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 V -- Evil, Revisited
Episode 33 -- The Return Home!! But Yesterday Won't Go Away!!
In the boundless void that is the Dead Zone, dwelt something long forgotten. It flitted about as a shadow in the lightless gloom. It fed on the corpses of the dead, never decaying but always rotten, that roamed this zero-gravity environment like restless zombies. It was the king of a non-world, ruler of the ruined.
He squatted low on a suspended turret, muttering, plotting, scheming. He was wrapped in the tatters of once noble garments, its own appearance ignored for years. "There must be a way, there must be a way," he repeated. The being's small, raspy voice went on and on in a never-ending mantra. ""There must be a way, there must be a way..."
*clunk*
A sound, something hard tapping against rock.
*ca-lunk-ku*
The Lord of the Dead Zone raised his head slowly, his face set in an expression of disbelief. Beady eyes peered about, as if the creature could not believe what his long, pointy ears had heard. Nothing caused sound here, nothing! But no...there was....long ago, or not; time was meaningless. But he remembered about one time, it sounded like a fight. Thumps, crashes, and voices. Eerily familiar voices. The being quickly stood up straight. Could it be? Could the loser have remained here, in the Dead Zone?
He leapt from island to island, drawing ever closer to the echoless clunking. Small but strong hands scrambled on rocks and dirt as he climbed around a strip of land, revealing the impossible source. There! Faint memories welled up in the his mind, recognizing the strange beast before him. It looked like a mass of amorphous fur, several thick tentacles writhing under a knobby carapace. Apparently lacking sight, or even a head--none could be seen--it continually crawled into an obstructing stone; the source of the sounds.
[A kleag'rohsn,] his mind told him. It was a stupid beast that had the habit of assimilating the physical and mental attributes of its prey. Most lost this ability with the first feeding and as a result, many of Makyo-sei's fauna were hideous monsters. [Makyo-sei...my homeland,] thought the kingdomless king. He stood as tall as his short body was able and shouted, drawing the attention of the kleag'rohsn.
"I! I AM GARLIC JR!" he crowed in triumph, the demon's blue fists raised high. Commanded by its instincts, the kleag'rohsn pounced on him and Garlic Jr felt the first pangs of the beast's absorbing abilities. "I think not," he said confidently. Instead of becoming weaker, strength flooded into his tiny frame. "I am the immortal king! You shall become my prey. Ah ha ha ha ha!"
The demon's shrill cackle sounded flat and muted as it carried across the limitless expanse. There must be a way. There is always a way.
~~~~~
Elsewhere, in the land of mortals, a different kind of void was just closing. The swirling mass of pitch black clouds and silver lightning gradually shrank and disappeared, but not before spitting out its three passengers with a crack of thunder. They plummeted down into the forest, breaking through the canopy with a crash. A flock of crows took off, expressing their disapproval with angry caws.
"..uuhhh....itai," Goten groaned. The teen had landed in some bushes that, while breaking his fall, were also a bit too thorny for comfort. He fought with the brambly branches for a couple minutes, untangling them from his clothes and hair. By the time the youngest half-Saiyajin successfully wrestled out of the brush, there were many scratches adorning his face and arms, but he didn't appear to care. "Home again, home again, jiggety jig!" he laughed, doing a little dance. "Damn it's good to be back! Oi, Trunks-kun! OI!!"
"I hear ya!" came the reply. The lavender-haired youth jogged out from behind a boulder and tripped in a narrow brook, splashing mud on his pants. Stepping out, he tried to kick off the muck, then shrugged. "Oh well," he said with a smile. His clothes were a little dusty and there was a tear in his shirt, but Trunks seemed to be unharmed as well.
Goten hurried forward and pounced on his friend with a rowdy hug. "HaHA! I think it worked!"
"Oh, I certainly hope so. Papa!" Trunks called. "Doko ka?"
Not a second later, Vegeta's gloved hands appeared in a nearby tree and the Saiyajin no Ouji expertly swung out of the foliage. "Yo," he replied. He looked a little annoyed, having to pick some twigs and leaves out of his spiky crown of hair. Ignoring the happy faces of the two half-Saiyajin, Vegeta rose off the ground and hovered up above the tops of the trees. While his charges gabbed, he surveyed the area in order to determine their location. The damage from the first fight with Kakarotto could be clearly seen not far away. "It looks like we're back in the Paozu Mountains," he said aloud.
"I'm going to go look for my sword," Trunks said, flying up next to his father. "Kakarotto flipped it into the forest." The prince dismissed his son with nod and Trunks sped away.
Below, Goten sat down on the grass and leaned back, soaking in the mid-day sun. The air was warm, the grass was cool, and all was right with the world. "Ah, now for a well deserved oompf!"
"'Oompf'?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned, looking back down at the ground. "Oh.."
"Goten-saaaaan!" Paresu squealed from her place on Goten's chest. Appearing out of thin air thanks to the Shunkan Idou, she latched onto the young man and was now wringing his neck. "Where'd you go!?"
"Ah.. Anou, Paresu-chan--"
"Son Goku is dead," Vegeta interrupted. He touched down beside the two and crossed his arms sternly, though his voice carried no malice.
"Goku-sama..?" Paresu dead-panned, her eyes darting between the two men. The prince returned her look bravely, his ebon orbs almost looking apologetic. Goten, disquieted, hung his head and his face was obscured by long, raven bangs. The brunette on his chest smiled weakly and brushed the hair from her boyfriend's eyes. "Heh, you could..use a haircut, Goten-san.."
"She's in denial," the older Saiyajin muttered to himself.
"Don't change the subject!" the half Saiyajin said thickly, meeting Paresu's gaze. He stood and made her stand with him, the young man's movements short and brusque. "It was a..a battle and.... See, tousan fought hard to protect me and Trunks-kun and Vegeta-san. And you too..."
"He never gave up fighting," Vegeta added. "It was a warrior's death."
Though her eyes were wet with tears, Paresu didn't utter a single sob. Instead, she listened intently as the two Saiyajin tried to explain the past few days events. Not too far away, Trunks landed in the clearing where old Son Gohan's house was. He had spotted a gleam in the trees and descended to search on foot.
The sheath, dropped and forgotten in the fight, was lying near the well. Aside from a little weathering, it was in decent condition and the lavender-haired teen slung it over his back. He found his beloved sword not five meters into the trees, rammed clean through a tree branch. Some twigs and leaves lay in the grass below, having been sheared off as the razor sharp blade spiraled into the forest. One good yank was all it took to dislodge it and Trunks carefully wiped away some spots of dried bird pooh.
While inspecting the blade to check for possibly troublesome fractures, a chill breeze swept across the area. Trunks looked up, startled. Something, someone, was there..for just a moment. Sheathing his sword, the elder half-Saiyajin faced the sky and bowed slightly. "Sayonara, Goku-san."
A few minutes later, Trunks returned to find Goten and Paresu hugging tightly under the shade of a fir tree. He landed softly next to his father. "You told her?" he whispered.
"Only what she needed to know," Vegeta replied. "I don't completely believe what happened either, so trying to tell her about something I don't even understand is unnecessary."
"I wish we could have saved Goku-san," the prince's son responded, shaking his head. "It's a shame he had to die with Kakarotto."
Vegeta turned, staring up at the wispy clouds that seemed to hang in an otherwise clear blue sky. "Kakarotto wasn't even a person. He was a memory that should have stayed forgotten. Goku may be dead, but..Kakarotto no longer exists, in this world or the next." As Trunks looked away, towards his friends, the Saiyajin no Ouji smirked and raised a hand as if saying farewell.
High above, amidst those few meager clouds, was a small mass of golden fluff. Though his body was slain in the other world, Goku's soul still had ties on Chikyuu and remained in the mortal world. Whisked through the temporal rift with the other Yugure Senshi, he remained long enough to make sure everything would be all right. They would all grieve of course, but there was no immediate danger.
[Chikyuu-okaasama,] Goku thought. [I guess I gotta go now. An' I'll miss ya, but you're in good hands now. Bai bai...] His last ties to his home loosened, Goku's soul soared up and up and up. But he didn't ascend into space, instead being pulled into the Anoyo where other such souls waited at the Enma's checkpoint. The Saiyajin had died once before, but it wasn't like this. Back then, he knew he would be going back. But this time, it was permanent.
~~~~~
After a time, Goku became aware of his surroundings again and found himself in the middle of the enormous line leading into Enma's checkpoint. Although it normally hurried along, it had slowed to a crawl due to some commotion at the front. A moment later, the entire line of souls in front of Goku spread apart as if making way for someone of great importance. He hesitated, looking down the now clear path. The soul behind him gave a nudge and Goku moved forward nervously, feeling like the world's eyes were on him.
Finally, Goku made it up to the check point and floated past the magnificently huge gates. Waiting for him inside were two familiar faces. The giant oni lord Enma appeared rather ill at ease, fidgeting slightly where he stood next to the diminutive North Kaiou. Goku was surprised to see his once teacher leave his personal planet at the end of Snake Way, but the sober look on the deity's blue, catfish-like face told the Saiyajin that he was not here to tell jokes.
"Kaiou-sama, what's goin' on?" the dead Saiyajin asked.
Kaiou took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I'm afraid there are some complications that need to be addressed."
"Uh, I don't get it.."
"Neither do I, my boy. Come along now, I'll explain on the way." Kaiou turned and walked towards the gate to Jigoku, leaving Goku and Enma to follow him like lost, confused puppies. "Enma-sama and his staff have uncovered something peculiar in their files. The records for several souls have been jumbled together. Normally this would be a simple misfiling and quickly corrected, but among them were your files and those of many of your associates. Considering all the things you've been mixed up in, Goku, I immediately suspected more than a simple clerical error."
"Oookay," Goku said slowly, trying to absorb all that. "So what do we hafta do to fix it?"
North Kaiou stopped and paused. "I have no idea. But Enma-sama here has a plan."
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kaiou-sama." Turning to Goku, the giant bearded oni gestured at a bizarre contraption just beyond the gate of Jigoku. A steady stream of rowdy souls were being herded into one end to be sucked into its complicated mechanics. "You see, Son-san, we use this machine to cleanse villainous souls of all their evil. Jigoku is really just a holding pen where cleansed souls wait to be reincarnated and get another chance to live a virtuous life."
Goku's spirit form bobbed slightly, as if nodding.
"Ahem, anyway. We think that these other missing souls are fused with yours and I thought that maybe going through the machine would break the bonds that held you together. With any luck, a dozen or so other souls should pop out with you at the other end."
Goku eyed the imposing machine warily. Gears, cogs, and pistons of all shape and size worked together, creating an awful racket. As souls entered, a thick and disgusting purple ichor--presumably liquefied evil--sloshed into large glass jars. "I've..gotta go...in there..?"
"Shinpai shinai!" Enma reassured him. "Without a body, you won't feel a thing. Go on, go on!" The judge of the afterlife gave Goku a little shove which, considering his size, had enough force to propel the Saiyajin into the machine's intake.
Goku's soul went through its paces, being subjected to all manner of cleansing, though not a dribble of evil was extracted. Suddenly, the contraption gave a tremendous jump, screeching and sizzling with a shower of white sparks. Maintenance oni rushed about, frantically checking to make sure everything was in order and the precious contraption didn't blow up. Finally it ceased and there was a grinding sound, then a dozen souls were shot out the exit, landing in a cloudy heap.
North Kaiou blinked and readjusted his glasses. "Ah, Enma-sama? Would you mind giving all these souls a slightly more corporeal form?"
Enma Daiou looked to his superior with a start and began to sweat. "D-demo, that's a lot of paperwork, especially for so many..."
"Oh, can't you just snap your fingers or something?" the blue god demanded. "It would certainly help clear up this mess a bit faster."
The giant oni sighed in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut as if frightened, raised his car-sized hand, and indeed snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light for each of the souls and when it was gone, there was now a tangled pile of creatures from a variety of races. Instantly, the noise level in the palace rose to a clamor, more oni in a rainbow of colors rushed to and fro in a panic. Enma's personal assistant fainted.
Goku, sitting atop the pile, quickly jumped off. Recognizing various limbs, he began pulling the mass of people apart. "K-kuririn!"
The short man blinked, still feeling a little fuzzy. "Goku? Oi, Goku!" The two friends embraced warmly.
"How'd you get here?" Goku asked. As everyone stood, the Saiyajin face lit up in a wide grin. "And Piccolo? Roshi? Gohan!"
"Otousan!" cried the boy, leaping into his father's arms.
Just aways, Kaiou and a bemused Enma Daiou watched the reunion. "I..I don't understand, Kaiou-sama.. How did all those souls get jammed together?"
The Lord of the Worlds shrugged. "Even I don't know everything, my friend. But what I do know is that we need to take care of these other hapless beings."
While the Z Senshi had gathered together, several other creatures of varying species remained, sitting in a stupor. Some were very gaunt, as if on the brink of death--ironic, considering they were already. Each had a dull, glazed over expression. Except one, the small bone white being standing upright, shakily. His tail was at first still, then began to roll in a steady, rhythmic manner.
"F-Freeza da!?" Piccolo growled, assuming a fighting stance. The shape-shifter reacted to the sound of his name and would have pounced to attack had he not been seized by several burly oni. "Why would he be here? Could it be.." the Namek-seijin thought aloud.
"What's up?" Goku queried as the guards wrestled Freeza through the gate to Jigoku.
"It might be possible that..all of us, and these guys, got into you through Nagareboshi," Piccolo replied. "It wasn't often when I could feel myself in It, but there was always the feeling of a presence."
The Saiyajin held his chin thoughtfully, Gohan perched on his shoulders. "When we were in that Dead Zone, I felt something. Like a surge of ki, kinda."
"Maybe that was us?" his son offered.
While the assemblage debated the circumstances of their astonishing reunion, one of the dull-faced aliens slipped away. The tiny man's sharp blue features, though worn, were stretched tight in a grimace. His mind raced with thought, renewed by his release. For all the decades he had been locked in that kleag'rohsn, he alone managed to keep his wits about him. Skirting around swarming oni and slipping into the shadows, he crouched down out of sight and quickly formulated a plan.
~~~~~
Sunken into the plush velvet cushions of his throne, Amatsu Mikaboshi seethed. The earthy fragrance of a honjozo- shu sake wafted out of his goblet, the sweet rice wine swirling around with the motion of his hand. Things were not going as planned. Despite the seriousness of his previous trangression, the other gods could not truly punish him, but the dark lord did suffer a severe penalty in their game. All would seem lost, had the evil god been any less observant. He was certainly not one to over-look the details and though his ultimate plan had failed, an unexpected ace had dropped right into his lap.
There is always a way.
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 V -- Evil, Revisited
Episode 33 -- The Return Home!! But Yesterday Won't Go Away!!
In the boundless void that is the Dead Zone, dwelt something long forgotten. It flitted about as a shadow in the lightless gloom. It fed on the corpses of the dead, never decaying but always rotten, that roamed this zero-gravity environment like restless zombies. It was the king of a non-world, ruler of the ruined.
He squatted low on a suspended turret, muttering, plotting, scheming. He was wrapped in the tatters of once noble garments, its own appearance ignored for years. "There must be a way, there must be a way," he repeated. The being's small, raspy voice went on and on in a never-ending mantra. ""There must be a way, there must be a way..."
*clunk*
A sound, something hard tapping against rock.
*ca-lunk-ku*
The Lord of the Dead Zone raised his head slowly, his face set in an expression of disbelief. Beady eyes peered about, as if the creature could not believe what his long, pointy ears had heard. Nothing caused sound here, nothing! But no...there was....long ago, or not; time was meaningless. But he remembered about one time, it sounded like a fight. Thumps, crashes, and voices. Eerily familiar voices. The being quickly stood up straight. Could it be? Could the loser have remained here, in the Dead Zone?
He leapt from island to island, drawing ever closer to the echoless clunking. Small but strong hands scrambled on rocks and dirt as he climbed around a strip of land, revealing the impossible source. There! Faint memories welled up in the his mind, recognizing the strange beast before him. It looked like a mass of amorphous fur, several thick tentacles writhing under a knobby carapace. Apparently lacking sight, or even a head--none could be seen--it continually crawled into an obstructing stone; the source of the sounds.
[A kleag'rohsn,] his mind told him. It was a stupid beast that had the habit of assimilating the physical and mental attributes of its prey. Most lost this ability with the first feeding and as a result, many of Makyo-sei's fauna were hideous monsters. [Makyo-sei...my homeland,] thought the kingdomless king. He stood as tall as his short body was able and shouted, drawing the attention of the kleag'rohsn.
"I! I AM GARLIC JR!" he crowed in triumph, the demon's blue fists raised high. Commanded by its instincts, the kleag'rohsn pounced on him and Garlic Jr felt the first pangs of the beast's absorbing abilities. "I think not," he said confidently. Instead of becoming weaker, strength flooded into his tiny frame. "I am the immortal king! You shall become my prey. Ah ha ha ha ha!"
The demon's shrill cackle sounded flat and muted as it carried across the limitless expanse. There must be a way. There is always a way.
~~~~~
Elsewhere, in the land of mortals, a different kind of void was just closing. The swirling mass of pitch black clouds and silver lightning gradually shrank and disappeared, but not before spitting out its three passengers with a crack of thunder. They plummeted down into the forest, breaking through the canopy with a crash. A flock of crows took off, expressing their disapproval with angry caws.
"..uuhhh....itai," Goten groaned. The teen had landed in some bushes that, while breaking his fall, were also a bit too thorny for comfort. He fought with the brambly branches for a couple minutes, untangling them from his clothes and hair. By the time the youngest half-Saiyajin successfully wrestled out of the brush, there were many scratches adorning his face and arms, but he didn't appear to care. "Home again, home again, jiggety jig!" he laughed, doing a little dance. "Damn it's good to be back! Oi, Trunks-kun! OI!!"
"I hear ya!" came the reply. The lavender-haired youth jogged out from behind a boulder and tripped in a narrow brook, splashing mud on his pants. Stepping out, he tried to kick off the muck, then shrugged. "Oh well," he said with a smile. His clothes were a little dusty and there was a tear in his shirt, but Trunks seemed to be unharmed as well.
Goten hurried forward and pounced on his friend with a rowdy hug. "HaHA! I think it worked!"
"Oh, I certainly hope so. Papa!" Trunks called. "Doko ka?"
Not a second later, Vegeta's gloved hands appeared in a nearby tree and the Saiyajin no Ouji expertly swung out of the foliage. "Yo," he replied. He looked a little annoyed, having to pick some twigs and leaves out of his spiky crown of hair. Ignoring the happy faces of the two half-Saiyajin, Vegeta rose off the ground and hovered up above the tops of the trees. While his charges gabbed, he surveyed the area in order to determine their location. The damage from the first fight with Kakarotto could be clearly seen not far away. "It looks like we're back in the Paozu Mountains," he said aloud.
"I'm going to go look for my sword," Trunks said, flying up next to his father. "Kakarotto flipped it into the forest." The prince dismissed his son with nod and Trunks sped away.
Below, Goten sat down on the grass and leaned back, soaking in the mid-day sun. The air was warm, the grass was cool, and all was right with the world. "Ah, now for a well deserved oompf!"
"'Oompf'?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned, looking back down at the ground. "Oh.."
"Goten-saaaaan!" Paresu squealed from her place on Goten's chest. Appearing out of thin air thanks to the Shunkan Idou, she latched onto the young man and was now wringing his neck. "Where'd you go!?"
"Ah.. Anou, Paresu-chan--"
"Son Goku is dead," Vegeta interrupted. He touched down beside the two and crossed his arms sternly, though his voice carried no malice.
"Goku-sama..?" Paresu dead-panned, her eyes darting between the two men. The prince returned her look bravely, his ebon orbs almost looking apologetic. Goten, disquieted, hung his head and his face was obscured by long, raven bangs. The brunette on his chest smiled weakly and brushed the hair from her boyfriend's eyes. "Heh, you could..use a haircut, Goten-san.."
"She's in denial," the older Saiyajin muttered to himself.
"Don't change the subject!" the half Saiyajin said thickly, meeting Paresu's gaze. He stood and made her stand with him, the young man's movements short and brusque. "It was a..a battle and.... See, tousan fought hard to protect me and Trunks-kun and Vegeta-san. And you too..."
"He never gave up fighting," Vegeta added. "It was a warrior's death."
Though her eyes were wet with tears, Paresu didn't utter a single sob. Instead, she listened intently as the two Saiyajin tried to explain the past few days events. Not too far away, Trunks landed in the clearing where old Son Gohan's house was. He had spotted a gleam in the trees and descended to search on foot.
The sheath, dropped and forgotten in the fight, was lying near the well. Aside from a little weathering, it was in decent condition and the lavender-haired teen slung it over his back. He found his beloved sword not five meters into the trees, rammed clean through a tree branch. Some twigs and leaves lay in the grass below, having been sheared off as the razor sharp blade spiraled into the forest. One good yank was all it took to dislodge it and Trunks carefully wiped away some spots of dried bird pooh.
While inspecting the blade to check for possibly troublesome fractures, a chill breeze swept across the area. Trunks looked up, startled. Something, someone, was there..for just a moment. Sheathing his sword, the elder half-Saiyajin faced the sky and bowed slightly. "Sayonara, Goku-san."
A few minutes later, Trunks returned to find Goten and Paresu hugging tightly under the shade of a fir tree. He landed softly next to his father. "You told her?" he whispered.
"Only what she needed to know," Vegeta replied. "I don't completely believe what happened either, so trying to tell her about something I don't even understand is unnecessary."
"I wish we could have saved Goku-san," the prince's son responded, shaking his head. "It's a shame he had to die with Kakarotto."
Vegeta turned, staring up at the wispy clouds that seemed to hang in an otherwise clear blue sky. "Kakarotto wasn't even a person. He was a memory that should have stayed forgotten. Goku may be dead, but..Kakarotto no longer exists, in this world or the next." As Trunks looked away, towards his friends, the Saiyajin no Ouji smirked and raised a hand as if saying farewell.
High above, amidst those few meager clouds, was a small mass of golden fluff. Though his body was slain in the other world, Goku's soul still had ties on Chikyuu and remained in the mortal world. Whisked through the temporal rift with the other Yugure Senshi, he remained long enough to make sure everything would be all right. They would all grieve of course, but there was no immediate danger.
[Chikyuu-okaasama,] Goku thought. [I guess I gotta go now. An' I'll miss ya, but you're in good hands now. Bai bai...] His last ties to his home loosened, Goku's soul soared up and up and up. But he didn't ascend into space, instead being pulled into the Anoyo where other such souls waited at the Enma's checkpoint. The Saiyajin had died once before, but it wasn't like this. Back then, he knew he would be going back. But this time, it was permanent.
~~~~~
After a time, Goku became aware of his surroundings again and found himself in the middle of the enormous line leading into Enma's checkpoint. Although it normally hurried along, it had slowed to a crawl due to some commotion at the front. A moment later, the entire line of souls in front of Goku spread apart as if making way for someone of great importance. He hesitated, looking down the now clear path. The soul behind him gave a nudge and Goku moved forward nervously, feeling like the world's eyes were on him.
Finally, Goku made it up to the check point and floated past the magnificently huge gates. Waiting for him inside were two familiar faces. The giant oni lord Enma appeared rather ill at ease, fidgeting slightly where he stood next to the diminutive North Kaiou. Goku was surprised to see his once teacher leave his personal planet at the end of Snake Way, but the sober look on the deity's blue, catfish-like face told the Saiyajin that he was not here to tell jokes.
"Kaiou-sama, what's goin' on?" the dead Saiyajin asked.
Kaiou took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I'm afraid there are some complications that need to be addressed."
"Uh, I don't get it.."
"Neither do I, my boy. Come along now, I'll explain on the way." Kaiou turned and walked towards the gate to Jigoku, leaving Goku and Enma to follow him like lost, confused puppies. "Enma-sama and his staff have uncovered something peculiar in their files. The records for several souls have been jumbled together. Normally this would be a simple misfiling and quickly corrected, but among them were your files and those of many of your associates. Considering all the things you've been mixed up in, Goku, I immediately suspected more than a simple clerical error."
"Oookay," Goku said slowly, trying to absorb all that. "So what do we hafta do to fix it?"
North Kaiou stopped and paused. "I have no idea. But Enma-sama here has a plan."
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Kaiou-sama." Turning to Goku, the giant bearded oni gestured at a bizarre contraption just beyond the gate of Jigoku. A steady stream of rowdy souls were being herded into one end to be sucked into its complicated mechanics. "You see, Son-san, we use this machine to cleanse villainous souls of all their evil. Jigoku is really just a holding pen where cleansed souls wait to be reincarnated and get another chance to live a virtuous life."
Goku's spirit form bobbed slightly, as if nodding.
"Ahem, anyway. We think that these other missing souls are fused with yours and I thought that maybe going through the machine would break the bonds that held you together. With any luck, a dozen or so other souls should pop out with you at the other end."
Goku eyed the imposing machine warily. Gears, cogs, and pistons of all shape and size worked together, creating an awful racket. As souls entered, a thick and disgusting purple ichor--presumably liquefied evil--sloshed into large glass jars. "I've..gotta go...in there..?"
"Shinpai shinai!" Enma reassured him. "Without a body, you won't feel a thing. Go on, go on!" The judge of the afterlife gave Goku a little shove which, considering his size, had enough force to propel the Saiyajin into the machine's intake.
Goku's soul went through its paces, being subjected to all manner of cleansing, though not a dribble of evil was extracted. Suddenly, the contraption gave a tremendous jump, screeching and sizzling with a shower of white sparks. Maintenance oni rushed about, frantically checking to make sure everything was in order and the precious contraption didn't blow up. Finally it ceased and there was a grinding sound, then a dozen souls were shot out the exit, landing in a cloudy heap.
North Kaiou blinked and readjusted his glasses. "Ah, Enma-sama? Would you mind giving all these souls a slightly more corporeal form?"
Enma Daiou looked to his superior with a start and began to sweat. "D-demo, that's a lot of paperwork, especially for so many..."
"Oh, can't you just snap your fingers or something?" the blue god demanded. "It would certainly help clear up this mess a bit faster."
The giant oni sighed in defeat. He squeezed his eyes shut as if frightened, raised his car-sized hand, and indeed snapped his fingers. There was a flash of light for each of the souls and when it was gone, there was now a tangled pile of creatures from a variety of races. Instantly, the noise level in the palace rose to a clamor, more oni in a rainbow of colors rushed to and fro in a panic. Enma's personal assistant fainted.
Goku, sitting atop the pile, quickly jumped off. Recognizing various limbs, he began pulling the mass of people apart. "K-kuririn!"
The short man blinked, still feeling a little fuzzy. "Goku? Oi, Goku!" The two friends embraced warmly.
"How'd you get here?" Goku asked. As everyone stood, the Saiyajin face lit up in a wide grin. "And Piccolo? Roshi? Gohan!"
"Otousan!" cried the boy, leaping into his father's arms.
Just aways, Kaiou and a bemused Enma Daiou watched the reunion. "I..I don't understand, Kaiou-sama.. How did all those souls get jammed together?"
The Lord of the Worlds shrugged. "Even I don't know everything, my friend. But what I do know is that we need to take care of these other hapless beings."
While the Z Senshi had gathered together, several other creatures of varying species remained, sitting in a stupor. Some were very gaunt, as if on the brink of death--ironic, considering they were already. Each had a dull, glazed over expression. Except one, the small bone white being standing upright, shakily. His tail was at first still, then began to roll in a steady, rhythmic manner.
"F-Freeza da!?" Piccolo growled, assuming a fighting stance. The shape-shifter reacted to the sound of his name and would have pounced to attack had he not been seized by several burly oni. "Why would he be here? Could it be.." the Namek-seijin thought aloud.
"What's up?" Goku queried as the guards wrestled Freeza through the gate to Jigoku.
"It might be possible that..all of us, and these guys, got into you through Nagareboshi," Piccolo replied. "It wasn't often when I could feel myself in It, but there was always the feeling of a presence."
The Saiyajin held his chin thoughtfully, Gohan perched on his shoulders. "When we were in that Dead Zone, I felt something. Like a surge of ki, kinda."
"Maybe that was us?" his son offered.
While the assemblage debated the circumstances of their astonishing reunion, one of the dull-faced aliens slipped away. The tiny man's sharp blue features, though worn, were stretched tight in a grimace. His mind raced with thought, renewed by his release. For all the decades he had been locked in that kleag'rohsn, he alone managed to keep his wits about him. Skirting around swarming oni and slipping into the shadows, he crouched down out of sight and quickly formulated a plan.
~~~~~
Sunken into the plush velvet cushions of his throne, Amatsu Mikaboshi seethed. The earthy fragrance of a honjozo- shu sake wafted out of his goblet, the sweet rice wine swirling around with the motion of his hand. Things were not going as planned. Despite the seriousness of his previous trangression, the other gods could not truly punish him, but the dark lord did suffer a severe penalty in their game. All would seem lost, had the evil god been any less observant. He was certainly not one to over-look the details and though his ultimate plan had failed, an unexpected ace had dropped right into his lap.
There is always a way.