Warrior Instinct
Ch. 15- Primal power unleashed; Goku drinks the Sacred Water!
As she sat with Goku's head in her lap, Bulma really wasn't sure what to expect after hours seemed to pass since Lapis' journey up Korin's Tower. Obviously, the young genius wanted to believe that the haughty teen would return with some magical cure for her friend's terrible condition, while the practical part of Bulma's brain raised by science argued that such a thing was only truly possible with the world's most talented medical staff.
She'd seen, and studied, just what humans were capable of recovering from when treated correctly but with the nearest major city so far away it may as well be on the other side of the world, the Capsule Corp. heiress found she could really only turn her hopes to Lazuli's twin brother, and pray to anyone listening that he returned with something that would pull Goku from the brink of death.
Just thinking about it made the beautiful girl cringe, her stomach bubbled and all air vanished from Bulma's lungs as she envisioned Goku's funeral; his strong, alien body dressed in the suit she'd bought him. Yet, it looked so wrong on him, but then so did her image of the boy's face without its perpetual mask of aloof superiority.
'No, that's not right anymore'
In the time she'd come to know him, Bulma could say that at least around her the monkey-tailed martial artist no longer carried such a look.
Oh sure, Goku's nose still found its way into the air more often than not, but there was definitely an easier crease to the boy's brow now with a much less harsh glint to the alien's dark eyes. Goku's muscles weren't as tense anymore, and Bulma's memory easily recalled the day she'd noticed her friend's shoulders no longer pressing against the fabric of his gi.
Yet, the one thing Capsule Corps. heiress was most happy to remember, was how Goku's tail had come undone from his waist while they'd been spending time together between rounds at the tournament.
He'd laughed, albeit mean-spiritedly, because Bulma had turned away the advance of a young man he later told her reminded the boy of Yamcha and for a moment Goku's furry appendage swished around freely in the air before constricting its owner's waist once more.
And while a secret part of her, once Bulma vehemently denied, wanted to believe he'd subconsciously been about to wrap his tail around her waist, the blue-haired cutie headed herself off by rationalizing that it was just Goku's way of expressing his amusement.
However, unbeknownst to Bulma, she wasn't the only one worrying themselves sick about the warrior from space.
Watching enviously from outside the capsule speeder, Lazuli's azure eyes were hard like sapphires as she looked on at the older girl running her fingers through Goku's wild mane. Of course the blonde knew that the boy's heath an safety came first, and her brother needed to return quickly with something to get Goku back on his feet, but the teenage girl inside couldn't help wanting to be the one with his head in their lap.
For Lazuli it was much easier to admit that she was crushing on the monkey-tailed fighter; the hard part came in actually telling him.
Goku always seemed to be beyond such feelings, and the cute blonde didn't wish to embarrass herself in front of him with a cheesy confession, but Lazuli also wasn't keen on letting a guy like Goku get away when it was so obvious her only competition wasn't ready to even admit their feelings to themselves.
Hearing the object of her affections groan in pain, before breaking out in a bloody cough however quickly swept such thoughts from Lazuli's mind and filled her with worry as she swiftly closed the distance between she and the capsule car.
"What happened; is he alright!?"
"I-I think so," Bulma answered hastily, "he shifted a bit right before, so it may just be that Goku agitated his injuries trying to get comfortable."
Lazuli wanted to snap at the older girl, to ask why Goku wasn't already comfortable, but she swallowed those angry retorts with a pinched look when the blonde realized that starting a fight while the spiky-haired boy was in distress would look horribly selfish.
So instead, Lazuli tried something different/
"Well, maybe I should let him rest in my lap for a while; to give you a break and all. Your legs are probably getting numb, this way you'll get the chance to stretch a bit before my brother comes back down..."
"A-Ah, um, thank you but no; I'll be fine. Besides, like you said, Lapis shouldn't be too much longer, so moving Goku wouldn't have a point; I can stretch after he's better."
The blonde wanted to counter, but honestly wasn't sure what she could say to Bulma's own blocking of the blonde's true intentions, so Lazuli was left to simply mumble an understood response before turning her back and staring up into the clouds. Part of it was to see if she could spot Lapis, while a slightly larger part was so that the cutie from Jingle Village didn't have to keep watching Bulma play with Goku's hair.
After another ten minutes of silent waiting however, and hope was becoming something both girls were having a hard time keeping hold of as the sun found its way into the middle of the sky.
Which just meant that, when Lapis could be seen finally descending from the vast blue, the pair's hearts jumped into overdrive while they shouted at the boy with excited yips. Only Bora, who'd remained silent throughout the waiting period, seemed to take notice of the dark-haired teens battered disposition; at least, until the boy's sister got a closer look at him.
"Lapis, w-what the heck happened to you!?"
"Apparently, climbing that damn tower is part of the training people g through to get stronger; or so that crazy cat says. I don't feel a lick stronger, but the fur ball did give me this."
Bulma and Lazuli's eyes narrowed at the single bean they saw produced from Lapis' open palm.
"You're telling me," Bulma wondered in disbelief, " that this little, green bean is that 'senzu' thing Bora was talking about earlier? This thing is really going to make Goku better?"
The answer came from the tower's guardian himself.
"It will; senzu beans are very potent girl. When your friend ingest it, the healing properties will boost his recovery exponentially; enough that he will be standing tall again by morning at the earliest with proper rest."
Lazuli couldn't help eyes the large man warily as she asked him, "Do you really mean it; he'll be better that fast?"
"They are said to be grown using blood from Earth's guardian, it's laced in the fertilizer used by Master Korin, and while I've yet to meet our planet's highest power I've seen the senzu beans in action enough to know they do indeed work 'that fast'. Rest easy you three, your friend Goku will recover, just feed him the bean and let him sleep."
"B-But, if it's so powerful," Bulma countered, "why would this 'Korin' just hand it over to you Lapis?"
The boy wondered if this companion had just chosen to ignore his mention that Korin was a cat, but ultimately pushed the thought aside and let both the genius and his sister know about the catch that had come with being handed such a powerful aid.
"Because, once he's better, Korin wants Goku to climb the tower and meet with him; something about a dangerous force walking the Earth. He thinks monkey-boy is our best hope against it, but the damn bastard wouldn't even tell me what the danger even was!"
"Well, Goku can tell us himself," Bulma hissed as she reached over the speeder and snatched the bean from Lapis' hand, "after he's feeling better tomorrow!"
"Last I checked" Lazuli's twin scoffed, "the kid just got done getting his butt kicked you spoiled princess; what sort of savior does that make him!? Besides, I may not have been strong enough to help back at Muscle Tower, but I'll be damned if I let monkey-boy do the whole 'hero' thing on his own this time around too!"
With that, Lapis turned and sprinted off further into the woods, ignoring the call of his sister until he was fully out of sight.
"What is it with that kid," the heiress huffed, "one second he sounds like a total jerk, but then your brother says something that makes him almost sound like he actually wants to help Goku."
"Because he does; Lapis is just too proud to admit it. Saving Jingle Village was very important to my brother, and I know it burns him to know an outsider was the one to break Muscle Tower's hold on us, so now Lapis is going to try and make up for that by helping Goku with whatever 'evil' Master Korin was talking about."
"Well...he could have just said that."
Sighing then, Bulma turned soft, crystal eyes upon the mangled form of her best friend. Running her fingers through the shockingly feathery locks for the umpteenth time, the blue-haired teen caressed a single palm over Goku's bruised cheek before gently prying his mouth open.
"Alright you stubborn little monster, time to take your medicine..."
xXx
Goku knew by now whenever he was having a dream; there was always a sense of floating that came with it. And as he walked through the dark, empty void Earth's world champion could sense that there was no air to breath or ground to step over.
Yet, unlike the dreams before, Goku found that there was a...weight baring down on him.
It was a chore just to move, each and every step bogged down by an invisible force, but the wild-haired boy fought against this with the thought of it as a challenge. Teeth grit and jaw locked, Goku's muscles strained as he moved further into the vast blackness.
And while normally this would be enough, the prideful alien silently admitted to himself that he was far more exhausted than even after his fight against Dr. Gero. Everything hurt, and a hint of metal copper lingered against the boy's tongue despite there not being a scratch on him.
It took a moment, one that seemed to last an eternity thanks to the pain, but finally Goku was able to piece together just why he felt like this; Tao.
The mercenary had...beaten him. He, the 'world's strongest', had been defeated by a man Goku had never even heard of almost without being able to put up a fight! This...it was...unacceptable!
But, there was no escaping it, and as the truth burned at the back of his throat like bile, the alien martial artist found himself filling with a rage the likes of which he'd never experienced; his knuckles popped painfully, and it hurt with how hard the boy ripped a snarl from his nostrils. Dark, deep pools of black hardened into round chunks of coal and Goku's tail whipped about behind its owner like an antsy serpent.
How could I lose!?
The question echoed around inside his skull, becoming like a mantra, before seeming to spill out into the dream void like a taunting whisper. The words hissed at Goku's ears, ringing for his attention alone and driving the boy further down his furious spiral.
It just...it wasn't possible! How had he been defeated by a mere human, when Goku himself was from beyond the stars and had clearly been bred for a life of combat!?
It was here, right before a strange warmth enveloped him and the sound of Bulma's voice seemed to break through the void, that Goku swore an oath to himself; one that would see him set off on a life of blood and battle.
An oath...that he would become the strongest in the universe!
xXx
"A-Ah, Goku, are you...are you okay now," was the first thing Bulma thought to say when she watched her friend's eyelids flutter, "C-Can you hear me?"
The boy's response was a non-intelligible grunt as he rolled his head around against the girl's soft lap. Bulma's scent filled his nose, and Goku had to fight the desire to simply lay back and let himself slip back into the world f dreams. It was only Lapis' smart mouth that finally pushed the boy to sit up.
"If he can't, then maybe monkey-boy isn't as tough as he wants people to think."
"Funny," Goku scoffed, "since I even with my eyes closed I'd beat you without a seconds hesitation Lapis."
Lazuli's scolding went unheard then by the wild-haired alien as he realized that all the horrible pain he'd felt before blacking out was just...gone. All the aching bones, bruises, and open wounds had vanished, leaving Goku feeling better than he could ever recall.
In fact, he even felt stronger; an interesting tidbit to be explored later, for sure. At the moment however, Goku and his group found themselves watched over by a gaping Bora. The mountain of a man seemed to look at the monkey-tailed boy as though he'd truly just been brought back from the dead.
"I-I don't understand; no one has ever recovered this quickly! T-The senzu bean is powerful, b-but never has it brought someone back from the brink of death in less than a whole day and those were warriors like myself! So how, how could a child like you be so easily repaired!?"
"Well, to be fair," Bulma sighed, "Goku isn't your average kid; I'd have been more surprised if he needed the full day after eating that bean. Although, are you sure it's okay to be moving so much Goku? That Tao guy really did a number on you..."
The pretty genius trailed off as she watched the boy with the tail make his way over to the dead body of the very man Bulma had just been mentioning. He was quiet, face an unreadable mask, and the older girl of their group could sense air around them grow a bit heavy then.
"He's dead."
It wasn't spoken like a question, but Lazuli could sense the underlying desire for an explanation the same as Bulma and beat her to the punch in giving one.
"Bulma shot him as the freak went to walk away after you passed out-"
"Defeated," that one word was spoken like poison on the tip of Goku's tongue," Tao defeated me, and he did it almost effortlessly. Someone tell me, what good is that damn belt, if a single stranger can just appear out of the woodwork and nearly kill me!"
Neither girl had an answer, and Goku's anger was just about ready to bubble over after only a few seconds of silence before Bora's heavy voice carried through the air to him.
"It means that you have defeated one, small, group of fighters in this world boy; but our planet is a big place. To think that winning one tournament grants you the right to be crowned 'unbeatable' is foolish; something you do not strike me as. Rash, proud, and headstrong yes...but not foolish. So as you've manged to escape the jaws of death this day simply ask yourself. 'is this my limit'? Are you content to hold onto that belt, and its false title, or will you learn from your mistake and push yourself to be better prepared for the next enemy?"
Goku already had his answer, but hearing someone tell him such things to his face only helped cement the boy's earlier decision.
"Well," Lapis shrugged, "if you're going to keep fighting then I may as well tell you; Korin wants to speak with you. The same freak who gave me that bean wants you to climb that tower so the two of you can have a talk about some 'scourge' that's descended upon the world."
"And is that everything you know, or are you hoping I'll embarrass myself if you withhold key information?"
"Don't flatter yourself monkey-boy, that really is all he told me, now either take the invitation or let's go back to Jingle Village; your stupid scuffle cost me breakfast, and I'd rather not miss dinner too."
"W-Wait," Bulma gaped, "you can't seriously expect Goku to make the same climb you did after only just recovering from nearly getting killed! L-Lazuli, talk some sense into your idiot brother, please! We can go back to the village now, and Goku can climb the tower in the morning-"
"I'll be fine," the boy in question intervened. "Besides, that bean you gave me worked like a charm; I feel brand new. And if this 'Korin' is so interested in meeting me, I don't see any reason to deny his request; I may even learn a new trick, to help me put an end to this 'scourge'."
The young teen didn't consider himself any sort of hero, rather, he refused to hand over the world to anyone other than himself. Earth was Goku's planet, and no one else had a right to claim it.
From there it was an encouraging good-bye between he and Lazuli, as well as a tight one-sided hug from Bulma before Goku finally began his ascension of Korin's Tower.
Unlike before, with Lapis, this time the boy was stronger as well as faster than the native of Jingle Village so he made much quicker time with no mistakes on the climb. In about an hour Goku finished his task and popped his spiky head over the railing of the tower to get a peek. Unlike Lapis though, what he discovered only intrigued the boy further.
"So then, Master Korin is a talking cat?"
"I am," the staff-wielding feline confirmed, "but don't let this small stature fool you Kakarot; my abilities far outclass any mere human."
"Yet you allowed a man like Tao to terrorize Jingle Village, and nearly kill me, without so much as lifting a paw?"
"A bit funny to hear that coming from the likes of you, boy. Low on the totem I may be, but all divinity have a special way of reading those who stand before us, and I can see that your aura is particularly...cloudy. Had it not been for that girl, I wonder, just what sort of monster would you have become?"
Goku's body tensed at those words, but did his best to hide it as Korin continued speaking.
"Though I suppose the past matters little; it's your future we of the upper-realm should be worried about. For now however, we need your tremendous strength to help deal with a very dangerous threat, one that could very quickly lay waste to the Earth if not stopped quickly."
"And you divine either can't take care of it, or wont."
He could see Korin's fur bristle at his condescending tone, but Goku mentally shrugged it off as this only proved him correct.
"Should a deity interfere in mortal affairs, it could bring about even greater calamity than what they descend down to stop! It's a very dangerous thing for us to meddle, though why is an explanation I fear fool like you couldn't hope to understand!"
A grin found its way to Goku's face as he stared down at the enraged cat, his dark eyes gleaming with mean-spiritedly mischief as Korin's tiny paw nearly splintered the staff in his grip. Clearly, the beings of the Upper-world had indeed interfered before then, and the resulting disaster saw them banned from ever doing so a second time.
This bit of information prodded at something in the deeper, darker corners of the boy's heart. However, now was not the time for such thoughts and Goku pushed them and the feelings they brought with them away to better focus on the newest challenge before him.
"As you say, but enough about that, clearly you witnessed what happened down below. After such a...mediocre showing, what makes you or any other deity believe that I can help against an enemy who I'm sure is even more powerful than Tao?"
"You may have bitten off more than you could chew then, but what makes this time so different is that you'll be getting a bit of very special help; me. First, I'll be giving you a drink of Sacred Water, and then you'll undergo a very rigorous training regiment under my watchful eye, together these will both be more than enough to grant you enough power to defeat King Piccolo."
Goku followed after Korin when he saw the feline move over towards a cabinet that stood out in its opulent design, eyebrow raised and curiosity on the tip of his tongue.
"Sacred Water; what makes it so special?"
"I suppose 'water' is a bit of a deception; it's more of a juice, or even nectar. The stuff comes from the fruit of the Tree of Might, after they've had their seeds removed and squeezed, and is used to help augment a God's strength for those who wish to train and become a Destroyer."
"Destroyer; sounds a bit dark for a god, don't you think? Besides, didn't you just get through saying that none of you could interfere in mortal affairs, what good is a 'Destroyer'?"
"Never you mind about that; it's not something a kid like you should worry about."
The boy scoffed, "And yet you're about to hand me something that could help turn me into one?"
Korin's laugh was mocking and scornful, "You? Down here on Earth you may be a bit stronger than the rest of the world, but out beyond...you're nothing kid. I've known many that would obliterate you with a snap of their finger, and wouldn't even think twice about it for that mouth of yours."
As the feline pulled out a small, clear bottle filled with a crystal-clear red liquid Goku's face twisted into a mask of fury at his condescending tone.
"No, Kakarot, the Sacred Water will not make you as powerful as a Destroyer, but it will help give you the strength to defeat Piccolo and keep your friends safe. The only question is, do you think you are up to the challenge; because once you drink this, there's no going back. Failure in your training will mean not only your demise, but also the deaths of anyone you even remotely care for."
With a click of his tongue the boy snatched the bottle from Korin's paw and uncorked it; the aroma was sweet, and its pleasant fragrance reminded Goku of the shampoos he'd scented from both Bulma and Lazuli. Their eyes looked at him through the mirror of his memories, and just thinking about their demise was enough to reaffirm his oath once again.
"Then I wont fail."
xXx
Korin watched Kakarot as the boy stared down into the bottle and once again wondered just what Kami was thinking giving something at powerful as Sacred Water to such a clearly troubled alien.
The cat knew just where this monkey-tailed boy hailed from, knew about how disgustingly vile his blood was thanks to the Council meetings held by the Grand Priest, and shuddered internally at just what would become of him after their time together was at an end.
His darkness, while clouded, reminded Korin far too much of someone very dangerous; someone who'd been refused the chance to ascend as Universe 7's Destroyer. Korin had seen it in Kakarot's eyes, the fire and desire for more power, the belief that all were inferior to him, the cruelty. Korin had watched the boy suffer through those horrific episodes on Kame island and afterwards, they'd been what he'd warned Kami about years ago when the boy's pod had crashed to Earth, and now feared that his worries were soon to come true.
The Sacred Water wasn't nearly as potent as the Divine Water, or anywhere close to eating from the actual Tree of Might, but as Kakarot drained the container dry Korin could easily feel the massive boost in power it granted the boy right before the shock to his system knocked Kakarot unconscious.
And as he stared at the seemingly lifeless body of Earth's unwitting savior, Korin had to wonder if punishment from the Grand Priest was worth simply ending Kakarot's life right that instant.
Because, surely, there was no such thing as a good Saiyan.
xXx
A/N: Back gain for another installment, and now we get to see more of my version of DBZ's lore.
The Sacred Water is diluted from the Tree of Might's fruit, and makes someone 2x stronger, while the Divine water makes a person 10x stronger. Eating the fruit itself will make you 20x stronger, with each fruit eaten giving equal gains.
This does not mean the fruit will be a 'magic bullet', as the Tree remains in Other World/ God-territory.
Goku did receive a Zenkai boost after recovering, which is why Korin believes that a single drink of Sacred Water and training with him will be enough to defeat OLD Piccolo; Young Piccolo is a whole different story all-together.
Which brings me to Senzu beans; I changed how they work a little. Goku recovered so fast because he is, in fact, a saiyan. But if Krillin or another human were to eat one their recovery would not be as expedient.
Now, yes, I am including DBS elements into the story, and yes they were mentioned early on but that does not mean Goku's going to be meeting characters like Beerus or Whis as a teenager; it's just me expanding the world.
Oh, but Frieza is still the one who blows up Planet Vegeta like in the Bardock Special, and no Vegeta does not know who Beerus is and has never seen him before, nor does Frieza fear him like in Resurrection F.
Aside from that, I'm not too sure what else to put here, so I'll await your reviews and answer any questions you may have there.