Chapter II: Ichimei
It was only the second week of school after summer break. It was late August. Dominick had just turned eleven a little over a month ago. And he was starting to be interested in girls. It was his last year of grade school: the sixth grade.
The bell rang to signify lunchtime. Dominick ran out of the classroom across the hallway to where his best friends' class was. They came out and waved to him.
"Jishaku! Nagashi!" He yelled. "Let's go!" They laughed, and the three of them ran off toward a grass field behind the playground, bumping into multiple kids on the way. They were known as the rambunctious kids in school, never could keep themselves still. Except Nagashi, of course. He was the calmest of the bunch. Jishaku was the opposite.
There was a tree in the back corner of the grass field that they would always hang out under, either running circles around it or attempting to climb it. Dominick hopped up to one of the low branches and started doing pull ups. Nagashi laid on the grass with his hands behind his head while Jishaku tried to get him to wrestle.
Nagashi noticed Dominick was staring off into space. He looked in the direction his eyes were pointing. Then he smiled. "Hey, Dominick. You like her, don't you?"
Dominick dropped from the tree. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't deny it." Nagashi told him. "We were just on the phone yesterday. You said she was cute and that you wanted to invite her to hang out with us."
"Shut up." Dominick muttered.
"Why was I being left out of this?" Jishaku complained. "I want to know about the girl Dom's in love with!" He stomped.
"That's exactly why." Nagashi rolled his eyes. "Anyway, go talk to her already."
"I can't."
"Why? Just do it."
She was sitting alone against the fence that separated the school grounds from the street. Dominick allowed himself to be pushed over to where she was sitting by Jishaku.
She looked up at him, confused and a little nervous. "Hello?" She looked past Dominick's sweaty face and at Nagashi and Jishaku, who were eagerly watching. "Is this a prank?"
Dominick found himself at a loss for words. "Ah...uh...you...uh...want something to eat?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a plastic bag that his mom had made for him that morning. "I never see you eating during lunch. You must be hungry."
"Um...I'm fine." She said uncomfortably.
"Are you sure?" Dominick asked. "They're just cheese crackers, but they're really good. I used to have them all the time when I lived in America."
She gave him a little smirk. "If I take one, will you leave me alone?"
"No." Dominick replied. "Ichimei, I want you to come play with us."
She smiled and got up. "I guess I have no choice." She and Dominick walked side by side back to the tree that Nagashi and Jishaku were sitting under.
After the bell rang to go back to lunch, Dominick and Ichimei happened to walk back to the same class. "We're in the same class?" Ichimei asked him. "That's why you knew my name, huh. I never knew you were in here."
"I knew." Dominick told her. "I sit behind you."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah." Dominick said. "Why did you agree to play with us? You seemed like you didn't want to at first."
She looked down and smiled. "I was happy you asked. No one really ever asked me that before."
"Hey, Mom." Dominick called as he walked in the door to his house. He lived pretty close to the school, so he just walked home. "I have to go back to that dojo place soon."
"Oh, so you ended up liking this one?" She replied from the kitchen.
"Yeah, there's someone there that I want to bring home." Dominick told her.
His mother poked her head into the hallway where she could see her son. "Is it a girl?"
"No, mom. You'll see when you meet him."
"Okay, sweetie."
"Don't call me that."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't call you. I'm your mom, and you're 11."
Dominick sighed and went down to his room. His mom went down to go check to see if the door was closed. It was. She went back to the kitchen and looked around her as if checking for any people who might be watching. She then closed her eyes and began talking. "Honey, are you there?"
Yeah. A voice said in her head. How's Dom doing?
"Good." She responded. "He found Piccolo, and he's going to train with him tonight."
I'm glad I convinced King Yemma to release him from Hell after I died. He said. Jeannie. The afterlife dimensions in the other universes are starting to receive massive influxes of dead. I've made some very trustworthy friends here in Otherworld. I trust them enough to watch over Dom and Dalton in case something happens to me. We're going to start investigating. I'm sorry if you hear from me less.
Jeannie lowered her head. "I understand, Jason. Just be careful. You know, if you die while in Otherworld, your existence is…"
Wiped. Yeah, I know. But so many people are dying. This can't be a coincidence. Something has to be going on in the shadows.
"I trust you to take care of whatever needs to be done." Jeannie told her husband.
"Mom, it's time for me to go." Dominick said as he came out of his room. It was 4:15 in the evening. He figured he'd be there at 4:30.
"Okay, honey." She called. "Be safe. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom."
As he walked out the door, Jeannie stopped him. "Wait. Dom, Piccolo may be a harsh teacher. I heard stories about…"
Dominick turned around to look at her. "Mom, how do you know about Piccolo?" He asked her. She was taken aback. As she tried to come up with an answer, Dominick turned back to go to the dojo. "It doesn't matter, I guess. I'll see you later tonight and you can tell me then."
He shut the door behind him and set off on a steady jog toward the outskirts of town. He kind of felt bad for his mom, having an eleven year old child with such independence. He knew he was a Saiyan and could take care of himself, but his mom didn't quite know what he was capable of. And besides, she was a mom. She always worried about her boy.
Dominick arrived at the dojo just when he thought he would: almost exactly 4:30. He walked into the main lobby and the girl at the front desk smiled at him. "You're back." She said.
"Yeah." Dominick replied. "Piccolo told me to come back today."
"Well, I'm about to go on a break." She told him. "Piccolo should come out and get you when he's ready."
"Thanks."
She walked out from behind the desk and handed Dominick a slip of paper. "My name is Rika." She said. "You can call me if you want."
Dominick raised an eyebrow when he looked at the piece of paper to see a phone number written on it. "Alright, thanks." He said. He folded the paper up and put it in his pocket as she walked out the front door.
Not even thirty seconds later, Piccolo came out of the room in the back. "I sensed you as soon as you arrived, Dominick. You do not conceal your power very well."
"There's no need to, if I'm not hiding from anyone." Dominick replied.
"You never know when a threat could reveal itself." Piccolo said. "You are making yourself vulnerable to any attack."
As if on cue, another person walked out of the door. "It is because he's never been exposed to any real danger. Peaceful times like these make a warrior weak."
Dominick's eyes widened. "Dalton. What are you doing here?" He noticed a sword hanging from his belt. It was all black except for a golden, flower-shaped hilt. It was strange. For some reason, he felt it impossible to take his eyes off that sword.
"I live here." Dalton told him. "I should be asking you the same question."
"Starting today, you two will be training partners." Piccolo said. "I'm choosing to accept Dominick as another student of mine. It will be beneficial for all of us."
"Sounds good to me." Dominick said.
"Very well." Dalton muttered.
They walked back into the room out of which Dalton and Piccolo came. Dominick looked at his brother, who was easily a head shorter than him. "You talk awfully mature for someone who's only eight years old."
"It's thanks to constant training since Piccolo found me. He threw me into the wilderness for half a year by myself." Dalton said. "And besides, I don't remember telling you how old I was."
Dominick looked away. "I just remembered. I kept track of your birthdays."
Dalton looked the other way as well and folded his arms.
There were stairs in the back corner of the matted room that led into a basement. Dominick sensed a large amount of energy coming from the basement, although it wasn't from any lifeform. It was more of a natural energy, acting as a barrier to keep everything in, and from collapsing.
"You two will spar down here, with everything you have." Piccolo told them. "This will act as a gauge for me so see exactly where you two stand right now, in terms of power."
"I never knew this place existed." Dominick muttered.
"Where do you think I did all my training?" Dalton smirked. "In that puny room up there?"
"I don't know, maybe." Dominick replied sarcastically.
"Enough bickering." Piccolo snapped. "Let's get started."
Dominick and Dalton walked out into the room. The ground was completely made of dirt - made to simulate a real battlefield. Dominick was used to it; during weekends he would fly out to the deserts to train all day.
Piccolo raised his hand to the air. "Ready?"
Dominick assumed a fighting position, one he had perfected over the last 2 years. His left arm went out forward, his elbow bent at a right angle so his forearm could protect his face. His left arm was tucked in at his side, but bent in a way so it could protect his stomach. "You don't have a fighting stance?" He asked his brother.
"I don't need one." Dalton replied. "Just try and find an opening."
"Begin!" Piccolo shouted.
Dominick launched forward first. Dalton raised his hand to block an incoming punch, but his brother disappeared right before his eyes. Dalton looked around, his opponent nowhere to be seen. "Instant transmission?" He muttered.
"That's not all." Dominick said. Suddenly, there were five images of himself surrounding Dalton.
"The Afterimage Technique as well?" Dalton clicked his tongue. "For someone with no training, you can sure do a lot." Then, he seemingly punched at nothing but air. Dominick appeared there, his brother's fist caught in his palm. Dalton jumped into the air and sent a downward roundhouse kick toward Dominick's neck. That, too, was blocked, but immediately after, Dalton switched sides and sent another roundhouse kick with his opposite leg. He was so fast, Dominick had no time to respond. The kick landed hard, and Dominick was sent to his knees. Then, while still down, Dominick sent a punch flying toward Dalton's face. It was caught. Dominick pulled his brother toward him and punched him in the face with his other hand, causing blood to spurt out of his nose.
Piccolo watched all of this with a straight face. Nothing was subverting his expectations.
Dominick was still a little bit distracted by Dalton's sword. "You aren't going to use that?" He asked, pointing at the weapon of interest.
"The sword?" Dalton asked. "I can use it if you want. I just wanted a fair fight."
"You think I can't beat you when you're wielding that sword?"
"No, I don't think you can beat me at all."
"Hey!" Piccolo shouted. "I thought I told you two to quit bickering. I said this was an all out fight. I don't see either of you with blonde hair and blue eyes. Get to it, already."
Dominick smiled. "You can go Super Saiyan as well?"
"Of course I can." Dalton responded. "Pretty much anyone with Saiyan blood can do that much. I'm training to go Super Saiyan 2."
"Show me what you've got. We'll go to full power together."
"Whatever." Dalton sighed. He and Dominick both started raising their power levels together. At the same time, a huge blast of wind and energy was released, and their hair shined golden. Gold auras lit up the entire room, and small craters were made under each of the two fighters' feet.
"That's more like it." Piccolo said. "Now, the fight really begins."