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. Well here we are, finally at Episode 37. From here, DBYZ should resume a fairly regular update schedule, barring unforseen complications. Thanks for sticking it out and I hope you'll keep reading as we venture into new territory.
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 37 -- Resurrection of a Demon!! Are the Heavens Defenseless!?
Basil quickly got to work, setting up the necessary magical seals required to dissolve the crystalline prison. His tiny feet shuffled on the dusty floor as the demon traced various symbols and incantations all around the chamber, using a piece of natural chalk he picked up on the way. Every few minutes, Basil would pause and prick up his pointed ears, alerted by the slightest sound. At this point, he feared nothing more than to be interrupted by the Tenkai's occupants before his mission was accomplished. But despite his nerves, all seemed still.
Finally, after several agonizingly slow hours of work, the seals were complete. This was a type of magic known only by certain demon clansmen, even to the exclusion of the royal family. It was his knowledge of this most ancient art that secured Basil his spot as Garlic Junior's personal assitant. The strange, twisted alphabet of Makyo-seigo looked more like a spider's web than actual words. Indeed, it appeared that the cobwebs gathering in the room's corners had snaked out along the floor to surrounded the central pedestal. Basil was careful not to tred on his precious seals and picked a spot near the door, where some symbols gathered in a circle. This marked the spot where a servant must offer his blood to free his lord. With shaking hands, the little blue demon stuck a thumb in his mouth and cut the tip with a fang. He held out the appendage and squeezed his thumb, watching in morbid fascination as a few drops of dark blue ichor leaked out of the wound and fell to the floor.
The dripping of blood would have sounded very loud in the Tenkai's silent halls. It would have, if the rush of power awakened by the demonic magic hadn't immediately drowned it out in a rush of violent wind. The entire lookout was shaking and Basil fell to his knees. He watched in awe as the crystal glowed and spun, turning in on itself and then expanding out.
Elsewhere in the Tenkai, both the new Kami Dende and his assistant Popo were rudely awakened by the seeming earthquake. They scrambled out of their rooms and were nearly blown away by the howling winds. "What's going on!?" Dende called loudly.
At first Popo said nothing. His eyes were wide with shock and fright, suddenly aware of the old power that was being released. His new master new nothing of this, but Popo himself had been around to serve many Kamis, so he was quite familiar with the evil that had been locked below. "Come with Popo!" the djinn finally replied. "We must stop him!"
"Dare ga?" the young Namek-seijin asked. But his shouting was unnecessary, as the wind ended as abruptly as it had begun. He had no time to ask again as he ran to catch up with Popo's retreating back. They climbed down many stairs, down into the heart of the Tenkai's bowl. It was like a dungeon down here, where many secret treasures remained hidden. Eventually, the pair came upon a room from whose entrance bluish smoke was wafting out. They could see dark shadows moving about and hear hushed voices too low to make out. Fearing the worst, Dende and Popo stepped through the archway.
Garlic's beady eyes narrowed, darting up to look at the newcomers, as his cracked lips twisted into a malicious sneer. Beside the tall blue demon, Basil sat on the floor, startled by the pair's sudden appearance. "Sire, that's him! That's the new Kami!"
~~~~~
Down in the deepest, darkest places of Hell, many voices echoed among the sheer cliffs of obsidian. It was in the lower realms that the worst devils and monsters still lurked in The Pit. It was in the lower realms that the evil essence extracted from bitter souls had pooled, further warping the already warped creatures and landscape. And it was in the lower realms that Chikyuu's Z Senshi fought to maintain the peace.
Goku's gritted his teeth as he struck the spidery beast before him. His knuckles had already been cut on its rough, scaly hide. Each punch brought a sharp stab of pain and he was reminded that this spirit form granted to him by Enma did an excellent job of emulating a real body. He rained down blows on the mutated monster until it staggered away. "This ain't gettin' me nowhere," the Saiyajin grumbled aloud. "I can't do any damage with that thick skin."
The beast eventually regained its balance and growled at Goku, and the man could see many sharp looking teeth bristling in its maw. The evil which leaked down from the checkpoint had invaded this creature's habitat, mutating it into the spider-like thing it was now. Each of its long, segmented legs ended in a taloned paw. Its head seemed to be an excuse for a multiple-jawed mouth with no apparent eyes or nose. Goku wasn't even sure it _could_ see, but it definitely knew where its prey was, as the man had first seen it chasing some oni whose job it normally was to detain such fearsome beasts.
The hideous monster walked in place, spinning its body around so a pincer-like tail could whip at the Saiyajin. Goku nimbly flipped over the first lash, but the pincer opened wide on the second pass and managed to snag his arm. He counted himself lucky that it didn't take off his arm before flinging him into the valley wall. The raven-haired man pushed himself up out of the rubble to see his opponent's pincer tail whip at his head.
Goku was suddenly aware of a new power in the valley where he fought. Before the blow could strike, a blast of wind and flash of light made the man duck.
*SHINK!*
The beast stumbled again and roared in pain, the pincer on its tail falling to the ground with a splatter of green blood. Goku looked up again to see a mass of black rush towards the creature and jump over its hasty attacks. The new being came down with a gruff shout and the monster was split in two. The two halves lay twitching on the floor until it dissolved in a pool of green and purple sludge, the evil essence fueling it expended. The man with the long black haired walked towards Goku with a familiar chuckle.
"Didn't expect to see you here, taisan."
~~~~~
"Kami, na?" Garlic Senior said, advancing on Dende and Popo slowly. "You are not Piccolo, but...you are of his kind. Where is he boy? I must extract my revenge."
"P-P-Piccolo? He d-died many ye-years ago," Dende stuttered. He swallowed hard and tried to drum up his courage, clutching the over-sized staff for support. "But I am Kami now. And I m-must demand you identify yourself."
Garlic blinked in surprise and Popo backed up a step, laying a hand on his master's shoulder. "This not good. Kami and Popo must flee!"
"You are going nowhere," Garlic said. He raised a clawed hand, aiming it at the pair. The room's deepest shadows seemed drawn to his power, reaching out to swirl around the cowering holy men. Popo quickly pushed Dende aside as Garlic closed his hand, commanding the shadows to close around the djinn in a cage of darkness.
"Popo-san!" Dende cried. The young Kami clenched his teeth and fists. He may not be a fighter-type Namek-seijin, but he was still the guardian of this plant! Quickly pulling himself up, Dende ran at the demon with his staff raised angrily.
Garlic scoffed and flipped his hand carelessly. A wave of invisible energy rocked the small alien's body and he was flung against the wall, staff clattering to the ground uselessly. "You're a million years too early, boy. There's no way you can challenge the mighty King Garlic." A rumbling off to the side alerted Garlic to activity within his shadow cage. Popo's fingers poked through the dark surface and with obvious effort, he pulled the prison apart like toffy. "I seem to have underestimated your power, Mr. Popo," the demon noted casually.
Popo charged in a desperate attack and Garlic's fist lanced out, but he missed shorter man. Showing a surprising agility, the rotund being flipped over his opponent. However, he just wasn't fast enough and Garlic countered by swinging his leg around to kick behind his back. Popo was hit hard and slammed into the wall next to Dende. But you can't keep a good djinn down and Popo was back on his feet. Instead of attacking again, he grabbed Dende's hand and practically dragged him away down the hall.
"As I said before, you're going nowhere!" Garlic laughed. He raised his hand and now light radiated from it. It struck out at Dende and Popo like lightning and they were sealed in a magic bubble. As the orb floated back to its creator, it shrank down small enough to fit in the demon's hand. Finally, the bubble turned into a glass jar with a looped handle, the miniaturized holy men trapped within. "I'm afraid there's no escape for you two," Garlic grinned devilishly.
"S-subarashii, ou-sama!" Basil said, crawling up to Garlic. "With such power, you are truly my master's father. And, speaking of my master--"
"In a moment," Garlic said, cutting him off. He casually walked down the hall, occasionally peering into rooms here and there. "There is something I wish to find first."
"B-but, sire!"
"It can wait!!" the demon king barked. Basil had no choice but to trundle after Garlic as he inspected the Tenkai's treasure vaults. At last, they came upon the correct room. Sitting on the pedestal of this one were two decanters: one ebon black and the other ivory white. "Ah, here is where he put it." Garlic picked up the former, running his fingers over its surface. "Do you know what this is, Basil?"
"Could it be...? Is that the Aquamist?"
"Tadashii, this is my royal heirloom. Only the king's of Makyo-sei may weild the dark magic contained within. The Aquamist inside this container creates a special mist, which can awaken the evil essence buried in the hearts of man. Anyone who inhales the mist will find themselves reborn as a demon clansman." Garlic fingered the decanter's seal, but did not open it. "In protest of Piccolo being chosen as the next Kami, I used this to gather an army of monsters and take the throne by force. I was...defeated and that yarou took this from me. But now that he's out of the way, nothing will stop my conquest of Chikyuu."
"Onegai, ou-sama! My master!" Basil begged.
"Yes, where is my son? I would have expected him to try and free me from Kami's infernal prison."
"That is why I am here, my lord," the shorter demon replied, exasperated. "He did try, but was defeated and sealed within his own Dead Zone."
"NAAAAANI!?" Garlic roared, his anger shaking the halls. "Why didn't you set him free already!?"
Quailing under the king's might, Basil fell to his knees--which, considering his height, wasn't very far. "M-m-my knowledge of demon magic is vast, ou-sama. But even at the height of my power, I may only open the entrace to the Dead Zone. To draw something back out of the void is beyond my abilities."
Garlic sneered at his subject. "Of course, you're but a peasant and lack royal blood. Very well, I will do it myself." The demon king strode out of the chamber, then stopped and turned to look back at Basil with a flourish of his cape. "Be assured, my son will punish you himself when he is returned." The lesser demon could only nod sullenly.
Garlic's angry footsteps carried him upstairs quickly and Basil was hard-pressed to keep up with the taller demon's long strides. Passing Kami's throne on the way out, Garlic set down the glass jar in which Dende and Popo were trapped. He smirked at them, then exited the main hall and stepped out onto the Tenkai's courtyard. In the distance, the new day's sun struggled to rise despite heavy clouds. The demon winced at the red light striking his eyes. "I will deal with you soon enough," he growled. "But first."
From his vantage point on the temple steps, Basil watched as the elder demon gathered his dark powers. Garlic raised his arms and a corona of blue surrounded him. A humming filled the air and it felt heavy, almost like the very clouds were sinking. Indeed, everything seemed to drawn in on a single point, which then stretched open to reveal a black expanse. The opposite of a normal Dead Zone's vacuum effect, this pushed a torrent of air out of itself and Basil clung to the temple's columns so as not to be flung away. Fragments of Garlic Junior's old palace dropped out of the void and crashed onto the courtyard, smashing tiles and flattening trees. After a long time, a small shape dropped from the void. Thought wrapped in tattered rags, both Garlic and Basil could make out the Makyo-sei royal crest on his front. With a last surge of power, the demon king closed the Dead Zone's exit and the winds died down to a more normal speed for the Tenkai's altitude.
Garlic strode towards his heir, whom lied shivering on the ground. "What's the matter with you? Get up," he said, now standing above his prostrate son. "Tell me how you have come to this sorry state."
The lump of rags rose up a bit and steadied. A hood covered much of Garlic Junior's face, but the taller demon could still see his son grin. ""No point in telling you, father,"" the being hissed. He raised an arm, but only a writhing mass of tentacles could be seen under the rags and Garlic Senior recoiled in horror. ""You won't be alive long enough to care."" Junior's robes exploded in a mass of tendrils that wrapped around the demon king and his anguished cries eventually died away, apparently consumed. Pausing their movements, the pulsating limbs relaxed, then drew in on themselves. At last they slide back under Garlic Junior's sleeve and he reappeared, but much taller and younger, looking more like his father. The reborn demon inspected himself, satisfied with his tremendous new power. ""Much better,"" he said to himself.
"M-m-my l-lord?" Basil said, hiding behind temple's pillars. "Is th-that you?"
""It is,"" Garlic Junior replied. He walked over to Basil and with every step, the shorter demon shivered more frightenedly. ""You have been very loyal to me, dear Basil. Even to escape from Nagareboshi and return to the living world, all in order to revive me.""
"Hai, Garlic Junior-sama. I only wish to serve," he added with a shaky bow. "B-but, how do you know of the kleag'rohsn?"
""In the Dead Zone, naturally. Immortality has allowed me to conquer Its futile attempts to absorb me.""
"Sugoi..." said the astounded Basil.
""Yes, yes. This new ability I've acquired has some very convenient uses, as you have seen for yourself. I must thank you for giving me this chance to return to power. I always repay loyalty.""
Basil's delighted smile quickly faded away. As the tentacles wrapped around him the way they had Garlic Senior, he could only curse his rotten luck.
Refreshed by his new strength and knowledge, Garlic Junior spread his arms and howled up at the sky. ""Aaaah ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!! My patience has not been in vain!"" he called out. Taking a step back, his foot bumped something that rolled on the ground. Looking around, he found his father's decanter of Aquamist, which had apparently fallen out of his pocket during the struggle. An idea formed in Garlic Junior's head and he strolled back into the temple with the ebon container in his grasp. He sat down on Kami's throne and poked the glass jar. ""Now, what shall I do with this?""
"You must not!" Popo cried from within the jar.
"What is it?" Dende asked, befuddled.
""Evil,"" the blue monster replied simply. Garlic Junior pulled off the stopper and immediately, a black swirling mist poured out of it, creeping along the ground. But instead of letting it all escape, the demon monarch lifted the decanter to his lips and drank.
~~~~~
Elsewhere, among the domed buildings of Capsule Corporation, Goten's head snapped up. A spoon was still in his mouth, having just consumed another mouthful of extremely sugary cereal. He wasn't the only one who was suddenly paralyzed, as a glass slipped out of Trunks' hand and crashed to the linoleum floor. They were both captured by the freezing terror in their hearts at this new sensation. A malevolent power had arisen in a surge of pure hate that reminded them too much of Nagareboshi.
Outside, standing atop the decript spaceship that was their training room, Vegeta stood. His tightly clenched fists shook, but he was smiling grimly. "Don't we ever get a break?"
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. Well here we are, finally at Episode 37. From here, DBYZ should resume a fairly regular update schedule, barring unforseen complications. Thanks for sticking it out and I hope you'll keep reading as we venture into new territory.
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 37 -- Resurrection of a Demon!! Are the Heavens Defenseless!?
Basil quickly got to work, setting up the necessary magical seals required to dissolve the crystalline prison. His tiny feet shuffled on the dusty floor as the demon traced various symbols and incantations all around the chamber, using a piece of natural chalk he picked up on the way. Every few minutes, Basil would pause and prick up his pointed ears, alerted by the slightest sound. At this point, he feared nothing more than to be interrupted by the Tenkai's occupants before his mission was accomplished. But despite his nerves, all seemed still.
Finally, after several agonizingly slow hours of work, the seals were complete. This was a type of magic known only by certain demon clansmen, even to the exclusion of the royal family. It was his knowledge of this most ancient art that secured Basil his spot as Garlic Junior's personal assitant. The strange, twisted alphabet of Makyo-seigo looked more like a spider's web than actual words. Indeed, it appeared that the cobwebs gathering in the room's corners had snaked out along the floor to surrounded the central pedestal. Basil was careful not to tred on his precious seals and picked a spot near the door, where some symbols gathered in a circle. This marked the spot where a servant must offer his blood to free his lord. With shaking hands, the little blue demon stuck a thumb in his mouth and cut the tip with a fang. He held out the appendage and squeezed his thumb, watching in morbid fascination as a few drops of dark blue ichor leaked out of the wound and fell to the floor.
The dripping of blood would have sounded very loud in the Tenkai's silent halls. It would have, if the rush of power awakened by the demonic magic hadn't immediately drowned it out in a rush of violent wind. The entire lookout was shaking and Basil fell to his knees. He watched in awe as the crystal glowed and spun, turning in on itself and then expanding out.
Elsewhere in the Tenkai, both the new Kami Dende and his assistant Popo were rudely awakened by the seeming earthquake. They scrambled out of their rooms and were nearly blown away by the howling winds. "What's going on!?" Dende called loudly.
At first Popo said nothing. His eyes were wide with shock and fright, suddenly aware of the old power that was being released. His new master new nothing of this, but Popo himself had been around to serve many Kamis, so he was quite familiar with the evil that had been locked below. "Come with Popo!" the djinn finally replied. "We must stop him!"
"Dare ga?" the young Namek-seijin asked. But his shouting was unnecessary, as the wind ended as abruptly as it had begun. He had no time to ask again as he ran to catch up with Popo's retreating back. They climbed down many stairs, down into the heart of the Tenkai's bowl. It was like a dungeon down here, where many secret treasures remained hidden. Eventually, the pair came upon a room from whose entrance bluish smoke was wafting out. They could see dark shadows moving about and hear hushed voices too low to make out. Fearing the worst, Dende and Popo stepped through the archway.
Garlic's beady eyes narrowed, darting up to look at the newcomers, as his cracked lips twisted into a malicious sneer. Beside the tall blue demon, Basil sat on the floor, startled by the pair's sudden appearance. "Sire, that's him! That's the new Kami!"
~~~~~
Down in the deepest, darkest places of Hell, many voices echoed among the sheer cliffs of obsidian. It was in the lower realms that the worst devils and monsters still lurked in The Pit. It was in the lower realms that the evil essence extracted from bitter souls had pooled, further warping the already warped creatures and landscape. And it was in the lower realms that Chikyuu's Z Senshi fought to maintain the peace.
Goku's gritted his teeth as he struck the spidery beast before him. His knuckles had already been cut on its rough, scaly hide. Each punch brought a sharp stab of pain and he was reminded that this spirit form granted to him by Enma did an excellent job of emulating a real body. He rained down blows on the mutated monster until it staggered away. "This ain't gettin' me nowhere," the Saiyajin grumbled aloud. "I can't do any damage with that thick skin."
The beast eventually regained its balance and growled at Goku, and the man could see many sharp looking teeth bristling in its maw. The evil which leaked down from the checkpoint had invaded this creature's habitat, mutating it into the spider-like thing it was now. Each of its long, segmented legs ended in a taloned paw. Its head seemed to be an excuse for a multiple-jawed mouth with no apparent eyes or nose. Goku wasn't even sure it _could_ see, but it definitely knew where its prey was, as the man had first seen it chasing some oni whose job it normally was to detain such fearsome beasts.
The hideous monster walked in place, spinning its body around so a pincer-like tail could whip at the Saiyajin. Goku nimbly flipped over the first lash, but the pincer opened wide on the second pass and managed to snag his arm. He counted himself lucky that it didn't take off his arm before flinging him into the valley wall. The raven-haired man pushed himself up out of the rubble to see his opponent's pincer tail whip at his head.
Goku was suddenly aware of a new power in the valley where he fought. Before the blow could strike, a blast of wind and flash of light made the man duck.
*SHINK!*
The beast stumbled again and roared in pain, the pincer on its tail falling to the ground with a splatter of green blood. Goku looked up again to see a mass of black rush towards the creature and jump over its hasty attacks. The new being came down with a gruff shout and the monster was split in two. The two halves lay twitching on the floor until it dissolved in a pool of green and purple sludge, the evil essence fueling it expended. The man with the long black haired walked towards Goku with a familiar chuckle.
"Didn't expect to see you here, taisan."
~~~~~
"Kami, na?" Garlic Senior said, advancing on Dende and Popo slowly. "You are not Piccolo, but...you are of his kind. Where is he boy? I must extract my revenge."
"P-P-Piccolo? He d-died many ye-years ago," Dende stuttered. He swallowed hard and tried to drum up his courage, clutching the over-sized staff for support. "But I am Kami now. And I m-must demand you identify yourself."
Garlic blinked in surprise and Popo backed up a step, laying a hand on his master's shoulder. "This not good. Kami and Popo must flee!"
"You are going nowhere," Garlic said. He raised a clawed hand, aiming it at the pair. The room's deepest shadows seemed drawn to his power, reaching out to swirl around the cowering holy men. Popo quickly pushed Dende aside as Garlic closed his hand, commanding the shadows to close around the djinn in a cage of darkness.
"Popo-san!" Dende cried. The young Kami clenched his teeth and fists. He may not be a fighter-type Namek-seijin, but he was still the guardian of this plant! Quickly pulling himself up, Dende ran at the demon with his staff raised angrily.
Garlic scoffed and flipped his hand carelessly. A wave of invisible energy rocked the small alien's body and he was flung against the wall, staff clattering to the ground uselessly. "You're a million years too early, boy. There's no way you can challenge the mighty King Garlic." A rumbling off to the side alerted Garlic to activity within his shadow cage. Popo's fingers poked through the dark surface and with obvious effort, he pulled the prison apart like toffy. "I seem to have underestimated your power, Mr. Popo," the demon noted casually.
Popo charged in a desperate attack and Garlic's fist lanced out, but he missed shorter man. Showing a surprising agility, the rotund being flipped over his opponent. However, he just wasn't fast enough and Garlic countered by swinging his leg around to kick behind his back. Popo was hit hard and slammed into the wall next to Dende. But you can't keep a good djinn down and Popo was back on his feet. Instead of attacking again, he grabbed Dende's hand and practically dragged him away down the hall.
"As I said before, you're going nowhere!" Garlic laughed. He raised his hand and now light radiated from it. It struck out at Dende and Popo like lightning and they were sealed in a magic bubble. As the orb floated back to its creator, it shrank down small enough to fit in the demon's hand. Finally, the bubble turned into a glass jar with a looped handle, the miniaturized holy men trapped within. "I'm afraid there's no escape for you two," Garlic grinned devilishly.
"S-subarashii, ou-sama!" Basil said, crawling up to Garlic. "With such power, you are truly my master's father. And, speaking of my master--"
"In a moment," Garlic said, cutting him off. He casually walked down the hall, occasionally peering into rooms here and there. "There is something I wish to find first."
"B-but, sire!"
"It can wait!!" the demon king barked. Basil had no choice but to trundle after Garlic as he inspected the Tenkai's treasure vaults. At last, they came upon the correct room. Sitting on the pedestal of this one were two decanters: one ebon black and the other ivory white. "Ah, here is where he put it." Garlic picked up the former, running his fingers over its surface. "Do you know what this is, Basil?"
"Could it be...? Is that the Aquamist?"
"Tadashii, this is my royal heirloom. Only the king's of Makyo-sei may weild the dark magic contained within. The Aquamist inside this container creates a special mist, which can awaken the evil essence buried in the hearts of man. Anyone who inhales the mist will find themselves reborn as a demon clansman." Garlic fingered the decanter's seal, but did not open it. "In protest of Piccolo being chosen as the next Kami, I used this to gather an army of monsters and take the throne by force. I was...defeated and that yarou took this from me. But now that he's out of the way, nothing will stop my conquest of Chikyuu."
"Onegai, ou-sama! My master!" Basil begged.
"Yes, where is my son? I would have expected him to try and free me from Kami's infernal prison."
"That is why I am here, my lord," the shorter demon replied, exasperated. "He did try, but was defeated and sealed within his own Dead Zone."
"NAAAAANI!?" Garlic roared, his anger shaking the halls. "Why didn't you set him free already!?"
Quailing under the king's might, Basil fell to his knees--which, considering his height, wasn't very far. "M-m-my knowledge of demon magic is vast, ou-sama. But even at the height of my power, I may only open the entrace to the Dead Zone. To draw something back out of the void is beyond my abilities."
Garlic sneered at his subject. "Of course, you're but a peasant and lack royal blood. Very well, I will do it myself." The demon king strode out of the chamber, then stopped and turned to look back at Basil with a flourish of his cape. "Be assured, my son will punish you himself when he is returned." The lesser demon could only nod sullenly.
Garlic's angry footsteps carried him upstairs quickly and Basil was hard-pressed to keep up with the taller demon's long strides. Passing Kami's throne on the way out, Garlic set down the glass jar in which Dende and Popo were trapped. He smirked at them, then exited the main hall and stepped out onto the Tenkai's courtyard. In the distance, the new day's sun struggled to rise despite heavy clouds. The demon winced at the red light striking his eyes. "I will deal with you soon enough," he growled. "But first."
From his vantage point on the temple steps, Basil watched as the elder demon gathered his dark powers. Garlic raised his arms and a corona of blue surrounded him. A humming filled the air and it felt heavy, almost like the very clouds were sinking. Indeed, everything seemed to drawn in on a single point, which then stretched open to reveal a black expanse. The opposite of a normal Dead Zone's vacuum effect, this pushed a torrent of air out of itself and Basil clung to the temple's columns so as not to be flung away. Fragments of Garlic Junior's old palace dropped out of the void and crashed onto the courtyard, smashing tiles and flattening trees. After a long time, a small shape dropped from the void. Thought wrapped in tattered rags, both Garlic and Basil could make out the Makyo-sei royal crest on his front. With a last surge of power, the demon king closed the Dead Zone's exit and the winds died down to a more normal speed for the Tenkai's altitude.
Garlic strode towards his heir, whom lied shivering on the ground. "What's the matter with you? Get up," he said, now standing above his prostrate son. "Tell me how you have come to this sorry state."
The lump of rags rose up a bit and steadied. A hood covered much of Garlic Junior's face, but the taller demon could still see his son grin. ""No point in telling you, father,"" the being hissed. He raised an arm, but only a writhing mass of tentacles could be seen under the rags and Garlic Senior recoiled in horror. ""You won't be alive long enough to care."" Junior's robes exploded in a mass of tendrils that wrapped around the demon king and his anguished cries eventually died away, apparently consumed. Pausing their movements, the pulsating limbs relaxed, then drew in on themselves. At last they slide back under Garlic Junior's sleeve and he reappeared, but much taller and younger, looking more like his father. The reborn demon inspected himself, satisfied with his tremendous new power. ""Much better,"" he said to himself.
"M-m-my l-lord?" Basil said, hiding behind temple's pillars. "Is th-that you?"
""It is,"" Garlic Junior replied. He walked over to Basil and with every step, the shorter demon shivered more frightenedly. ""You have been very loyal to me, dear Basil. Even to escape from Nagareboshi and return to the living world, all in order to revive me.""
"Hai, Garlic Junior-sama. I only wish to serve," he added with a shaky bow. "B-but, how do you know of the kleag'rohsn?"
""In the Dead Zone, naturally. Immortality has allowed me to conquer Its futile attempts to absorb me.""
"Sugoi..." said the astounded Basil.
""Yes, yes. This new ability I've acquired has some very convenient uses, as you have seen for yourself. I must thank you for giving me this chance to return to power. I always repay loyalty.""
Basil's delighted smile quickly faded away. As the tentacles wrapped around him the way they had Garlic Senior, he could only curse his rotten luck.
Refreshed by his new strength and knowledge, Garlic Junior spread his arms and howled up at the sky. ""Aaaah ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!! My patience has not been in vain!"" he called out. Taking a step back, his foot bumped something that rolled on the ground. Looking around, he found his father's decanter of Aquamist, which had apparently fallen out of his pocket during the struggle. An idea formed in Garlic Junior's head and he strolled back into the temple with the ebon container in his grasp. He sat down on Kami's throne and poked the glass jar. ""Now, what shall I do with this?""
"You must not!" Popo cried from within the jar.
"What is it?" Dende asked, befuddled.
""Evil,"" the blue monster replied simply. Garlic Junior pulled off the stopper and immediately, a black swirling mist poured out of it, creeping along the ground. But instead of letting it all escape, the demon monarch lifted the decanter to his lips and drank.
~~~~~
Elsewhere, among the domed buildings of Capsule Corporation, Goten's head snapped up. A spoon was still in his mouth, having just consumed another mouthful of extremely sugary cereal. He wasn't the only one who was suddenly paralyzed, as a glass slipped out of Trunks' hand and crashed to the linoleum floor. They were both captured by the freezing terror in their hearts at this new sensation. A malevolent power had arisen in a surge of pure hate that reminded them too much of Nagareboshi.
Outside, standing atop the decript spaceship that was their training room, Vegeta stood. His tightly clenched fists shook, but he was smiling grimly. "Don't we ever get a break?"