Dragon Ball Governed:

Chapter 30

"The Past Trails"


It never came to mind that Kakarot would be coming back to Planet Earth so soon - and by himself. During the many years while he was unfortunately under Turles' wing, every time they got close to their destination, Turles would be the one to go over the plan with Kakarot just so that all of it would be embedded into his mind. Out of habit, Kakarot expected to receive orders, but in present time everything was different. The young man, subsequent to seeing nobody behind him after turning around, looked back to Earth and released a solemn sigh as he began to enter the planet's atmosphere.

Had he forgiven Turles and continued on with his idea of growing in power, then Kakarot would have solely come to Earth in hopes of accumulating more senzu beans. That wasn't the case this time around, though.

"That girl and her friends…" Kakarot knew for sure that the people he came into contact with the last time he was on Earth knew of the Dragon Balls and how they worked. He needed to get into contact with at least one of them again. It mattered not if they were willing to give it up or if he'd have to take it by force. "I'm going to get those wish granting objects." Part of Kakarot wished he could handle matters in a civil manner, though at the same time, he was itching for an intense battle. He didn't really know which of the two he wanted more, but he'd be fine with either or. He learned how to suppress his combative nature thanks to Turles and hone the aggression to make him become more cunning and charismatic - for a Saiyan can't gain everything solely through battle.

Kakarot took a seat so that he could bear witness to the fiery red flames that engulfed the entire front of his star ship due to the gravitational pull of Earth sucking him in. After just a few seconds, once the Saiyan's eyes came to spot the clouds, a grin formed on his face.

Once he was within 20 feet of touching down, the ship automatically came to a halt prior to slowly descending itself as the flight legs came out so that he could have a safe landing.

With his brown combat boots on the Earth's soft, green grass, Kakarot let out a refreshing breath. The wind blowing on his face was a sweet addition to the rain that drizzled as the skies began to grey.

"Feels good to be back." He looked over ahead in the distance. There wasn't a single soul he could see with the naked eye, but he felt seven visitors on their way. "And just my luck. Heh. My power's grown far beyond their imaginations at this point, so there's nobody going to be able to stop me if push comes to shove."

And just as expected, he gets seven familiar faces: Chi-Chi, Krillin, Kaston, Liban, Tien, Chaotzu, and Roshi.

Kakarot glanced at all of them except for Chi-Chi. This woman - the first time he fought her - was an enigmatic figure, yet fascinating all at the same time. The power bubbling inside her was fighting to shoot up, but Kakarot sensed that she was making a genuine effort to level it out, as were the majority of her companions. Just knowing this alone told Kakarot that pretty much every person in his presence hated every fiber of his being.

But he didn't care.

"Short time, no see," Kakarot greeted. Not wanting to waste any time, Kakarot decided to cut to the chase - by cutting Krillin off before he could greet the Saiyan. "I see that by the amount of people that have been so eager to greet me not even a minute after my timely arrival, you're on edge. And if you wish to fight me, fine. I just hope that you've gotten ten times stronger than you all were compared to the last time we fought. But just know, I have a genuine reason behind this." Kakarot raised one finger. "I didn't come for any senzu beans, I've instead come fo-"

Kakarot's continuous rambling came to an immediate stop. His open mouth closed hard with so much speed that he scraped the bottom inside of his lip due to a blow directly at the back of the head. The others got to see a man accompanied by two others holding a gun after Kakarot fell right over on his face, groaning in annoyance.

A part of Krillin really wanted to stick his finger out and laugh at Kakarot, but the humane part of him could only let him say, "I tried to warn you!"

"Way to go, Pasta!" one of the intruders cheered on.

Roshi rose his foot to lessen the gap, but before he could move a single centimeter more, a beam of energy came right past the cheek of his face. "Any one of you come one step closer, and the next shot goes right through the head."

"Yeah, our beef ain't with any of you," Ghetti - Pasta's little brother - told the Earthlings. "We came to take back what's ours."

It was bad enough that they had one intruder in Kakarot to concern themselves over, so to have three extra unknowns on their land trigger happy wasn't a green flag. Everyone could feel just how weak Pasta and the others were, so they weren't necessarily bothered by their power-level. Chi-Chi was the one eager to step up and tell them, "I'd like to see you try."

"Alright, then." Pasta cocked blaster. "Bust a move."

Kakarot grabbed hard at the dirt in the ground, still making muffled noises of discomfort. He didn't get to see the faces, though he could feel that the three behind him were a group of weaklings. Being taken by surprise thanks to a feeble creature to the point of where his vision grew deceitful made him growl; he would have to rely on his other senses.

By using his ears, Kakarot was able to make out the grunts and groans coming from the random three people as punches and kicks mercilessly struck them. It wasn't even mandatory that Kakarot try to feel out for whomever was beating on them. He knew that it was the female doing the dirty work.

Once his world stopped spinning, Kakarot cautiously rose back up onto his feet. The three were on the floor, snoring. And then there was Chi-Chi, who was clapping her hands off as if she had just got done with a day's worth of hard labor.

"You really have improved," Kakarot complimented Chi-Chi. "Though I'm rather disappointed you didn't just kill them."

Chi-Chi scoffed and got right back to the point Kakarot was trying to make before he took a blast to the back of the head. "What do you want?" Feeling that he came back here to start a ruckus, Chi-Chi had her right arm crossed and away from her chest. If he were to make any single move that she felt could initiate a fight, she'd be ready to retaliate.

"I came here to retrieve those wish granting orbs I heard of when I was last here. I've a wish that needs granting."

Chi-Chi's ears twitched and her guard dropped. As for everyone else, either their eyes widened or they clenched their jaws. For someone as evil and horrible as Kakarot to even know of the Dragon Balls opened up an entirely new can of worms. If he were to use it for his own selfish, and likely evil reasons, then they were in trouble.

Seeing the concerned look on their faces, Kakarot figured he had to reassure them. "I don't intend on coming here and beating the location of the orbs out of you, but only if you force my hand. Regardless of if you do so willingly or not, I will get my wish."

Nobody knew what to say or how to respond.

Except for Roshi.

The senior martial artist stepped up, walking casually with his arms behind his back. "While we would love to help you, you will have to wait a year until the Dragon Balls reactivate. We already used them recently, so you must be patient."

"Master!" Everyone yelled.

Roshi knew he would be met with confusion and perhaps some future arguments regarding his current actions, but this was much like the scenario he had with Turles all those years ago. If he remained nonchalant and in control of his emotions - using his head instead of his heart - then blood wouldn't be spilled.

"Besides," Roshi continued, "what you happen to be wishin' for isn't possible...since the Dragon Balls can't bring back anyone that has been dead for more than a year."

Kakarot's heart skipped a beat. Just how in the hell did this Grampa know what his wish happened to be? Kakarot had been on a lot of worlds and witnessed many odd things, but coming across a man who could read minds just wasn't one of them. He wanted to ask how he knew, but Kakarot felt like that wasn't necessary. Not to mention, he didn't want the others even knowing that he had some semblance of attachment, for he believed they'd think him weak and vulnerable - which was what Turles always taught him. "Fine...I'll just stop by some other time."

"However…" Roshi added. Kakarot stopped turning and looked back at Roshi, who had his hand up. "There might be a place - a place where such limits aren't existing."

With his interest piqued, Kakarot felt that he would be a fool to not ask. "What might this place be?"

"A long time ago, when your partner came to collect the senzus, he came across Kami, the guardian of our planet. Just as he promised me he wouldn't harm any more folk, he did the same with Kami. Before he parted ways from him, he called Kami a Namekian. It never occurred to us that our own God could be from an alien world, but since he is linked to the Dragon Balls, I can imagine that wherever he is from, just may have their own set as well."

All this promising information forced Kakarot to form a child like smile. "You Earthlings aren't all that bad after all. Despite your inferior prowess, you have some intelligence. If I wasn't such a gullible child back then and knew what I do now, I wouldn't have done what I did, no matter the pleasure I got from it."

The Saiyan turned around to enter his star ship. His last words left everyone but Roshi perplexed.

Once Kakarot took off, far away from ear shot, the earthlings began to speak. "D-Did he just apologize?" Liban asked.

"I think he did…" Tien answered him.

Krillin couldn't help but shake his head. There is no way some guy like Kakarot, who hunts the innocent and preys on the weak for a living, could ever even feel a scrap of contrition for the actions he took back then. It just wasn't possible in his eyes. Kakarot's recent words just didn't feel enough compared to his past actions. "I'm not sure…"

"Yes, he is," Roshi clarified. "That's basically his own way of saying sorry. I was able to read his mind the entire time he was here. I won't disclose what's happened to him, but a part of me feels bad for the young man."

"Even after what he's done!?" Chi-Chi asked in disbelief. This man was the same person to kill her father years ago. She couldn't feel sorry for the bastard if he were to kill his own parents as a way to right his wrongs.

"Yes," Roshi answered her. "He was far too easily influenced by the evil growing up. Had he grown on the other side - the side of good - he would be one of the brightest people to ever have." The old man began to rub his beard. "Quite frankly, I believe he still has a chance at something greater in life."

Chi-Chi scoffed. "I don't know about that..."

And yet after all the lessons she's been taught by old wise men such as Roshi, Karin, Mister Popo, and Kami, Chi-Chi couldn't let go. Roshi was very empathetic, for he went through the same feeling of loss as she did, but Roshi forever preached about letting go. As in his own philosophy, learning to let go is learning to grow. Roshi had lectured her about this many times over the years as she grew up, and Kami himself even elaborated on it, explaining to her that all life has good in them, and everyone deserves a second chance. Roshi would be wasting his time if he tried to instill the lesson of virtue in her head again; as in present moment, Chi-Chi is a grown, capable woman, so regardless of whatever decision she is to make, she knows what she's doing. Roshi would just have to maintain the faith that she'd make the proper one.

"We should all head back home now," Roshi said with a deep sigh.

"But what about them?" Kaston asked as he pointed over to the three intruders.

"I'll take care of them," Chi-Chi said. "You all go ahead. I'll figure out what it is they want and I'll be sure to fill you all in on the details when I get back."

Chi-Chi spoke with such certainty that the others didn't even question whether or not the daughter of Gyumao had ulterior motives of her own.

"Sounds good to me," Krillin said.

Roshi and all the others took flight and headed out. Chi-Chi knew that the only person who more than likely knew of her real intentions were Roshi, but the fact that he didn't say anything or give her even the slightest look meant that he approved of whatever she was set on doing.

Once they were at a safe distance, Chi-Chi looked back down on the three siblings with a smug grin. Looking down at them, she really couldn't believe that there was more to this world than Planet Earth - that there were real life extraterrestrial beings out in the Universe. It would appear that the talks between Bulma and her father speaking about the universe being virtually endless had some truth after all. As much as she'd love to go out and explore, she had an agenda of her own.

"WAKE UP!" Chi-Chi roared.

The frequency of her voice had the trio's heads feeling like they were going to explode. Once the macareni gang woke up, the first face they saw was the same one that belonged to the person that kicked their behinds.

Chi-Chi crouched down and snapped her fingers a couple times so that they she could get their undivided attention.

"We're going on a little trip in your stupid rocket ship..."


Sand and dust entering the wounds of Choy and Elery as they looked up at the oversized mountain beasts before them was the feeling that'd have anyone get a heart attack, no matter the age. But being Saiyan warriors, they had to stand their ground; this meant that running was absolutely out of the option, despite the fact that a lot of Saiyans did retreat. These hese two children were out-classed but they wanted to show that they had the hearts of real Saiyan soldiers.

But it didn't hurt them to ask for help.

Elery managed to blast three of them in the one eye they had in an effort to blind them and buy her and Choy more time. She looked over to her partner, who was clicking on the scouter numerous times in mere seconds. "Are the adults responding?" she asked.

"No…!" Choy growled. "We can't just sit around and distract them forever until the full moon comes up, Elery. We have to attack them head on with our strengths combined."

The three beasts were five times the size as Elery and Choy. Once their vision began to come back, they snarled and huffed heavily as they began to run toward them. Choy and Elery channelled energy into the palms of their hands, ready to attack at point blank range at the very last moment.

Just as the three are mere meters apart from them, Taro came down with so much velocity that his kick on the first enemy knocked over the other two, resulting in all three of them lying down on the ground, unconscious.

A sense of relief came over Choy and Elery as they let go of heavy held breaths.

"I came by as fast as I could when I got the request for help on my scouter." He then started to look around, expecting to see more than just Choy and Elery. "Where are Brok and Rabe?"

"Those two assholes heard we were calling for help and cut us off," Choy hissed.

"But why would they do that?"

This was Taro's first campaign as a Saiyan warrior. He figured that a true comrade always got the job done with his peers all alive. To ignore your comrades who are in need is a simple act of cowardness. This was what his mother taught him, for she had one of the best Saiyan soliders to work alongside with in the man named Bardock. He was always there for his comrades no matter what, so he couldn't help but assume all other Saiyans held the same ideology.

"Because they don't care if we live or die!" Elery explained to him.

Taro motioned his head. "Follow me. I have a plan and I want the both of you to listen closely."

Brok and Rabe were two heavy set Saiyans with scars all over their face and body. They had been working on the frontlines a long time and soon due a promotion - perhaps with another thirty years of fighting. After killing off a few weaklings, the two set camp and had been talking for the past half hour.

'Those two brats won't make it through this campaign now that Zima's dead."

"They just might with the new brat by their side," Rabe told Brok. "He's replaced Zima for a reason, after all."

Brok almost spit out his food once Rabe told him that. "Don't make me laugh! This is the same kid who was born a lower-class warrior. Zima was the best of his generation before he was exiled. I doubt this kid is going to live up to be anything, regardless of who is parents are."

"Did you get a read of his power-level?" Rabe asked.

"Tch! Why would I? I'm disgusted enough as is babysitting two weaklings. Why should I concern myself with a third?"

PipPi

"Three different power-levels."

"Must be the kids," Rabe concluded.

"Implying that they survived?" Brok chuckled.

The two Saiyans stood up from their spots and read over the incoming battle powers individually. They got a reading of Choy to be at 540 and Elery at 345, but the last reading was just too high to belong to the other child.

"Nine seventy five?"

As if on cue, all three of the Saiyan children land right then and there. Brok had his fingers pointed at Taro as he continued to scan his battle-power. "There is no way in hell you're that strong. You're just a brat - a low-level brat!"

"When Elery and Choy asked for help, neither of you stopped what you were doing to help them. You ignored them and let them off to fend for themselves and possibly die. You may be Saiyans, but you're not true warriors."

Brok and Rabe look at one another for a split second before they busted out laughing heartily.

Being laughed at like that made Taro's face start to go hot, but the young warrior kept his cool. "My mother's great brother in arms, Mister Bardock, was and still is respected for a great reason. My mother told me it's because he looks out for his own in combat and does his best to make sure everyone ends a campaign with their lives intact. He did what he had to do in order to be promoted and none of you will ever amount to anything...because you're cowards."

The two Saiyans stopped laughing right then and there. Elery and Choy both began to back up once they notice the veins on their faces pulsating heavily. Taro doesn't show any fear and stands his ground as the two near him.

Brok was the first to grab Taro by his hair and punch him in the face. Rabe came in with a devastating knee to the stomach, causing Taro to cough up a great bit of saliva. After letting him drop, Brok and Rabe get to stomping and kicking on the child relentlessly. Being insulted by someone inferior to them wasn't something they took very kindly to, so they had to teach this boy a lesson - put him in his place.

Taro bit his lip so hard that blood came gushing from it. He wouldn't give Brok nor Rabe the satisfaction of yelling or grunting out in pain. Taro did his best to let the pain feel as normal as it possibly could be.

"We ought to kill this asshat," Brok said.

"Hehehehe, I'm one with ya, pal."

The two raised their boots high. One was ready to smash it against his head and the other was going to crush his spine.

Right before they did, Brok and Rabe came to an absolute stop. One look to the side, and Rabe can see that Elery has a hold of Brok's tail, meaning that Choy has a hold of his. Both began to fall at the same time.

Taro rolled over and missed the two landing on him just in time so he could get up. The kid was breathing heavily with a sore and aching body, but he still had the strength to have his bloody lips curl into a smile.

Brok and Rabe plead and beg to be let go, but Elery is seen with her face practically changing color to red. Her veins are popping and teeth grinding. Taro blasted both of their scouters, blinding them as the shards shot into their eyes. Brok and Rabe let out cries that in itself begged for mercy, though the kids showed that they were just as heartless as the two full grown Saiyans.

"I told you one day you'll pay for what you've been doing to me ever since I joined your stinking team!" Elery screamed.

Brok and Rabe barely had the strength to hold their heads up at this point, but they could see Taro crouching down with his backhand facing the ground and palm facing the sky. In his hand, a white, ball of energy was being formed. As he looked them both in the wounded eye, he gave Elery and Choy the order. "Rip their tails off."

Brok and Rabe felt an excruciating pain go up their spines once their tails were casually ripped off like a band-aid on a child's elbow.

"Now they won't be able to transform. We'll trample them."

Understanding exactly what it was that they were doing, Brok and Rabe's eyes went wide in absolute fear for the first time in a very long one.


After all this time, he still couldn't believe it. The true traitor was back home, enjoying his time as one of the upper-ranking soldiers as the genuine loyal Saiyan warrior was being sent away to some barren wasteland.

Zima could only imagine what his father would think of all what's taking place. He had been traveling for the past few days ever since his exhale. Just when he thought he was nowhere close to his destination, Zima's eyes came upon a round, yellow planet - which wasn't a very good sign. Curious as to where he'd be going, he looked on closer. Once his pod got into the planet's atmosphere, he could feel the heat beginning to rise.

This wasn't normal.

The engine immediately shut down and the pod just began to plummet. The temperature continued to grow and grow, until the point of where Zima felt as if his body was literally on fire.

The kid screamed his lungs out in pure horror. Never before had he managed to make any of his victims scream to such a degree, not like this. His heart was thumping and his brain felt like it was going to burst.

Feeling like this would carry on forever, Zima's pod crashed into hard a medium sized mountain, all of which collapsed onto him immediately subsequent to impact.

The kid wasn't able to move a single muscle; his body was in a smoldering smoke. Breathing in itself gave him the utter feeling of absolute hell. Zima was barely able to do anything.

Looking to be simple food for the inhabitants of this world, big spider creatures began making their way directly toward him, in a singular group. Zima could hear the critters clicking as they get close, though he was unable to move a single muscle. Having no other choice but to accept his fate, the young boy closed his eyes as he held his breath. His superiors always spoke on about how a Saiyan's time to die could come at any moment - as death and combat went hand in hand like yin and yang. Zima always figured that he'd be on the greener side of things for a long time - doing a killing. As terrifying as it was to face death, the young warrior didn't want to go out like a little toddler - crying.

Seconds had passed by and he was yet to feel anything different. Asides the pain from the horrible fall engulfed by fire, Zima realized that he hasn't even been touched by predators.

Two people stopped by before the kid. One of them being an older man with greying hair and the other being a young one with long hair and a scar going across his chest and face. The young man makes an attempt to get closer, but the senior puts his hand in front his chest, stopping him from going near.

"Vegeta must have thought us both dead, otherwise he wouldn't have sent this child here to such inhospitable lands."

"Should we eat him? Like we did that other guy a long time ago?"

"No. Not if the kid survives, at least." Though he didn't really need the child, the older man figured that he could spin this young man's growing hatred of being exiled into wanting vengeance as well. He could use this brat to further on his plans for any case that they happen to stumble upon anybody or anything in the Freeza Force.

"Bring the child back to the cave and feed him. Take care of him, find ways to heal his cuts - just make sure he doesn't die."

"Yes, father."

The taller, younger, and much more muscular male of the two, neared the child and picked him up. Just by being touched, Zima squealed like a pig, but his voice was so hurt at this point that he could barely make a sound. It was duly noted by the painful uncomfortable look plastered on his face that he wasn't enjoying this - not in the slightest. The old man didn't think he'd be very much too happy with being in that situation, either.

"So you've exiled another, eh, Vegeta? Just how many more need to be betrayed until everyone else realizes that you're not a true king, no matter how much you sit on that stupid throne?"

The looked at the charred remains of the pod buried by the rocks and scoffed before turning around to follow his son.