Hey, Everybody!
It's been a long time (9 months? Wow...) since I've updated... I haven't dropped this story, but I have had a busy life since my last update. I work two jobs now, and I recently moved... Things have stabilized a bit now, and I want to get back to writing again. Please review and let me know if anyone still cares...
And now, my new chapter. I want to thank the good people at VAAL for previewing this for me and giving me a few suggestions I may use in future chapters...
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Aftermath, Chapter 7
The Alpha and the Omega
Ommmmm . . .
To many religions and races in tune with the harmony of the universe, this was the sound of everything. If you were to find a vantage point 'above' everything and listen to it all at once, this is the sound you would hear . . .
Ommmmm . . .
Such a point does exist out there. A sacred realm, a sacred world. Removed in any spatial sense from anything involving this life or the afterlife, it was above it, and at the same time, connected to them all . . .
Ommmmm . . .
To most people of the universe, that was all they heard. A dull, pleasing drone, little more than background noise, not even consciously, just a tickle, in the back of the mind. Nothing most sentient beings could make any sense of . . .
Kaioshin's could.
It was the primary responsibility of any good deity to listen. Not necessarily to the beings under them so much as the infinite hum of the universe. It was expressed in many ways. The silence of a forest. In the static of a communication relay. The background radiation of space itself. Much like that background radiation, or static, or silence, there is information there, stories to tell. One simply must be able to sense that delicate data . . .
Kaioshin's could.
One such was doing so right now. He was old, hearkening from an age long past any other sentient being currently existing. Trapped in a sword for fifteen generations (which for a Kaioshin could be millions, perhaps billions of years), he had emerged into a universe much less innocent than the one he'd departed so long ago. Much more complicated, too. He had been one of the first, back in an age when magic was at it's climax of power, in the distant past, and races were only beginning to discover the principles of logic and science that would later supplant magic as the source of most knowledge . . .
But that was neither here nor there. The past was past. Too late, and besides, the universe was still standing, albeit only a fraction of what it used to be. That was the problem with Kaioshins. Being spiritually linked to bits of the universe meant that when they died, so did that part of the universe. Stars didn't form, civilizations died. Whole star clusters descended to chaos. It wasn't immediate, though. Galaxies are much too large to die in an instant. It took millions of years for those stars to die and those worlds to dim.
Again, this was all in the past, and it, too, could not be changed . . .
Ommmmm . . .
These were all musings, of course, thoughts that went through the Old Kaioshin's mind as he concentrated on his primary task in front of him. The fusion Kaibito sat before him, deep in meditation. The supreme god focused his abilities, exerting himself to the utmost, to unlock the young godling's power.
The welp had never been properly trained in the ways of the Kaioshin's, of course, and the Old Kaioshin only had a millennium left to live, so he had to resort to this quick and dirty method to get things started. On the one hand, it was very similar to the power up he gave Gohan, a method to unlock all of Kaibito's hidden potential, great indeed given that he was a fusion of two potentially powerful deities. It went beyond the mere augmentation of strength, though. Soon, this would the only Kaioshin left again, alone in the ruling of all existence, and the elder considered it his duty to train this one properly this time. The universe had fended for itself for long enough. That meant doing his best to bestow the mystical powers inherent to himself to his successor. It wouldn't be complete, of course... the Elder's powers came from an ancient and powerful sorceress with a terminal case of sticky fingers. Kaibito didn't have that advantage, but, as a magical being, he could probably learn a few good techniques that would help in his management of existence.
The process went on. Days on end had passed, which, of course, for gods is a mere blink of an eye. The universe had managed ostensibly for several million years on it's own as the former East Kaioshin had hunted down Buu almost single mindedly. It could get by for a few weeks more . . .
Eventually, it was done. Without a word, the Old Kaioshin got to his feet and walked to his crystal ball, out in the grass. It was an idyllic place, Kaioshin Kai, the Planet of the Kais. There had once been several, but, with the passing of the others, this was all that was left. As if knowing this, the eternal beauty of this sanctuary of the gods seemed to strive to make up for that, every bit of it more precious than any jewel or valuable in the mortal universe. It was a nice place to live.
And better on his sinuses, too. He had caught hay fever from their brief stay on the New Planet Namek. He shuddered at that. God's shouldn't get allergies. It must be that cursed witch's fault.
Ommmmmmm...
Kaibito got up, as well, flexing his arms, taking in his new strength. Finally, he spoke.
"Revered Elder, pardon my questioning, but I don't feel that much more powerful than I did before," he said, confused.
"Of course, you don't. You were never meant to be a warrior, you know. You're a Kaioshin. Your power comes from other abilities, ones that I've begun to awaken in you now, that will help you infinitely more when the time comes than mere strength, though you do have a bit of that. Besides, your power exceeds that of every Kaioshin and Dai Kaioshin that has existed before. What more can you ask for?
"It doesn't exceed Buu's at his maximum." The Kaioshin said this with a bit of resentment. Stupid Child! I'm going to teach you to be above such things, boy! The Elder thought, irritated slightly at the petulant reply.
"And why should it? Buu is gone, and you're the strongest immortal being in existence. The Saiyans will eventually fade from prominence and take their place as legends for future generations to aspire to. And meanwhile, you'll be here, the highest in the universe..." The old god started to stamp off, muttering, as all elder beings do, of the impatience and impertinence of youth. Suddenly, though, he stopped, dead in his tracks, eyes unfocused, as he centered on something. It was a mere second, but it was enough to arouse Kaibito's concern. "Elder, are you well?" the Fusion called, grasping an arm to keep the other from falling onto the ground.
The elder merely shrugged it off. "Of course, I'm fine. I may be old, but I'm not senile just yet. I merely realized something that I need you to do."
"Yes, anything, sir," the younger one fawned.
"I've been feeling out the universe, trying to get a sense of what needs to be taken care of in the mortal realm. Right now, there is a creature that will soon threaten the Northern Galaxy. Created with ancient magic." Sensing the horror in his protégé's face, he quickly added, "Not on the level of Buu, at least not now. The creature is in halves imprisoned in some kind of musical implement... Wait, what am I doing, just come here!" With that, he cupped his hand to Kaibito's ear, immediately telling him everything he knew about the monster Hirudegarn, Hoi and the Black Magicians. What could have been many minutes of explanation was reduced to seconds through the amazing power of telepathy.
Removing his hand, the Old Kaioshin continued. "I simply need you to ensure that Hirudegarn does not become a threat to the civilized societies of the universe. After Buu, defeating a Black Magician should be a cakewalk. I used to do it all the time back in the old days... back before I fused with one, anyways..." The elderly Kai mumbled the last under his breath. "Anyway, it's time you started taking an active role in the care-taking of this universe, and this would be a good first exercise. Deal with it however you wish, just remember to keep the mortals out of it. They've been traumatized enough lately."
With just a nod of acknowledgment, Kaibito simply teleported away, to search out the location of one of the two magical music boxes containing the cursed monster Hirudegarn.
Good, I thought he'd never leave, thought the elderly Kaioshin Finding that thing and dealing with it should keep him busy for a while.
"Now to take care of some work of my own," he said to no one in particular. To the outside perspective, it would have immediately seemed that the Old Kaioshin promptly sat to the ground and fell asleep. In a manner of speaking, this was true. The old Fusion wasn't responding to his immediate surroundings anymore. His mind was somewhere else, or rather, everywhere else, focusing upon one small, unregarded yellow sun far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Northern Galaxy. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet which had, through no fault of it's own, had become quite important to recent events in it's galactic neighborhood.
The old Kaioshin could see more than that, though. Things were going to happen here, soon, things that would affect many of those whom Kaibito had recently formed an affinity for. He would almost certainly try to interfere with it.
That could not be allowed.
The Elder Kai liked the beings on this world as well. They were good people, for the most part, and meant well. But change comes to all, good or evil. It was not their place to step in, only to watch. To watch and maintain. Not to be heroes. Not to interfere except under the most dire circumstances...
At least, it had been that way back in his day.
Making a note to keep an eye on things here, he resumed his watch of the Cosmos...
Ommmmmmm.....
Yay!, another chapter in the can. This was short, but hopefully interesting. For you considerate readers out there, here's the part where you're supposed to review. (Yeah, I'm a needy... so what?) Have a nice day, and, hopefully, I'll be updating again, soon...
Bonzo the Fifth