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`The Machine`

Summary: Sailor Mars and Mercury are sucked into the DBZ world, changing fate, and bringing back one of the deadliest enemies to conquer the Z fighters.

Takes place:

SM: A few days after the defeat of Dark Moon Circus

DBZ: A month and a half after Goku defeats Majin Buu.

Important: This is an Alternate Universe fic. Lets say Goku did beat Majin Buu, but he died because a strange power was blocking out Dragon Shenlon's power, rendering the Dragon Balls useless. The last wish made, however, was to erase everyone's memory of Buu.

Chapter 5:

The Desert and The Black Void

*Gohan*


The cold touch of wind caressed my face, bringing my sleep-filled mind to consciousness. Slowly, I opened my eyes to brilliant stars and a clear black velvet sky. I rolled my head, sky and landscape blending together for a moment, leaving nothing but blur before my vision. Disoriented, I blinked, trying to clear my muddled brain. Where was I? The last thing I recalled was crying in the woods beyond my home.

An dull pain throbbed though my limbs making me realize how stiff my body was . . . like I had been in a battle. Yet, all I could recall was crying, and anger, nothing more. Breathing uneasily, I opened my eyes. Desert and sand stretched before my nose. The land was barren save for an occasional cacti or tumble weed.

Cold air bit into my cheeks and I shivered, suddenly aware I was freezing and my clothing was torn. Abruptly, despite the pain, I sat up, instinctively examining my limbs for wounds. Nothing. Not even a bruise.

A faint sensation tickled my flesh, like something was squirming beneath my skin. It left me feeling disconcerted, even frightened.

How did I get here?

I climbed to my feet, weakness flooding my limbs, then fading like the wash of the tide over the beach.

"Have I even been here before?" I asked myself, assessing the landscape.

In my experience, I've traveled almost all over the world. For some strange reason though, I couldn't place my location. I was confused. With a few deep breaths I tried to gain my composure, and examine my thoughts.

What had happened? Why was I there? I had a billion questions, but was unable to answer even one of them.

A glint caught my eye. A silver ball was nestled in the sand at my feet.

I remembered one thing. The ball was special. I had to give it to Vegita. He'd probably give it to Bulma, and that was fine. She'd probably study it, maybe even show it to the others. And even if she didn't find this one, there were others, others for everyone. A thin smile crept over my face. If I didn't know where I was and how I got there, it didn't matter. Vegita would find me soon, and I could go home.

Hugging the ball close, I watched the sky.

A streak of light appeared in the distance, its brilliance growing as it sped closer to me. My keen senses detected KI, Vegita's KI. For a moment, I asked myself how I knew the Saiyajin would find me first, but I hurriedly dashed the thoughts for he was closer and I didn't have time to ponder things I didn't understand.

Within seconds he swooped down, gracefully landing before me. I scanned him. His small compact frame postured annoyance.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He snapped.

"Vegita." The words were barely out of my mouth when a wave of blackness drained all my strength and swept me to my knees.

What was I doing out here? His words brought back the questions. I thought hard. I tried to remember and began to feel frightened. I had no memory. My gut screamed there was something gravely wrong with me. Shivering, I forced my vision to clear and peered down at him.

"Don't know . . ."

His annoyance turned to suspicion as he studied me. "Were you attacked?"

Reflexively, I clutched the ball closer, and tried desperately to recall how my clothing became tattered. "I . . ." Dizziness threatened again. Blindly, I reached out to the earth for balance.

Strong hands grabbed my shoulders, hauling me back up to my feet, steadying me until the assault was over. When my vision cleared, one memory dared to emerge. I handed him the ball.

"I found this in the woods near my house. Bulma should take a look at it. I think it's alive."

Perplexed, he blinked at it. "What the hell, brat? What do you mean alive?"

It burst open in a shower of thin silver wires. Cursing, Vegita went to drop it, but thousands of filaments snaked into his flesh, tearing his clothing, dotting it with crimson.

Memory exploded in my head. It too attacked me! It's wires are a umbilical cord to a terrifyingly evil womb! I fell back in horror.

"Vegita, I didn't mean this . . . I . . .!"

With a howl, Vegita summoned KI. Golden energy exploded from his body, dissolving the wires attached to him. The silver sphere dropped from his hands, melted.

"What in Kami's names have you done brat?!" he screamed, buckling to his hands and knees, panting. The gold around him vanished, leaving the dark of night in its wake. "They're still inside of me . . . . Damn it! I can feel them . . . .!"

Shivering, I stood frozen, remembering myself as I struggled with the wires, and inevitably failed. "Vegita . . ."

The elder Saiyajin arched, hands gripping at his head. "I am the Prince of Saiyans! I obey no one!"

With an agonized scream, he triggered KI once more. The brilliance danced about his form, transforming his dark hair into the golden white of a Super Saiyajin.

I stepped back, too horrified by my own actions to act. Something was controlling me!

With that realization, I now understood how futile his struggle was. He was infected. His body was no longer his own.

Again, the Saiyajin Prince screamed. He fell to the ground, his energy gone, dark jagged hair mingling with the desert sand. He convulsed, curling into a ball, cursing and whimpering at the same time.

There was no escaping The Machine.

I collapsed to his side, blackness followed.

|

*Ami -- Sailor Mercury*

Where was I? What happened?

My mind raced in confusion, until realization struck in. I wanted to open my eyes, to see if anyone else was sucked here . . . wherever here was. I remembered Rei, and I . . . Cooler . . . Beryl.

Was everyone else okay? Slowly, my eyelids opened. They felt like they weighed tons, I could barely open them, and I had to struggle to keep them opened. And when I did, I found myself wanting to close them again. All around me, it was all . . . colorless.

Like a black, but different. Like a dark brown or midnight blue, but different. It was hard to describe, it was no color at all. And if one, then it never existed before. I was curled up in a ball, my hands over my knees that were pressed against my chest.

I was still Sailor Mercury, and I was in a light blue sphere, see through. Almost like a giant blue bubble. I was alone in this Black Void as Cooler had called it. And Rei . . .

Where was she? Was she okay? Alive? my eyes drooped close and I was grateful, the scene before me was far too overwhelming for me to see again. My mind drifted to the fight against Beryl. We had killed her, and now she was gone for good.

But who was this Cooler? He was a machine-like half man half lizard. That dimension control or time control device he had. Was he from a different dimension, and he came to kill us with Beryl?

If so, then why? And if so, then was everyone okay? Why did he send me and Rei here? Or did he send the others as well?

Frustrated, I heaved a sigh. Being alone really got a person to think, which I didn't like too much right now. My thoughts were disturbing me, and it was hard to breathe and think at the same time.

Was there some strange gravity here? Maybe. I opened my eyes, strangely quicker than before. It was easy, like I was on Earth again. I uncurled from my ball of protection, finding that easy as well.

'There goes my gravity theory.' I thought absentmindedly as I stretched my arms and legs. But when I did, the ball jerked to the side and I stopped myself from hitting it.

If I did, would it pop like a bubble? I didn't want to take my chances. I moved again, and so did the ball. Was I the one who could control it?

I moved to the right, I was weightless now, and I felt like I was floating underwater. The ball moved to the left. I moved to the left, the ball moved to the right.

I moved backwards, not touching the edge, but close to it. The ball moved forward. I moved forward, the ball moved backwards.

It was easy to control and I had it figured out soon enough, gliding backwards, and the ball moved forward. But I couldn't move to far, for if I did, my back would hit the bubble-like ball and it would pop.

Or would it? I was curious, but scared. Curiosity killed the cat, right? Well I wasn't a cat and I would take my chances. my finger was inches away from the balls surface when I stopped myself.

Outside the void . . . would I be able to breathe? I sighed, suddenly this was a hard decision.

*Rei -- Sailor Mars*

I looked around my surroundings. I was on a desert wasteland, vast and empty. Everything before my eyes was just sand and the occasional tumbleweed or cacti. Just the stars to guide me in my search.

Search for what?

When I woke up, I was in the clothes I used when working with my grandfather in the shrine.

I had walked since, which wasn't too long ago. I passed out after the battle with Beryl and woke up lying on the edge of a cliff. When I rerouted my way here, I wasn't sure what I was to find. But I didn't expect to find a desert.

All around me was sand, it was night and the stars were shining brilliantly overhead. Cacti and tumbleweed were spread apart and they were the only thing other than the sand that I could see.

As I walked, the sand shifting unevenly before my feet, I began to think. Where was everyone? I had passed out after Serenity and I defeated Beryl . . . but then what? I woke up here. Something must have happened, but what?!

I sighed, wishing I had a different light other than the stars to guide me. The moon was nowhere in site, probably a new moon. But it was a full moon today wasn't it? How long did I sleep?

I couldn't have slept for more than a few hours. I --

"What?" I asked myself, breaking from my thoughts. A bright yellow light illuminated in the distance. Just barely, I was able to make out two figures. A teen and a . . . short man. What were they doing all the way out here?

What was I doing all the way out here?

The light dissipated and I found myself running, barely managing to stay upright in my long and thick clothes. Something . . . not right was over there. Two pure hearts, being controlled by something.

And strangely, on name came to mind; Cooler.

'Cooler?' Where had that come from. He had tried to get me to open the box, which Ami stopped me from doing. What was in that box? Was it some kind of mind control device? Did that even exist? With enemies and villains, no one was ever sure. And besides, a lot of things were possible.

We've traveled to space, stopped an evil Negaverse from taking over the world, on more than one occasion, and Mamoru had been controlled. Beryl had controlled him for a while, using him to fight us. But, we won him over in the end.

But why would Cooler want to control someone? He was strong, incredibly strong, he didn't need help to beat us. Cooler had more than enough power to kill all of us Sailor Senshi.

So why hadn't he done it?

I had no time to worry anymore, because I arrived just in time to see the two. I was right, both were men, one in his late teens and another shorter one who was older. His hair stood up, completely defying the laws of gravity.

But that didn't bother me. Something, I was sure of it now as I got closer, was controlling them. Their hearts had purity left, but now . . . it seemed empty. Like a Machine. Meaningless and emptiness.

I wanted to help. These two were unusually strong, and were hurt. By appearance they didn't seem to be hurt physically, but the mental karma they suffered must have been horrible. A dark and confused aura surrounded them both.

Hesitantly, I kneeled next to the teenage boy. I took my hand and gently placed it over his heart. "Warui seishin-res chirasu kara de kare no mono karada!" (AN #2)

A black aura began to rise from his corpse and I continued, "Osoraku ano kuroi yoakes tada saseru ano hikari kuru no tame ni soshite ano warui atsumeru e-ni o saru!" (AN #3)

The blackness faded and rose into the air, creating a moodiness to the atmosphere. I removed my hand. Not all of the darkness was gone, no doubt. But at least some. I staggered unsteadily to my feet and turned to the other corpse.

A metallic laughter echoed through the desert. I shot my gaze upward. "Cooler!"

"Rei, Rei, Rei," He said in a tsk-tsk-tsk voice. He smirked. "So you want to help the people on this planet do you?"

I didn't understand. This was my planet. I was on Earth, right? "This is my planet." I said, voicing my thoughts. "Of course I would help them."

"But Rei, this is an entirely different planet, in an entirely different dimension."

"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This couldn't be for real! Dimensional time travel? That was . . . impossible! I suddenly found myself wishing Ami was here. She'd be able to make better sense of this than I could right now.

"That's right. You're on a planet called Earth, but it isn't your planet. And, it has different features as well as animals and technology. It even has different races of people." Cooler stopped to smirk. "I'll leave you to ponder this, but I must go now, and I plan to take my souvenirs with me."

He jumped up and disappeared, and all of a sudden, the two men that were on the floor disappeared as well.

And I was left alone, all alone on an unknown world in an unknown dimension with no food, no water, and only my thoughts and some tumbleweeds to keep me company.

~*^*^*~

*Yamcha*

Moonlight filtered through the shivering canopy of trees leaving dots of moving iridescence roving over the leaf covered earth. My feet crunched sticks, their crackle echoing through the darkness around us. Only the thin shafts of moon light and the piercing beam of Bulma's flashlight led our path in the pitch before us.

An owl screeched, its voice a knife slash in the cool silence of the evening. Bulma drew in a startled gasp beside me, her flashlight hand twitching, sending the cone of light skittering over the thin forms of trees.

"I don't think he came through here." she said, weariness lowering her words into a yawn.

"No, not here, but a little further up, near the bamboo grove." I said. Fondly I placed a hand on hers and steadied the light path. "You're jumpier than usual."

"I'm worried about Gohan." she said, voice steadying. "Are you sure he came this way?"

"I'm not sure of anything, Bulma, but I know he and Son used to spar in the bamboo grove, and Hiya Dragon's lair is north of there. So I figured we'd kill two birds with one stone and look in both places."

The kid, which wasn't necessarily a kid anymore, often frequented places of meaning of him. The grove and Hiya Dragon represented comfort so it would be reasonable to believe he retreated there. After that, I had no ideas and would be shooting in the dark. I straightened myself, looking down at Bulma protectively. Fear filled her gaze as her attention focused on the many night time sounds. We were deep in the forest, and it was alive with things a city girl like Bulma would find disturbing. "Nothing is going to hurt you, besides, I'm here, "

She snorted. "If something got Gohan . . . he's Super Saiyajin. What makes you think you can protect me?"

The blow jabbed right in my heart, shredding my spirit to a thousand shards. From anyone else, I could have ignored it. But Bulma, she was different. All my life, I worked myself to the limit to become the greatest warrior. Yet in the end, I was always second rate at best.

My power was weaker than the others, although my skill was perhaps the most honed. In this world, it didn't seem to matter. The many defeats and the lack of power depressed me. I always did it for her, and in the end she chose Vegita over me, something I'd never understand.

As a result, I gave up my position as a warrior, even though it in itself was where my soul belonged. I couldn't bear to continue to be a second best in everything, including second with the woman I loved. I wasn't sure where my destiny lay. For now, my life hovered in a confused state of limbo.

I clenched my teeth, fighting my depression, convincing myself I wasn't the loser Bulma saw me as, but failed to raise my own confidence. What could I do if the thing that got Gohan, if something did . . . came after us?

"You're in a pleasant mood." I replied. "Did "Mr. Dream" say something to annoy you?"

"He always does, doesn't he?" she said sharply, as if to cut off the conversation abruptly. The little snot hurt her feelings again. Kami, what did she see in the bastard?

"Well Bulma, I hate to say it, you've found someone just like yourself, outspoken, arrogant and insensitive."

"I should slap you for that." she flashed the light into my eyes, making me halt and shield them. "But I don't want to argue with you."

The light dropped away, and I noticed a hint of tears rimming her eyes. My words had gotten to her, but I didn't mean to injure her to the point of tears. I drew a breath, realizing we were all under a great deal of stress; Buu, Son's death, now Gohan's disappearance. Every time things straightened out, life would send us another curve ball.

"Bulma, I didn't mean to . . ."

"It's okay, I deserved it. I've been very bitchy lately . . . I'm sorry I started in on you." her pace slowed as the flashlight beam crossed over the distinctive rows of bamboo. "I'm sure you'd get us out of any scrape we'd get into. "

She really didn't mean it. Bulma was a realist. I had to hand it to her though. She tried to make me feel better. I smiled. "Yeah."

"Do you think it was Buu?"

Wind wrestled leaves and creaked branches. I looked skyward, considering her words. If it were Buu, he'd be less subtle about it. "No. If it's someone, it's someone else. But, what I'm hoping is, he's just pouting some place and is too embarrassed to be seen."

"I hope that's not the case. Buu, I mean. With Goku being dead . . ."

"We can handle it." I said, feeling the hair on the back of my neck rise.

We could I was sure we could. But, I guess I knew I was trying to convince myself rather than her. After all, Son Goku was the best. I was a second rate . . .

I shook my head, trying to force the thoughts out of my mind. I had to believe in myself if I was to succeed at anything.

A few moments later we were crossing a clearing and into the Bamboo forest.

We walked in silence, Bulma, head bowed, attention on her steps. She was pale, and she hugged her sweater closer to her. The temptation to pull her close pushed at me, but I held fast aware she'd be offended by it. "It's just a couple of more feet . . ." I said.

The light beam danced over the earth, spotlighting leaves and tall grass. Then, it shivered to barren, blackened, glass slick earth. Shreds of cloth littered the ground like torn paper. Some were darkened, black in the dim light. I paused, hearing Bulma stifle a gasp, and clutched my arm.

Black splotches pooled in a nice sized glass crater. It's thick rotted smell telling me it could be only one thing. Blood.

*****

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Heehee . . . cliffhangers are evil aren't they? I made this chapter nice and long. Some peoples wanted to know what happened to Gohan, so there you go. It took me a while to write this because I'm STILL not used to writing into POV mode. I'm happy people like my fic though. I means a lot when you review, so don't stop!

AN #2:

Re's chant:

"Warui seishin-res chirasu kara de kare no mono karada!"

"Evil sprits disperse from his body!"

AN #3:

"I dare say the darkness dawn but let the light come in and the evil gather to leave!"

"Osoraku ano kuroi yoakes tada saseru ano hikari kuru no tame ni soshite ano warui atsumeru e-ni o saru!"

AN # 4:

PLEASE REVIEW AFTER READING!