DragonBallZ: The Baby Brawlers Saga

Chapter 21: Kaio-Saiyan

It was two hours later that Piccolo and the kids returned to the spot that all the others were located. The four kids all looked a bit dirty and tired, but still they just skipped along behind the older warrior. Piccolo had quickly informed the group that they were going to be attempting a Super Saiyan fusion with Gotenks and a quick sparring session between them and Panona using the Kaio-ken. The boys were standing on either side of Piccolo as the girls got into position. "Alright girls, whenever you're ready," Piccolo spoke up. The girls nodded.

"Fuuuu… sion! HA!"

Panona stood in front of them, rolling her neck slightly before she walked out of the way to allow Goten and Trunks to take their positions. The two boys waited for Piccolo's signal. As soon as the Namekian nodded, the two powered up to SSJ and matched their power levels. "Good, you're levels are aligned perfectly; perform the technique."

"Fuuuu… sion! HA!"

Immediately the entire area was engulfed in a massive gold light and a powerful wind whipped around rapidly. Piccolo shielded his eyes and tried to maintain his ground—as did all the warriors behind him—while Panona just kept her arms crossed over her chest, only tensing the slightest bit and narrowing her eyes against the light slightly. Suddenly she smiled and nodded her head in an appreciative way. Piccolo too saw what the girl was looking at and his own eyes widened in shock. In the center of the light was Gotenks, now with green eyes and golden hair spiked up and a massive power level. The light dissipated and the others gasped in shock.

"That's amazing!" Yamacha spoke up.

Krillin nodded. "It's impressive, and on their first try too!"

"It is impressive, but I'm curious about your control," Piccolo challenged.

Gotenks wagged his finger. "Uh-uh-uh, it's dangerous. Showing off in a place like this… we don't want to blow anything up, do we? We better fly somewhere else."

Piccolo's eyes widened. "No, Gotenks!"

"Kaio-ken!"

Before anyone could respond, Panona had surged forward with a crimson aura surrounding her, aiming a punch towards Gotenks. The boy quickly dodged the series of blows the girl sent his way. He laughed at her and allowed her fist to hit his cheek. He didn't move and didn't look affected by the blow at all. "So, who's better again?" With that Gotenks swatted Panona away, sending the girl flying back and skidding onto the ground of the Lookout Tower, kicking up rocks. "Well, gotta fly!" Gotenks took off, flying through the skies.

Piccolo looked back at Panona—who was brushing blood away from her cheek and looking more than a little pissed off—and growled before shooting after the boys.

"That ego," Master Roshi said, shaking his head.

"I'm willing to wager he gets that from Vegeta," 17 quipped, looking to Bulma, who could do nothing but shrug.

Mr. Popo walked over to where Panona was still indented into the ground with Videl and Dende around him. "Are you okay, Panona?"

"Fine," the girl hissed out, pushing herself into sitting position and glaring at the skies. Her lip was split and there was a cut on her cheek that was bleeding. She shook her head and looked up at the three adults around her. "The Kaio-ken isn't enough. We can't beat Majin Buu if we can't beat Gotenks. We'd just get in the way."

"Maybe you can just increase the level?" Dende suggested helpfully, offering a hand down to the girl. She didn't accept it and instead flew upwards before angling herself so she was standing. She might have been calculating and smart, but she did have pride and hers was wounded after Gotenks dismissed her like she was nothing.

"Grandpa Goku said not to go past a Kaio-ken x4, and that still wouldn't be enough to match Gotenks."

"Well why doesn't Pan go Super Saiyan before you fuse?" Videl asked.

"Their power levels have to be equal," 18 reminded as the rest of the group walked towards the remaining fusion Saiyan.

"Well why can't Kona just match Pan's power level when they fuse?" Yamacha asked, causing the entire group to look at him like he was an idiot. "What? It's just a suggestion!"

"Wait a second… that's not a bad idea," Tien spoke up.

"It's not?" Everyone asked in confusion.

Tien nodded his head looking straight at the fusion Saiyan. "Think about it. Panona, when you're separated who has the higher power level?"

"Kona does when we're normal and Pan does when we're Super Saiyan," Panona replied, frowning in confusion. "I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"When Pan's in Super Saiyan mode she's got a much higher power level, right?" Tien asked. Panona nodded her head and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "And the Kaio-ken is a technique that doubles your power, speed, and senses for a short length of time, right?" Again another nod. "So what if Pan goes Super Saiyan—just like what Trunks and Goten did earlier—and Kona raises her Ki as high as it can go. Just before Kona completes the dance she can use the Kaio-ken to double her power level to match Pan's so then you'll both technically be equal. You'll each have the same power level and then you'll be able to be just as strong as Gotenks."

Panona's eyes widened and she looked around the group, trying to see if there was anyone who could confirm what Tien just said. "It sounds plausible," 17 agreed with a shrug. "The girls would have to have flawless timing, though."

"And flawlessly matched power levels," Krillin added on.

Chi-Chi looked to Panona in worry. "Do you think you can actually do it?"

"Most definitely!" Panona said with confidence.

"But there is a large gap between Super Saiyan and a normal Saiyan," Master Roshi spoke up. "What level of Kaio-ken would be necessary?"

"A Kaio-ken x2 should be fine," Panona replied, looking around the group for any more arguments. When no one voiced any other concerns she nodded. "Alright, then we'll try it as soon as we separate again."

"Shouldn't we wait until Piccolo gets back?" The Ox King asked.

Panona shook her head adamantly. "We've done the Fusion Dance perfectly each and every time. We know how to do it and if anything we have plenty of capable fighters here to double check our power levels and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"I'll help," Tien offered.

17 stepped forward also. "As will I."

"I guess you can count me in," Krillin said with a shrug.

"See, so there is nothing to worry about," Panona rationalized. "Besides, he'll have his hands full trying to rein in Gotenks."

With the plan set, the gang began to prepare for the newest fusion attempt by the girls as they waited for the thirty minutes to be up. Krillin, Tien, and 17 had started talking with Panona, going over every little detail and step she would have to complete. They talked about ways they could insure their timing was more precise and making sure their power levels were equal. It would take a lot of control on Pan's part to adjust her power level on the drop of a hat if need be and a lot of precision on Kona's part in order to make sure she didn't use the Kaio-ken too late or too early. All the others had sat down on the steps around the entrance to the Lookout Tower watching and discussing all the ways things could potentially go wrong, and who would explain things to Piccolo if it did. It was a unanimous decision. Yamacha would be their scapegoat.

And just as they had come to that decision, Panona glowed slightly before separating into the two smaller girls.

"Alright let's do this!" Pan exclaimed excitedly, running over to her spot, with Kona not far behind. Tien, Krillin, and 17 took Piccolo's spot, standing in front of the girls.

"Okay, now Pan go Super Saiyan," Krillin advised. The little girl nodded and did as she was told, her hair turning gold and her eyes green as it spiked up and a yellow aura flowed around her. Krillin then turned to Kona. "As high as you can Kona." Kona nodded and did as she was told, pushing her power level to the max.

"Now you remember what you girls have to do right?" 17 asked. "Kona, timing has to be spot on and Pan you need to make sure you can adjust to her. Got it?"

"Got it."

Tien looked at the two men beside him—each of them wearing identical masks of worry—before he looked to the adults behind him. They all looked apprehensive. But the girls… they looked eager. Tien sighed and nodded his head. "Anytime you're ready."

"Fuuuu… sion!" Just before the girls switched positions, Kona's power shot up and she was surrounded by a red aura. Pan quickly adjusted her power level just as they went into the last position. "HA!"

There was a huge explosion. Tien, Krillin, and 17 were all thrown back by the force, and the others all clung to one another, shielding their eyes. A cloud of smoke and the crackling of electricity filled the air as everyone's eyesight was blocked. Suddenly a wind blew past them, clearing all the smoke from the area, in order to show a red and yellow light filling the area that the girls had been in. The light slowly started to dim in order to reveal the form of Panona. There was a red and yellow aura pulsing around the girl and electricity crackling around her. Her eyes were green and her hair was spiked up and gold with little flecks of red in between her golden locks. And her power level was intense, rivaling Gotenks.

"You girls did it!" Krillin cheered.

Panona looked down at herself and clenched her hands into fists, a slow smirk finding its way onto her face. "This power is incredible," she spoke up, tensing her muscles and looking around. She cocked her head to the side, focusing on something to her left before she smirked wider. "Right on cue."

"What's going on here?"

The group all turned to see Piccolo arriving on the Lookout Tower by himself. He landed beside where the three men were still on the ground with his eyes widened in shock and fixated on Panona. "W-What happened?"

"Like it? I thought we could use a power boost, so we tested out a theory. I think it's safe to say it works," Panona said with grin on her face.

Piccolo stared for a couple more seconds before whipping around to narrow his eyes the three men on the ground beside him. "Explain."

"Pan powered up to Super Saiyan and Kona powered up as high as she can go. Just before they touched fingers Kona used the Kaio-ken x2 and the two fused. Thanks to the timing and the balance of power levels, the girls fused into this," 17 answered easily, pointing towards the girl who was now bouncing around on her toes.

Piccolo looked angered immediately. "They what?"

"Pan powered up to—"

"You let them do this?" Piccolo hissed as he cut off 17 and looked to the three men in front of him.

Tien nodded. "They needed a boost in power and this was the only way we could think to do it."

"Are you all insane?!" Piccolo roared, looking at the three men before looking back at the other adults who looked confused by his outburst.

"What's wrong? They fused and they did it right," Bulma said with a shrug.

"Have you all forgotten that the Kaio-ken is a technique that is only supposed to be used for a short period of time?" Piccolo asked, gesturing behind him to Panona who looked just as confused as the others. "You willingly let them fuse together while one of them was using that technique so they could draw it out for thirty minutes?!"

"Well, they don't seem to be in any pain or danger right now," Chi-Chi said hesitantly. Videl nodded.

"Yeah, they look okay."

"And when they separate in half an hour? Did you all forget that with each multiple of the Kaio-ken, the users' body becomes damaged and pained?" Piccolo pointed out.

18 shook her head. "We haven't forgotten, but there was nothing else we could do. We need another fusion Saiyan at Gotenks level that is more level-headed and now we have one."

"She's right," Panona spoke up, catching the attention of Piccolo. The girl walked over to the group and gave a shrug. "Majin Buu is out there killing people and the level we were at earlier won't cut it against him. The level we're at now gives us an edge, especially with Gotenks at our backs. It's too late to worry about the consequences. Right now we can't afford not to take risks."

Piccolo growled to himself and looked up to the sky. He honestly couldn't tell what was worse. Gotenks and their ego, Panona and her ability to rationalize just about anything in order for it to almost seem obvious that they were right, or the group of adults behind him that had allowed such a technique to be attempted without him and without worrying about the after affects. It was a toss-up really, but he was leaning more towards the ego ridden Gotenks.

"Fine, but you are not to leave our sight. Just stay put until your fusion wears off so we make sure there aren't any adverse side effects."

And that's just what they did. For twenty-seven minutes, Panona just stood in front of the group shifting on her feet and tensing her muscles slightly. And none of the adults moved from their spots, simply sitting on the ground and talking amongst themselves with Piccolo standing up with his arms crossed, staring at the fusion Kaio-Saiyan. He didn't once pry his eyes away from her.

It was just under a minute before the fusion was to end and Panona smiled at Piccolo. "See? No damage done yet. I think that it's a sign that—" Panona's entire facial expression twisted from one of happiness to one of pain. She tensed her body and wrapped her arms around her torso, digging her nails into her arms and hunching over, almost as if she was trying to hold herself together as a searing pain ripped through her body and a scream escaped her lips.

Almost immediately all the adults were on their feet and looking at the girl in horror and worry. Piccolo was in front of them within seconds. "Panona what's happening?" Piccolo asked, looking over the girl.

Electricity started to crackle around her and her pain grew with each passing second. She fell to her knees and hugged herself tighter, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "I-It feels like I-I-I'm being torn apart!" Panona shouted before she screamed in pain again. Once it felt like she was literally being cut in half, Panona let go of her arms and grabbed her head which started to feel like there was an axe going through it. She let out an ear-shattering scream as she clutched onto her head and her body glowed white. Suddenly the girl separated violently, a mini explosion sending Pan flying one way and Kona flying the other. The two girls crashed to the ground and rolled to a stop on the ground. Pan's SSJ mode went away and the red aura covering Kona's body disappeared as electricity crackled around each of their bodies.

"Pan! Kona!" The group all yelled, splitting in half. Half the group ran towards where Pan had landed and half towards Kona. Videl dropped down beside her daughter and rolled her over so she was on her back. "Pan! Pan! Panny, c'mon you gotta be okay," Videl begged, scooping her daughter up into her lap. Pan's face was still for a few seconds before she scrunched her eyes and opened them, shaking her head slightly. "Oh thank goodness," Videl muttered, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"How do you feel?" Yamacha asked.

Pan shook her head and sat up on her own, looking tired. "I'm sleepy. That was really weird. What happened?"

"Exactly what I said would."

Everyone looked up to see Piccolo walking towards them with Kona cradled in his arms. Instead of the blue-eyed girl being awake and sleepy like Pan was, Kona was writhing in pain in her father's arm, electricity crackling around her body. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she looked awful. Piccolo was glaring at all the people in front of him. "Using the Kaio-ken for such a long time is what caused the violent separation of Panona. It became too much for her. And without Pan there to share the burden now, all of the effects of the extended use of the Kaio-ken coupled with its original effects are taking its toll on Kona," Piccolo spoke up, venom evident in his voice. "We will not be doing this again. Videl, bring Pan inside so that Dende can take a look at her too."

"And where have you two been?" Piccolo asked with crossed arms, staring down at Goten and Trunks. The two boys had been gone ever since leaving to fight Majin Buu and that was well over three hours ago. After Panona's fusion had worn off, and Kona and Pan had been taken to Dende for healing, Piccolo had spent the majority of his time glaring at Tien, Krillin, and 17 and watching over his daughter who was unconscious. He couldn't really be mad at Pan, because the girl looked rundown by the technique as well, so he decided that glaring daggers at the three men that had encouraged them would suffice. It was just an hour before Kona was up and walking around again—albeit with some difficulty—and it was at that time that the group had begun to wonder where the boys had gotten off to. And once they had decided to send out some people to search, they were greeted with the sight of the two guilty looking boys flying onto the Lookout Tower.

"We were fighting Majin Buu, like we told you," Trunks responded easily.

"I told you to come straight back to the Lookout Tower right after the fusion dissolved."

Goten shrugged. "We got back."

"The fusion lasts around half an hour and you've been gone half a day! It's time you realized how serious this is!" Piccolo shouted at the two boys, glaring down at them. "This is not some kind of game! People are dying! You need to wake up and get to work!" The two boys winced and Piccolo sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down. He had enough to deal with without being too hard on the boys. "Get inside and go get something to eat. We're done training for today, but tomorrow we're going all out before we fight Buu, got it?"

"Got it!"

"So you both really fused with Pan being a Super Saiyan?" Trunks asked as he looked at the two girls. The kids were seated inside Kona's room, all lying down on their individual mattresses that had been set up. The adults had all decided unanimously to keep the four kids in the blue-eyed girls' room so they were all together and so it was easier to keep an eye on all of them. It was just an hour ago that the two boys had returned and after everyone finished eating, the kids were bathed and sent off to bed. Instead of sleeping, the boys had decided to turn their attention to the two girls in the room.

When Pan sat up from her bed, rubbing her eyes, Trunks continued. "Chiaotzu told us you both fused again while we were gone."

"Yeah! He said you had gold and red hair!" Goten added on, looking excited.

Pan yawned and nodded her head. "Yeah, we did fuse."

"Well how'd it go?" Trunks asked, propping his head up with his hand.

"It worked."

Kona's snort caught the attention of the group. The girl was lying on her bed stiffly, looking as if she wanted to sleep for a week. "It kind of worked. During the last minute of the fusion things went haywire."

"Yeah, and Piccolo said we can't do it again," Pan added on.

Goten pouted. "Aw, I wanted to see it."

"No way, that hurt," Kona said with a pout, rolling over onto her stomach and wincing. "The only time I'm doing that again is if we're really going to fight Buu."

"Was it that bad?" Trunks asked. Kona nodded and buried her face in her pillow. The kids all fell silent for a few minutes before Trunks spoke up again. "So we're fighting Buu tomorrow."

"Yeah," Pan said with a frightened tone in her voice.

"We should be okay right? I mean with Gotenks in Super Saiyan and Panona using that other thing—if you guys want to—we should be fine, right?" Goten asked looking around at them.

Kona turned around and faced the group. "I would be okay for using our Kaio-Saiyan Fusion to face Buu."

Goten nodded. "So we should be okay, right?"

Trunks, Pan, Goten, and Kona all shared a look. They didn't need to go into each other's minds in order to know they were all feeling apprehensive and on edge. Goten and Trunks always acted cocky and confident and Pan and Kona tried to portray confidence, but on the inside all of the kids were still very nervous about the job they had to do. They knew what was at stake and they knew that they had to defeat Majin Buu to save the world. Knowing that the world was counting on them put a large burden on the minds of all the kids.

"We'll be fine," Trunks finally said, smiling at the others. When they looked to him skeptically, he smirked. "C'mon, we're Saiyans. We can handle anything. Besides, if we stick together, we'll be able to take on anything. I feel bad for Buu! He won't even know what hit him!"

"You're right! We can do this together!" Pan agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

Goten smiled. "Yeah! We can beat him!"

"He better watch his back!" Kona added on with a grin on her face.

Trunks stuck his hand out grinning. Pan beamed and placed her hand on his. Goten laughed and put his hand on top of his nieces. The three all turned to look at Kona who looked completely confused by the gesture. After seeing them look at her expectantly, Kona merely shrugged and smiled, placing her hand on top of Goten's, figuring that the gesture probably meant something symbolic. Trunks smirked as he looked at the other three around him. "Tomorrow we save the world!"

"Right!"

"But before you can save the world, you need to get to sleep. Now," Piccolo's voice came through their heads.

"Oops… yeah, right. Goodnight Piccolo."

"Goodnight daddy!"

"Goodnight kids. Goodnight Kona. Try and rest up as much as you can. Tomorrow is a big day."