Dragon Ball Yugure Z
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga
Episode 09 -- Return of the Z Soldiers!! Heading Towards the Final Battle!!
Goten took a long pull from is water bottle, then poured some over his sweat-covered face. "Whew! I am wiped _out_! This is pretty rough, ne Trunks?" A trickle of glistening crimson marred his brow, but Goten payed it no heed.
Slightly out of breath, "H-hai, Goten!" Trunks paused to tie a bandage around a scraped knee, his brow furrowed as he considered something. He nodded to himself and turned around to look at his father. "Papa!"
"Nn?" came the reply. Over the past couple days, Vegeta had denied himself any kind of break, doing some exercise or another while the teens rested. He was currently lifting a barbell that weighed nearly 3000kg in the heightened gravity. With a grunt, he eased it onto the floor in its accustomed spot, which had been long since worn in. "What do you want?"
"Mind telling me something?"
"Depends," he replied gruffly.
"Why are you fighting?"
"I know why I'm fighting," Goten interrupted. "Nagareboshi killed my kaasan and niisan." There was vengeful glint in his eye. Cracking his knuckles, Goten chuckled, imagining all the unpleasant things he would do to Nagareboshi.
"That's what I mean. I hardly know anything about him, but I'm also fighting for revenge," Trunks elaborated, "But you don't seem to have any reason other than that It's there to kill, so you want to."
"That's not to far from the truth, really." Vegeta considered that for a moment. He grinned to himself and spoke with patience he only showed his son. "I am Saiyajin, I live for the challenge. But Nagareboshi is also an inconvenience; constantly getting in the way, and I have yet to have my rematch with Kakarotto." A snort. "Besides, he killed my mate. She may have been dumb and ugly, but she _was_ mine."
Trunks choked slightly at that. "...H-hai. Demo, you never really explained how any of this came about. What happened all those years ago?"
Vegeta was silent before rising to cross the room over to the two young half-Saiyajin. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" The two teens looked at each other and nodded. Vegeta dug around in his memory for a second, fortunately -- or unfortunately depending on how one looked at it -- it wasn't something he could easily forget.
Clearing his throat, Vegeta began his narration. "After the battle on Namek-sei, I roamed around the galaxy looking for Kakarotto. Sometimes I would stay on Chikyuu and train for a while. My only goal at the time was to become stronger than him. I knew he'd return eventually, so I hung around here.
"This is where you met okaasan, honto ni?" Trunks asked.
"Iie, I met her before that, but she did live here. After a while, Freeza's brother and father appeared to take revenge for his defeat."
"You told about that before," Goten commented. "That's when you became a Super Saiyajin, right?"
"Damn straight," Vegeta answered with a satisfied grin. "I knew I couldn't let myself be killed before my rematch with Kakarotto. My will to survive is what finally pushed me past the ceiling I had reached. That feeling of sudden power and accomplishment, it's not something you kids could understand, what with being born with the ability to go Super Saiyajin."
"Did my niisan fight them too?" Goten asked. "Was he strong?"
Vegeta laughed, amused by the memory of Son Gohan's fiery spirit and unquenchable determination. "Quite. But he was a Saiyajin, so it was to be expected. I'd seen his power for myself, especially on Namek. He had a lot of potential for someone of low-blood."
Goten grumbled at Vegeta's use of terminology.
"Don't give me that look," Vegeta sneered. "Anyway, I managed to defeat Cold-ou, but Coola was something else. I loathe to admit it, but if Kakarotto hadn't suddenly appeared when he did, I might have lost."
Trunks cocked his head, brow furrowed. "I know you've told us this before, but I don't remember that part."
Vegeta had the decency to avert his gaze and he cleared his throat. "Well after the fight, I realized Kakarotto had even more powerful since he defeated Freeza on Namek. I decided to wait a bit before issuing my challenge, but then Nagareboshi came. Kakarotto went to check it out and, needless to say, the low-born idiot lost. When I challenged It the first time, I was surprised by the sheer power Nagareboshi managed to acquire from him. Kakarotto was lucky to have escaped without being absorbed."
"How does that work, exactly?" Trunks asked.
The prince shrugged. "Sorry, but I never stopped to ask It. All I know is that It absorbs the entire person, body, soul, everything. Nothing is left. And it's all added to Nagareboshi's power and knowledge. I was forced to work with Kakarotto and his friends and for a few years, we all skipped around the planet, chasing down It when we could. But with each battle, It managed to whitle away at our group. For each loss, It got smarter and stronger until we barely stood a chance."
"Then what, jisan?" Goten asked.
"Well, it all came to a head soon after. By then, Kakarotto had gone a bit crazy, as if he wasn't in the first place. He, the brat, myself, and the Namek-seijin were the only ones left at this point. Nagareboshi was too much for us to handle, but Kakarotto had some hair-brained plan. The only thing weakness we noticed was that Nagareboshi used up power faster than us, so It had gotten really good at running away when It needed too. Kakarotto decided he would goad It into a fight, but keep running away until It used up a lot of Its power."
"That's not a bad plan, all things considered," Trunks noted.
"It would have worked better if he accepted our help. But after our last encounter, I wasn't well enough to fight anyway. Only Kami knows where Piccolo went. Gohan knew Kakarotto would eventually corner Nagareboshi at some kind of tournament ground down south, so he went there to ahead of time to help. But the beast wouldn't be herded. It went there too soon and fought Gohan. By the time Kakarotto arrived, it was already over."
A pause, as Vegeta gathered his thoughts. "By that time, you were already a year old, Trunks." The young man nodded in response. "Kakarotto managed to survive again and dragged himself, then dropped into a stupor. That fool wouldn't fight, let alone do anything else. When Capsule Corp was finally attacked, I brought you and your mother with me to Kakarotto's place in the Paozu Mountains. I still couldn't fight, so we were defenseless when Nagareboshi followed me."
"That's why there's a ruin there. That was tousan's house."
"Hai, it was destroyed after I left."
"How did you get away?"
"The Namek-seijin, he returned at the last second. Said something about being stronger than before." There was evident surprise in Vegeta's voice as he remembered it. "He was telling the truth too, the power I sensed from him was... Well, not that it helped much. Then some old fool tried to distract Nagareboshi. I was forced to--" Vegeta struggled with the word "--escape with you two."
"And our kaasans were..."
"Killed by Nagareboshi, along with the others who were hiding out in that house." All three were silent for quite a while. Vegeta returned to his weight-lifting for a time, while Goten and Trunks remained wordlessly. A digital clock built into the computer console beeped and Vegeta announced, "Times up."
"Huh?" the two teens grunted in unison.
"Nagareboshi will awaken in a few hours. We want to be the first and last thing It sees."
Vegeta made his way to the exit and pushed open the hatch, which cracked and creaked in argument. The two teens followed him outside, where the gloom of night had taken over. It seemed silent that night, disturbingly so, and only a few twinkling lights farther from the city center lit the buildings. The trio crossed the lot and entered the laboratory. Vegeta punched the switch, the lights snapped on and blinding them momentarily until their eyes acclimated to this new, brighter light. Vegeta walked over to a wall safe, fumbling with the combination for a minute before opening the hatch. It was empty. "Kuso!"
"Need these?" asked a voice from the door. Goku stood in his slightly faded orange gi, hand held out revealing three large Senzu beans.
"Tousan!" Goten jumped up and rushed over to his father, receiving a warm smile. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, looking up into his father's bright eyes.
"I know, Goten. Your kaasan and niisan send their love," he grinned. Goten stood dumbfounded, but happy. Goku's eyes narrowed as he looked past his son at Vegeta. "Want these?" he offered, his voice as bit tight.
Vegeta was silent at first, appraising this new, rejuvenated warrior. Goku's hair once again shot up into a wild bush of jet black locks and even his complexion seemed stronger, less emaciated than it had been in the years past. The Saiyajin no Ouji, stepped forward and took a Senzu, popping it into his mouth. Arching an eyebrow, "At least your good for _something_," he concluded. Knowing that as the best he would get, Goku grinned. Vegeta ducked into an armored storage bin, pulling out four sets of Saiyajin body armor. "I had the woman prepare these a while back," he said, again using that flat monotone. He handed one out to each of the three.
Goten turned his over, looking at the back. "What's this? I don't recognized these characters."
"It's Saiyago, the language of the Saiyajin. All of ours has it on the back." Putting his on over a clean body suit, he turned around, revealing the royal crest of the Vegeta Clan.
"Then this would be Kakarotto's." Goku observed, only glancing at it. "Arigato, Vegeta, but I can't wear this."
"Look again, baka." Inspecting it more carefully, Goku realized that it was actually his own name in Chikyuugo, stylized to resemble Saiyago. "Now put it on, your going to need it."
Vegeta passed around body suits, gloves, and boots, all made out of a fabric version of the armor. Goku simply pulled his fighting jacket over his gi. Goten slipped his on and stretched, getting a feel for the armor. "You know tousan, it's a good thing you brought that Senzu. We're out," he explained, ignoring Vegeta's glare.
Goku scratched his head, confused. "Didn't Bulma build a whattayacallit, regen-thing?"
Goten frowned and Trunks chuckled. "The regeneration tank. Goten accidentally blasted it when we were training," Trunks explained.
"Ara...er, who are you?" Goku asked.
Trunks' eyebrows shot up, realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Ore ga Trunks da." Noticing Goku's blank stare, "Vegeta's son?"
"Hai, hai," Goku smiled, "Nice to meet you, Trunks." He clasped the lavender-haired teen's arm in a hardy greeting. When he was done, Trunks reclaimed his arm, shaking it out to get the feeling back.
As they talked, Vegeta grabbed the Scouter off the work table and checked it as they exited the lab. He motioned towards the southwest. Leaping into the air as one, they took off. [Something's very different with Kakarotto,] Vegeta thought, [He seems like he's back to his usual self... If that means that he'll _fight_ like his usual self, _I_ certainly won't be one to complain.]
Time seemed to pass slowly as the four rocketed across the night sky. They were heading towards southernmost area of the mainland. After several minutes, the decimated remains of Parsley Town passed by on their left, one of the many places Nagareboshi attacked in Its search for more strong warriors.
Now they were passing over the inner sea. Goten couldn't help but let his thoughts stray as he gazed at the shimmering light of the stars in the rolling sea waves. [Tousan,] he thought, looking at the his father's reflection in the water. [If we survive this, will I finally get to talk to you? Could you really become my tousan?]
A seeming eternity later, the four passed over a rough mountain terrain and Vegeta called out, "Here!!" They landed and Vegeta consulted the Scouter, looking methodical. "I can feel It." Goku nodded in response.
Discovering a damaged spaceship, they slipped in. Goku pointed it out first. "What's this doing here?" he whispered. "Nagareboshi never used a spaceship."
"Seems Chikyuu's had visitors before," Trunks answered. "I wonder why they never surfaced."
"Nagareboshi probably got to them first," Vegeta replied wryly. "Now be quiet."
They eventually came upon a huge, empty chamber. In the middle sat a large, pulsating mass. Roughly egg-like in shaped, thick veins wrapped around its glowing surface. Vegeta made a face and checked the Scouter to be sure. "That's It."
"That!?" Goten's expression mimicked Vegeta's.
Goku stepped forward, his jaw set. Between clenched teeth, "Let's say hello."
They spread out around the egg and went Super Saiyajin. Charging up their attacks, they all let loose at once, hoping to destroy It quickly.
"KAMEHAMEHA!!!"
"FINAL FLASH!!!"
"BURNING ATTACK!!!"
"ICHI-BAI KOUGEKI!!!"
Four ki beams lanced out and struck the mass together. The resulting explosion pushed all four warriors back several meters. Judging by the light and the heat, it was as if someone had dropped a small star in the room. When the light faded and the dust subsided, there was an enormous crater where the egg had sat.
Unfortunately, floating above the crater was a vaguely humanoid being. An all too familiar face grinning evilly, cat-slanted eyes laughing silently like a madman. It's body was entirely black save for patches of red armor on It's head, shoulders, forearms, and shins. It's prehensile feet flexed as It's tail swung indolently. ""Now, now. That was just uncalled for."" Nagareboshi drawled, It's multi-layered voice resonating eerily off the vast chamber ceiling.
"Kuso!!" Vegeta swore, backing into a fighting stance. Trunks and Goten followed suit, Goku was the only one not preparing himself. He's been waiting for this. He was already prepared. This would be the final battle.
""Hmm... Four little Saiyajin, sitting in a tree..."" It sing-songed. ""And what's this? Ah, you're the one! I've been waiting for my revenge, Legendary."" Nagareboshi landed, It's tail slapping the ground with a crash.
A Dragon Ball Z fanfiction
by Son Goharotto (son_goharotto@hotmail.com)
Welcome to Dragon Ball Yugure Z, my personal pet project. This is what I like to call a "multi-generational alternaverse epic." Expect a complex story spanning several volumes that are littered with cliff-hangers and titanic battles. DBYZ has been revised in its entirety. While some episodes have merely been ridden of typos, others have been rewritten completely. I'll be starting from the beginning at one episode a day so new readers can join in, undaunted by DBYZ's length, and old readers can review past events. All this is leading up to the new Episode 37, from which I'll try to keep a normal updating pace instead of letting this be forgotten as it once was.
DISCLAIMER: As much as I mgiht wish it not to be, DBZ does not belong to me. It's the property of Akira Toriyama-sama and many others who (unfortunately) aren't me. I'm not trying to make any money off of this and it's just a way for me to show my love of all things Dragon Ball. Well, except maybe GT. Bleah. I is teh poor, so don't sue me.
WARNINGS: As a whole, this series contains mature language (usually in Japanese), graphic violence, brutality, mature situations (non-lemon), and a touch of angst.
NOTES: A liberal amount of Japanese vocabulary is sprinkled throughout, though nothing extremely important is ever said in another language that isn't translated. Mostly just basic Otaku Japanese. I've compiled a list of phrases I use on my homepage here: www.enpitsudo-dojo.com/libjapanese.html.
"dialogue"
""layered voice"" (Fusion, for example)
{alien language}
[thoughts, telepathy, memories]
_stressed words_
*sounds*
~scene change~
Volume I -- The Nagareboshi Saga
Episode 09 -- Return of the Z Soldiers!! Heading Towards the Final Battle!!
Goten took a long pull from is water bottle, then poured some over his sweat-covered face. "Whew! I am wiped _out_! This is pretty rough, ne Trunks?" A trickle of glistening crimson marred his brow, but Goten payed it no heed.
Slightly out of breath, "H-hai, Goten!" Trunks paused to tie a bandage around a scraped knee, his brow furrowed as he considered something. He nodded to himself and turned around to look at his father. "Papa!"
"Nn?" came the reply. Over the past couple days, Vegeta had denied himself any kind of break, doing some exercise or another while the teens rested. He was currently lifting a barbell that weighed nearly 3000kg in the heightened gravity. With a grunt, he eased it onto the floor in its accustomed spot, which had been long since worn in. "What do you want?"
"Mind telling me something?"
"Depends," he replied gruffly.
"Why are you fighting?"
"I know why I'm fighting," Goten interrupted. "Nagareboshi killed my kaasan and niisan." There was vengeful glint in his eye. Cracking his knuckles, Goten chuckled, imagining all the unpleasant things he would do to Nagareboshi.
"That's what I mean. I hardly know anything about him, but I'm also fighting for revenge," Trunks elaborated, "But you don't seem to have any reason other than that It's there to kill, so you want to."
"That's not to far from the truth, really." Vegeta considered that for a moment. He grinned to himself and spoke with patience he only showed his son. "I am Saiyajin, I live for the challenge. But Nagareboshi is also an inconvenience; constantly getting in the way, and I have yet to have my rematch with Kakarotto." A snort. "Besides, he killed my mate. She may have been dumb and ugly, but she _was_ mine."
Trunks choked slightly at that. "...H-hai. Demo, you never really explained how any of this came about. What happened all those years ago?"
Vegeta was silent before rising to cross the room over to the two young half-Saiyajin. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" The two teens looked at each other and nodded. Vegeta dug around in his memory for a second, fortunately -- or unfortunately depending on how one looked at it -- it wasn't something he could easily forget.
Clearing his throat, Vegeta began his narration. "After the battle on Namek-sei, I roamed around the galaxy looking for Kakarotto. Sometimes I would stay on Chikyuu and train for a while. My only goal at the time was to become stronger than him. I knew he'd return eventually, so I hung around here.
"This is where you met okaasan, honto ni?" Trunks asked.
"Iie, I met her before that, but she did live here. After a while, Freeza's brother and father appeared to take revenge for his defeat."
"You told about that before," Goten commented. "That's when you became a Super Saiyajin, right?"
"Damn straight," Vegeta answered with a satisfied grin. "I knew I couldn't let myself be killed before my rematch with Kakarotto. My will to survive is what finally pushed me past the ceiling I had reached. That feeling of sudden power and accomplishment, it's not something you kids could understand, what with being born with the ability to go Super Saiyajin."
"Did my niisan fight them too?" Goten asked. "Was he strong?"
Vegeta laughed, amused by the memory of Son Gohan's fiery spirit and unquenchable determination. "Quite. But he was a Saiyajin, so it was to be expected. I'd seen his power for myself, especially on Namek. He had a lot of potential for someone of low-blood."
Goten grumbled at Vegeta's use of terminology.
"Don't give me that look," Vegeta sneered. "Anyway, I managed to defeat Cold-ou, but Coola was something else. I loathe to admit it, but if Kakarotto hadn't suddenly appeared when he did, I might have lost."
Trunks cocked his head, brow furrowed. "I know you've told us this before, but I don't remember that part."
Vegeta had the decency to avert his gaze and he cleared his throat. "Well after the fight, I realized Kakarotto had even more powerful since he defeated Freeza on Namek. I decided to wait a bit before issuing my challenge, but then Nagareboshi came. Kakarotto went to check it out and, needless to say, the low-born idiot lost. When I challenged It the first time, I was surprised by the sheer power Nagareboshi managed to acquire from him. Kakarotto was lucky to have escaped without being absorbed."
"How does that work, exactly?" Trunks asked.
The prince shrugged. "Sorry, but I never stopped to ask It. All I know is that It absorbs the entire person, body, soul, everything. Nothing is left. And it's all added to Nagareboshi's power and knowledge. I was forced to work with Kakarotto and his friends and for a few years, we all skipped around the planet, chasing down It when we could. But with each battle, It managed to whitle away at our group. For each loss, It got smarter and stronger until we barely stood a chance."
"Then what, jisan?" Goten asked.
"Well, it all came to a head soon after. By then, Kakarotto had gone a bit crazy, as if he wasn't in the first place. He, the brat, myself, and the Namek-seijin were the only ones left at this point. Nagareboshi was too much for us to handle, but Kakarotto had some hair-brained plan. The only thing weakness we noticed was that Nagareboshi used up power faster than us, so It had gotten really good at running away when It needed too. Kakarotto decided he would goad It into a fight, but keep running away until It used up a lot of Its power."
"That's not a bad plan, all things considered," Trunks noted.
"It would have worked better if he accepted our help. But after our last encounter, I wasn't well enough to fight anyway. Only Kami knows where Piccolo went. Gohan knew Kakarotto would eventually corner Nagareboshi at some kind of tournament ground down south, so he went there to ahead of time to help. But the beast wouldn't be herded. It went there too soon and fought Gohan. By the time Kakarotto arrived, it was already over."
A pause, as Vegeta gathered his thoughts. "By that time, you were already a year old, Trunks." The young man nodded in response. "Kakarotto managed to survive again and dragged himself, then dropped into a stupor. That fool wouldn't fight, let alone do anything else. When Capsule Corp was finally attacked, I brought you and your mother with me to Kakarotto's place in the Paozu Mountains. I still couldn't fight, so we were defenseless when Nagareboshi followed me."
"That's why there's a ruin there. That was tousan's house."
"Hai, it was destroyed after I left."
"How did you get away?"
"The Namek-seijin, he returned at the last second. Said something about being stronger than before." There was evident surprise in Vegeta's voice as he remembered it. "He was telling the truth too, the power I sensed from him was... Well, not that it helped much. Then some old fool tried to distract Nagareboshi. I was forced to--" Vegeta struggled with the word "--escape with you two."
"And our kaasans were..."
"Killed by Nagareboshi, along with the others who were hiding out in that house." All three were silent for quite a while. Vegeta returned to his weight-lifting for a time, while Goten and Trunks remained wordlessly. A digital clock built into the computer console beeped and Vegeta announced, "Times up."
"Huh?" the two teens grunted in unison.
"Nagareboshi will awaken in a few hours. We want to be the first and last thing It sees."
Vegeta made his way to the exit and pushed open the hatch, which cracked and creaked in argument. The two teens followed him outside, where the gloom of night had taken over. It seemed silent that night, disturbingly so, and only a few twinkling lights farther from the city center lit the buildings. The trio crossed the lot and entered the laboratory. Vegeta punched the switch, the lights snapped on and blinding them momentarily until their eyes acclimated to this new, brighter light. Vegeta walked over to a wall safe, fumbling with the combination for a minute before opening the hatch. It was empty. "Kuso!"
"Need these?" asked a voice from the door. Goku stood in his slightly faded orange gi, hand held out revealing three large Senzu beans.
"Tousan!" Goten jumped up and rushed over to his father, receiving a warm smile. "We have a lot to talk about," he said, looking up into his father's bright eyes.
"I know, Goten. Your kaasan and niisan send their love," he grinned. Goten stood dumbfounded, but happy. Goku's eyes narrowed as he looked past his son at Vegeta. "Want these?" he offered, his voice as bit tight.
Vegeta was silent at first, appraising this new, rejuvenated warrior. Goku's hair once again shot up into a wild bush of jet black locks and even his complexion seemed stronger, less emaciated than it had been in the years past. The Saiyajin no Ouji, stepped forward and took a Senzu, popping it into his mouth. Arching an eyebrow, "At least your good for _something_," he concluded. Knowing that as the best he would get, Goku grinned. Vegeta ducked into an armored storage bin, pulling out four sets of Saiyajin body armor. "I had the woman prepare these a while back," he said, again using that flat monotone. He handed one out to each of the three.
Goten turned his over, looking at the back. "What's this? I don't recognized these characters."
"It's Saiyago, the language of the Saiyajin. All of ours has it on the back." Putting his on over a clean body suit, he turned around, revealing the royal crest of the Vegeta Clan.
"Then this would be Kakarotto's." Goku observed, only glancing at it. "Arigato, Vegeta, but I can't wear this."
"Look again, baka." Inspecting it more carefully, Goku realized that it was actually his own name in Chikyuugo, stylized to resemble Saiyago. "Now put it on, your going to need it."
Vegeta passed around body suits, gloves, and boots, all made out of a fabric version of the armor. Goku simply pulled his fighting jacket over his gi. Goten slipped his on and stretched, getting a feel for the armor. "You know tousan, it's a good thing you brought that Senzu. We're out," he explained, ignoring Vegeta's glare.
Goku scratched his head, confused. "Didn't Bulma build a whattayacallit, regen-thing?"
Goten frowned and Trunks chuckled. "The regeneration tank. Goten accidentally blasted it when we were training," Trunks explained.
"Ara...er, who are you?" Goku asked.
Trunks' eyebrows shot up, realizing he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Ore ga Trunks da." Noticing Goku's blank stare, "Vegeta's son?"
"Hai, hai," Goku smiled, "Nice to meet you, Trunks." He clasped the lavender-haired teen's arm in a hardy greeting. When he was done, Trunks reclaimed his arm, shaking it out to get the feeling back.
As they talked, Vegeta grabbed the Scouter off the work table and checked it as they exited the lab. He motioned towards the southwest. Leaping into the air as one, they took off. [Something's very different with Kakarotto,] Vegeta thought, [He seems like he's back to his usual self... If that means that he'll _fight_ like his usual self, _I_ certainly won't be one to complain.]
Time seemed to pass slowly as the four rocketed across the night sky. They were heading towards southernmost area of the mainland. After several minutes, the decimated remains of Parsley Town passed by on their left, one of the many places Nagareboshi attacked in Its search for more strong warriors.
Now they were passing over the inner sea. Goten couldn't help but let his thoughts stray as he gazed at the shimmering light of the stars in the rolling sea waves. [Tousan,] he thought, looking at the his father's reflection in the water. [If we survive this, will I finally get to talk to you? Could you really become my tousan?]
A seeming eternity later, the four passed over a rough mountain terrain and Vegeta called out, "Here!!" They landed and Vegeta consulted the Scouter, looking methodical. "I can feel It." Goku nodded in response.
Discovering a damaged spaceship, they slipped in. Goku pointed it out first. "What's this doing here?" he whispered. "Nagareboshi never used a spaceship."
"Seems Chikyuu's had visitors before," Trunks answered. "I wonder why they never surfaced."
"Nagareboshi probably got to them first," Vegeta replied wryly. "Now be quiet."
They eventually came upon a huge, empty chamber. In the middle sat a large, pulsating mass. Roughly egg-like in shaped, thick veins wrapped around its glowing surface. Vegeta made a face and checked the Scouter to be sure. "That's It."
"That!?" Goten's expression mimicked Vegeta's.
Goku stepped forward, his jaw set. Between clenched teeth, "Let's say hello."
They spread out around the egg and went Super Saiyajin. Charging up their attacks, they all let loose at once, hoping to destroy It quickly.
"KAMEHAMEHA!!!"
"FINAL FLASH!!!"
"BURNING ATTACK!!!"
"ICHI-BAI KOUGEKI!!!"
Four ki beams lanced out and struck the mass together. The resulting explosion pushed all four warriors back several meters. Judging by the light and the heat, it was as if someone had dropped a small star in the room. When the light faded and the dust subsided, there was an enormous crater where the egg had sat.
Unfortunately, floating above the crater was a vaguely humanoid being. An all too familiar face grinning evilly, cat-slanted eyes laughing silently like a madman. It's body was entirely black save for patches of red armor on It's head, shoulders, forearms, and shins. It's prehensile feet flexed as It's tail swung indolently. ""Now, now. That was just uncalled for."" Nagareboshi drawled, It's multi-layered voice resonating eerily off the vast chamber ceiling.
"Kuso!!" Vegeta swore, backing into a fighting stance. Trunks and Goten followed suit, Goku was the only one not preparing himself. He's been waiting for this. He was already prepared. This would be the final battle.
""Hmm... Four little Saiyajin, sitting in a tree..."" It sing-songed. ""And what's this? Ah, you're the one! I've been waiting for my revenge, Legendary."" Nagareboshi landed, It's tail slapping the ground with a crash.