Chapter Three
King Kai stood in the gargantuan arena, standing in the center of the massive fighting floor. The arena was the largest ever built, whether by mortal or immortal. Yet as he stood, watching the attendants and clean up crews prepare for the Afterlife Tournament that would take place in a few days, King Kai could only sigh. Pikkon was now his pupil, and was still the strongest fighter in the Afterlife. No one could match him here, and he too knew this. He actually didn't want to enter the tournament this year, but King Kai said that it was tradition for every Kai to have a pupil enter the contest. But now King Kai was rethinking his decision. This was going to be boring to say the least.
His two antennae sprung up, allowing him to sense Pikkon approaching behind him.
"I know what you're going to say, Pikkon," King Kai said. "But we're already entered. You're fighting."
Pikkon, wearing the same white uniform as always, stood next to the Kai and crossed his arms.
"I'll fight again," the green alien said. "Don't worry about that. But there's someone I just met that I want to ask you about."
King Kai was curious now, eager for a new topic to think about.
"Oh," the plump master mused. "Who?"
"He's an old man," Pikkon said. "Apparently he did some shady things while alive, so as punishment, he has to remain an old man for the first hundred years of the afterlife."
"So?"
"So, King Kai," the green warrior continued. "He's a sayian, and he insists on talking to you."
The round trainer stood silent for a while. A sayian actually made it into heaven? No sayain before had ever been good enough to get in, besides Goku that is. This would be interesting.
"Hmmm," mused King Kai. "Ok, let's see him."
"He's over there," said Pikkon.
He pointed to the tunnel entrance that let the gladiators into the arena. There stood an old man, his long white beard running down to his waist. Also around his waist was a fury tail, wrapped tightly around the slender figure. Sure enough, he was a sayian. Both King Kai and Pikkon made there way over to the edge of the fighting floor and down the staircase. As they approached the old sayian, the old man began smiling.
"Oh, thank you, master Kai," said the old man with a bow. "Please, here me out."
"Now wait just a minute," said King Kai. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jarell," the old man said. "I came to the afterlife over forty years ago, and have been trying to get a Kai to listen to me ever since then."
Now the small master started loosing interest. If no other Kai wanted to listen, it was probably because the old man was a fruitcake.
"Ok," said King Kai. "Go on."
The old man took a deep breath.
"King Kai," said the sayian. "Have you ever heard the name Xeno?"
In and instant, King Kai had sprung into the air and wrapped his hands around the sayian's mouth.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" exclaimed the short master. "What are you doing? Trying to get me in trouble? Don't say that name out loud!"
Pikkon watched as King Kai looked all around them, sweating bullets and turning this way and that. Whatever the old man had to say, King Kai didn't want to hear it said. If it were really that bad, no wonder no other Kai would listen to the old man. Still, the green warrior was now curious.
"Who's Xeno?" said Pikkon.
Now King Kai was in his face.
"Shut up!" shouted Kai. "Don't ever say that name again!"
"Ok, ok, ok," Pikkon said in response. "But at least tell me who he is?"
"NO!" replied King Kai.
"Hey," Pikkon said. "Come on, I'm curious. Who is he?"
King Kai growled as he looked at Pikkon. The green alien was a strong fighter, but was even more stubborn when it came to prying out secrets. There was no way out of this.
"Grrrrrr, follow me," said Kai as he turned to the tunnel.
The others quickly walked behind him. Past the entrance, they came to an intersection in the concourse. Food vendors were already setting up their shops and stands, while souvenir merchants were doing to the same. But the three continued forward, reaching a janitor's closet. Pikkon stopped.
"Oh come on," he said. "Do we really need to go in there?"
"Yes!" King Kai shouted.
In they went, all three of them into the claustrophobic closet, complete with mops that stunk of mildew and cleaning chemicals that were barely ever used. When the door shut behind them, only a small light bulb was there to provide light. But even in the dim, Pikkon could see King Kai sweating. What was he so riled about?
"Alright," the short master said to the old sayian. "What is this all about?"
"The legend, sire," replied Jarell, the ever-calm sayian.
"Yes," shouted King Kai. "A legend, a myth – that's all it is. Nothing more!"
Pikkon smirked
"Then why are you shouting to us in a janitor's closet?" the green warrior asked.
"You be quiet," Kai shouted to him. "This is no laughing matter, legend or…or not."
"So it is true then," Pikkon added.
"SHUT UP!" Kai screamed.
"Please, King Kai," said Jarell. "We don't have much time." The blue-skinned master was uptight and angry, but he kept his peace to let the old sayian talk. "I don't know much about this," Jarell continued, "but I do know that time is running out, for everyone."
"What do you mean," Pikkon asked him.
"I mean that the universe as we know it is at risk," the old man told him. "The Day of Reckoning is at hand."
"Day of Reckoning?" asked Pikkon.
"Yes," King Kai said. "The legend this man speaks of is one of the oldest myths in the entire universe. It speaks of a master being of darkness. The legend has it that one day the being of darkness would awaken from his eternal sleep and wipe the universe clean of impurities, which means anything and everything. Stars, systems, galaxies – the whole universe would be destroyed."
"I take it this dark being's name is the one you don't want spoken?" asked Pikkon.
King Kai slowly nodded his head.
"Yes," the master said. "This legend has been forgotten by nearly everyone in the mystic realm, mainly because it's too horrible to bear. Long ago, the Kai's swore an oath never to speak the dark being's name again, for fear of wrath and judgment on the Day of Reckoning."
"Even the Kais were scared," noted Pikkon. "Just how powerful is this guy?"
"No one has any idea," answered King Kai. "But I doubt it would make a difference. The last part of the legend says that there is no hope for the world, and that his dark power would overcome all others. It would be the ultimate force in the universe."
"But that's where you're wrong, King Kai," argued Jarell. "There's more to the legend than what you and the other Kais know."
"What?" King Kai said. "What are you talking about?"
"There's more to the legend!" Jarell practically shouted. "You see, the being of darkness is a creature of such great power, that the legend says he became a new type of being, one that leaves behind the restrictions of race or heritage. But in this stage, he has great wings like a dragon, and horns like a devil."
"Sounds fitting," Pikkon commented.
"But the part of the legend that I learned of," continued Jarell, "was that there was a way of defeating him!"
"What?" King Kai shouted. "How? And how come you know this and the Kais don't?"
"Because," Jarell continued, "I ran across an ancient book which documented the legend. I was only able to read some of it before I died, but the part I did read said that the being of darkness was mortal, which means he can be killed. It also started speaking of how the creature could be destroyed…but that was all I read. I never got a chance to finish it."
"Did the book get destroyed as well?" Pikkon asked.
"No," Jarell said. "But I'm not sure where I was when I died. My grandson and I escaped from Planet Vegita just before Frieza destroyed it, but crashed on a planet. I don't know what it was called, since I died in the crash."
"What about your grandson," King Kai asked. "Did he survive?"
"I think so," said the old sayian with a pause. "But I don't know if he'd still be alive. It was over forty years ago after all."
For a moment, the three remained silent. Pikkon was running things through his mind, but King Kai was debating in his. Should he believe this crazy old man and risk his reputation as a Kai, or should he go about his business like nothing was wrong. It was just a legend after all. After a while, he came to a compromise.
"Now look," King Kai said to Jarell. "Let's not forget that this is all just a legend. Like I said, it's a myth, nothing more. There's no need to get ourselves all wrapped up in this if there's nothing to worry about."
Jarell started losing hope. "But –"
"Nevertheless," King Kai continued. "I'll try and scan that part of the universe and see if I can find him…but I'm not making any promises."
"Thank you, King Kai," said the old sayian with a bow.
As the three left the confines of the janitor's closet, King Kai was silent. He never thought he'd ever hear of this myth again. Why was it being brought up now? Could it actually be true? He didn't want it to be. If it was, it would mean a being far more powerful than any the universe had ever seen…and what's worse, it would be a being of pure evil.
A few hours later, King Kai left the stadium alone and hitched a ride on one of the space ferries that ran back and forth between the stadium's island and heaven. The starry sky soon became a thick fog of golden clouds as the ferry flew higher and higher. There were a few fighters on the ferry, there trainers vainly trying to get them to focus on the upcoming tournament. But King Kai's mind was only on one thing.
The ferry reached its destination, an extravagant port lined with gold and large grassy fields. It was here that King Kai decided to do his searching. The grass was pretty much devoid of any people, so there wouldn't be much interference with his antennae. Past empty benches and meandering, golden sidewalks, he came to the tallest hill he saw. There, he relaxed his immediate senses and concentrated his energy to his long receptors on his forehead.
It was always a strange sensation when he used his antennae, but today King Kai didn't even notice it. He was too focused on what feedback he was getting. The logical starting point was to start where Planet Vegita had originally been. In a few minutes, he pinpointed the exact location. Now he began scanning the surrounding systems. After nearly ten minutes of searching, he found nothing. He'd have to expand his senses and search the next ring of planets and stars. Some had huge alien populations, which made it hard for him to pick out the different races gathered there. Other planets had no life whatsoever, making his chore much easier.
As he came to the last line of planets he was going to search today, King Kai sensed a faint aura. It was located on a remote planet far away from Planet Vegita, which made it hard for him to believe that the old man and his grandson could have traveled that far and not be able to read the whole book. Still, the aura was definitely a sayian. After six hours of searching, he'd found him.
But right now, King Kai was starving and tired. He'd contact Jarell tomorrow. Right now, he wanted food.
From outside the fabric of time and space, he slept. The darkness around him was cold and clean, keeping his body in an extended state of suspended animation. His heart rate was steady, slowly pumping black blood through his enormous body. He didn't breathe, for there was no air outside the realm of space. He had no age, since time did not exist here. Only he existed, and here he could rest for all eternity.
King Kai stood in the gargantuan arena, standing in the center of the massive fighting floor. The arena was the largest ever built, whether by mortal or immortal. Yet as he stood, watching the attendants and clean up crews prepare for the Afterlife Tournament that would take place in a few days, King Kai could only sigh. Pikkon was now his pupil, and was still the strongest fighter in the Afterlife. No one could match him here, and he too knew this. He actually didn't want to enter the tournament this year, but King Kai said that it was tradition for every Kai to have a pupil enter the contest. But now King Kai was rethinking his decision. This was going to be boring to say the least.
His two antennae sprung up, allowing him to sense Pikkon approaching behind him.
"I know what you're going to say, Pikkon," King Kai said. "But we're already entered. You're fighting."
Pikkon, wearing the same white uniform as always, stood next to the Kai and crossed his arms.
"I'll fight again," the green alien said. "Don't worry about that. But there's someone I just met that I want to ask you about."
King Kai was curious now, eager for a new topic to think about.
"Oh," the plump master mused. "Who?"
"He's an old man," Pikkon said. "Apparently he did some shady things while alive, so as punishment, he has to remain an old man for the first hundred years of the afterlife."
"So?"
"So, King Kai," the green warrior continued. "He's a sayian, and he insists on talking to you."
The round trainer stood silent for a while. A sayian actually made it into heaven? No sayain before had ever been good enough to get in, besides Goku that is. This would be interesting.
"Hmmm," mused King Kai. "Ok, let's see him."
"He's over there," said Pikkon.
He pointed to the tunnel entrance that let the gladiators into the arena. There stood an old man, his long white beard running down to his waist. Also around his waist was a fury tail, wrapped tightly around the slender figure. Sure enough, he was a sayian. Both King Kai and Pikkon made there way over to the edge of the fighting floor and down the staircase. As they approached the old sayian, the old man began smiling.
"Oh, thank you, master Kai," said the old man with a bow. "Please, here me out."
"Now wait just a minute," said King Kai. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jarell," the old man said. "I came to the afterlife over forty years ago, and have been trying to get a Kai to listen to me ever since then."
Now the small master started loosing interest. If no other Kai wanted to listen, it was probably because the old man was a fruitcake.
"Ok," said King Kai. "Go on."
The old man took a deep breath.
"King Kai," said the sayian. "Have you ever heard the name Xeno?"
In and instant, King Kai had sprung into the air and wrapped his hands around the sayian's mouth.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" exclaimed the short master. "What are you doing? Trying to get me in trouble? Don't say that name out loud!"
Pikkon watched as King Kai looked all around them, sweating bullets and turning this way and that. Whatever the old man had to say, King Kai didn't want to hear it said. If it were really that bad, no wonder no other Kai would listen to the old man. Still, the green warrior was now curious.
"Who's Xeno?" said Pikkon.
Now King Kai was in his face.
"Shut up!" shouted Kai. "Don't ever say that name again!"
"Ok, ok, ok," Pikkon said in response. "But at least tell me who he is?"
"NO!" replied King Kai.
"Hey," Pikkon said. "Come on, I'm curious. Who is he?"
King Kai growled as he looked at Pikkon. The green alien was a strong fighter, but was even more stubborn when it came to prying out secrets. There was no way out of this.
"Grrrrrr, follow me," said Kai as he turned to the tunnel.
The others quickly walked behind him. Past the entrance, they came to an intersection in the concourse. Food vendors were already setting up their shops and stands, while souvenir merchants were doing to the same. But the three continued forward, reaching a janitor's closet. Pikkon stopped.
"Oh come on," he said. "Do we really need to go in there?"
"Yes!" King Kai shouted.
In they went, all three of them into the claustrophobic closet, complete with mops that stunk of mildew and cleaning chemicals that were barely ever used. When the door shut behind them, only a small light bulb was there to provide light. But even in the dim, Pikkon could see King Kai sweating. What was he so riled about?
"Alright," the short master said to the old sayian. "What is this all about?"
"The legend, sire," replied Jarell, the ever-calm sayian.
"Yes," shouted King Kai. "A legend, a myth – that's all it is. Nothing more!"
Pikkon smirked
"Then why are you shouting to us in a janitor's closet?" the green warrior asked.
"You be quiet," Kai shouted to him. "This is no laughing matter, legend or…or not."
"So it is true then," Pikkon added.
"SHUT UP!" Kai screamed.
"Please, King Kai," said Jarell. "We don't have much time." The blue-skinned master was uptight and angry, but he kept his peace to let the old sayian talk. "I don't know much about this," Jarell continued, "but I do know that time is running out, for everyone."
"What do you mean," Pikkon asked him.
"I mean that the universe as we know it is at risk," the old man told him. "The Day of Reckoning is at hand."
"Day of Reckoning?" asked Pikkon.
"Yes," King Kai said. "The legend this man speaks of is one of the oldest myths in the entire universe. It speaks of a master being of darkness. The legend has it that one day the being of darkness would awaken from his eternal sleep and wipe the universe clean of impurities, which means anything and everything. Stars, systems, galaxies – the whole universe would be destroyed."
"I take it this dark being's name is the one you don't want spoken?" asked Pikkon.
King Kai slowly nodded his head.
"Yes," the master said. "This legend has been forgotten by nearly everyone in the mystic realm, mainly because it's too horrible to bear. Long ago, the Kai's swore an oath never to speak the dark being's name again, for fear of wrath and judgment on the Day of Reckoning."
"Even the Kais were scared," noted Pikkon. "Just how powerful is this guy?"
"No one has any idea," answered King Kai. "But I doubt it would make a difference. The last part of the legend says that there is no hope for the world, and that his dark power would overcome all others. It would be the ultimate force in the universe."
"But that's where you're wrong, King Kai," argued Jarell. "There's more to the legend than what you and the other Kais know."
"What?" King Kai said. "What are you talking about?"
"There's more to the legend!" Jarell practically shouted. "You see, the being of darkness is a creature of such great power, that the legend says he became a new type of being, one that leaves behind the restrictions of race or heritage. But in this stage, he has great wings like a dragon, and horns like a devil."
"Sounds fitting," Pikkon commented.
"But the part of the legend that I learned of," continued Jarell, "was that there was a way of defeating him!"
"What?" King Kai shouted. "How? And how come you know this and the Kais don't?"
"Because," Jarell continued, "I ran across an ancient book which documented the legend. I was only able to read some of it before I died, but the part I did read said that the being of darkness was mortal, which means he can be killed. It also started speaking of how the creature could be destroyed…but that was all I read. I never got a chance to finish it."
"Did the book get destroyed as well?" Pikkon asked.
"No," Jarell said. "But I'm not sure where I was when I died. My grandson and I escaped from Planet Vegita just before Frieza destroyed it, but crashed on a planet. I don't know what it was called, since I died in the crash."
"What about your grandson," King Kai asked. "Did he survive?"
"I think so," said the old sayian with a pause. "But I don't know if he'd still be alive. It was over forty years ago after all."
For a moment, the three remained silent. Pikkon was running things through his mind, but King Kai was debating in his. Should he believe this crazy old man and risk his reputation as a Kai, or should he go about his business like nothing was wrong. It was just a legend after all. After a while, he came to a compromise.
"Now look," King Kai said to Jarell. "Let's not forget that this is all just a legend. Like I said, it's a myth, nothing more. There's no need to get ourselves all wrapped up in this if there's nothing to worry about."
Jarell started losing hope. "But –"
"Nevertheless," King Kai continued. "I'll try and scan that part of the universe and see if I can find him…but I'm not making any promises."
"Thank you, King Kai," said the old sayian with a bow.
As the three left the confines of the janitor's closet, King Kai was silent. He never thought he'd ever hear of this myth again. Why was it being brought up now? Could it actually be true? He didn't want it to be. If it was, it would mean a being far more powerful than any the universe had ever seen…and what's worse, it would be a being of pure evil.
A few hours later, King Kai left the stadium alone and hitched a ride on one of the space ferries that ran back and forth between the stadium's island and heaven. The starry sky soon became a thick fog of golden clouds as the ferry flew higher and higher. There were a few fighters on the ferry, there trainers vainly trying to get them to focus on the upcoming tournament. But King Kai's mind was only on one thing.
The ferry reached its destination, an extravagant port lined with gold and large grassy fields. It was here that King Kai decided to do his searching. The grass was pretty much devoid of any people, so there wouldn't be much interference with his antennae. Past empty benches and meandering, golden sidewalks, he came to the tallest hill he saw. There, he relaxed his immediate senses and concentrated his energy to his long receptors on his forehead.
It was always a strange sensation when he used his antennae, but today King Kai didn't even notice it. He was too focused on what feedback he was getting. The logical starting point was to start where Planet Vegita had originally been. In a few minutes, he pinpointed the exact location. Now he began scanning the surrounding systems. After nearly ten minutes of searching, he found nothing. He'd have to expand his senses and search the next ring of planets and stars. Some had huge alien populations, which made it hard for him to pick out the different races gathered there. Other planets had no life whatsoever, making his chore much easier.
As he came to the last line of planets he was going to search today, King Kai sensed a faint aura. It was located on a remote planet far away from Planet Vegita, which made it hard for him to believe that the old man and his grandson could have traveled that far and not be able to read the whole book. Still, the aura was definitely a sayian. After six hours of searching, he'd found him.
But right now, King Kai was starving and tired. He'd contact Jarell tomorrow. Right now, he wanted food.
From outside the fabric of time and space, he slept. The darkness around him was cold and clean, keeping his body in an extended state of suspended animation. His heart rate was steady, slowly pumping black blood through his enormous body. He didn't breathe, for there was no air outside the realm of space. He had no age, since time did not exist here. Only he existed, and here he could rest for all eternity.