the corner. Unlike the Saiyans, they were not handcuffed. They keep mentioning our appearance. Such vain creatures. Their insults did not phase the young prince in the least. He knew that he was a dashing young man; but he could care less even if he was not.
"Have any of you even thought that maybe they think that we're the ugly ones?" one male Arlian suggested.
So one of these freaks has a brain after all? Simply amazing. "Speak for yourself." Another shot back in a sarcastic tone.
"Does it matter what they look like?" a third bug-man asked, "They're stuck in here just like the rest of us. They're just more victims of that tyrant; locked away and left to rot," he turned his attention to the Saiyans, "I'm afraid that you visitors have come at a bad time. The new king of Arlia is ruthless. He uses prisoners for his own amusement. He even went so far as to steal my wife Lemlia on the day that we were to be married. You can only imagine the pain I feel."
He gazed at the golden gauntlet on his wrist longingly. Vegeta shrugged his woes off like one would a fly. He could care less about the creature's troubles. So they actually have genders? Then that pink thing I saw must have been a female. He sneered at the sight of her.
Only a few minutes there and the young Saiyan was feeling bored. He decided to spice things up around Arlia, "How does this sound?" he asked, smirking at the bug-men, "I'll help you take your throne back."
"Y-you will!?" the Arlian gasped, hope in his voice.
The Saiyan nodded his head and tore the shackles in half with ease, "Of course. Just stand back and watch the fireworks."
Nappa removed his own shackles and reached for the door. He tore it off of its hinges and tossed it aside, allowing his prince to exit the cell first. The duo began making their way down the corridor. They came upon two guards; both of which charged at them with swords ready after ordering for them to halt.
Vegeta did not make a move to defend himself. Instead, Nappa grabbed both of the Arlian's heads and hoisted them into the air. A sickening crunch could be heard as the prince of the Saiyans exited the dungeons.
They made their wall through the hallway of the coliseum-like castle. It was not long before they found themselves in the arena.
"…well then, bring them here." The lavender colored Arlian, who was sitting on the throne towards the right ordered his guard.
Wearing a delighted smirk, Vegeta allowed his deep voice to pass his lips, "There is no need."
"What? How did they get in here?" the false king of Arlia barked, "You know that not a single prisoner is allowed in my chambers without an armed escort!"
The guard stammered, not entirely sure of the reason for their presence himself, "I-I don't know, sire…they…"
"Your guards met with an unfortunate accident." the young Saiyan decided to relieve the Arlians of their confusion.
But his words only angered the insect, "How dare you!? Soon the both of you shall meet with an unfortunate accident," he looked to the female, "You may not want to watch this, my dear."
"Very well." she turned away from the pair.
"I'll be sure that my guards make short work of these repulsive creatures." He crossed his pointed fingers and tapped his chin.
Vegeta decided to challenge him, "Really?" He feigned worry.
"Ah, let's see," he paused, concocting their demise in his simple brain, "We should test the big one with the shiny head against our champion in combat. I'll save the little one for last; he wont' put up much of a fight, I'm sure."
Fool. A burly Arlian appeared behind them, "You'll retire a wealthy man if you can defeat them both. Now, kill them!"
Vegeta silently corrected the mistakened Arlian as his slave brought the sword down on them. Man? He hardly constitutes as a 'man'. More like a thing. Moving with lightning fast speed, the prince extended two fingers to the brute. Ivory ki erupted from the tips and engulfed the man's head, burning it clear off of his shoulders. His body fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"Well what do 'ya know?" Nappa chuckled, "Guess that makes you the new champion Vegeta."
The short price enjoyed the sound of his name and the word 'champion' in the same sentence. But a newborn could waste these pathetic Arlians with ease; so he was not as proud of his accomplishment as another would have been.
"Not bad," the lavender Arlian mumbled. His ivory antenna twitched as he spoke, "But ten of our finest warriors have mastered energy just like yours."
Vegeta decided to urge him on, "They have? How interesting. We'd like to fight them," his smirk widened; his tone made it obvious that he was mocking them. "Ready?"
"You'll pay for your insolence!"
Nappa sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever. Can we get on with this already?"
"Ah, how do you!?" The false king was outraged.
Nappa twitched his fingers, egging him on, "Come on your heinousness. Bring on that cricket brigade of yours! We're ready."
Nappa's insults leave much to be desired. But they seem effective enough. A horde of 'crickets' as his partner seemed to call appeared from the ceiling and pillars.
"Take a good look at my elite guards," the king cackled, "Now your bravery seems to have diminished quite a bit."
Scarlet ki blasts charged in their mouths before consuming the Saiyans. Creating a spherical barrier made up of energy, Vegeta captured the crimson ki. Using his will, the captured energy began to circle them, creating a protective bubble of electricity. The red lightning melted into the floor.
"Was that it?" the prince deadpanned, "Very refreshing."
The king finally met with his last nerve, "If you two think that I will allow you to just waltz out of here, then you are sadly mistaken," he rose to his feet, "Guards, kill them all!"
Holding out both hands, Vegeta emitted ivory electric waves. The energy devoured the Arlian guards and began to burn their armored flesh, tearing them apart one by one. Charging his energy, Nappa released a powerful shockwave that killed off the remainder of the king's guards. The attack not only finished the king's guards, but it acted a sort of bell. The ground shook as a dark purple platform steadily rose from the dephs of the planet.
Standing before the duo was a gigantic, dark brown bug-like creature that resembled an overgrown Arlian. It was making irritating grunting noises in the back of its throat.
"So, it's the old 'giant bug in the ground' trick?" Vegeta mused, finding their attempts to eliminate the two Saiyans laughable.
The king looked to his final line of defense, "Yetti destroy these creatures! They're bad!" he spoke as if reasoning with a small child. "Very, very bad!" He whimpered.
"We're bad?" Nappa glanced at the Saiyan out of the corner of his eye.
Vegeta shrugged and replied in a very casual tone, "Well, a little." Just as he finished his response, Yetti swung its jagged talons at them. Both men leapt out of harm's way and landed in the spectator stands. The bug-man took after Nappa, who evaded its claws like a trained acrobat.
"Over here." Vegeta shouted as he flew passed its line of vision. Yetti lunged at him. He moved just in time for it to slam into the wall head first; knocking it down like a pile of children's stacking blocks. Crimson rays stalked Vegeta as he flew back and forth, cackling like a little boy playing with his pet dog. Pillars fell as it destroyed it's the castle.
"Hey ugly!" Nappa caught its attention. It reached towards him. The Saiyan caught its hand it began pulling on one of the claws. Vegeta watched from afar as he tore it off with little to no effort; pale green blood spilled forth from the armored stub.
Angered by his pain, Yetti lunged for the muscular man. Nappa took to the air and landed on the ground in front of him. "I've got one more little surprise for you." Ivory ki generated in his palm as he threw it at the bug. The poor creature never stood a chance, as it was completely and utterly obliterated from existence.
"No! This is impossible!" the false king cried, cowering behind his throne.
Vegeta dropped to the ground, eyes narrowed at the Arlian, "Coward." He spat, his voice sharp and cold.
Raising two fingers in the air, a horde of stones and debris converged on the Arlian king. Slamming hard into his chest, the Arlian king dropped to the ground, motionless.
Once the fight was over, Vegeta clicked the button on his scouter, "Computer."
"Yes Prince Vegeta?" the female voice asked.
"Send for the pods at once."
"Initiating retrieving sequence."
"Do you two realize what you have done?" Vegeta glanced at the pale Arlian who met in the prison cells. "You have freed our planet from centuries of bondage! At last, Arlia is a place where new beginnings can be made. From now on, you two visitors will be known as heroes among our people. I can't tell you grateful I am."
As he finished his speech, the pods appeared overhead. Manipulating their ki, Nappa and Vegeta each levitated off of the ground. He mounted the open door of his space pod and slid inside, ordering for the door to close. Once it clicked shut, the pod ascended into the unappealing sky.
Our next stop: Earth…
Yes I left out the part where Arlia is destroyed. Please review and I shall update soon…