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 IV -- Madness in the Heart
Episode 31 -- Rushing Against The Clock!! Get Those Dragon Balls!!
Outside on the cool, green lawns of Capsule Corporation stood eight figures. Among them were seven of the most crucial inventions ever created, every one beeping softly with a marker for each of the seven different crystalline targets. There was a tense moment after Goku teleported away that the remaining Z Senshi gathered outside, waiting for their chance to act. They could sense the Saiyajin announcing his presence with a clear ki signature. They waited with bated breath for the challenge to be acknowledged.
His every sense attuned to the coming battle, Yugure Vegeta was the first to spot it. An enormous ki signaled that Goku had met with his dark counterpart, bringing the prince back to the present. "We move!!" He shot off like a bullet, the other seven fighters following at their respective reaction times. The air was filled with a backwash of heat and air for a moment, then ended, the Senshi now streaking to the four corners of Chikyuu.
Yugure Trunks was heading approximately southwest at breakneck speeds, totally unaware of how much time had already passed. It wasn't until he reached the inner ocean that he looked in the water and saw a reflection behind him that he realized the cute blonde girl wasn't far behind. A sudden rise in ki over the horizon made him stop, the Jinzouningen slowing next to him. They exchanged a nervous glance.
"He figured it out pretty quick," Juuhachi-gou mused.
"Time's against us, let's hurry," Trunks replied. He said "Good luck!" before taking off again on a more direct route to his target.
"You too!" she called to his back and followed suite, disappearing behind a cloud.
Trunks was in a daze. There was just so much going on in his head, he actually had to double back, having flown over his dragon ball. The lavender-haired teen descended to a desert area, apparently flattened by some titanic battle. The landmarks were different, but he slowly recognized it as the same place they had encountered Nagareboshi. It was with mild surprise that he found the abandoned spaceship in the same place they had before, but this one was a total wreck. It's destruction was obviously deliberate. He idly wondered if this world's Senshi had to deal with whatever arrived in it.
There was one particularly large crater where the ground had collapsed, filling the first of the four chambers with rubble. The blip on his Dragon Radar took Trunks down into the middle of it and he quickly began to dig around. Bulma was right when she said this model was more accurate, for it helped the half-Saiyajin pin the dragon ball down to within a meter. There was a small fissure, so Trunks poked his hand in and fished around. He eventually grabbed something small and round, pulling out his crystalline prize.
Getting his bearings again--the poor guy seemed to have a problem with directions--Trunks flew off to the north. He could detect the battle raging between Goku and Kakarotto as it occasionally jumped around. The half-Saiyajin noticed with a start that it was gradually heading towards their agreed gathering place, Kami's lookout. He put on an extra burst of speed and wondered where the others were.
~~~~~
Goten was furiously rubbing his arms to warm them against the biting wind. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered why he was always the one stuck in the cold. The target on his Dragon Radar took him to the far northwest in the land of ice and snow. Had his teeth not been chattering, he would have laughed as a familiar mountain village came into sight. The half-Saiyajin needed only look at his radar one more time before he was sure where the dragon ball was. He landed outside a cozy looking cottage and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a thoroughly surprised Kumato.
"Snow Boy? Well, h'lo again!" the bear-man said with the same toothy grin. He ushered the shivering teen inside.
"Yeah, hi," Goten said quickly. "I'm looking for this thing. It looks like a small orange ball, with tiny red stars inside. Kinda like that," he added, pointing to a jewel tied with a ribbon among some flowers. Realization dawned on the youth and he hurried over to pick it up. He yanked it out of the ribbon, knocking over what was apparently a hat. Kumato's sister looked at him in bewilderment. "Anou, sankyuu!" Goten sprinted out of the house, Kumato's hearty laughter drowning out his shrieking sister's voice.
Goten wiped the sweat from his brow, which had already begun to freeze on his head from the cold weather. Surmising that he could get to Kami's lookout faster by continuing west, he sped off. Ahead, the energy that pin- pointed Goku's fight with Kakarotto seemed far too close. [Aiyaa...]
~~~~~
Goku spun with the punch that followed, using his momentum to plant a foot in Kakarotto's side. Although the endurance bestowed on him by Super Saiyajin 3 was enough to let him shrug off the blow, it did nothing to dull the pain. And that last hit hurt more than Goku would have liked to admit.
The two squared off again and charged. They traded blows in a blur, arm meeting arm and fist meeting fist. At the intense speed the Z Senshi were accustomed to fighting, it sounded like heavy machinegun fire. Goku managed to get inside his enemy's defense and delivered two quick knees to the chin. Seizing Kakarotto in an arm lock, the unscarred Saiyajin rocketed earthward to drive his blemished foe into the stony ground.
The defender of Chikyuu knew his limited power would drain more quickly with prolonged battle, so used all his strength to simply pin the struggling Kakarotto down. With leverage to his advantage, he would have succeeded had it not been for another sudden tremor. Loosening Goku's grip, Kakarotto broke free and slammed his opponent's back into the crater wall with shattering force.
"This...is...what...you...get...for....challenging...me!!!" growled the mad Saiyajin, each word punctuated with another blow to the face. "I'm invincible, na?" he added, grinning at the bloody-lipped Goku. He clenched his hands together above his head for another strike, but a stitch in his side made him wince.
Goku seized the opportunity and rammed his fist into Kakarotto's side. "You talk to much," the younger Saiyajin remarked. Pushing the cringing madman back, he grabbed Kakarotto's arm and a standard judo throw flung the villain up into the air. Then he disappeared. "Kuso!" Goku swore, jamming two fingers to his forehead.
Traveling approximately at the speed of thought (though that wasn't terribly fast for Goku), the swirling non-color of Shunkan Idou travel surrounded him. Reaching out was like trying swim through molasses, but Goku managed to get a grip on Kakarotto's foot and pulled him out of the teleportation and back to Chikyuu. He flew down and swung the madman into a cliff, fortunately not far from where they begun fighting.
A pair of ki bolts descended on the rubble, washing them with flame. His vision obscured by the light, Goku didn't see Kakarotto flying up and was thus unable to dodge the fist that dug into his stomach. Winded, he barely managed to counter the next two punches. They separated slightly and swung at each other, but their images seemed to fade away. There was a resounding crash a moment later and they reappeared, Goku hurtling down into a forest. Snapping through trees, he eventually caught himself on his hands and knees. A swift mule kick prevented the following Kakarotto from attacking and Goku stood, delivering a crushing right cross.
Kakarotto stumbled, but managed to teleport away from the follow-up. The sane man--who was getting fed up of his evil counterpart--growled and was forced to follow again. But this time, Kakarotto pulled out early and doubled back just in time to catch the gullible hero with a lariat. The mad Saiyajin continued with a kick to the spine that made it sound like the bones would crumble. As he careened through the air, Goku gritted his teeth and Shunkan Idou-ed again, managing to catch the fleeing Kakarotto with a two-fisted swing.
They both paused to catch their breath, angry at themselves for not being able to finish it by now. It was a stalemate of the worst kind. They were strong enough to pummel each other senselessly, but not enough so for either to gain a decisive advantage. Goku in particularly was straining by now to maintain this pace. Fighting at Super Saiyajin 3 for this long was still no easy feat and time was precious.
Like dueling gunman, both Saiyajin abruptly struck with a ki blast that filled the air with smoke and fire. And so it started all over again.
~~~~~
Chibi Trunks was tapping his foot impatiently, seated on the steps into Kami's palace. Just behind him, Chibi Goten-- lacking anything better to do--was staring at the dragon ball they had found.
It was in a bird's nest, always the obvious place to find one of the glittering crystals orbs, halfway up Karin's tower. As a result, the two children were the first to arrive at the gathering point, pausing only to get some Senzu from the ivory tower's master. The large white cat and his fat samurai companion were on their way out and Trunks decided it might be a good idea if Dende and Mr. Popo left as well. The young Kami was sullen, but agreed on the condition he would stay close by to heal anyone with serious injuries. The two mystical men had then boarded a flying carpet and hovered off to safety. That was two minutes ago, but the wait felt like an eternity.
"Trunks-kun?"
"Hai."
"Do you...think we can beat him?"
"Kakarotto, you mean?"
"...hn..."
Trunks turned around, giving the younger boy a thumbs-up. "We have to," the purple-haired youth smirked. "Losing isn't an option." There was a twinge at his senses and the two half-Saiyajin stood up at the same time. "He...he's getting too close..."
"What do we do!?" Goten said, looking panicked.
Trunks clenched his fists. "We fight." The pair rushed out into the courtyard, watching as some small explosions in the distance grew closer and louder, like approaching thunder. No words passed between the two as they defiantly faced the imminent danger. The Son boy steadied himself, resolve to avenge Gohan filling him with the energy he would need for battle.
It came all too quickly, announced by Goku's prone body crashing into the side of the floating palace. As the tall Saiyajin struggled to rise to defend himself from the next attack, his blurred vision caught sight of two small figures deflecting an incoming blast of red ki. "G-goten! Trunks! D...dame..." Needless to say, the two youngest Super Saiyajin ignored him, powering up to attack.
A bit aways, Kakarotto blinked as he saw a pair of children apparently foolish enough to throw their lives away. "What do you two gaki think you're doing?" he queried, touching down at the edge of the courtyard. "Do you seriously believe you have the power to stop me? You're just pups!"
"No, we don't," Trunks said through clenched teeth. "But Gotenks does." He and Goten took their positions, posing oddly in the dance of Fusion. Kakarotto blinked at the ridiculous maneuver, unaware of what was in store for him. "Fuuuuuu..."
"...siiiooon...."
""HA!!!"" The two half-Saiyajin said together, touching their fingers in the final pose. A brilliant flash of white lit the courtyard like an enormous floodlight and Kakarotto drew back in surprise. When he dared to open his eyes, the mad Saiyajin gasped. In place of the two boys was now one, his small body seething with power beneath the heavy black and orange leather vest. The little warrior did a few stretches, dusted off his billowing white pants, then flexed rather impressively for a child, his high-pitched guffaw irritating Kakarotto to no end.
"Nande kuso?" the madman exclaimed. "W-what the hell is _this_!?"
""Oh ho ho ho!"" Gotenks laughed confidently. ""This baka-bakemono doesn't know who Gotenks is! We'll show you, chikuSHOU!!!"" The Goten/Trunks-Fusion pushed his ki up to max, his golden locks shining with light as it expanded with each successive stage of power. Fire and lightning jumped to life around the younger level three Super Saiyajin.
"Iie...dammit," Goku groaned, trying to force his screaming body back into the fight. "Power *cough*...isn't enough. Kusooo..."
Gotenks dashed forward and Kakarotto attacked with a hasty lunge. The child warrior leapt at the last second and landed behind the larger Super Saiyajin, turning for a surprise attack. The madman tried to counter with a backhand, but Gotenks grabbed his arm and swung, planting two feet firmly in his enemy's face. Kakarotto stumbled back and the small Senshi plowed into him, driving the mad Saiyajin off the lookout and down, into the river far below.
Gotenks quickly shot back up with an explosion of water and flared his aura. ""RENZOKU SHINE SHINE MISSILE!!!"" Blast after blast of ki pierced the river, tearing apart the river bed. And the shores. And the surrounding forest. A series of explosions rang out, scaring away the wildlife. Still Gotenks continued to channel all his energy into this one attack. At last, it ended, the Fusion warrior breathing heavy as he appraised the damage. A smirk graced his face and he flashed a 'victory' sign. ""Yeah yea--ahg!""
The next thing Gotenks saw was Kakarotto's mocking face at the end of a long, furry arm. The madman tightened his grip on the small fighter's neck, amused at how he squirmed. "Foolish boy. All the power in the world won't help if you don't know how to fight." Blood poured from Gotenks' mouth as his throat was squeezed mercilessly. "But I will give you this: you have a lot of heart. But not for long." Kakarotto grinned evilly, relishing the moment. "I'll just take it like I took Gohan's." He drew his hand back, fingers poised like a claw.
"Not today, yarou!!" Yugure Goten shouted, wrapping his arm around Kakarotto's to halt the blow. His other hand pulled back on the mad Saiyajin's hair while the teen's knee rammed up into his foe's back. Kakarotto's glazed eyes stared up into the blue sky, not registering that a furious Yugure Trunks was descending on him as well. The older half-Saiyajin slammed into Kakarotto, sending him careening to the ground. "Thanks for showing up," Goten said with a chuckle. He clapped hands with his best friend.
"Who's the shorty?" Trunks asked, pointing a thumb at Gotenks. The Fused boy shuddered, a bit of static crackling around him as the spell broke. The two older half-Saiyajin quickly caught their exhausted counterparts. "Ah, nevermind. Oi, you guys okay?"
Chibi Trunks looked up weakly. "G-go...gomen. We're not *cough* strong enough..."
"Are you well enough to fly?" The younger Trunks pushed away, proving that he could hover slowly on his own. "Right; take Goten and the dragon balls we found and go back to the lookout."
As the children floated precariously away, Yugure Goten looked down to see a groggy Kakarotto pulling himself out of a crater. "Shall we?"
Yugure Trunks straightened his shirt and nodded. "Let's."
~~~~~
Far to the east, in the barren waste below the Southern Range, Vegeta's search for a dragon ball brought him to a place of the past. It was the mountainous desert where he had fought Goku during his first visit to Chikyuu. The Saiyajin no Ouji surveyed the area with an air of nostalgia. Even though he was aware the fight with Kakarotto was getting dangerously close to Kami's lookout, he couldn't help but reminisce.
Back then, when he first squared off against 'Kakarotto,' it was the perfect fight. Just two men at the height of their strength, pitted against each other for no other reason than to prove themselves. The dragon balls weren't a concern. No fear of a greater force wiping them out. No life debt to worry about. Just the pure, simple joy of battle. Vegeta shook his head, thinking about how his life changed. He had obligations now, to his family, to the world. Not too long ago, the prince had wanted to go back to that other time. Go back to being a selfish murder. He wanted that, or at least, had convinced himself to want that. It was a lie, he could see that now. There were better things to live for.
"Time to go to work," Vegeta murmured. He clicked the button on the Dragon Radar, trying to pin-point his target. Searching through the dust and rocks was no easy task, but an unwavering perseverence saw him through. Finally, the dragon ball sat before him, reflecting his image in its flawless surface. One gloved hand picked it up, marveling at how so much trouble came about because of this silly crystal trinket. The prince snorted, then flew off across the water.
If only it was so easy for the other Vegeta, maybe they would have had all seven together already. The other worldly prince was having a supremely difficult time fighting the pounding rain and buffeting winds of a typical storm in Yunzabitt Heights. Lightning blinded him, thunder deafened him, and hail the size of fists rocked the Saiyajin's body. Yugure Vegeta swore he had never been more wet and miserable in his entire life, stuck searching the endless peaks and valleys of Yunzabitt for the past twenty-something minutes. "This is madness!!!" he roared at the storm. The prince flared his golden aura, its intense heat turning the rain to steam, but other wise doing little to help the situation.
It was difficult enough to see the Dragon Radar in the tempest, let alone get it to work properly. After much fussing and swearing, Vegeta finally narrowed the dragon ball down to under a giant flying saurian. The ugly bird-like creature looked even more upset than the Saiyajin Prince, perhaps being caught here in mid-migration. Spotting the bedraggled man, it cawed at him in anger. [Enough is enough,] Vegeta thought angrily. He simply grabbed the saurian's beak and twisted, breaking it's neck and effectively getting it to move. Vegeta picked up the dragon ball and rocketed away, thankful for finally getting a chance to dry.
Yugure Vegeta's path took him over the Yahhoi Forest and past the once-ruins of the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, the latter being his only indication that he had veered slight to the west. A purely random firing of synapses in his brain reminded him of a news story about somebody named Red trying to rebuild the neglected base, probably his world's version of the guy he heard about on the infirmy TV. Doubling back, it wasn't long before the ivory tower came into view and the prince turned to fly up. From this vantage, he could see the surrounding area was pock-marked with explosions and a sudden flash of light on the other side of Karin's tower told him that the fight was still on.
The Yugure Ouji eventually reached the top where he saw his counterpart arguing with a very bruised Goku. Off to the side, the younger Goten and Trunks were sullenly guarding the collection of dragon balls. The other worldly prince tossed his into the pile and advanced on his shouting double. "What's going on!? Why are you fighting!?" he demanded.
The Vegeta of this world glared, but spoke in a more civil tone. "This baka wants to Fuse with me."
"I'm tellin' ya," Goku said with a pained expression. "Doin' it's our only shot right now. I don't know how long Goten an' Trunks can last out there."
"Fuse?" Yugure Vegeta asked mildly.
"Some stupid dance," the other grumbled.
Goku shook his head, annoyed. "But we'll get a lot stronger!"
"You're not in much shape to do anything," the older prince noted, eyeing the taller Saiyajin's numerous wounds. Yugure Vegeta turned to stare pointedly at his counterpart. "If it will make us strong enough to defeat Kakarotto, then you'll Fuse with me."
Vegeta snorted, his usual response to an inane idea. "Don't be absurd. I'll just go fight the bakemono myself." Uncrossing his arms, the younger prince strode away, but was yanked back. He was forcibly spun around to face his furious older self. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Saving your life, ahondara!!" Yugure Vegeta roared.
"Che! My life is my own to do with as I see fit!" Vegeta leaned in close, speaking now in a lower but no less barbed tone. "I will gladly give my life to save my mate and child."
"And how do you think they'd feel when you're dead?" the older man countered. There was a dangerous glint in his coal black eyes that sent a shiver down Vegeta's spine. "I made a promise to _your_ mate that _you_ wouldn't die. I intend to keep that promise...whether you like it or not."
~~~~~
In the forests west of South Capital, Juuhachi-gou was probably having the hardest time of all finding her dragon ball. The canopy was thick and brambly to the point of absurd, making it damn near impossibly to even get inside. It certainly didn't help that her target was constantly moving around. The Jinzouningen woman wasn't aware just how badly the fight with Kakarotto had been going this whole time, but she understood that every minute counted and she had wasted way too many minutes already.
Becoming so frustrated, the blonde woman actually had to stop for a moment and compose herself. This was getting nowhere fast. Sucking up her courage, she decided she would just have to regret wearing her nice clothes some other time and dove down, crashing through the thorny branches. She touched down on the forest floor and inspected the damage. [Oh damn...that's going to cost a lot,] Juuhachi-gou thought sourly. [I'll just tack it on to Satan's bill as payment for wishing him back.]
Getting back to the matter at hand, Juuhachi-gou found it was much easier searching below the leaves. A suspicious shadow was flitting through the trees up ahead and the readings from her radar made it seem like it was carrying the dragon ball. Taking off at a run, the Jinzouningen quickly gained on the shadow that was unsuccessfully trying to be stealthy and tackled it. Getting up and dusting herself off, the woman looked at the young man she had knocked down.
He had long black hair that--now mussed--obscured his face and wore a tattered brown trenchcoat. But there was something unsettlingly familiar about the orange scarf tied around his neck. He too stood, apparently unhurt, and looked at her with icy blue eyes. "Oi, neesan."
The blonde took a step back, startled. "Juunana-gou!? You're...alive? D-do yatte?"
The male Jinzouningen, thought lost after the Cell Game, casually straightened his jacket and shook his head. "Not a clue. I recall getting absorbed by Cell and then--" he raised his hands "--it's a blank. I just remembered being back, no explanations."
"How come you never showed yourself? I...I was worried about you...for a long time." The woman looked down, almost ashamed with herself for not seeking her brother longer. She had left him for dead and now here he was.
Juunana-gou shrugged, looking as cool as always. "No real reason too. I eventually figured out Cell had killed Son Goku and when he came back, I didn't care to hunt him down anymore. Been living out here ever since. I got a cabin just back there. Can I offer you some tea?" he asked cordially.
All of sudden remembering why she was here, "The dragon ball! Do you have it with you?"
Sighing, "Yeah, here you go." Juunana-gou reached into his coat and pulled out the orange sphere. "I found it a while back; almost forgot I had it." He tossed her the dragon ball, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You know, I actually thought you might have come looking for me again..." After a pause, the still young-looking man chuckled. "Don't know why I kept running away. Maybe I didn't want to be found. It's nice here, with the birds and stuff. I see now why Juuroku-gou liked them so much."
Silence.
"I still don't regret it," Juunana-gou said at last, softly. "Doing what we did, I mean. It was never really about killing Son Goku, or anyone else. I just liked being together, with you and Juurokugou. It was like...family."
"Come back with me!" Juuhachi-gou pleaded. "I...I have a family now. It would be nice for Marron to know her uncle," she added with a tiny smile.
Juunana-gou looked like he was about to refuse, but another tremor made him pause. Shrugging, "Sure, why not? A change of pace might liven things up a bit." A moment later, two Jinzouningen pierced the canopy and headed north. A point on the horizon was starting to turn dark. "A fight?" the man asked.
"Yes, unfortunately," the blonde admitted. "That's why I needed the dragon ball."
"Heh. Family life is already agreeing with me." Cracking his knuckles, "Yosh!"
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 IV -- Madness in the Heart
Episode 31 -- Rushing Against The Clock!! Get Those Dragon Balls!!
Outside on the cool, green lawns of Capsule Corporation stood eight figures. Among them were seven of the most crucial inventions ever created, every one beeping softly with a marker for each of the seven different crystalline targets. There was a tense moment after Goku teleported away that the remaining Z Senshi gathered outside, waiting for their chance to act. They could sense the Saiyajin announcing his presence with a clear ki signature. They waited with bated breath for the challenge to be acknowledged.
His every sense attuned to the coming battle, Yugure Vegeta was the first to spot it. An enormous ki signaled that Goku had met with his dark counterpart, bringing the prince back to the present. "We move!!" He shot off like a bullet, the other seven fighters following at their respective reaction times. The air was filled with a backwash of heat and air for a moment, then ended, the Senshi now streaking to the four corners of Chikyuu.
Yugure Trunks was heading approximately southwest at breakneck speeds, totally unaware of how much time had already passed. It wasn't until he reached the inner ocean that he looked in the water and saw a reflection behind him that he realized the cute blonde girl wasn't far behind. A sudden rise in ki over the horizon made him stop, the Jinzouningen slowing next to him. They exchanged a nervous glance.
"He figured it out pretty quick," Juuhachi-gou mused.
"Time's against us, let's hurry," Trunks replied. He said "Good luck!" before taking off again on a more direct route to his target.
"You too!" she called to his back and followed suite, disappearing behind a cloud.
Trunks was in a daze. There was just so much going on in his head, he actually had to double back, having flown over his dragon ball. The lavender-haired teen descended to a desert area, apparently flattened by some titanic battle. The landmarks were different, but he slowly recognized it as the same place they had encountered Nagareboshi. It was with mild surprise that he found the abandoned spaceship in the same place they had before, but this one was a total wreck. It's destruction was obviously deliberate. He idly wondered if this world's Senshi had to deal with whatever arrived in it.
There was one particularly large crater where the ground had collapsed, filling the first of the four chambers with rubble. The blip on his Dragon Radar took Trunks down into the middle of it and he quickly began to dig around. Bulma was right when she said this model was more accurate, for it helped the half-Saiyajin pin the dragon ball down to within a meter. There was a small fissure, so Trunks poked his hand in and fished around. He eventually grabbed something small and round, pulling out his crystalline prize.
Getting his bearings again--the poor guy seemed to have a problem with directions--Trunks flew off to the north. He could detect the battle raging between Goku and Kakarotto as it occasionally jumped around. The half-Saiyajin noticed with a start that it was gradually heading towards their agreed gathering place, Kami's lookout. He put on an extra burst of speed and wondered where the others were.
~~~~~
Goten was furiously rubbing his arms to warm them against the biting wind. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered why he was always the one stuck in the cold. The target on his Dragon Radar took him to the far northwest in the land of ice and snow. Had his teeth not been chattering, he would have laughed as a familiar mountain village came into sight. The half-Saiyajin needed only look at his radar one more time before he was sure where the dragon ball was. He landed outside a cozy looking cottage and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a thoroughly surprised Kumato.
"Snow Boy? Well, h'lo again!" the bear-man said with the same toothy grin. He ushered the shivering teen inside.
"Yeah, hi," Goten said quickly. "I'm looking for this thing. It looks like a small orange ball, with tiny red stars inside. Kinda like that," he added, pointing to a jewel tied with a ribbon among some flowers. Realization dawned on the youth and he hurried over to pick it up. He yanked it out of the ribbon, knocking over what was apparently a hat. Kumato's sister looked at him in bewilderment. "Anou, sankyuu!" Goten sprinted out of the house, Kumato's hearty laughter drowning out his shrieking sister's voice.
Goten wiped the sweat from his brow, which had already begun to freeze on his head from the cold weather. Surmising that he could get to Kami's lookout faster by continuing west, he sped off. Ahead, the energy that pin- pointed Goku's fight with Kakarotto seemed far too close. [Aiyaa...]
~~~~~
Goku spun with the punch that followed, using his momentum to plant a foot in Kakarotto's side. Although the endurance bestowed on him by Super Saiyajin 3 was enough to let him shrug off the blow, it did nothing to dull the pain. And that last hit hurt more than Goku would have liked to admit.
The two squared off again and charged. They traded blows in a blur, arm meeting arm and fist meeting fist. At the intense speed the Z Senshi were accustomed to fighting, it sounded like heavy machinegun fire. Goku managed to get inside his enemy's defense and delivered two quick knees to the chin. Seizing Kakarotto in an arm lock, the unscarred Saiyajin rocketed earthward to drive his blemished foe into the stony ground.
The defender of Chikyuu knew his limited power would drain more quickly with prolonged battle, so used all his strength to simply pin the struggling Kakarotto down. With leverage to his advantage, he would have succeeded had it not been for another sudden tremor. Loosening Goku's grip, Kakarotto broke free and slammed his opponent's back into the crater wall with shattering force.
"This...is...what...you...get...for....challenging...me!!!" growled the mad Saiyajin, each word punctuated with another blow to the face. "I'm invincible, na?" he added, grinning at the bloody-lipped Goku. He clenched his hands together above his head for another strike, but a stitch in his side made him wince.
Goku seized the opportunity and rammed his fist into Kakarotto's side. "You talk to much," the younger Saiyajin remarked. Pushing the cringing madman back, he grabbed Kakarotto's arm and a standard judo throw flung the villain up into the air. Then he disappeared. "Kuso!" Goku swore, jamming two fingers to his forehead.
Traveling approximately at the speed of thought (though that wasn't terribly fast for Goku), the swirling non-color of Shunkan Idou travel surrounded him. Reaching out was like trying swim through molasses, but Goku managed to get a grip on Kakarotto's foot and pulled him out of the teleportation and back to Chikyuu. He flew down and swung the madman into a cliff, fortunately not far from where they begun fighting.
A pair of ki bolts descended on the rubble, washing them with flame. His vision obscured by the light, Goku didn't see Kakarotto flying up and was thus unable to dodge the fist that dug into his stomach. Winded, he barely managed to counter the next two punches. They separated slightly and swung at each other, but their images seemed to fade away. There was a resounding crash a moment later and they reappeared, Goku hurtling down into a forest. Snapping through trees, he eventually caught himself on his hands and knees. A swift mule kick prevented the following Kakarotto from attacking and Goku stood, delivering a crushing right cross.
Kakarotto stumbled, but managed to teleport away from the follow-up. The sane man--who was getting fed up of his evil counterpart--growled and was forced to follow again. But this time, Kakarotto pulled out early and doubled back just in time to catch the gullible hero with a lariat. The mad Saiyajin continued with a kick to the spine that made it sound like the bones would crumble. As he careened through the air, Goku gritted his teeth and Shunkan Idou-ed again, managing to catch the fleeing Kakarotto with a two-fisted swing.
They both paused to catch their breath, angry at themselves for not being able to finish it by now. It was a stalemate of the worst kind. They were strong enough to pummel each other senselessly, but not enough so for either to gain a decisive advantage. Goku in particularly was straining by now to maintain this pace. Fighting at Super Saiyajin 3 for this long was still no easy feat and time was precious.
Like dueling gunman, both Saiyajin abruptly struck with a ki blast that filled the air with smoke and fire. And so it started all over again.
~~~~~
Chibi Trunks was tapping his foot impatiently, seated on the steps into Kami's palace. Just behind him, Chibi Goten-- lacking anything better to do--was staring at the dragon ball they had found.
It was in a bird's nest, always the obvious place to find one of the glittering crystals orbs, halfway up Karin's tower. As a result, the two children were the first to arrive at the gathering point, pausing only to get some Senzu from the ivory tower's master. The large white cat and his fat samurai companion were on their way out and Trunks decided it might be a good idea if Dende and Mr. Popo left as well. The young Kami was sullen, but agreed on the condition he would stay close by to heal anyone with serious injuries. The two mystical men had then boarded a flying carpet and hovered off to safety. That was two minutes ago, but the wait felt like an eternity.
"Trunks-kun?"
"Hai."
"Do you...think we can beat him?"
"Kakarotto, you mean?"
"...hn..."
Trunks turned around, giving the younger boy a thumbs-up. "We have to," the purple-haired youth smirked. "Losing isn't an option." There was a twinge at his senses and the two half-Saiyajin stood up at the same time. "He...he's getting too close..."
"What do we do!?" Goten said, looking panicked.
Trunks clenched his fists. "We fight." The pair rushed out into the courtyard, watching as some small explosions in the distance grew closer and louder, like approaching thunder. No words passed between the two as they defiantly faced the imminent danger. The Son boy steadied himself, resolve to avenge Gohan filling him with the energy he would need for battle.
It came all too quickly, announced by Goku's prone body crashing into the side of the floating palace. As the tall Saiyajin struggled to rise to defend himself from the next attack, his blurred vision caught sight of two small figures deflecting an incoming blast of red ki. "G-goten! Trunks! D...dame..." Needless to say, the two youngest Super Saiyajin ignored him, powering up to attack.
A bit aways, Kakarotto blinked as he saw a pair of children apparently foolish enough to throw their lives away. "What do you two gaki think you're doing?" he queried, touching down at the edge of the courtyard. "Do you seriously believe you have the power to stop me? You're just pups!"
"No, we don't," Trunks said through clenched teeth. "But Gotenks does." He and Goten took their positions, posing oddly in the dance of Fusion. Kakarotto blinked at the ridiculous maneuver, unaware of what was in store for him. "Fuuuuuu..."
"...siiiooon...."
""HA!!!"" The two half-Saiyajin said together, touching their fingers in the final pose. A brilliant flash of white lit the courtyard like an enormous floodlight and Kakarotto drew back in surprise. When he dared to open his eyes, the mad Saiyajin gasped. In place of the two boys was now one, his small body seething with power beneath the heavy black and orange leather vest. The little warrior did a few stretches, dusted off his billowing white pants, then flexed rather impressively for a child, his high-pitched guffaw irritating Kakarotto to no end.
"Nande kuso?" the madman exclaimed. "W-what the hell is _this_!?"
""Oh ho ho ho!"" Gotenks laughed confidently. ""This baka-bakemono doesn't know who Gotenks is! We'll show you, chikuSHOU!!!"" The Goten/Trunks-Fusion pushed his ki up to max, his golden locks shining with light as it expanded with each successive stage of power. Fire and lightning jumped to life around the younger level three Super Saiyajin.
"Iie...dammit," Goku groaned, trying to force his screaming body back into the fight. "Power *cough*...isn't enough. Kusooo..."
Gotenks dashed forward and Kakarotto attacked with a hasty lunge. The child warrior leapt at the last second and landed behind the larger Super Saiyajin, turning for a surprise attack. The madman tried to counter with a backhand, but Gotenks grabbed his arm and swung, planting two feet firmly in his enemy's face. Kakarotto stumbled back and the small Senshi plowed into him, driving the mad Saiyajin off the lookout and down, into the river far below.
Gotenks quickly shot back up with an explosion of water and flared his aura. ""RENZOKU SHINE SHINE MISSILE!!!"" Blast after blast of ki pierced the river, tearing apart the river bed. And the shores. And the surrounding forest. A series of explosions rang out, scaring away the wildlife. Still Gotenks continued to channel all his energy into this one attack. At last, it ended, the Fusion warrior breathing heavy as he appraised the damage. A smirk graced his face and he flashed a 'victory' sign. ""Yeah yea--ahg!""
The next thing Gotenks saw was Kakarotto's mocking face at the end of a long, furry arm. The madman tightened his grip on the small fighter's neck, amused at how he squirmed. "Foolish boy. All the power in the world won't help if you don't know how to fight." Blood poured from Gotenks' mouth as his throat was squeezed mercilessly. "But I will give you this: you have a lot of heart. But not for long." Kakarotto grinned evilly, relishing the moment. "I'll just take it like I took Gohan's." He drew his hand back, fingers poised like a claw.
"Not today, yarou!!" Yugure Goten shouted, wrapping his arm around Kakarotto's to halt the blow. His other hand pulled back on the mad Saiyajin's hair while the teen's knee rammed up into his foe's back. Kakarotto's glazed eyes stared up into the blue sky, not registering that a furious Yugure Trunks was descending on him as well. The older half-Saiyajin slammed into Kakarotto, sending him careening to the ground. "Thanks for showing up," Goten said with a chuckle. He clapped hands with his best friend.
"Who's the shorty?" Trunks asked, pointing a thumb at Gotenks. The Fused boy shuddered, a bit of static crackling around him as the spell broke. The two older half-Saiyajin quickly caught their exhausted counterparts. "Ah, nevermind. Oi, you guys okay?"
Chibi Trunks looked up weakly. "G-go...gomen. We're not *cough* strong enough..."
"Are you well enough to fly?" The younger Trunks pushed away, proving that he could hover slowly on his own. "Right; take Goten and the dragon balls we found and go back to the lookout."
As the children floated precariously away, Yugure Goten looked down to see a groggy Kakarotto pulling himself out of a crater. "Shall we?"
Yugure Trunks straightened his shirt and nodded. "Let's."
~~~~~
Far to the east, in the barren waste below the Southern Range, Vegeta's search for a dragon ball brought him to a place of the past. It was the mountainous desert where he had fought Goku during his first visit to Chikyuu. The Saiyajin no Ouji surveyed the area with an air of nostalgia. Even though he was aware the fight with Kakarotto was getting dangerously close to Kami's lookout, he couldn't help but reminisce.
Back then, when he first squared off against 'Kakarotto,' it was the perfect fight. Just two men at the height of their strength, pitted against each other for no other reason than to prove themselves. The dragon balls weren't a concern. No fear of a greater force wiping them out. No life debt to worry about. Just the pure, simple joy of battle. Vegeta shook his head, thinking about how his life changed. He had obligations now, to his family, to the world. Not too long ago, the prince had wanted to go back to that other time. Go back to being a selfish murder. He wanted that, or at least, had convinced himself to want that. It was a lie, he could see that now. There were better things to live for.
"Time to go to work," Vegeta murmured. He clicked the button on the Dragon Radar, trying to pin-point his target. Searching through the dust and rocks was no easy task, but an unwavering perseverence saw him through. Finally, the dragon ball sat before him, reflecting his image in its flawless surface. One gloved hand picked it up, marveling at how so much trouble came about because of this silly crystal trinket. The prince snorted, then flew off across the water.
If only it was so easy for the other Vegeta, maybe they would have had all seven together already. The other worldly prince was having a supremely difficult time fighting the pounding rain and buffeting winds of a typical storm in Yunzabitt Heights. Lightning blinded him, thunder deafened him, and hail the size of fists rocked the Saiyajin's body. Yugure Vegeta swore he had never been more wet and miserable in his entire life, stuck searching the endless peaks and valleys of Yunzabitt for the past twenty-something minutes. "This is madness!!!" he roared at the storm. The prince flared his golden aura, its intense heat turning the rain to steam, but other wise doing little to help the situation.
It was difficult enough to see the Dragon Radar in the tempest, let alone get it to work properly. After much fussing and swearing, Vegeta finally narrowed the dragon ball down to under a giant flying saurian. The ugly bird-like creature looked even more upset than the Saiyajin Prince, perhaps being caught here in mid-migration. Spotting the bedraggled man, it cawed at him in anger. [Enough is enough,] Vegeta thought angrily. He simply grabbed the saurian's beak and twisted, breaking it's neck and effectively getting it to move. Vegeta picked up the dragon ball and rocketed away, thankful for finally getting a chance to dry.
Yugure Vegeta's path took him over the Yahhoi Forest and past the once-ruins of the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, the latter being his only indication that he had veered slight to the west. A purely random firing of synapses in his brain reminded him of a news story about somebody named Red trying to rebuild the neglected base, probably his world's version of the guy he heard about on the infirmy TV. Doubling back, it wasn't long before the ivory tower came into view and the prince turned to fly up. From this vantage, he could see the surrounding area was pock-marked with explosions and a sudden flash of light on the other side of Karin's tower told him that the fight was still on.
The Yugure Ouji eventually reached the top where he saw his counterpart arguing with a very bruised Goku. Off to the side, the younger Goten and Trunks were sullenly guarding the collection of dragon balls. The other worldly prince tossed his into the pile and advanced on his shouting double. "What's going on!? Why are you fighting!?" he demanded.
The Vegeta of this world glared, but spoke in a more civil tone. "This baka wants to Fuse with me."
"I'm tellin' ya," Goku said with a pained expression. "Doin' it's our only shot right now. I don't know how long Goten an' Trunks can last out there."
"Fuse?" Yugure Vegeta asked mildly.
"Some stupid dance," the other grumbled.
Goku shook his head, annoyed. "But we'll get a lot stronger!"
"You're not in much shape to do anything," the older prince noted, eyeing the taller Saiyajin's numerous wounds. Yugure Vegeta turned to stare pointedly at his counterpart. "If it will make us strong enough to defeat Kakarotto, then you'll Fuse with me."
Vegeta snorted, his usual response to an inane idea. "Don't be absurd. I'll just go fight the bakemono myself." Uncrossing his arms, the younger prince strode away, but was yanked back. He was forcibly spun around to face his furious older self. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Saving your life, ahondara!!" Yugure Vegeta roared.
"Che! My life is my own to do with as I see fit!" Vegeta leaned in close, speaking now in a lower but no less barbed tone. "I will gladly give my life to save my mate and child."
"And how do you think they'd feel when you're dead?" the older man countered. There was a dangerous glint in his coal black eyes that sent a shiver down Vegeta's spine. "I made a promise to _your_ mate that _you_ wouldn't die. I intend to keep that promise...whether you like it or not."
~~~~~
In the forests west of South Capital, Juuhachi-gou was probably having the hardest time of all finding her dragon ball. The canopy was thick and brambly to the point of absurd, making it damn near impossibly to even get inside. It certainly didn't help that her target was constantly moving around. The Jinzouningen woman wasn't aware just how badly the fight with Kakarotto had been going this whole time, but she understood that every minute counted and she had wasted way too many minutes already.
Becoming so frustrated, the blonde woman actually had to stop for a moment and compose herself. This was getting nowhere fast. Sucking up her courage, she decided she would just have to regret wearing her nice clothes some other time and dove down, crashing through the thorny branches. She touched down on the forest floor and inspected the damage. [Oh damn...that's going to cost a lot,] Juuhachi-gou thought sourly. [I'll just tack it on to Satan's bill as payment for wishing him back.]
Getting back to the matter at hand, Juuhachi-gou found it was much easier searching below the leaves. A suspicious shadow was flitting through the trees up ahead and the readings from her radar made it seem like it was carrying the dragon ball. Taking off at a run, the Jinzouningen quickly gained on the shadow that was unsuccessfully trying to be stealthy and tackled it. Getting up and dusting herself off, the woman looked at the young man she had knocked down.
He had long black hair that--now mussed--obscured his face and wore a tattered brown trenchcoat. But there was something unsettlingly familiar about the orange scarf tied around his neck. He too stood, apparently unhurt, and looked at her with icy blue eyes. "Oi, neesan."
The blonde took a step back, startled. "Juunana-gou!? You're...alive? D-do yatte?"
The male Jinzouningen, thought lost after the Cell Game, casually straightened his jacket and shook his head. "Not a clue. I recall getting absorbed by Cell and then--" he raised his hands "--it's a blank. I just remembered being back, no explanations."
"How come you never showed yourself? I...I was worried about you...for a long time." The woman looked down, almost ashamed with herself for not seeking her brother longer. She had left him for dead and now here he was.
Juunana-gou shrugged, looking as cool as always. "No real reason too. I eventually figured out Cell had killed Son Goku and when he came back, I didn't care to hunt him down anymore. Been living out here ever since. I got a cabin just back there. Can I offer you some tea?" he asked cordially.
All of sudden remembering why she was here, "The dragon ball! Do you have it with you?"
Sighing, "Yeah, here you go." Juunana-gou reached into his coat and pulled out the orange sphere. "I found it a while back; almost forgot I had it." He tossed her the dragon ball, then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You know, I actually thought you might have come looking for me again..." After a pause, the still young-looking man chuckled. "Don't know why I kept running away. Maybe I didn't want to be found. It's nice here, with the birds and stuff. I see now why Juuroku-gou liked them so much."
Silence.
"I still don't regret it," Juunana-gou said at last, softly. "Doing what we did, I mean. It was never really about killing Son Goku, or anyone else. I just liked being together, with you and Juurokugou. It was like...family."
"Come back with me!" Juuhachi-gou pleaded. "I...I have a family now. It would be nice for Marron to know her uncle," she added with a tiny smile.
Juunana-gou looked like he was about to refuse, but another tremor made him pause. Shrugging, "Sure, why not? A change of pace might liven things up a bit." A moment later, two Jinzouningen pierced the canopy and headed north. A point on the horizon was starting to turn dark. "A fight?" the man asked.
"Yes, unfortunately," the blonde admitted. "That's why I needed the dragon ball."
"Heh. Family life is already agreeing with me." Cracking his knuckles, "Yosh!"