Sorry Gang, First I was out of town on business, then the flu shot me down for almost two weeks, and just when I thought that was over I contracted some sort of strep infection that put me in the hospital for a whole week. Even after I got home I was pretty sick and didn't much feel like writing. Thanks for waiting as patiently as you have.
++++++++++++++++++++
"Piccolo?" Jessica gave the big man's cape a couple of tugs to get his attention.
"Yes?" Piccolo looked down.
"We should be careful. There's something below. It seems to be waiting for us." Jessica said.
"Okay, Roger, stop the ki bubble." Piccolo commanded.
Everyone else could sense a power below him or her. It seemed to be about the same level as a Super Saiyan Two,
with several lesser powers at the same place.
"Why are we stopping Piccolo? Those powers are nothing we need to worry about." Trunks said.
"Never underestimate your enemy!" Piccolo demanded. "You would think that you would have learned at least that from me by now!"
"Well yeah, we understand that, but I don't think that it's an underestimation to think that we have three people here capable of attaining Super Saiyan Five, then you who has attained a power equivalent to Super Saiyan Four, Roger is a Mystic Super Saiyan Four, and then Jessica who has attained the equivalent level of Super Saiyan Two. Even SHE could defeat all but one of those powers we're sensing." Goten argued.
"And if they are suppressing their powers?" Piccolo asked. "It is a very real possibility that they are far stronger than what we are sensing.
"Well, either way we need to get by whomever that is." Gohan said.
"What level are we at any ways?" Trunks asked.
"We are at level 2356." Jessica answered casually.
"We're over one fifth way to The Demon Realm. Tao Kaioshin warned us that things would heat up the lower we got." Roger observed. "Here's an idea. Instead of slowing down and trying to sneak by this time, what if we get right up to them, then I propel this thing as fast as I can straight down. Perhaps we can get passed them before they know what's going on."
"Hmmm…" Piccolo pondered. He really wasn't enamored with Roger's plan, but he had to admit that he had no plan of his own. "Ok, we'll approach slowly, then at the last minute we'll try to blow passed them. It's worth a shot any ways."
"Okay Piccolo, here we go." Roger said as he started the bubble moving slowly downward again.
+++++++++++++++++
Bulma, Kirillin, Chi-Chi, and Videl decided to stay at Capsule Corp and not go to Roger's parents with Yambia, Abigail, and 16. Chi-Chi reasoned that three old wives in one house and kitchen was probably a bad mix. Besides, they could be pampered by the housing staff, and still tell them what to do. It was the best of both worlds. Kirillin was still training very hard for the upcoming tournament, which was scheduled for next week.
Yambia, Abigail, and 16 flew to Roger's parent's house after calling before hand. Abigail rode on 16's back with her arms wrapped around the big android's neck. Gerald and Mimi greeted them as they landed. Yambia was given Roger's old room, and Abigail was given the guestroom. 16 was given a trundle bed Gerald set up in his wood shop out in the barn. 16 immediately became interesting in the various pieces of wood working tools and machines. Gerald promised to give him the benefit of his years of knowledge while he was there. The big android seemed so anxious to get started that Gerald couldn't help but be reminded of Roger when he was a boy and wanted to know all about his dad's shop. Gerald smiled at 16 and began to go through and explain the function and use of each tool. Gerald and 16 were fast becoming vast friends.
Yambia immediately began to plunder through Roger's room and stuff trying to learn more about her mate and his childhood. Mimi smiled at her daughter-in-law-from-space and thought about how lovely it will be to hear the pitter-patter of little feet in the house again. Mimi approached Yambia picking up a certificate. "See this? Roger was very proud of this. He was given this award for 1st place in the Pinewood Derby when he was in Cub Scouts........"
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Supreme Kai, Vegeta, Goku, Pan, Bura, Uub, 18, Nappa, Raditz, Bardock, Trunks Jr., and Lumbistru materialized on Namek 5 and immediately began to scout the area and set up camp. The planet that they dubbed "Namek 5" was a plain looking place. No oceans, or even large seas, rolling hills and flat lands pockmarked with puddles and larger ponds. Heck, nothing here anyone could really even describe as a lake. Bura immediately tested the air and water just to make sure they were okay in this environment. Lumbistru followed Bura around like a puppy asking questions and mostly just getting in the way.
Supreme Kai looked thoughtful for a moment or two. "Goku, Vegeta, we may have a problem. There are two moons orbiting this planet."
"That shouldn't be a problem Supreme Kai. Every Saiyan here are adults and have learned to control Their Ouzaru forms." Vegeta smirked. "Even Nappa."
"Your faith in me is astounding." Nappa smiled.
Vegeta just smirked.
Setting up the capsule houses and gravity chambers went off without incident. Vegeta lamented the fact that the gravity chambers would not withstand the energies of ki attacks from the warriors present, but they would be great for physical training. The dome houses were set up and two Z-Senshi were assigned per house.
"So what are we looking for Supreme Kai?" Vegeta said.
"Well, a door-way of sorts I suppose. A thinning in the null-energy barrier between The Mortal Realm and The Demon Realm will occur as the cosmic alignment continues. It may already be occurring.
"Already occurring!! He watches Lumbistru and Saiyan things even now!" Lumbistru was fairly cowering.
"You don't need to be afraid." Bura consoled the demon. "We won't let anything happen to you.
"Lumbistru knows your powers are great. But his is greater, and he commands a vast army of demons like Lumbistru, but most are many times stronger, some are many, many times stronger! Lumbistru scared for Bura thing, for Goku thing, even for Vegeta thing!" Lumbistru wailed. "This is a bad place!"
"But this is where we must be if we have any chance at all of stopping Cordell." Vegetal stated plainly. "If we don't stop him here, nowhere is safe."
Lumbistru looked at the Saiyan Prince. "You are right." He said finally.
"Umm.. Vegeta?" Goku said with a little worry in his voice.
"What Kakkarot...." Vegeta followed Goku's eyes. "..ulp!"
As far as anyone could tell, other than the vast array of insect life, there seemed to be only one life form on Namek 5. Lizards no more than fifteen inches in length, and little more than six to eight inches in height, seemed to have been gathering around the camp while the Z-Warriors were setting up, and talking. Now they had created a military like formation of themselves and started converging directly on Goku.
"What is this Kakkarot!" Vegeta demanded.
"I don't know Vegeta, but I don't sense any evil from them." Goku answered. "Let's just see what they want."
Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Z-Warriors was looking out over hundreds of thousands of the little, fast moving, reptiles, each one testing the air with their darting tongues. Their approach was now creating quite a noise of scurrying feet.
Uub was taken by surprise when one of the lizards climbed up his clothing, looked him in the eye, and then quickly jumped down.
The reptiles formed a circle around Goku, except for eight of the larger, almost twenty inches long and older looking lizards. They stood at Goku's feet. Suddenly, from the crowed of other lizards, stepped forward the largest one of them all. He was almost three feet long, and the others parted to make a clear path for him to walk. The large lizard quickly jumped on Goku's chest and climbed up his clothing to circle Goku's head and bring himself around to eye level with the great warrior.
"Yessss. Yesss.. You are the one!" The lizard said.
"I'm the one?" Goku was perplexed.
"Yesss. The Elder Council and I remembersssss. You came to ussss, with your mind. You sssssaid you needed help against a great evil. Ssssso you assked for sssssome of our energysssss. Remember?" The lizard asked.
"Oh... You must mean when I formed the spirit bomb against Frieza!" Goku realized.
"Don't know sssspirit bomb or Friezzza. Just you needed energyssssss againsssst evilssss" The Lizard answered.
"Yes, I do remember, and thank you." Goku said.
"You are welcomessss. But we feelssss evilssss again. It issss closssssse. We can't ssssee thisssss evilssss, but we can feelsssss it. And now you comesssssss. We thinksssssss Thisss issss more than coincccidencccce." The Lizard said.
"We are here to fight a great evil that threatens all that exists in plane of existence." Vegeta said. "Who are you and why are you concerned?"
"My name is Hisslitherssss. I am the leader of the Ssslysssthurn, the peoplessss you sssssee before you. Before thisssss one contacted our mindsssss, to ussss all of exxxisssstenccccce wassss our peoplesss, our worldsss, and our foodsss. Yousss were the firsssst evidenccccce that we had that peoplessss other than oursssselvessss exxxissssted. It wassss quite a sssshock." Hisslitherssss said "You assssk why wesss are concccerned? Youss sssee that Moon? We namedsss it Ssssaalleeesss. In yoursss language it meansss 'Comfort'. It hassss alwaysss been there." Hisslitherssss uses his long reptillian tail to point to the other moon. "That other one we named "Ssssarcufusssss" which meanssss 'Intruder' in your language. When the evilsss desssstroyed the other planet, part it wassss caught in orbitssss around our planetssss. It causssed our planet to sssssshake and greatssss crackessss opened up and ssswallowed many of our peoplessss. Many friendssssss died in that timesssss.
"I-I'm sorry. I did not know." Goku said.
"Yousss are blamelesssss. Yousss foughtsss for the goodsss of all thingssss." Hisslitherssss Said "But now youssss are heresss, on our planetssss. Wesss have no special powersssss, wesss cannot protectsss ourssselvessss. If it issss our destinysss to perissssssh so that otherssss may livesss, and thissss evilsss may be dessstroyed, then ssssso be it. But wesss wonderssss if wesss can be removed from here until the fightingsss is over?
"I think that can be arranged." The Supreme Kai said. "I can create a similar environment for you on my planet, just temporarilly, and you can stay there until this whole business is over. Would that be ok?"
"Thatsss would be finesss." Hisslitherssss said.
"How many of you are there?" Vegeta asked looking around.
"Not ssssure. Never countedssss" Hisslitherssss answered.
Supreme Kai, Vegeta, and Goku would spend the next four days transporting six billion Ssslysssthurn to the Supreme Kai's planet.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kirillin woke up the morning of the start of the World Martial Arts Tournament feeling good. No, not just good, he felt wonderful, almost euphoric. Kirillin jumped out of bed in his room at Capsule Corporation took a running step, them promptly fell on his face and slide into the door.
"What the hell was that all about?" He thought as he stood back up. His balance seemed queer somehow. He soon adjusted himself and slowly walked out of his room and down towards the kitchen. For some reason, he was hungrier than he'd ever been in his entire life. His balance disorientation forgotten, he entered the kitchen to be greeted by Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Videl. The three women started to warmly greet the small warrior, but they stopped in their tracks. Kirillin had changed during the night. All they could get was a collective gasp.
"Morning ladies!" Kirillin joyfully greeted. "Err... I something wrong?"
"Um.. Wrong? No, nothing's wrong Kirillin." Videl stammered.
"How do you feel this morning?" Bulma asked.
"Well, I feel great. I feel stronger than I ever have in my life. But I feel a bit weird as well. I feel like I could eat everything in this kitchen!" Kirillin answered.
"Was your balance a bit off this morning when you woke up?" Chi-Chi asked getting up out of her chair.
"Why yes, how did you know that?" Kirillin asked a bit taken aback.
Chi-Chi reached around behind Kirillin and grabbed something. "Could this explain it?" as she presented Kirillin with what looked like a Saiyan tail.
"Wha? Where is that coming from? WHAT!! THAT'S COMING OUT OF ME!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!" Kirillin screamed as his hair flashed gold and his eyes flashed teal and a golden aura flashed around him.
"Calm down Kirillin!!" Bulma yelled. "It looks like the Supreme Kai or someone has played a trick on you. Come with me."
Bulma led Kirillin down to the master guest bathroom where a full-length mirror was hanging on the wall. "See what I mean?"
"Kirillin looked at himself, up and down. What he seen shocked him. Sure, he seen Kirillin, with a full head of black hair. But it was spikier than before, more unruly. His eyes had also turned jet black. Gone was the dots that used to extend from his brow ridge to the top of his forehead, and in their place was a nose! He had a NOSE!!! But that wasn't all. His body was more muscular than ever before in his life. And now he sported a tail. A Saiyan Tail!!
"Bulma, in the kitchen, did I go Super Saiyan, even for just an instant?" Kirillin asked.
"Yes Kirillin, I believe you did." Bulma answered.
Back at the kitchen, Chi-Chi had called Chavez back and ordered him to start cooking lots more food. She knew full well what Kirillin's transformation into a Saiyan meant as far as breakfast was concerned.
"How much more milady?" Chavez asked.
"LOTS!" Was all Chi-Chi could say.
Kirillin started to turn away from the mirror when something else caught his eye and he turned quickly back.
"My Halo!! My halo is gone!" Kirillin exclaimed.
"What's wrong Kirillin? You said you didn't want to be a cheerleader anymore." Tao Kaioshin said into Kirillin's mind.
"Being turned into a Saiyan is ok. But you know how bad the last years of my life was!! I can't live through that again!!" Kirillin wailed at the powerful Kai.
Kirillin could feel the God smile. "You won't have to Kirillin, I swear it. If you don't die in battle, then I promise you will live a healthy life right up to the end. Okay? But you do want to help your friends, right?"
"Yes!! I do!" Kirillin answered.
Then go and kick some butt at the tournament, test your new abilities, then we will decide what best to do with you afterwards, okay? Tao Kaioshin asked.
Sure. Um... one more thing?" Kirillin sheepishly asked.
What is it? Tao Kaioshin asked.
Couldn't you have made me a bit... taller?" Kirillin asked shuffling his left foot.
Tao Kaioshin smiled. Don't try my patience. Good things come in small packages too.
Kirillin also smiled. Yeah, you're right.
And with that, The Ultimate Kai was gone.
"C'mon Bulma, let's get to the kitchen! I'm starved!" Kirillin said
"I bet you are Mr. Saiyan." Bulma smirked.
After breakfast, Kirillin had about an hour left before the qualifying round began for the World Martial Art Tournament, so he decided to test the limits of his new powers. He flew to the place that Vegeta and Goku usually spared and clenched both fists and started to concentrate on powering up. Almost immediately he went Super Saiyan One, then almost as easily, Super Saiyan Two.
"It appears that the Ultimate Kai gave me credit for all those years of training just as if I was a Saiyan all along!" Kirillin thought. "Wonderful! I still have more in me!" Then Kirillin really concentrated.
Kirillin began to scream and really push his power up. Suddenly his hair grew and curved downwards along his back until it reached his knees. His eyebrows disappeared completely as his brow ridges grew thicker. Kirillin had attained Super Saiyan Three!!
Kirillin wrapped his tail around his waist as he had seen Vegeta do in the past and just stood there reveling in his new powers.
+++++++++++++++++++++
"What?? Do you feel that Kakkarot?" Vegeta suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Yes!! What is that? That Ki is vaguely familiar, but who is it?" Goku also stopped.
The Supreme Kai stopped, closed his eyes for a brief moment, then smiled. "It's nothing to worry about boys."
"I don't like secrets Kai!" Vegeta warned.
"Trust me Vegeta, you'll like this one." The Supreme Kai smiled.
Vegeta and Goku just looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders finally, and went back to work.
++++++++++++++++++++++
Kirillin approached the bench to sign up for the qualifying round. Since he had not physically aged since the last time he fought in a tournament, he signed up as 'Kirillin III". A very ancient monk walked up to him after he received his number for the qualifying round and was fully registered and looked him up and down.
"Yes, I can see your grandfather in you!" The monk observed. "Tell me, are you as strong as Kirillin was? If so, this might be an interesting tournament for a change!"
Kirillin smiled and assured him that he was many times stronger than his grandfather.
"Stronger! Oh my! Are you stronger than Goku was when he fought here last?" The old monk's eyes twinkled with delight.
"I would say I am just about even with what he was then." Kirillin answered.
"This should be a real tournament then!" The old man fairly cackled his pleasure. "You know, it was my fondest wish to see just one more tournament with fighters the caliber of Goku, Vegeta, that Great Saiyaman, and a few others before I die. Maybe this is it!"
Kirillin smiled. "I'll do the best I can for you old timer. But it's time to go join the qualifying round." Kirillin turned and gave the old monk a deep bow out of respect then walked towards the qualifying area.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
"What in all the Demon's Deep is going on?"
Cordell paced quickly from one side of his chamber to the other. " I am being attacked from all sides! First I have intruders trying to gain entrance into the demon realm from Hell, then I find more of them camped outside of my very window!! Then a whole new power appears on Earth! Well enough is enough!! I did not come all this way just to be thwarted by weaklings! If they want a battle, then let the war start now!"
Cordell stretched out his hand and recited an ancient incantation. On Earth, the ground roiled and shook in a place known only to the locals as "Dragon's Graveyard" as the dirt and sod blew off of more than three dozen areas of the ancient burial site. Mostly fleshless bodies began to lift themselves from their ancient graves. One undead man, wearing a mantel of nobility, screamed a voiceless lament into the morning light.
"Father!" Cordell ordered. "You and the rest of the Dragon Elite will obey me! Find the source of this new power on Earth and destroy it now! Destroy anything that stands in your way!"
The King of the Dragon Elite echoed his soul-chilling scream again, followed by the rest of his men, and lifted off into the sky in search of their prey.
++++++++++++++++++
Yambia woke with a start and a scream. Mimi was at her side in less time than it takes a Saiyan to gulp down a spoon full of rice.
"What's wrong daughter?" Mimi asked concerned.
16 also appeared at the door. He was after all charged by Vegeta to protect Yambia and Abigail.
"Nothing. It was just a nightmare." Yambia said sounding unconvinced.
"Say, if we don't hurry, we're going to miss the World's Martial Arts Tournament. Kirillin is competing!" Abigail said from the hall.
"That's right!" Yambia said. "First Dibs on the shower!"
"That's Okay, I got up early and already took mine." Abigail said.
"Are you going?" Yambia asked Mimi.
"No, I think I'll watch it on the Television." Mimi said. "Gerald has always wanted to go to one though, you should ask him."
"Ask me what woman?" Gerald emerged from their bedroom scratching his head.
"To go to the World's Martial Arts Tournament, we have a friend competing this year." Abigail said.
"I would love to go!" Gerald said.
45 minutes later everyone was cleaned up and ready to go.
"Umm.... How are we travelling?" Gerald asked "Everyone won't fit in the car"
"You'll love this!" Abigail said.
16 squat down to let Abigail wrap her arms around his neck, the stood back up and floated so that he was horizontal to the ground. "This guy is the best transportation around!."
"Ok, so where do I umm... Ride?" Gerald said.
Yambia suddenly picked Gerald up and held him like a mother holds a newborn. "Ready?" She said.
"Well, this isn't very dignified, but let's go." Gerald said.
With that, the whole gang took off into the air.
45 minutes later, Yambia and crew had purchased their tickets (courtesy of CC credit cards, don't leave home without it!) and was looking for any familiar faces in the crowd. Thanks to the telescopic vision of 16, they found Bulma, Videl, Chi-Chi and Chavez just sitting down into some VIP seats on the other side of the stadium.
"Damned! Now why didn't we think of that? We should have meet Bulma outside, naturally she would have gotten us VIP seating!" Abigail lamented.
"Maybe it's not too late, let's get over there." Yambia said.
A few minutes later, and thanks to Bulma's clout, they all had VIP seating in the same area.
"This is great!!" Abigail exclaimed. "You can see everything from here!"
"One of the good things that Hercule did while he ran this tournament was to build these VIP seats. They were especially built to seat members of the Z-Warriors, and their families. Hercule knew which side of his bread the was buttered after all the times that Goku and the rest of the team let him win this tournament." Chi-Chi said.
"And the fact that we kept the secret of who REALLY beat cell all those years ago." Bulma smirked.
"Dad wasn't such a bad guy. He just had a compelling need for attention, to be in the spotlight all the time. Sometimes he was embarrassing, but other times he really did some good." Videl said.
"Of course Videl. In a sense, your father was a hero as well. Goku said that they could not have beaten Kid Buu without your father's help." Chi-Chi said.
"I remember too. Your father showed great courage when he threw my head towards Gohan that day. If it weren't for him, Cell may have won and destroyed everyone." 16 said.
"So, this is the new stadium huh?" Kirillin thought as he entered the arena for the qualifying round. He had been about the fifth from the last to register before registration was cut off. He purposefully hung around in back and got in line dead last. "Hehehe.. If I'm the last contestant, then it doesn't matter if I totally destroy the punching machine."
"Hey look! They're starting!" Abigail exclaimed.
"Don't expect much from most of these fighters, most of them won't score 100 or better than 140." Chi-Chi said.
"There's almost 300 contestants, and only 16 slots, and one of those is taken by the current champ." Bulma said.
"Who is the current champ?" Yambia asked.
"Not sure." Bulma answered. "Since none of the Z-Warriors have been participating lately, I really haven't been paying much attention."
The announcer came out to announce the start of the qualifying round and that the current champ would be taking the first shot.
".....so everyone please bring your hands together and welcome the current champion of the World's Martial Art Tournament...... TIEN!!!!!!"
"TIEN?? But we haven't heard from him in years!! Isn't he too old??" Bulma was standing in her seat.
Amazingly, Tien came running out holding his championship belt high above his head in a manner that reminded everyone of Hercule, without all the false bravado of course.
"It doesn't look like the guy has aged a single day!" Chi-Chi said.
Tien walked up the punching machine and gave it what to Tien was a light rap. The machine scoreed 570. The crowd cheered and whistled while Tien took a bow and again held up his championship belt. He then made a point of leaving by way of the participants waiting area so that he could size up everyone in line as he passed them. Just as he was thinking that he had the tournament in the bag, the very last contestant had a high power level. Tien could tell that the short man was suppressing most of it.
Kirillin took that opportunity to unwrap his tail and wave it in the air nonchalantly.
"Wha??? You're a Saiyan??" Tien stammered.
"Why yes I am old friend. How have you been?" Kirillin said in his most cordial voice.
"That voice! You're Kirillin??" Tien was dumbfounded.
"Ah... So you do remember me!" Kirillin teased.
"H-how did this happen?" Tien asked shocked.
"Let's just say I reincarnated." Kirillin chuckled. "But I've also got a question. How is it that you haven't aged at all?"
"I don't really know. I always assumed that I was human, but as the years went by and I didn't age, I've begun to think that maybe I'm not human. I don't really know what I am, but I don't seem to be human." Tien said. "I'm still trying to find out my history, but all I know is that I was raised by human parents who claimed to be my real parents until they died. By the way Kirillin, I've been feeling Goku's ki all over the place lately. Is he back or what?"
"Yes, and no. He's back, but him and Vegeta are off fighting another cosmic threat. I'm hoping to join them after the tournament" Kirillin said.
"Well, good luck Kirillin. I'm not going to go easy on you." Tien smirked.
"Let the best being win." Kirillin returned as Tien walked into the waiting area.
Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Videl had to explain the change in Kirillin before the others could recognize him. Almost an hour later, Kirillin was up to the punching machine and introduced as Kirillin III. All of Kirillin's friends in the stands felt the little wonder power-up to his full potential without going Super Saiyan. They all knew that Kirillin was planning to send that machine into the next country.
Kirillin walked up and punched the machine so hard, that it blew back and up into a thousand pieces. He then turned and tipped an imaginary hat. "That was for you Vegeta!" Kirillin thought.