I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the right to any of the music pieces you may see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.

A/N: As you can tell by the chapter title, the old fart is coming out. Once he does I will refer to Supreme Kai as "Shin" to keep them separate.

Chapter 14: Old Kai

"I can't imagine that much of what Dabura told you was true. And a being like him with a daughter, that is truly unbelievable! But he and Babidi have likely been traveling through space and dimensions for many years while they were searching for Buu, so it is possible," Supreme Kai explained to me as loud and quick sword swipes filled the air from where Gohan and Goku were.

"So have you ever heard of the Zerg?" I asked him.

"Yes I have, but I never knew them to be a conquering race. Just spotty activity, things could have changed in the past four years however, Kibito and I had been on Earth for a long time looking for Majin Buu's shell. The situation could have easily changed since then, though I never thought they would appear in this galaxy. I know them to be quite a violent race with strange energies being emitted from time to time," Kai continued.

"So, would we have a chance to destroy them if need be?" I asked.

"I really don't know, best thing right now is to focus on Majin Buu. We have plenty of time before the Zerg would show up assuming Dabura was correct in his time estimate. Though it's not officially my position to pass judgment on an entire species, that's something that we Kais do not do, we simply watch over it. Majin Buu is probably the only exception as of now, and he is where our focus should be right now," Kai said, closing the conversation.

I sighed and gave in, turning to observe Gohan once more. Gohan had made a ton progress while I had been fighting in Hell. He was easily lifting and spinning the heavy Z sword like a paperweight, stabbing and swinging with quickness and accuracy. His training was just about complete by my guess, and he did indeed feel stronger, but not like I expected. The way Kibito and Kai bragged about the legend, he should feel much more powerful.

Hmmm, maybe it's the blade, or maybe he just has to turn Super Saiyan to really feel it. As if a call to my thoughts, Goku stood up, an interested look on his face. Gohan finished up another bout of slicing the crap out of the air and flipping the sword around and around in almost dangerous conditions to someone who couldn't handle it. He caught it easily by the handle and descended to the ground in front of Goku and Kibito.

Goku clapped, "Yeah, looking good Gohan! I can't believe you've mastered that sword in just a day, that's incredible son!"

"Yes, most impressive," Kibito acknowledged. Gohan just gave off a grin with a hand in his hair, chuckling slightly.

"Handling the Z sword in this fashion is a sign that Gohan is almost ready to cut down Majin Buu," Kai said as he and I walked up.

"Hey, let's put that sword to the test!" Goku suggested. Well that didn't take long, test time already.

"Sure dad, I'll slice, you toss!" Gohan said.

"Now let's see, ah, we'll start with this small one!" Goku said, walking over to a rather large boulder and digging it out of the ground with ease before raising it above his head.

Kibito and Kai looked a little concerned, "That's a small one?" Kai asked.

I sighed, "You're talking to a pack of Saiyans."

"Okay! Coming at ya, hope this doesn't stress the blade too much!" Goku said.

"Na, it can take it!" Gohan said, pulling the sword back into position.

"Batter up!" Goku shouted as he hurled the boulder at Gohan. Gohan took one easy swipe and watched as the rock split cleanly in half and fell to his sides.

"Piece of cake!" Gohan said with a sharp smile.

"My that was superb Gohan!" Kai said.

"Yes, amazing!" Kibito nodded.

"I think you're ready for a big one son!" Goku boasted.

"Just a minute, how about a little less mass and more density!" Kai asked, holding up his palm. Twelve lines of light appeared in the air, before a solid black mass took its place as a large metal cube.

"Here Goku catch!" He tossed the cube at Goku, who buckled a bit under its weight, but only a bit before easily recovering to hold it high.

"Wow, what's this?" Goku asked.

"That is the hardest known metal in the universe, it's called Katcheen. This will be a much better test!" Kai said, raising the stakes a bit.

"You're not kidding, ready Gohan?"

"Let her fly dad!" Goku turned and fired the Kacheem cube like a baseball, Gohan was only too happy to line up with the sword as a bat. Gohan swung and hit the cube dead on to the point. The sword looked like it sparked at the tip, before bending slightly and breaking in two.

"Oh no, now it's the Z dagger!" Gohan joked by accident as the metal cube went sailing and crashed to the ground behind him.

"Oh no, tell me it's not true Kibito!" Kai screamed.

"It's true! It's broken!" Kibito claimed.

"Oh man. Wow, I guess it's called the hardest metal in the universe for a reason isn't it?" Goku asked.

"Heh, whoops," Gohan frowned a scratched his head.

"B-b-but, he who wields the sword is supposed to have the greatest powers in the universe!" Kai stuttered.

"Swing the sword and you can't be rivaled, it's legend!" Kibito tagged along with him.

"Well, I guess they never tested that legend out before," Gohan mumbled, dropping the other half of the sword with the handle. "Hey guys, there is definitely a bright side to this, the sword training has made me stronger and faster. Maybe it's just whoever masters the handling of the sword that gains the power!" Gohan said.

"Yes, that's got to be it! Gohan has become stronger, and if he's stronger at this level then he'll be much stronger as a Super Saiyan! He must not need the sword!" Kai got into a jumping in joy mood.

"Yeah, but does Gohan's power surpass Majin Buu's? I'm not so sure that it does!" Goku said. I agreed with that statement, Goku and Gohan were now pretty close on the normal level, and Goku had another level of Super Saiyan he could go to that still couldn't truly take on Buu and beat him.

"What are you saying Goku, that we don't have a chance?" Kai asked as he frowned.

"QUIET!" A loud and raggedy voice sounded, scaring the Kai and Kibito shitless. We all spun around to see what looked like another purple Kai; he had on the same outfit and the ears and earrings matched. He looked like a ninety year old that should be using a walker, really wrinkled up and short spotty hair with a peach fuzz type mustache.

"Ah much better, hehehe!" the old fart said.

"Uh excuse me sir, we're in the middle of training!" Goku pointed out.

"You call that training?"

"Who are you?" Kai asked.

"Who me? Check out the hairstyle youngster! And the earlobes, yes and the dashing good looks. I'm just an older version of yourself, fifteen generations to be precise! A Kai!" The old guy rattled on. Maybe the first two, but this guy could easily win an ugly contest.

"What, fifteen generations ago?" Kai asked in surprise.

"There are two Supreme Kais?" Kibito added in shock.

"Yes, I'm sure your wondering how I am still alive after so many years? So listen up, ack.. ack.." The old Kai wheezed slightly.

"There was a terrible villain who lived way back then. Well, not as terrible as Majin Buu, but still pretty bad. He feared that I would use my awesome powers against him, so he tricked me and sealed me inside the Z sword from whence I came as you saw," Old Kai explained.

"So you were trapped inside the Z sword all this time?" Shin asked.

"I sure was, now a got a Charlie horse like you wouldn't believe!" Old Kai claimed. I wasn't sure what to make of this old fart; he looked like he could give Master Roshi a run for his money, if that.

"I don't think this guy is as strong as he says, do you two?" Goku whispered to me and Gohan.

"Not really dad," Gohan said.

"Nada," I said quickly.

"How about we put him to the test?"

"I don't know Goku, I doubt he can handle anything we throw at him, and he's a Kai, we might get banished or something," I said.

"Nah, if he's a Kai, he can handle it! King Kai always could! Watch!" Goku charged a weak blast and fired it at the Old Kai, who was trying to stretch out his back. The blast hit him dead on in the face, knocking him backwards and leaving him smoking. I just shook my head as Kibito and Shin raced over to help him up. His face was slightly charred, but he sprang right back to life.

"How dare you attack a fearsome presence of my ability, are you insane?" Old Kai threatened.

"But sir, that was just child's play! My youngest son could have handled that one easy!" Goku argued. Old Kai brushed the burn marks off his face.

"All of my enemies feared me! It wasn't my physical strength but my menacing capacities that struck fear into their hearts!"

"So you're not that strong yourself huh?" Goku asked, disappointed.

"No, not strength, special capacities!" Old Kai corrected him.

"So what are these capacities?" Goku asked.

"I'm not telling, nope, no way!" Old Kai said, sticking out his wrinkled tongue.

"No? Well hmmm, let's see here. Oh yes, my old master likes girly magazines. Do you want us to get you some?" Goku asked with a sly smile.

"Oh Dad, come on," Gohan whined.

"Goku, how inappropriate!" Shin scolded.

"He doesn't need any more excitement at his age, probably give him a heart attack," I joked, drawing a big scowl from Kibito.

"I have no need for such things, with my great vision I can see girls playing down on the beach!" Old Kai said, looking off in a different direction.

Shin face faulted, "You call yourself a Kai?" Hmph, Master Roshi with magical powers.

"Hey old man, I can get you a date with a real live earth woman!" Goku whispered a little to loudly in his ear.

"Is she hot? I like them big if you know what I mean" Old Kai asked, squeezing the air with both hands suggestively.

"Yeah of course!" Goku boasted, as Old Kai seemed to excite himself while Gohan tapped his dad out of the conversation.

"Dad, are you nuts? How are you going to find someone who wants to get anywhere near that guy!" Gohan asked as Kibito's ugly stare focused on him.

"Hey, I can't go back to earth, but you can! It might require a bit of sacrifice though. Can you get Videl to do it?" Goku asked.

Gohan instantly turned crimson red all over, "Dad I'm not going to ask my girlfriend to get anywhere near that old relic!" Well at least Gohan admitted it this time. I stayed silent though, trying not to laugh at the current situation.

"Okay okay, who else can we get?" Goku asked him, Gohan was still steamed. Goku seemed to think it over for a minute, before dashing over to the old pervert.

"Alright, I have someone in mind, but she's not quite as she used to be!" Goku said to him.

"Doesn't really matter as long as she's hot!"

Goku dashed back to Gohan, "What about Bulma, you think she'd do it?"

"What, why are you asking me? I don't want any part of this!" Gohan shouted.

Goku motioned for me to come in at this point, "Look I think its worth it if this guy's powers can help us out, Bulma will listen to you two won't she?"

"Dad, have you had a good look at that guy. Come on, can't you imagine how mad she would be if his so called powers didn't do any good?" Gohan asked him.

"Forget it Goku, she won't do it! I wouldn't even ask her to and Vegeta would probably kill him ten times over if he found out. Then he'd go after you for even bringing it up, dead or not," I said, shaking my head, but Goku ignored it.

"It's a done deal, now what are these powers of yours?" Goku asked, slapping the Old farts fragile hands. I sighed, Well maybe we can renig on that deal later.

-

Elder Kai cleared his throat and wheezed a little bit, deep in thought as he paced between us.

"Well, how should I explain this? I'll put into Lamin's terms for you. If I were to use my powers on a kitty cat that went Meow, then it would go ROAR!" The Kai really put a good impression of a lion at the end. I barely understood it, Goku still didn't get it, and Gohan didn't answer.

"So what do kitty cats have to do with your powers again?" Goku asked, giving off that grin of his.

Old Kai looked exasperated now, "I can take a person far beyond their own limits. I awaken a person's deepest hidden powers and bring them to the surface and then take that person beyond even that." Now that sounds promising.

"Sorry. It's just a little hard to believe that's all," Goku said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Young people," Kai said, turning and casting an eye over everyone, "Hmmm, all three of you have enormous power and ability, but since the both of you are dead, that complicates things. You there, the live one, you have the most that I can see since you are alive. How would you like to have your sleeping powers awakened?"

Gohan looked around, "Who me?"

"Yes you, go stand in that field!" Kai pointed.

"Um ok?" Gohan staggered out there, unsure how to answer the old coot. Taking his place, Old Kai looked him up and down.

"Hmm, a guy like you who has the power to break the Z sword, I can do something with you. Funny though, I always thought it would be a Kai who would break the sword and rescue me. You're more of a messenger boy than a hero!" Old Kai said to Shin.

"I-I try my b-best sir!" Shin stuttered with his words.

"Keep your chin up lad. Now Gohan, stand completely still, but keep relaxed!"

"Right!" Gohan sounded ready. There was a long pause, everyone keeping their eyes on Old Kai, wondering just what he was about to do.

"Now, wake up you no good stinking powers! Sleeping all this time, how dare you!" Old Kai shouted at he held his arms out like he was summoning something. Then he made a few strange arm movements, turned, and walked in a slow dance type maneuver around Gohan in a semi-circle, muttering strange language.

"What the...hell is that?" I asked.

"Geez, talk about a strange fellow," Goku murmured.

"Yes Goku, I think I know what you mean," Shin said, obviously trying to figure this out as well. Small puffs of dust clouds formed around Old Kai's feet as he danced around Gohan slowly, the clouds floating there slightly until he went by again. Gohan was dazed and confused, but so was everyone else at this point. I stretched out with my senses, scanning Gohan's ki level, no change.

"Excuse me sir, exactly how long will this take?" Goku called out to him.

"This is just the opening ceremony, about five hours! Power raising, twenty more after that!" Gohan went pale, I think I did too but I didn't have a mirror to check.

"Oh boy, I think I'm gonna go take a nap. Good luck Gohan!" Goku said, stretching a bit and turning around.

"Dad, don't go!" I heard Gohan whisper nervously.

"Wake me up when your sleeping powers wake up!" Goku called back behind him, walking off and lying down next to a tree, falling asleep right away.

-

"Supreme Kai, I never really heard the details of your previous encounters with Majin Buu, or about these other Supreme Kai's of that time?" I asked Shin; seeing as we had plenty of time before Old Kai was done.

"At the time, there were four of us Supreme Kai's. Overseers of four galaxies a piece, and we had our own Grand Kai so to speak, his name was Dai Kaio. We were living quite peacefully at the time, I was serving as East Kai back then. The youngest of the four, I spent a lot of my time studying the ancient ways. West Kai was quite helpful in instructing me and how to use all of my abilities," Shin paused there, looking like he was ready to cry.

"West Kai and you were close?" I asked.

"Yes, love between us blossomed greatly every time we saw each other. She was a beautiful girl and a very skilled warrior. Her favorite hobby was picking on South Kai, who could never beat her in a battle. He was the strongest and most enduring among us, but she was the most intelligent and crafty. Her battle strategies could not be matched. Just when you thought you had her done in for the fifth time, she would pull another trick out of the hat and beat you," Shin smiled slightly.

"Sounds like a nicer, female version of Vegeta, or Piccolo. They're pretty crafty, just hotheaded sometimes," I chuckled.

"Indeed. North Kai was a master swordsman who invented many weapon designs that slowly descended into the lower worlds, used widely even today. There was no sword master that could best him even on his worst day," Shin explained.

"Sounds like the future version of Trunks, though I never saw him use that sword he sent with me," I said.

Shin looked at me funny, "Verto, What do you remember of your other world, the one you were born on?"

"Nothing now. I remember it blowing up, and a few vivid images before that. But not much, not even my old name, nor my mother's face," I said sadly.

"Hmmm, well do you recall that I set up a memory block at the tournament?" Shin asked.

"Kind of, why did you do that anyway?" I said, looking at him funny.

"I did that because we were about to battle Babidi, who has been known to capture those against him by using their anger and memories like he did Vegeta. With your hidden power, I couldn't take the risk. That risk is now gone, would you like me to reawaken them for you?" Shin asked. I thought about that for a moment, Shin for once didn't pry on my decision, that I know of.

"No, there's really no use for them right now is there? Unless I were to go back to that universe. But my planet blew up, and the fact that I'm dead now, unless I were wished back..." I paused, hitting a remarkable idea.

"What is it?" Shin asked.

"Since Saiyans can exist in other realties, is it possible that the Nameks can as well?" I asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I would have to wish my world back, but it would be possible to return then!" I said in slight excitement. Shin took me by the arm and pulled me further away from the others.

"Verto, dimensional travel is dangerous! The fact that you're here is bad enough, but you can't go back anyway. How fortunate it is that you are here is irrelevant, dimensional time travel can really screw things up. It's bad enough that Bulma and Trunks pulled it off. It turned out okay thankfully, but every time one travels between dimensions, there is a risk that a hole in the space-time continuum can form, leaving a permanent rift. Such things happen rarely, but if one were to open large enough, it could destroy an entire galaxy in a flash if it becomes unstable! I forbid you to even think about such a quest, it is far too dangerous!" Shin whispered.

I frowned slightly, "This coming from someone who is supposedly not allowed to intervene in the lives of others, yet Majin Buu changed that. Don't fret about it, if it's that risky I won't even bring it up again," I offered.

"Yes, please don't. The risk alone is bad enough," Shin said, relieved.

"So, tell me about your leader, Dai Kaio?" I asked, getting back to subject.

"He was a large man who loved to eat, but peace loving. He hardly lifted a finger to harm a fly around his own food. I myself seldom heard him speak to anyone, until the day that Buu attacked us. Buu attacked with such ferocity that we Kai's were barely able to hold up against him, but we managed as we had strength in numbers. Then Buu used his absorption technique on us, he absorbed the South, North and West Supreme Kais. But the effect was slightly different, for he weakened every time he absorbed one. His battle tactics improved greatly, but overall his power dropped. This might have made a difference if we had warriors like you, Goku and Gohan back then, but we didn't. I was sure to fall next as Buu saved me, the weakest, for last. Buu launched a killer attack as I was backed into a wall, staring death in the face. Dai Kaio appeared in front me of and sent the blast right back at Buu, before releasing a deadly blast of his own a second later. One that literally shredded Buu like the paper machine that you earthlings use. Any other opponent would have been beyond finished, but of course Buu survived and reformed. But then something indescribable happened, something I will never forget, and am almost glad for. Buu reformed and landed on my benevolent leader, absorbing him as well. But the absorption of the peaceful Dai Kaio changed Buu greatly. Thanks to Buu's own actions, he had actually saved the universe from himself. He turned the killing machine into a happy, fat Buu, one that didn't have to kill to enjoy himself, though he did because of Bibidi's trickery. Buu's power then dropped to where it is now, and that is where I hope it will stay so Gohan can destroy him. I don't think he will ever assume his original form ever again, he only absorbed, and once he did the change was permanent," Shin finished, still looking a little sad at the memory.

"So the current Majin Buu isn't the original and is actually that much weaker?" I asked as Shin nodded, "Heh, maybe he should absorb Mr. Satan, that'll drop his level for sure!" I snickered.

"Strange though. I figured his power would increase when he absorbed the Kai's, but then it didn't matter since I was beaten just as easily," Shin said.

"Well what next? Goku is sleeping and Gohan is training, well kind of, and I'm dead with all kinds of time. Do you have a gravity chamber or something around here?" I asked.

"Well no, I can create weights for you to train with, but I want to keep you at full strength right now. I have a feeling you might need it, if you start training it might wear you out a bit," Shin said. Disappointed as I was, I nodded.

"What then, I really don't want to watch that for twenty hours or however long he said it would take," I said, pointing to the sight of Old Kai attempting to cut a rug.

"I know, I can teach you some battle techniques, though they would have to be physical or power moves. I don't think your Saiyan brain is capable enough for telekinetic and extreme telepathic abilities, no offense."

"Doubt I'd want to pry on someone's thoughts anyway, what do ya got?"

"I learned a technique long ago from West Supreme Kai that you might find useful, a power boosting move. It's not one that I use because of its dangerous potential with my own power. I hear Goku knows it as well, but seldom uses it now since he has the Super Saiyan levels to go to. Plus if it is used too much or too strong, it can destroy the warrior calling upon it," Shin warned.

"What is it, and how can Goku know it if he didn't know you?"

"Goku learned it from the lower North Kai, King Kai as he calls him. It's called Kaioken."

I grinned immediately, "I'm up for that." I remembered a few stories from Vegeta about this move, and Vegeta was going to have one hell of a surprise next time I trained under him.