A/N: Well, I couldn't wait any longer to push this one out. Especially with how I left things at the last chapter. Prepare to have some questions answered as even more arise in your minds. Here you go, hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ
Chapter 39.
Vegeta woke up in the baron wasteland that was the battlefield of his latest defeat. He groaned from the pain caused by moving. He ached all over and struggled to sit up as he rubbed his head on the place where Gohan had left a sizeable bump. He looked around, but there was no sign of the boy. He wasn't sure whether he should be grateful or disappointed that the half breed had left him like that.
'What did you set your pride aside for Vegeta!?" The boy's words echoed loudly in his mind. 'You claim to be a Saiyan elite, but from where this half breed son of a low-class warrior is standing, you're the lowest of us all.'
Vegeta grit his teeth and memories began to run through his mind. His own words, along with the voices of Kakarot and his son swarmed his thoughts.
'My motivation was to be the best. To be the greatest Saiyan alive, as I always have been...until Kakarot came into the picture that is.'
'The little toad has granted me the power I needed. Now I am once again the most powerful Saiyan. A prince should be at the top after all.'
'A prince who bears the brand of his master in exchange for a power that isn't his own!'
'Strength is the only thing that matters in this world. Everything else is just a delusion for the weak. There's only one certainty in life. A strong man stands above and conquers all.'
'Then why? Why did you cheat yourself!? The Vegeta I know didn't care about strength unless it was what he earned!'
'You gave up your pride for nothing but a goofy mark on your forehead.'
'There is nothing. Nothing! That is impossible for a Saiyan. We do not give in. We do not admit defeat. We bow to no force…'
'But at the end of the day, we kept our pride! Because our power is our own! And IT! IS! GREATER! THAN! YOURS!'
'We are the last of the saiyans, that means we have to look out for one another.'
'Don't you care? I know you were a soulless killer, but I thought you had changed… You almost erased my dad from existence. I know you hated him, but even for you…'
Vegeta hung his head with closed eyes. He had given up his pride. He had turned against his own. He had been defeated by an adolescent half breed who was twice the Saiyan he could ever be. "Prince of all saiyans, huh? The boy… Gohan was right. You should have killed me Gohan. It's no more than I deserve."
"I'd be happy to help with that." Vegeta was startled by the voice and looked up quickly. The figure in front of him was wearing baggy white pants, an orange gi top with blue undershirt and a belt with a stylized M on the buckle. His body was pink, and he had an antenna at the top of his head. "After all, It's the least I can do after you helped resurrect me."
Vegeta quickly realized the meaning of his words. "So, you're Majin Buu."
"Actually, I go by Gobuu at the moment. Although now that I see you, perhaps I should have gone with Buukarot."
"What?" Vegeta asked in confusion.
"Well, to sum up, shortly after I was reborn, I absorbed Goku. See the clothes?" He gestured to his shirt.
Vegeta sat there looking stunned at this revelation.
"I do wish my antenna had morphed into the palm tree style though. Well, anyway," Buu continued, "It seems you gave Goku quite a beating before. Even threatened his family." Buu wagged a finger and smiled. "That wasn't a nice thing to do Vegeta. Now that Goku is a part of me, I thought I'd come and get a little payback, if you catch my drift." To illustrate his point, Buu cracked his knuckles.
Vegeta's eyes went wide, but his look changed quickly to one of apathy. Without even moving, he said "Get on with it then."
Gobuu tilted his head out of confusion. "Wait, aren't you going to fight back?"
"No."
"Wow, Gohan must've really given you a beating." Buu commented with his hand on his chin.
Vegeta almost smiled at that. "Yes. He humiliated me. The funny part is he didn't even have to go all out to do so."
"Hmm…" Gobuu thought. He thought that knocking Vegeta around would make for a good time. But if he wasn't going to fight back, that took half the fun out of it. It looked like Buu would just have to settle for killing him outright. Unless…
"You know, I can't say I know how you feel Vegeta. I don't know how a Saiyan elite could have lost to him."
"A Saiyan elite?" Vegeta scoffed. "Can I really even be called that anymore?"
"Woah!" Buu gawked in surprise. "What the HFIL did he do to you?"
Vegeta didn't answer. "Well, this is a surprise. I mean to think you let him break you like this. Especially since He wasn't really even all that hard for me to kill to be honest with you."
"What!?" Vegeta was shocked. No way could Gohan have been killed. "You're lying!"
"Nope. Killed him, then his girlfriend and the supreme Kai." Buu shrugged like it was no big deal. Inwardly he was grinning that he was getting a reaction out of Vegeta. "I gotta say, I'm starting to understand what you see in it. Now that I've got a taste for murder, I was thinking of going on a spree. I was thinking on starting in… West city."
Vegeta panicked. 'Trunks… Bulma…' "N-no…" He struggled to get up and Buu laughed.
"Hahaha! Oh that's right, Bulma and your brat live there don't they. Well, I guess what goes around comes around eh, Vegeta. I'm a little disappointed that you aren't going to put up a fight, but maybe your son will. Not to mention Bulma. She's sure to put up quite the struggle." Gobuu licked his lips before turning around started to walk away.
"Don't you dare." Vegeta had made it to his feet. "Don't you dare!" He gathered any remaining power he had and rushed Buu with his fist raised. The majin turned around and thrust out a hand, grabbing Vegetas face in a vice grip.
"Oh good. You're going to play after all." With his free hand he formed a small pink ball of ki. "Dibs on the first turn." The ball was thrust against the saiyan's abdomen shrouding both men in an explosion.
Break
"GOHAN!" Zangya cried as she sat up. For a moment after waking up, she thought that those horrible events had all been a bad dream. After looking around at the bizarre scenery, she thought that perhaps she was still dreaming.
"Mm…" She heard a muffled sound at her side and looked to see what it was. The supreme Kai was lying next to her, heavily damaged and still unconscious, but still alive for the moment. With a sigh of deep sorrow, Zangya realized that it had not been a dream. Gohan really had been killed, right before her eyes. Wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her forehead on her knees, she began to cry.
"It seems that you awoke rather quickly." She looked up at the vaguely familiar voice. Kneeling behind the supreme Kai was elderly red man with white hair.
"Kibito?" She wiped the tears away from her eyes. "But you're dead?" Zangya was confused. "I saw Dabura vaporize you, there was nothing left. How are you alive?"
"You are correct in believing that I am dead." He said in a formal tone.
"Oh… Then that means that I must be dead too, right? Is this heaven? Where's Gohan!?" She looked around excitedly to see her friend but was disappointed when all she saw was grassy plains and clumps of strange trees.
"Cease your chatter. I must continue to tend to my master." Kibito looked Shin over to assess the damage done to his young friend. It didn't look too good. He was covered from head to toe in burns and some blood, and his clothing was a mess. Taking a deep breath, Kibito put his hands over Shin and a white light began too surround them. The energy started to spread over Shin and slowly, his wounds started to heal. Before the kai could make a full recovery Kibito stopped and put his hands in the grass while breathing heavily.
"Why'd you stop?" Zangya asked.
"The damage." Kibito spoke between breaths. "Was too severe. His energy is drained along with his body being broken makes this more difficult. I can only heal so much at once."
Zangya almost felt sorry for Shin, but then she remembered the way he kept information from them. How Goku said that Shin was planning on sealing Gohan. Suddenly, her pity well was rather low. "He shouldn't have gotten between me and Buu." She said without sympathy.
Kibito looked at her in fury. "How dare you! Don't you dare belittle my master! Don't you even realize why he is so badly damaged?"
"Because he's weak." Zangya answered simply.
"No! It is because he took the brunt of Buu's attack in order to protect you from harm!"
"Really?" Zangya asked incredulously. "Then how come I still died?"
"You fool! You aren't-"
"K-kibito?" Shin said weakly. "H-how?"
"Master." Kibito breathed a sigh of relief. "It is alright master, you are home. Just rest easy, I will continue to heal you."
Shin nodded. "Home… How did we get here? What about Buu?" His strength was now returning in greater measure as Kibito continued his healing technique. Kibito didn't answer, focusing completely on getting Shin well again. When he was done, Shin sat up and examined himself. "Fine work as always Kibito." He praised his attendant but jumped in surprise when the man nearly hit his forehead against the ground performing a dogeza.
"I am sorry master. I have failed you and I have sinned." Shin looked at the red man in confusion.
"Kibito… You didn't fail-"
"I have broken our laws." He kept his head down and comprehension dawned on Shin.
"I see. So that is how you brought us here."
"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Zangya asked impatiently. If she was dead, all she wanted to do was see Gohan, and these bozos were getting on her nerves.
"Of course, I apologize for our rudeness." Shin bowed his head in apology. "I believe that Kibito is talking about the manner in which he rescued us from Buu. Would you care to raise your head and explain yourself fully Kibito?"
"Yes master." Straightening up, Kibito began his story. "After Dabura killed me, I naturally ended up in otherworld at earths check in station. Perhaps I should have waited in line, but I could not, knowing the potential danger you were in. I transported myself here so that I could continue to watch over your safety, as is my sworn duty."
"Well, I thank you for that old friend."
"You are too kind. But all I could do was watch helplessly as you fought against Babidi's minions."
'Yeah, he fought.' Zangya thought sarcastically and rolled her eyes.
"Finally, Majin Buu was released from his prison, and all seemed lost. Even the sealing technique failed. I continued to watch as Goku fell, then Gohan and finally, you were forced to face him."
"I was there too you know." Zangya added flippantly but Kibito ignored her.
"I was hopeful that you might find the strength to fend off the monster, but it was not to be. The beam was carrying you and the girl away and it was only a matter of time before it completely consumed you. It was only then that I saw fit to commit my first transgression."
"You transported to the world of the living and pulled us out of there, bringing us back here." Shin finished for him.
"Yes. Forgive me." He bowed his head once more and Zangya lost patience.
"Ok, I must be missing something. What kind of messed up law do you have where it's a great sin to rescue us?"
"It is not the rescuing that is against our laws." Shin answered. "You see, miss Zangya, Kibito is no longer one of the living. While he, as a core person, was able to keep his body, he does not hold the rank or the authority to enter the land of the living without permission. Even we must follow the laws of nature."
"Then what about Goku?" Zangya pointed out. "He was dead, and you guys seemed fine with him coming to earth."
"Yes, that was with my express permission. As the ruler of other world, it is within my power to allow mortals such a privilege, if it is earned or necessary. Though, such an occurrence is a rarity." He turned to Kibito and smiled kindly. "Had I been here, I would have granted you permission to rescue us. You have done no wrong on that account."
"So, what was his other great sin?" Zangya asked, her curiosity temporarily overtaking her desire to get on with her afterlife.
"Bringing you along. You now stand in the sacred land of the Kais. No mortal is permitted to step foot on this sacred ground. You are the first to do so."
"Master." Kibito begged. "Forgive me, I was unable to grab one of you without the other."
Zangya scowled at the implication that he would not have rescued her if he didn't have to.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better big red, I don't really want to be here. I can't think of a worse afterlife than the one I'm experiencing. So, send me on my way to wherever Gohan ended up."
Before Kibito could reply, the supreme Kai cut in. "No forgiveness is necessary Kibito. It is fate that brought her here, and I believe it is to our good fortune. Miss Zangya, you seem to be misunderstanding something. You are not dead."
"What?" The girl asked in confusion.
"Yes. By a stroke of luck, and thanks to Kibito's efforts, it seems that the both of us have survived."
"Survived…" She was trying to take this all in. If she wasn't dead, didn't that mean that she wouldn't be able to see Gohan? In the three years since they knew each other, he had become the most important thing to her. Living without him seemed like too much to bear. She felt as though her life held no meaning for her anymore. He had been taken from her too soon. Her face darkened when she remembered the one who caused her this pain. Buu. "You're sure I'm alive?"
"Yes, quite sure." Shin smiled; glad he could give her some good news.
"Great, then send me back to earth."
"What?" Shin looked surprised. "But why?"
"What do you mean 'why'? So I can destroy that disgusting pink blob who murdered my friend, why else? Now send me back." She demanded. Gohan was counting on her and she failed. Now she had to make it right. She had to destroy him and rescue the universe for Gohan. But what seemed more important to her than that, she had to avenge her loved one.
"I-I am afraid I cannot do that." Shin said and Zangya stomped over to him and looked him in the eye with a freezing gaze.
"Why not?" She hissed.
"Miss Zangya, we would only be sending you to your death." Shin explained. "I cannot allow you to go against that monster as you are now. It would do no good and would be a waste of life."
"It's my life! I can do as I please with it! That freak killed Gohan, I'm not just going to hide up here and cower while it runs rampant!"
"And is that what Gohan would have wanted?" Shin tried to reason. "For you to get yourself killed in a vain attempt to avenge him?"
This only served to pour fuel on the flames. "Don't. You. Dare! Don't you dare even say his name!" Her voice trembled with rage. A part of her blamed the weakness of Shin for her loss. For him to use Gohan against her was too much to take.
"I'm sorry that I upset you." Shin said but refused to back down. "Nevertheless, I believe that if you are honest with yourself, you will find that I am right, no matter how much you dislike me personally."
Zangya's anger grew but she couldn't refute him as she knew that the supreme Kai was right. Gohan wouldn't want her to die. "Maybe so, but Gohan also wouldn't just hide away in safety while a monster attacked our home and endangered the people we love. Maybe us mortals don't mean much to you guys, but my friends matter a lot to me. I'm not going to do nothing while they die! Now send me back!"
"I will not send you back!" Shin replied with firmness. "Not yet at least." He added before Zangya murdered him. "I promise that I will when the time is right. You think me a heartless coward, but I too wish to see the end of Buu. Unfortunately, none of us are powerful enough to face him. But that does not mean we will stay up here idle. As I said before, I believe fate has brought us here and she is offering us a chance at victory against this demon. And you, Miss Zangya, cannot be allowed to die so pointlessly. For you are our last hope. The key to our success."
"What are you talking about?" She asked in annoyance.
"You being brought to this planet at this moment in time cannot be a coincidence. I believe that you are the one who can finally put an end to Buu. I believe that you are the one who will finally master… The Z sword."
Break
Gobuu held Vegeta up by his neck and squeezed. "What's wrong Vegeta, tired already? Your home and your family are riding on your victory. Don't you want to save them?"
Vegeta continued to struggle, clawing at the pink arms and throwing kicks at his midsection. Despite his efforts, Buu remained unhurt. What was worse, Vegeta had not even come close to recovering from his battle with Gohan.
"I'm not really surprised that you can't find the power to save them. You never had the strength of character to fight for anything but yourself." Dropping the prince, he kneed him in the gut before backhanding him away. The Saiyan skipped across the ground before Buu appeared from above and stomped him into the earth. "I know Gohan beat the fight out of you, but I was hoping you'd at least have a little of your Saiyan spirit left." He lifted his foot off Vegeta and soccer ball kicked his head, sending him soaring in an arc through the air.
Not for the first time today, Vegeta felt his own helplessness. His power was depleted, and his body was a wreck. Despite his personal flaws, he truly cared for Bulma and Trunks. But no matter how hard he struggled; He could do nothing against Buu. Gohan had beaten him badly, but that wasn't the only thing that weighed on his mind. It was because of him that the monster was free. He was responsible for the death of Gohan. Regardless of their differences, He respected the boy as a great Saiyan warrior and now he was dead because of Vegeta. He would be responsible for the deaths of his family, possibly the only things in his life he cared about more than himself. He didn't care how much stronger Buu was than him. He had to do something to atone for his mistake and protect them.
"I…" Vegeta stood up slowly. One eye was swollen shut and his lip was split. "I may have sold my pride. But I'll die before you touch my wife and son." 'I'm not a prince. I can't even say that I'm a Saiyan elite. But they are all I have left.'
"Well, yeah." Buu said as though that were obvious. "That's the plan. You die, then I get them. Was I not clear on that?"
Vegeta started to limp toward the pink abomination. Gobuu stared at him motionless, interested to know just what he was planning on doing. After a minute, Vegeta was standing right in front of Buu and the monster looked down in amusement. "What are you going to do? No really, I'm curious. I'll give you one free attack to see. I mean, I would give you three minutes, but judging from your appearance, I don't think you have that in you."
With a grimace, Vegeta fell forward, wrapping his arms around his opponent. "This…" Vegeta breathed. "Is the end for you, you freak."
"Ah yes, the big hug attack. Very deadly." Buu mocked. "Or do you call this one Final embrace? Galic glomp?"
Without another word, Vegeta tightened his grip around Buu and started to glow.
"Whoa, you aren't seriously going to…" Gobuu looked down at the prince and the energy continued to grow. "Holy… You really are! This is just great! HAHAHAHAHAHA-"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
A small dome of energy slowly started to expand outward, consuming everything it covered and leaving a sizeable crater in the ground. Pink goo was scattered all around, but the pieces quickly started to move, gathering and reassembling at the center of the crater.
Buu stretched his limbs and neck after he fully reformed and continued to laugh quietly. "Hehehe. He actually thought that would work. What a moron." He finished stretching. "Still, I never would have thought a jerk like him would do something like that. I can't help but feel let down though. I mean for him to die so suddenly. I at least should have been able to torment him a bit more. So anti-climactic."
It had not been a particularly long fight, but it had been fun for Buu to Buully the once proud prince. He kind of wished that Gohan hadn't already broken his spirit, since it would have been more fun to do that himself. Dusting off his hands, Gobuu stroked his chin. "So, let's see, I killed Vegeta, Gohan, Zangya and the supreme Kai. Piccolo's dead… I feel like I'm forgetting someone. I'm sure there's at least one more person around here worth playing with?"
Suddenly a thunderous roar shook the earth. Gobuu looked down. "Oh, right, sorry tummy." He patted his stomach. "Looks like it's time for some chow. Should I do buffet, or people food?" He thought out loud. "I know, I'll just go to a restaurant and if I don't get my fill, I can just turn them into dessert!" He excitedly took off for West city.
Break.
"The what sword?" Zangya blinked.
"The Z sword." Shin repeated.
"AAHH! THE Z SWORD!? Kibito yelled. "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS SUPREME KAI!"
"I am very serious my friend. The Z sword is the only way that we can destroy Majin Buu." Shin replied.
"But-but to place the most powerful weapon in the universe in the hands of a mortal is unthinkable!" He looked at Zangya with disdain. "Especially one with such a dubious past and obvious disliking for the Kais."
"At least I didn't get blasted to bits within the first ten minutes of getting to Babidi's spaceship!" Zangya spat back. "Talk about worthless. And you wonder why I don't like you arrogant jerks!"
"Why, you ungrateful little!" Kibito's face started to glow with anger and embarrassment. "If it hadn't been for me, you'd be a corpse right now! You should feel blessed to be alive, and on such sacred ground as this! You shouldn't even be here in the first place."
"At last, we agree on something!" She through her hands up. "Send me back to earth so I can fight Buu. Either I die or he does. Either way, at least I don't have to deal with you morons anymore."
"Oh, believe me, I wish I had simply left you on your planet to die like you deserve!"
"Ditto! It would have been better than dealing with a couple of weak hypocrites!"
"You are an impudent, disrespectful, wicked-"
"ENOUGH!" The supreme Kai shouted, and the fighting stopped. "This is no time for bickering! Kibito, I can permit visitors here if I so choose. Zangya is here as my guest and as our ally. You will treat her as such."
"But master, do you expect me to tolerate such disrespect towards you?" Kibito asked incredulously.
"She has just suffered a loss and her anger may be justified. She is young and grieving and you are doing nothing but fueling the fire. I expected better from you my friend." This rebuke silenced Kibito. Shin turned toward the girl, who was somewhat shocked that Shin kind of stood up for her. She hadn't exactly been nice to him. "Zangya, I understand your frustration and desire to protect what you love. I too am trying to protect the universe that I love. I am not gifted with the level of strength that you possess, and you may be fully justified in blaming me for the way things turned out. Perhaps I should have planned things differently. I wished that I had the wisdom to prevent this catastrophe in the first place, but I did not. My poor judgement and weakness have endangered all creation. I do not expect your forgiveness, but I do ask for your cooperation. I have seen your power and I know that your heart is good. Even though you detest me, you tried to assist me in fending off Buu. You don't have to like us, you don't even have to respect us, but we have a common enemy and so I beg of you, please help us."
Like Kibito, Zangya was stunned speechless. Such heartfelt humility had disarmed her and his plea for help did not fall on deaf ears. Shin looked at her, eagerly awaiting her answer. She returned his stare with a contemplative look. Finally, she gave in. "Ok. I'll help you."
Shin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Miss Zangya."
"Well, it's like you said, he's a common enemy." She knew she wasn't strong enough to kill Buu and she needed to do everything in her power so she could. Even if it meant working with the Kais. "So, what's the deal with this Z sword?"
"The Z sword is a legendary blade of the kais." Shin explained. "It is said that the one who wields it will obtain unimaginable power. Power so great that even Buu will be helpless against it. In your hands Zangya, it will be the instrument of the demon's destruction."
"Ok, that sounds cool and all, but if you guys had this weapon, why didn't you use it on Buu in the first place?"
"Wielding a blade of such power is no simple matter." Kibito answered, then quickly turned to his master. "My apologies master, did not intend to interrupt."
"By all means, Kibito." Shin gestured to indicate that the floor was his.
With a bow, he continued. "You see girl, the blade is not readily available as you might imagine. It is encased in a pillar of rock, in the center of the sacred lake. Only the one who is worthy may free it and claim it's awesome power. With it, they will cut down all evil in their path."
Zangya took this in. After a moment, she cracked a smile. Then she broke out into peals of laughter. "Pfft! Bahahahahahahaa!"
"What's so funny?" Shin asked in confusion.
"It's just, it's just that, I've read Goten some bedtime stories that were more believable than that." She chuckled as she explained. "A legendary sword in a stone that has power to destroy all evil? Come on, you guys are grown men. You can't really believe that."
"HOW DARE YOU!" Kibito started yelling again. "Master, do you really expect her to be able to free the Z sword when not one among the Kais could!? Even you were unable to claim the sword. It is inconceivable that this girl would be worthy enough to do so! Forgetting the fact that she is a mortal, her past misdeeds-"
"Kibito." Shin said with a hint of warning. "There is no harm in letting her try."
"She doesn't even believe in the legend master!"
"Well, that at least, is easily remedied. Perhaps your mind will change when you see the sword for yourself." The supreme Kai said to the girl.
With a shrug and a sigh, Zangya replied. "Sure. But if this turns out to be a dud, you have to promise to send me back to earth."
"Fair enough. The Z sword is real, make no mistake about that. If you would please follow me, I will lead you there." He took off and Zangya followed. Kibito went after them while mumbling under his breath. On the way there, Zangya couldn't help her curiosity. If this was for real, she would be able to avenge Gohan. Then she would bring him back with the dragon balls and it would be like old times. If it wasn't, she was coming up with a back up plan. She was careful not to get her hopes to high, but asking a few questions never hurt.
"Shin?"
"Yes."
She took a deep breath. "Look, I hate to say it, but Kibito's right about one thing. My record isn't exactly the cleanest. Even if the sword is legit, there's a good chance I won't be able to get it out. What exactly does being worthy entail?"
Shin nodded. "Before I answer, I have a question of my own. Tell me, at any point did Babidi try to take control of you?" He was curious to know the answer.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"At any point did you feel a presence in your mind? One that tried to tempt you? Offered to grant your deepest desires?"
"Oh…" A brief memory popped into her head and she blushed. "Um, I guess you could say something like that happened."
"And you didn't succumb?" Kibito asked in disbelief.
"Well, Honestly I kind of had other things on my mind." She said heatedly, not wanting to share her fantasy with either men.
"I see. Well, if you were able to resist Babidi's temptation, you are just as worthy as either of us. Besides, worthy does not necessarily mean morally superior. It could simply refer to one who the sword is meant for."
"Huh." That sounded strange to Zangya. "So, this sword. Where'd it come from?"
"Some say it was used to carve the universe into existence. Others that the first of the Kais made it, knowing that one day, the universe would have need of it's power."
"So, you don't know?" Zangya raised an eyebrow.
"The blade has been around for as long as I can remember. It is one of the greatest mysteries among the Kais." He replied.
"I see… So why is it called the Z sword?"
"Again, nobody knows for sure. It may have been named for lord Zeno, the creator of all. Perhaps it was forged as the end to all evil, or it was created as a final blade and Z represented that finality."
"If that's the case, I would have called it something like the 'omega blade', or 'Bankai' or something." Zangya said while picturing herself in a black hakama wielding a pitch-black katana. 'Yeah, Bankai.'
"As I said, nobody knows much about its origins." Shin explained. "The name is as much a mystery as the blade itself. However, I have just recently formulated a theory on the matter."
"You have!?" Kibito asked with great interest. "Please, enlighten us, master."
"Destiny is a funny thing. I would not have thought this until today, but I believe that maybe the blade was named so with you in mind Zangya."
"WHAT!?" Kibito nearly fell out of the sky.
"You're kidding?" Zangya looked at him like he was crazy. "You think the Z sword was named that way because whoever made it and put it in the rock figured that I would one day come to this planet and claim it?"
"It is not so crazy as you believe." Shin defended himself. "Or have you forgotten that you are the red Z girl?" Shin smiled.
"That's just a name though." The girl waved it off.
"Names have great meaning. Consider this. We now face a terrible enemy and you, who seek the destruction of Buu, have come here of all places, of all times, and the weapon that shares your initial is within your grasp. I do not believe that is coincidence." The supreme Kai said firmly.
"No, it isn't a coincidence, it's a contrivance!" His whole line of thought was like some terrible fanfiction grasping at coincidences and trying to force a minor character into the spotlight. Not that she was a minor character mind you, but still. "I don't buy it." She finally said.
"Forgive me master, but it is rather hard to believe." Kibito agreed with her for once.
"Well, we will soon see, for we have reached our destination." He pointed and Zangya saw a tall, thin rock pillar in the center of a beautiful and pristine lake. They landed on the rock and sure enough, in the middle, buried nearly to the hilt, was a sword. "Do you believe in the legend now?" Shin asked Zangya.
"Look, I never doubted a sword existed, I just don't believe it's as special as you claim." The Hera maintained her skepticism.
"The sword is special alright, but you will never know of its power." Kibito glared at her. "You cannot hope to free this sword when even the supreme Kai himself could not make it budge."
"Is that a fact?" Zangya challenged with a glare of her own.
"Yes. It is a fact."
"That's enough Kibito. Miss Zangya, are you willing to at least give the legend a try?" Shin asked.
"Let's get one thing straight. If I free this thing and it isn't as special as you say, you have to take me back to earth."
"Agreed." The Kai nodded. He was confident that not only was the sword all he claimed it was, but that Zangya would be the one to free it. "Of course, to see if the blade's power is legitimate, you must first free it from this rock."
"So I free this sword and I go home or I free it and ultimate power is mine?" She mused.
"Yes, I suppose it is a win-win for you." Shin smiled.
"Alright, no sweat." She laced her fingers and stretched her arms in front of her to crack her knuckles outward. "Would you mind giving me a little room?" Both of them stepped back to the edge of the pillar. She looked at them and hesitated before shrugging. "I guess that's far enough." Walking over to the sword, she tapped it with her boot. Then she bent down and tugged at it with one hand. "Yep, that's in there."
"Tch!" Kibito clicked his tongue loudly. "Did you honestly think you could do what none before you could, with a single hand?"
"Well, I didn't, but now I will, just to prove you wrong." She replied testily without looking at him. She took a deep breath. 'This is for you Gohan.'
"Unbelievable. Forgive me master, but her attitude is abhorrent. She cannot possibly be the one to free the legendary blade. We should simply send her home now and-"
"HYAH!" Zangya yelled as she thrust a fist down full force right next to the Z sword. *BOOOOM* Her attack sent a shockwave outward as well as downward through the pillar. With a loud rumble, the whole pillar exploded, sending a surprised Shin and Kibito flying away while holding onto a boulder that was once the place where they were standing.
""GYAAAAH!"" They shouted in unison until they splashed into the lake, along with all the other boulders that once made up the great pillar. They both struggled to dodge the rocks in the water and get back to fresh air before they ran out of breath. They broke the surface at the lake's shore and breathed deeply while they pulled themselves up on land.
"You know, I feel an old Hera saying is appropriate here." They looked up to see Zangya looking down at them with both hands on the Z sword while it rested on her shoulder. "How do you like them golden apples?"
Break
Chichi heaved a sigh as she carried bags that contained her purchases while her and the gang were walking through the streets of west city. "Thanks for shopping with me girls. I don't get many chances to go into the city."
"Hey, no problem. I mean with the tournament postponed, what else are we gonna do. Besides, we needed some girl time, am I right 18?" Bulma looked at the blonde who shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess." Beneath her blank expression, she was actually enjoying herself, though it would have been more fun with Zangya here with them. She'd probably get them into some wacky trouble due to some misunderstanding like usual. Of course, Her not being here made it so that no one was forcing her to wear the cheerleader outfit. She had ditched that in the first store.
Walking behind the three ladies was Broly, who was carrying Goten on his shoulders with Trunks walking at his side. A little further back, laddened with a towering stack of boxes, was Krillin.
"I must say, this 'Girltime' seems an odd custom to me." Broly pondered out loud. "From the name, I wouldn't think that men should be present on such occasions."
"Believe me buddy, to them, we aren't even here right now. Our job description is walking handbag. We're only along to carry the goods."
Broly stroked his chin. "Interesting. And all this time I thought that earth was a patriarchal society."
"Ha!" The bald man laughed. "Anyone who thought that obviously never met any of them." He nodded to 18, Bulma and Chichi. Broly nodded his agreement. Those three did have a certain commanding presence. "And they probably never had a girlfriend." Krillin finished. His words were good humored, and his tone indicated that he was really grateful that he did have a girlfriend, no matter how many boxes he had to carry.
"Well, one thing's for sure." Trunks said with his hands behind his head. "I'm never gonna let a girl tell me what to do."
Krillin chuckled. "Well, you say that now, but just wait till you get a girlfriend."
"Yeah right, that's never gonna happen!" Trunks denied in classic little boy fashion.
"Yeah, girls are gross!" Goten said from Broly's shoulders.
"Goten, Trunks, get over here." Bulma called to the young boys. Goten hopped down and went to the women. Trunks stayed put, trying to prove his point that a girl couldn't order him around. Bulma looked around and gave the boy a terrifying look. "Trunks, I know you heard me. Don't make me repeat myself."
Trunks gulped in fear and made his way to his mother. "Oh Bulma!" Chichi said with glee. "What a wonderful idea! They'll just look so adorable in those."
"I know right!?"
Goten and Trunks looked to see what their mother's were talking about and immediately, their faces paled. In the window of a children's clothing store was a display that horrified the boys to their core. It was a little sailor's suit with shorts and a white Donald duck hat. Before they could flee, their mothers grabbed them by the arms and dragged them into the store. Krillin laughed at their misfortune but stopped when he noticed 18 was giving him a look. "Come on Krillin. There's a store I want to see."
"Oh, ok." Krillin heaved a sigh of relief. For a minute, he thought he would be in trouble. "What kind of store?"
"Oh, you'll see." 18 said mysteriously. Krillin had seen her in a rather embarrassing outfit and it was time for payback. The two left and Broly was standing on the sidewalk alone and unsure of what he was supposed to do. He waved at a group of bikers who wore a green head and crossed arms insignia. He had ridden with the Dende's angels a few times and they all seemed like nice guys. After they passed, he leaned against a building wall and looked up at the sky.
'Hard to believe it's been over a year since I came here. This place has felt more like home than… Than anywhere actually.' In the past year, Broly had gone fishing with the Sons, rode motorcycles with Dende, and occasionally worked in Zangya's bakery when she needed an extra hand. He didn't have to think about fighting, and he hardly even spared a thought for his old life, except for the comrades he left behind. Occasionally he would wonder how they were faring without the jade emperor. He hoped they were as happy as he was. He still found himself brooding over his old master from time to time. Not to mourn him necessarily, but the misdeeds he did under the man's orders still haunted him. However, whenever he would hit these low points, he thought of his new friends, his new family. The thought never failed to lift his spirits. They had all accepted him so easily despite his past, and it all started with Zangya.
"I hope she's ok." He said out loud. He fell silent once more and stared up at the clouds to pass the time.
"KYAAAA!"
Broly turned his head quickly to see who screamed. A few blocks up the street a group of people were stampeding out of a restaurant. They had barely made it out the door when Broly saw what looked like a few pink hands stretch out and grab them from behind, pulling them back in. Several pink lights flashed, and the screams suddenly stopped.
After a few minutes, he saw a pink man walk out of the restaurant with a large human shaped cookie.
"Hmm? Is it too early for dessert?" Gobuu opened his mouth wide and bit the cookie man's head clean off. "Ooh! Gingerbread!" He said while chewing. "I guess I can just count that as a middle-tizer. Ginger's good for you after all." He stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth and chewed loudly before finally swallowing it. He looked up the street to see a woman fleeing who he seemed to have missed in the restaurant. "Well, time for the second course."
The woman was running with tears streaming down her face. 'That monster! He… He turned them into food! I have to get away!' She looked behind her briefly to check if the pink man was after her. When she faced forward, she hit something solid and fell back. "Owww!" She put a hand up to her nose, feeling like it was broken. She looked up to see what she hit, and her eyes widened with fear. Buu was standing right in front of her. "H-how?" She began to scoot backwards to get away from him.
"Let's see, T-bone? Pork chop?" He stepped forward with a hungry look.
"P-please." She begged. "D-don't hurt me. Just stay away."
"No, wait! Prime rib." He said with satisfaction and he aimed his antenna at the girl.
"SOMEBODY HELP!"
Not a second later, a fist was buried in the demon's face.
"GRAAHH!" Broly yelled and his hit sent Gobuu flying down the street and into a car. He turned around to help the girl up. "Can you run?" The girl was too scared to speak but she nodded. "Good, then go. Now!" She didn't hesitate to turn around and get out of there.
"Hey!" Buu yelled, working himself out of the hood of the vehicle. "What's the big idea interrupting a guy's dinner!? That girl would have made a great prime rib!" Broly turned around and glared at him. Seeing the man's face, Buu snapped his fingers. "Oh! That's who I was forgetting!"
Break.
Shin and Kibito stared at Zangya in disbelief. Kibito's jaw was nearly touching the floor and his eyes were wide. "I… I don't believe it… Someone like her."
"I-incredible!" Shin couldn't contain his excitement. "You really did it! Yes! I knew you were the one Zangya! Majin Buu is history!" He reached up to clap her on the shoulder, but as soon as he did, she lost her balance.
"Wo-WOAH!" She flailed her arm and tried to steady herself, but the weight of the sword pulled her downward and she toppled to the ground.
"Zangya!" Shin cried in concern. And tried to help her up. "Are you ok!? I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"It's alright." The girl held a hand up. "That thing is just ridiculously heavy. Just kind of lost my balance."
"Ha! I knew it!" Kibito shouted.
"Knew what Kibito?" Shin asked.
"Don't you see master? She cannot wield the sword because she is not worthy! She is weighed down by it instead of it giving her it's power."
"So your saying the sword is defective." Zangya said in a mocking tone. "After all, I freed the sword so I must be worthy. Isn't that what you said?"
"The blade is not defective. You simply cheated." Kibito was adamant in his claims. "You were meant to pull the sword from the pillar, not smash it like a barbarian!"
"Oh really? Well, pardon me, but nobody ever said I had to pull the stupid thing out, you guys just said to free it. Hrup." She stood up, hauling the sword with her. "And look at this, it's free. I guess I'm more worthy than you after all." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yet the fact remains that you are barely able to hold it. How else would you explain that, other than the blade rejecting you."
"Gee, I don't know, maybe because it weighs a billion pounds!" She answered flippantly.
"HA! It is far more likely that your brutal methods have displeased the sword. As I said, it was meant to be pulled free. Is that not so supreme Kai?"
Shin looked thoughtful. "Well, there never was anything in the legend that said you had to pull it out. I suppose it is possible that we simply overlooked something so simple and Zangya's out of the box thinking is what makes her worthy of it."
"HA!" Zangya pumped a fist then wobbled to regain her balance.
"Then why would she struggle with it so!?"
"Ok macho man, you think you're more worthy of the sword? Here, help yourself." She struggled to hold the sword out to Kibito who reached out for it with a confident expression.
"I will show you how the legendary blade ought to be wieldeAAD!" As soon as Zangya let go the weight of the sword pulled him quickly down and the next thing he knew he was sprawled on the ground with the Z sword sunk into the ground. Getting back up and seeing his master's stunned expression, combined with Zangya's gloating one, he hurried to try and pick it back up, but it refused to move. The only thing the man got for his efforts was two very sore, glowing red hands that he was blowing on to relieve the pain.
"Wow, I had no idea swords could be wielded so effectively." Zangya jeered. "Majin Buu won't stand a chance against you. What do you call that style anyway? Ground fighting? Earth bending? Crippled crouching tiger?"
Kibito had nothing to say to that.
'How embarrassing.' Shin couldn't help but think to himself.
"Like I said, it's friggin heavy." Zangya replied. "It isn't exactly easy to lift. Especially since I'm still wiped out from fighting Buu."
"What!?" Shin cried out. "You mean to say that you freed the Z sword without even being at full strength?"
"Well, yeah. My energy has been slowly returning but I'm not close to full power right now. Also, don't over sell it. I just punched a rock. Goten probably could have broken that thing."
"This is incredible! Kibito, heal her quickly! Once we see her at full power, we will see exactly what the Z sword is capable of!"
"Are you sure you want to use your sacred technique on a lowly wretch like me?"
The man said nothing in response. Having been brought down a few notches by his failure with the sword, Kibito quietly complied with his masters request. In a matter of moments, Zangya was back up to full strength.
"Wow." She looked at the red man with a thoughtful expression. "Not as good as Dende, but I guess you're not totally worthless after all. Now," She walked over to the sword and picked it up. It was much easier for her to lift, but she still had to use to hands to use it effectively. She swung it back and forth a few times like a baseball bat.
"So?" Shin asked expectantly. She stopped swinging and stuck it in the ground to lean on it like a cane.
"So what?"
"How does it feel? All that power must be incredible."
Zangya looked at the blade and shrugged. "Well, I'm no expert on swords, but other than being absurdly heavy, it doesn't seem to be anything more than a hunk of metal."
"WHAAAAAT!?" Shin and Kibito freaked out in unison.
"Yeah, I really can't see how this is going to be helpful against Buu. In fact, considering Buu's indestructability, I can't think of a more useless weapon to use against him. He doesn't exactly mind being cut in two. Besides, I don't know how to fight with swords."
"But- But surely you feel something!? Any boost in power at all!?" Shin sounded desperate.
"No." She shook her head and pulled the sword onto her shoulder. "So can you guys just send me back or does one of you have to accompany me?"
"What!? You mean you plan to fight Majin Buu right now!? But you haven't unlocked the swords power yet!"
"Look, you said the sword would grant me unlimited power and it hasn't. Unless there's some secret button on here…" She looked the blade up and down and tried hitting the pommel stone, but nothing happened. "Nope. Does the legend say anything about a password?"
The dumbfounded Kibito and Shin shook their heads.
"Well, looks like the sword's a dud then. Still, it does look cool. I guess I'll take it with me."
"But how do you intend on defeating Buu!? You are nowhere near powerful enough and without the Z sword, you will surely die?"
"Kibito, are you actually showing concern for me?" Kibito reddened but before he could answer, Zangya pushed on. "Look, I know I'm no match for his power, but I've been thinking of a pretty good plan. With any luck I'll have my Gohan back and I never have to see you guys again. Now, beam me down or whatever it is you do."
"NOW WAIT A MINUTE!" Shin yelled. "Tales of the Z sword have been passed down among my people since time immemorial! Now you finally free it and you dismiss it out of hand!? There is no way that it is a 'dud'! IT IS A LEGENDARY WEAPON!" Shin was sounding like a sasquatch enthusiast who was told there was no such thing as big foot. All his hopes and dreams seemed to be shattering.
"Ha!" Zangya laughed and shook her head. "You wanna see a legendary weapon? I'll show you one." Out of nowhere she produced what appeared to be an ordinary wooden spoon. "BEHOLD! The Spoon of Chichi!"
Shin and Kibito's eyes became mere dots on their faces as they looked at the spoon. Suddenly, Shin was surrounded by a fiery backdrop. "YOU THINK THAT'S FUNNY!? JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN BEAT US UP DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TAKE US FOR FOOLS!"
"No, I'm serious!" Zangya insisted. "This spoon is amazing. At the very least it's better than this thing." She pointed to the sword.
"How can you even compare the Z sword to a cooking utensil!?"
Zangya furrowed her brow. She didn't want to waste time, but nobody belittled the spoon. "Fine, I'll show you. So much for mounting this thing on my wall." She held the sword against the ground at an angle with the flat of the blade to the dirt. She raised the spoon high above her head and with all her might, brought it down crashing through the sword.
"NOOOOOOOO!" The two men yelled with their hands on their heads.
"See, nothing can stand against this 'cooking utensil'." But the men were not paying any attention to her. Instead they were kneeling down and weeping over the blade that had so easily been cleaved in two.
"The Z sword…"
"How could a spoon… against our greatest weapon?"
"Guys, come on. I really need you to send me to earth now. Kind of in a hurry here."
"How could you just destroy it like that!?" Shin and Kibito asked angrily.
"Easy, like this." Two white flashes and both men fell to the ground with a giant goose egg each. Tears of grief over the sword were replace by tears of pain and Zangya looked down at them in anger. "Listen up. To say that I'm in a bad mood would be a gross understatement. I watched someone I love get killed and his murderer is running free. Now, I got your stupid sword out of the rock and I have been extremely patient with you. But in case you forgot, there is a monster that needs killing. So, either you send me back right now, or I am going to put all three of you morons SIX FEET! UNDER GROUND! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!" She stopped to take a breath, but then she realized something was off about what she said. "Hold on. One, two… Why is there an older you here Shin?"
"Why hellooooooo Beautiful!"
Break.
Far away from the realm of the Kais, a young warrior slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and looked around in confusion, trying to take in his surroundings. Nothing about the land looked familiar. He could see no landmarks, and judging by the red sky and black clouds, he wasn't even on earth anymore. Gohan, for Gohan it was, tried to remember what had happened to make him end up in such a strange world. He remembered that Buu had absorbed his father. They fought, he was losing and Buu managed to overpower him with a Kamehameha. He had put everything he had into his own attack, but it was no use. The wave rolled over him and then he blacked out. But there was something else. Right before everything went black, he felt a hand grab him from behind and pulling him back. He didn't know who it could have been or why they saved him, and he certainly didn't know why they brought him to this backwards world.
He started to stand when he heard a young woman's voice. "Brother! Brother he's awake!" Gohan spun around to see a girl, about his height looking at him and holding a staff. She had pointy ears and was a slightly lighter shade of blue than Zangya. She also had straight white hair that went slightly past her shoulders. The woman bowed and politely introduced herself. "Greetings, Son Gohan. My name is Towa. I am very pleased to meet you."
Gohan was about to return the greeting and hopefully get his question's asked, when a deep and familiar voice entered the conversation. "Glad to see you're still with us, my young friend."
Gohan spun around with rage in his eyes. Smiling at him with his insufferable smile, was the demon king himself.
"Hello Gohan."
End Chapter.
The tone of this chapter was a little different than the last one so sorry if that threw anyone off. I do feel like I should explain why I made Vegeta only have a brief appearance. Honestly, it's because I had no way to justify his fight with Buu being any longer than it was. Even at full strength Gobuu would trounce him and realizing he had no hope, Vegeta pulled a Chiaotzu. Sorry if any of you share Buu's opinion that it was Anticlimactic. Btw, some of the memories/quotes going through his head were from the anime, some were from my story.
Zangya breaking the Z sword with the spoon of Chichi has always been the plan for this part of the story. I hope it wasn't to gaggy for anyone. If you don't believe in the power of the wooden spoon, none of you had a grandmother from the old country (Great grandma for me). Not only that, with Zangya's strength, it would probably break no matter what she hit it with. I do hope nobody thinks I'm too hard on Kibito. In the anime, Gohan was respectful and Kibito was still pretty rude to him. I can only think that Zangya being there and not taking any guff would increase the hostility.
Also, please hold all your WTFs regarding Gohan till after you read the next chapter, which will not only explain a few things, it will also have a pretty sick fight between Broly and Gobuu. At least, I will try and make it as awesome as I can.
Thanks again! Until next time.