Of Void
Matthew T. H. Grimes
At the outset we enter into movie-time, where anything can happen...
Chapter One
Gardening with Evil
In Original Japanese:
A New Threat for the Z-Senshi!? Identify the Tall Warrior!!
(I've decided, against my better judgement, to insert these 'original Japanese' titles into my chapters, to pay tribute to the good version, the Japanese version, of Dragon Ball Z. I hope fans of the original appreciate it. I would just like to say to anybody who may be Japanese or just to anybody, this is not, by any means, being done in a spirit of disrespect to Japanese language, people, history, or culture. To the contrary, I have great respect for all the people of Asia, with their many diverse and different cultures.)
Mr. Popo hummed one of his impromptu, self-composed tunes as he tended the trees and flowers high up on Kami's Lookout.
He lived for these moments, and he lived for them especially in the hope that there would be an impromptu tune involved. Today, the sun was shining, the trees were swaying in the wind, an impromptu tune was on his lips, and everything seemed just about perfect in the world.
What Mr. Popo did not know was just how mind-numbingly irritating his self-composed tunes, to him special and unique pieces with their own subtle nuances, messages, and themes, could become to the listener, to whom they sounded very much like the same tune repeated in endless succession. Fortunately his only listener was an extraordinarily well-balanced, even-tempered, and open-minded Namek.
Dende tried to screen out the sound, but his superior Namekian hearing made it all but impossible. He was sitting around and watching over the Earth, which was, he would tell you, his job. He would, incidentally, have been right in telling you this.
But there were other things to worry about, things Dende was, unfortunately, unaware of, like what was happening in the Room of Spirit and Time.
Two energies were swirling within the slowed-time atmosphere of the room, energies that came from the void of emptiness that made up another dimension. This other dimension was, unusually but not at all coincidentally, in contact with our own. The unexpected contact was causing strange and unnerving things to happen.
Or rather, causing them to appear.
Son Goku let out a mighty yell as he dived headfirst towards his opponent, circling his arms tightly around it in the same split-second, grappling his fierce adversary tightly, yelling louder as he exerted his muscles in the rush, struggling to hold on.
Goku coughed and spluttered as he was once again dragged under by the fish, a creature of altogether unnecessary proportions, and forced to let go in the water. He gagged and choked his way on to shore, and lay there, prostrated, thinking quietly that he was supposed to be retired at this point.
Still, the mere thought of the succulent wonders that Chi-Chi could do with this fish made him disregard his bruises, as he was also thinking very intensely about what she could do for them.
Goku had not meant for this to happen, strictly. He had been enjoying a nice bathe in the utterly perfect climate of East District, when this damn fish had knocked him about by swimming past him. He had been trying to wrestle it out of the water now for what seemed like hours.
It had, in fact, been hours. Chi-Chi would probably already have dinner on, so what was the point in trying to catch the fish? Goku had suggested that they invite Gohan and Videl for dinner that night, as both parents, although still young and brimming with sexual vigour, deeply missed having their first son around. Chi-Chi was always thinking that there was probably something he wasn't doing quite right, and Goku just missed him in the sweet, boyish way in which Goku did everything.
Goku sighed at his thoughts as he lay there, letting thoughts and water run out of his system, thinking about how they were always busy nowadays. And with Goten almost out of school and with friends (or girls) all the time, it was like they never saw either of their sons anymore.
Feeling that he had drained sufficiently, Goku rose to his feet, drying off and pulling on his pants. He sat down and put his boots on, thinking, as he always did, that it had taken him quite some time to get the order of operations right for this. As he stood, his boots and pants on, he heard a rustle in the bushes to his left.
He stared quizzically at the bushes, as though he expected them to get embarrassed and explain themselves. He pulled on his shirt and had his gi over his head when the bushes rustled again. "Chi-Chi?" Goku asked them, although his instincts were flaring. "Is that you?" He speedily pulled his gi on, tucking it in.
It could easily have just been some local wildlife, but Goku's well-honed Saiyajin instincts said otherwise.
He planted both feet firmly on the ground in case an attack came, and spoke in his best stern voice, which he had always thought was a rather poor stern voice but had given up on trying to improve. "Whoever you are, show yourself right now!"
There was a pause and no further movement at present. Goku stood, his feet firmly planted, his jaw set, waiting. The Saiyajin warrior could hear his own breathing, ragged and worried. His nerves stood straight up as though they had been called on to answer a question they didn't know.
He stood there for at least three tense moments, not knowing what would happen or if, of course, it would happen.
Without any warning, a black blur flew at him, and a booted foot impacted with Goku's left cheek.
Despite his set feet and prepared posture, he staggered back a few steps, off-balance. His arms shot up to block the blow that he heard coming at his face. The impact of the blow caused a stinging pain that remained in his bones afterward. His arms were used to aching profusely, which was lucky for him. He lowered his arms as his attacker flipped away and landed, grinning widely, ten feet or so from Goku.
Goku's attacker was no more than five feet tall, somewhere in the neighbourhood of three-and-a-half. It was a small boy with night-blue skin, pointed ears, whitish-blue hair, yellow eyes with black, cat-like pupils, white pants, a black vest and black boots.
"Wha...? Said Goku, bewildered that he had not felt this child before, and frightened of how he was staring at him, like something from a nightmare.
Goku thought again about how he was supposed to be retired and really shouldn't have to be dealing with this sort of thing. "Who are you!?" he said, trying to sound forceful in spite of his fear.
The boy, who was sensitive to emotions such as fear, which brought people closer to death, laughed maniacally at Goku. Goku stepped back in consternation as the first boy was joined in his laughter by a very similar laugh, coming from behind. Goku glanced over his shoulder and saw another boy, slightly taller than the first, with long hair and similar physical features. The eyes, however, were precisely the same. These boys were very strong, Goku realised, stronger than even Buu had ever been. Goku assumed his stance, waiting for an attack at this point.
Both of them had now gone silent and were staring at Goku, disturbing him with their empty, evil eyes. The Saiyajin fearlessly met the eyes of the one in front of him.
At the last possible moment, Goku spun around to his right on his left foot, meeting the flying right-legged kick of the second one with his right forearm, moving it slightly to the side and hoping to punch him quickly, just to teach him a lesson. He set his right leg on the ground in an instant, balling his right fist.
Goku was deprived the chance to strike his attacker as he hopped into the air, avoiding by centimetres the sweep directed at his legs from the boy behind him. He then phased out as another kick from the longhaired boy knifed through his after-image. He appeared about seventeen feet above the ground, staring at the two boys as the longhaired boy dropped to the ground beside his companion. "What... are they?" Goku said as they stared up at him hatefully. Goku quickly snapped into his stance again as they laughed at him.
The others, he thought, had to be on their way.
Both of them rushed straight at him, before he had time to think about it.
Gohan sat at his writing desk, in his home with Videl in Satan City. All he ever did these days was write and train, he thought to himself. He missed his father and mother, although he would never tell Videl that, as he loved his life with her, but felt like they never saw anyone anymore. Pan was of course growing up wonderfully, and they could see Bulma and Vegeta whenever they wanted.
Gohan gave a healthy eye-roll to that one. Seeing Bulma and Vegeta was very dangerous, since Bulma had sort of always been crazy and Vegeta, who had always had his own issues to worry about, was getting crazier day by day. Still, Gohan found solace and relief in training.
He was, however, not very happy to be in the house alone. Videl was always gone, and Gohan found it slightly embarrassing that they had a less active sex life than his parents did. He found it additionally embarrassing that his father would unabashedly talk about it to him. But he had to consider that his parents lived in the middle of nowhere, and had more time for those sorts of things.
And then there was Piccolo. Only rarely did Gohan get to see Piccolo, and then just for training. His old mentor might as well have been a world away.
So Gohan did what he usually did on these days, that is he typed away with reckless abandon. He stopped suddenly as he felt a sudden surge of power and heard an explosion from somewhere in the city. The ground shook menacingly, as pencils rolled off of his shelves and his computer screen flickered.
He had felt very few powers this high. He looked out the window, the explosion only just clearing as smoke began to rise. What could that be? He thought. It's just too strong... Gohan stood grimly and ran to his room.
Quickly pulling on his black vest and pants, he buttoned up hurriedly, getting them out of order. The phone began to ring. Beginning the buttoning process once more, he picked the phone up frantically. "Gohan speaking."
Videl spoke out of the receiver, panic slightly evident in her voice. "Gohan!? What happened?"
Gohan finally got the buttons right. "I don't know, Videl. I'm gonna go check it out." Gohan ran out of the room as there was yet another explosion, dropping the receiver.
Videl's voice continued frantically. "You can't, Gohan! Gohan? Gohan!" Goku's son was already in midair.
Trunks and Goten's class at Orange Star High School was in an uproar as a huge office building not far away was engulfed in a rather large explosion, then toppled, causing an even larger explosion. Their teacher, Miss Kurumi, tried patiently to calm them.
Trunks and Goten were almost in their twenties, but, due to the several earth-saving distractions they had been forced to attend to, they were still here, in a very advanced class. Their classmates were the schools unfortunates, most being either complacent or too stupid to be complacent.
"I don't get paid enough for this..." She said, sitting at her desk, her face in her hands.
Trunks and Goten looked at one another in fear. "Did you feel that?" Trunks asked his friend.
Goten nodded. "Yeah. But how are we gonna get out there to help my brother?"
They both looked at the near-sobbing Miss Kurumi, then back at one another, and then at their classmates, who were excitedly expostulating as to what tragedy this might herald.
They looked back at one another and shrugged. Trunks opened the window and prepared to climb out, when Miss Kurumi, who was pretty but didn't have much luck at present and was rather depressed, shouted at them fearfully. "Keep that window closed, Trunks!" She said. "There might be some... dangerous fumes in the air from the explosion."
"Yes, Miss Kurumi," Trunks said, sighing and closing the window.
He leaned against the wall and looked tensely at Goten. "We have got to get out of here somehow!" Goten whispered fiercely.
"We could just walk out," Trunks said. "Not like anyone could stop us."
"Okay," Goten began in patronising tones. "Good idea, but my mother would physically kill me for that!"
Trunks sighed. "I know." He smiled and brightened. "Maybe we could go to the bathroom!"
"Might work," Goten said. "But we've gotta go together. I think this situation might call for a visit from our good friend Gotenks. So how do we pull that off?"
"Cake!" Trunks told his friend. "I'll ask first, and wait for you outside, and then you ask a few minutes later, but you can't just ask like normal."
"What do you mean by that?" Goten said, scratching his head.
"Well, you need to rush her. You know, act like you're about to explode and pee on the floor!"
Goten smiled. "Alright, I think I've got it!"
Both of them looked about stealthily to assure that nobody had heard of their plan. Their classmates were too busy trying to figure how likely this disaster was to get them out of school the rest of the day, and, beyond that, how likely it might be to get them out of school annually.
Trunks approached Miss Kurumi's desk.
Elsewhere in Satan City, police were doing something not at all like responding to the disaster.
"What's goin' on here!?" One of Satan City's thoroughly useless police officers shouted to his teammate, feeling rather put off by the large building which had just exploded and fell into the midst of the city.
The hapless officer of the law felt even more put off when a building not far from him went up in a hailstorm of fire and brimstone. He shielded his eyes and body from the falling debris, and, when he removed his arm from his eyes, saw the image of a small, blue-skinned girl, distorted by the waves of heat, watching a man running from the wreckage, smeared with blood. He was frantically attempting to reach the police. She stood in the midst of the raging inferno. "W-we're all gonna die!" His partner screamed.
The girl raised her arm at the back of the man running away, but stopped suddenly and looked around.
He thought that he wasn't paid nearly enough, especially when a man in some weird martial arts costume (he thought) landed not far from him.
Gohan stood and stared at a girl who was doing this for exactly the same reason that the boys currently attacking Gohan's father were, and wondered who she was.
She was obviously a girl, about four and a half feet tall with a braid of long, bluish-white hair. She wore a white vest with no sleeves, white pants, and black boots.
"Uh... who are you guys?" the officer tried, experimentally. Gohan gave one look over his shoulder that completely shut the officer up. To top that off, the girl looked at him evilly in the same instant, which actually made him stagger back and fall.
Gohan looked back at the officer, who was lying on the ground, shaking with fear as he looked up at the young man. Just as he turned, the girl began running at him. "You should get out of here," He said. "Things are about to get serious."
The policeman, who had been trying to squeeze the words out since the girl had started running, now finally managed to point at her and emit a noise that cannot be replicated but whose official spelling is: 'Emlkytphbbth'.
Gohan's head whipped around to look at the object of the officers attention, and was hit very hard. The blow caused Gohan's brain to pop off for a bit. Gohan flew back, past the quaking officer, and through two other buildings, splintering and breaking glass, wood, and stone. Gohan's body hit and injured two people along the way, finally ending up lying, only dubiously conscious, on the desk of a perturbed office worker, who looked through the hole he had made.
The girl, who was hanging in the air grinning into Gohan's damaged flight path, her right fist still forward in the aftermath of the crushing, Ki-powered hook she had delivered, shifted her eyes, almost imperceptibly to anyone but him, to the policeman.
She dropped to the ground, and began walking towards the hapless man, who was frozen in utter shock. His extreme fear fed her incredible power, and she smiled, planning shortly to thank him for that.
He trembled in shock and emitted another irreplicable noise.
Gohan awoke, lying on a desk, water spurting onto his body from a busted water pipe, a portly man in a business suit staring at him warily, several seconds after he had been deposited there.
It took him almost a fourth of a second to remember the basics; who he was, where he came from, his wife's name and birthday, and almost a half a second to remember what was currently happening. It took him a whole second before he felt the incredible power and realised what a truly awful day this was going to be.
He sat up on the desk, the water now spurting onto it and its contents, and looked at the confused businessman.
"Uh... sorry about all this..." he said, quickly.
His eyes locked grimly on the distant silhouette of his opponent.
Luckily for the policeman, who normally would have been dead in far less than a second at the hands of somebody such as this girl, she was enjoying the terrible fear that her mere presence was causing this man, and in particular the way it fed her power.
She felt a flicker from Gohan's direction, and her eyes turned to him just in time for her to see his foot crash into her face, sending her rolling, then, after an attempt to flip up which ended with her on her back, sliding along the ground, and into the rubble of the building she had destroyed, causing a new explosion of dust and ruin.
Gohan dropped to the ground, looking down at the policeman sharply. "Get out of here!" He yelled.
The policeman, who by now had gone through six mid-life crises and twelve nervous breakdowns, finally followed the very good advice of the half-Saiyajin warrior, scrambling up and running away. Gohan smiled into the rubble as the girl pushed a large steel girder off of herself, shaking her hair free of dust.
Gohan knew she was angry with him, hoping only that she was angry enough to follow him. He got his answer before he had even finished his thought, leaping aside as her fist smashed into the air where his head would have been. Without thinking, she flew higher, and immediately came down, her foot crashing into the pavement, buried to just above the kneecap, as Gohan hopped aside.
She looked up at him, angrily pulling her booted foot free of the road. As she did so, she gave a kick that lifted a huge chunk of the ground, including a part of the sewer which quickly ripped off, into the air. Several more buildings crumbled with the kick, Gohan's anger growing exponentially as he felt the lives snuffed out, and more coming down as the huge rock crashed back down slowly.
Gohan controlled his anger, flaring with power and flying off at high speed. The girl stared after him, sneered, and immediately followed.
Trunks stood outside of Orange Star High School, waiting for Goten.
It was a pleasant day, the palm trees swayed in the wind, the sun shone on all the windows and floors and desks at Orange Star High School, and Trunks was so busy keeping track of the fight, he saw none of it. He had just felt a significant decrease in the negative power.
He stood for a moment, waiting.
His eyes widened as the same power suddenly skyrocketed.
He almost blew Goten away when his friend laid a hand on his shoulder. Turning to Goten, he saw him munching on a cookie.
Trunks stared at his friend for a moment. "What took you so long?" He asked, virtually rhetorically.
"I'm eating a cookie!" Goten exclaimed excitedly, crumbs spilling from his overstuffed mouth. "Oh!" He said, realising something. "Want one?" He held out a cookie to Trunks.
"You delayed us this long to get a cookie!?" Trunks shouted.
"Well, yeah," Goten said, swallowing. "Can't fuse on an empty stomach!" He stared at the other cookie. "Are you... sure you don't want this?"
"You don't even know we'll need to fuse!" Trunks explained, very patiently, he thought.
"With that kind of power, my sources say 'yes'," Goten responded. "So you don't want this?" He said, returning to the cookie.
Trunks looked to the sky as he felt Gohan leaving.
"He's trying to lead... whatever it is away from the city!" He said, white energy burning around his body. "Come on," He said, blasting off.
Goten followed hurriedly, stuffing the remaining cookie down his throat. "Wait up, Trunks!" They followed Gohan's rapidly moving power signal.
"Do you want this?" Goten's voice echoed several seconds later.
Gohan knew, unconditionally, that he had to lead her away from the city. He was fairly sure that the others would be on their way. When he turned back, he found her in mid-air, following him closely.
Gohan listened to the wind in his hair, rushing as fast as he knew how away from Satan City, and hoping the girl he was fighting was not faster than he was. "Where is everyone?" He thought moodily to himself.
It was at this point that he realised Trunks and Goten were following him. He hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid...
Gohan piled on the speed, heading off to the mountains in the East.
As he flew, he felt two more ridiculously high powers to the south, near Goku and Chi-Chi's home, wondering quietly just what the hell his father must be doing...
Goku was taken off guard by the sudden violent barrage of hammer-like punches and kicks, bringing blood flowing from his nose and mouth, the two boys laughing maniacally at him, punching and kicking him with blinding ferocity.
The shorthaired one drove his fist into Goku's stomach, bringing blood bursting from his mouth; the other gave him a two-fisted blow into the ground.
He hit the ground, breaking it like a mirror, and kicking up a cloud of dust, dirt, and rock. The two nightmarish kids remained in the air above him, grinning down at the cloud.
Goku stood, painfully, and wondered if they could feel him. They were pretty strong, he thought, as he touched his Super Saiyajin powers.
He gave a yell of anger as his hair turned a bright yellow and rose above his head. The explosion of wind and kinetic energy pushed away the cloud, leaving him standing there in his Super Saiyajin form.
His green eyes and cocky smile was the first sight that met the eyes of the two Shadow Kids, as they were called by their master, floating in the air above.
Goku stared up at the two Shadow Kids, his Super Saiyajin energies swirling around and through him, making their familiar intermittent whisking noise. The Shadow Kids were unhappy, as they had been keen on Goku being dead.
Goku spoke. "What's wrong? You guys started this. Don't want to end it?"
The Saiyajin bent his knees. "Well, I'm afraid I can't just let you get away."
He yelled as he rushed into the air towards them, kicking the long-haired boy very hard, sending him flying into the air, then blasting up after him, aware that the shorthaired one was close behind. Grabbing the long-haired boy by the leg, he spun him around quickly, using him to hit the other, and, after spinning again, released him, sending him flying into the trees below, directly into the other, short-haired warrior. There was an explosion of dust as both of them impacted, knocking down several trees. Goku stood in the air, waiting for them to recover.
With powers like theirs, he doubted seriously that he had harmed them very much.
Goku's attention suddenly shifted away from the battle, as he felt yet another enormous power to the Northeast, along with Gohan. It was this moment that one of the fighters Goku had just knocked to the ground chose to attack.
Gohan landed solidly on the ground, quickly turning to face the girl following him, throwing his arms up just in time to block a bone-crushing blow which caused him to slide in the stone beneath his feet. He grit his teeth in pain as he blocked the blow, letting his guard down as she dropped to the ground a few feet away from him.
Man, Gohan thought, looking at her. This girl looks like a child, and I would never fight a child. But she, he stared into her hateful eyes. She has an aura of unspeakable evil. What could be happening?
He loosened up his neck, preparing for her next attack, and wondering why she and the others he had felt were here, how his father was doing against them, and allowing his anger to grow at the thought of the people she had already killed. This one has already killed, he thought angrily, his Super Saiyajin energies stirring. It doesn't matter what she looks like! Gohan concluded resolutely. I can't offer her any quarter. She stood, staring menacingly, before dropping into a stance.
Synchronously, Gohan did the same, as the wind swirled around them. I'm sure she will offer none to me.
Both fighters became indistinct and disappeared. Gohan always hated it when this happened. He frantically blocked the super-fast blows coming from his opponent, getting hit and doing some hitting himself.
The girl was forced to block a blow from Gohan, as they both reappeared in mid-air, hundreds of feet from the ground.
The blow knocked her slightly off-balance, and so he yelled loudly, drawing back his fist and smashing it into her face, sending her flying through a rock outcropping, which collapsed. After passing through it, she hit the ground with her hands, flipping up and ricocheting off of another tall outcropping, slamming her fist into Gohans stomach, then flip-kicking him into the ground.
Trunks and Goten landed, quietly, not far from Gohan and the girl.
"Wow," said Trunks to Goten, standing side by side not far from the battle. "This girl sure is something."
"Yeah," said Goten. "I hope my brother knows what he's getting into." He paused for a moment and held out the other cookie, preparing to speak.
"Yes," Trunks said, taking it quickly.
Goten looked at his friend, hurt.
Gohan flipped up from his place on the ground, standing, breathing raggedly, eyes locked with the strange girl. He took this opportunity to power up, not expecting to get much in the way of speech from her. Rocks and dirt swirled around him, kicked up by the hot wind his powerful Ki was causing. He yelled as his hair turned yellow and his eyes green, going Super Saiyajin as he could now feel his father doing some ways away.
"Come on!" He shouted at her, his anger rising as he remembered the office building full of innocents that she had brought down. I've got to take her out! He thought grimly.
Energy burned around Gohan as the wind blew through the green grass and the strange girl floated high above, staring at him.
She rushed at him suddenly, her right fist drawn back, ready to punch him in the face. Gohan caught her wrist in his left hand, using her own momentum to pull her face into his elbow, ramming it into her nose and throwing her to the side, to the ground.
"Is that all you've got!?" He screamed, anger taking over as he jumped into the air and came down with his foot in her stomach, driving her into the ground. The ground around him broke in plates, the impact creating a huge crater.
Goten and Trunks laughed. "Man, he really has her against the ropes!"
Gohan rocketed out of the crater, stopping in the air several hundred feet above the ground. He drew both arms into the air above his head, screaming as red energy charged on the palms of his crossed hands. He thrust them forward, releasing a beam of orange energy into the ground. "Masenko!"
The powerful wave exploded on impact with the ground, killing and destroying everything in its path.
Its target was, unfortunately, not in its path.
She rocketed out of the hole just before the explosion and into Gohan's side, cutting short his Masenko wave. She tackled into his side hard, slamming him into the rocky ground below with a two-fisted blow. She descended to wear he lay, punching him twice in the face and then floating up and off of his prostrate form. The explosion behind her outlined her lethal features.
She stared down at him, extending her right palm. The wind blew in the mountains for a moment, and even the rocks seemed loath to fall.
The girl smiled as she prepared to blast the Saiyajin into oblivion, but was rather surprised when Gohan's right hand shot up at her, and he screamed, blasting her with a jet-stream of yellow energy, the force of which drove him into the ground.
Caught in the middle of the beam, she could do nothing but struggle towards Gohan as her skin began to burn. Gohan vaguely saw her and so poured a huge amount of his Super Saiyajin energy into it. His scream echoed around the mountain range, the beam of his anger visible for miles.
The girl, who sensed she was close to death, made a desperate manoeuvre. Extending a hand, concentrating to keep her ki field in place, she launched a small purple blast through Gohan's left shoulder.
Gohan screamed, losing his concentration and grabbing his burnt flesh. The beam disappeared immediately, and the girl quickly used the small amount of energy left to her to kill Gohan. She prepared to drive her foot deeply into his neck, snapping it.
Or so it would have been.
Goten phased in before the girl, roundhouse kicking her as hard as he could. The weakened, unsuspecting fighter flew far away through the air, smashing through rock and stone, bringing outcroppings tumbling down on her, before she finally stopped, far away.
He turned to his brother, dropping down beside him.
"Are you alright, brother?" He asked worriedly as Trunks landed beside them. Gohan stood, painfully, holding his weakened arm.
Gohan waved his brother away when he tried to support him. "Yes, I'm fine, Goten. But you and Trunks should leave so that I can deal with her."
Goten stood, his pride evident, hands on his hips. "I think you were delirious at the time, but I took care of her."
Gohan frowned. "I saw, but..."
His eyes widened as he felt her power skyrocket. She exploded from amidst the cascade of rocks. "But it was not enough to take her out!" Gohan yelled as he exploded with yellow energy, going Super Saiyajin 2.
He stood, Goten and Trunks beside him, staring up at the girl, whose power seemed to have increased somehow. Gohan spoke calmly. "Goten, you and Trunks get out of my way."
He bent his knees. "I'll take care of this."
With that, Goten and Trunks were knocked into the air as Gohan exploded with yellow energy, rocketing up towards the girl at a speed that gave the sound barrier several emotional issues.
Mr. Popo stared at the door to the Room of Spirit and Time, his impromptu tune vanished as a result of what he sensed behind it.
Dende stood behind him, as amazed and bewildered as his friend. "What could it be, Popo?" Dende asked.
"I have no idea, but it's stronger than anything I've ever felt!" Mr. Popo did not attempt to hide his considerable fear.
Dende was grim. "When it comes out, we'll lead it outside! We'll have to deal with it up here, so no one will be hurt."
It was at that moment that the door burst into thousands of tiny wooden pieces.
In the empty doorway stood yet another of the fighters that seemed not to like earth much today, another girl with similar features but shorter hair, flashing her nightmarish grin at the God and his friend.
She ran at Mr. Popo, who ducked her punch frantically, only barely missing it, and ran with Dende outside of the central building of the lookout.
She rushed out after them, laughing. As she was reaching them, there was a black blur in front of Dende and Popo. Before them stood a tall man, just short of seven feet. He wore black boots and pants, with a gold sash tied round his waist. He wore a black gi with a grey, short-sleeved shirt underneath.
He had shoulder-length white hair, intense, interesting orange eyes, and an extraordinary power. He cocked his head comically at the girl floating in front of him. He stood like that, legs straight, arms folded. "Hm... four of you... What are you trying to do?"
She grinned evilly at him, lashing out at him with her right fist. The nimble warrior simply moved his head to the left, smashing most of the girl's ribs with his right knee. He drove it into her stomach and quickly withdrew it, staring at her almost mercifully as she floated in the air in front of him, blood seeping from her mouth and dropping onto the ground, her shattered ribs puncturing parts of her innards.
Dende and Popo stood behind him, amazed. "I'm sorry about that," he said to the girl. "But you sort of attacked me for no reason."
He stared at her grimly. "So maybe this time you could tell me what it is you're trying to do."
The girl looked painfully into the warrior's eyes. He stepped back as he saw and felt the utter hatred and desire to cause pain. He felt also that it would be a favour to this girl for her to die, felt how tortured she was.
She growled at him and put up her right palm, drawing the last of her energy into it. His left hand, far larger than hers, shot up and grabbed it, dissipating the energy with it's iron grip. Quickly, without ceremony, he smashed his right fist into her cheek, knocking her unconscious. He dropped her body to the ground.
He turned and looked at Dende and Popo. "She'll wake up," He said to them, pain in his eyes because of the anguish he had seen in hers. He sighed, and stared at the ground for a moment, shaking his head as though just awaking.
Dende stepped forward. "Who are you, exactly?"
The strange warrior snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. My name is Tennin."
"Thank you for saving us." Popo added.
He smiled. "No problem! That's just what I do. I'm a Saiyajin, you see."
Dende and Popo were speechless.
The warrior stood for a moment waiting. "Something really weird is happening to your world," he tried. "No, nothing?"
Neither Dende nor Popo said a thing. "Well, I really should get going. Goku and the others need help."
"You... you are a Saiyajin, and you've come here to help us?" Mr. Popo asked, amazement evident in his smooth, lounge singer voice.
"Oh, well... yeah..." Dende spoke up.
"Any other surprises for us?" He said, smiling.
Tennin smiled back. "Not yet," he said. "I will see what I can come up with, though." Yellow ki flared around him as he effortlessly became a Super-Saiyajin. "I should get going. Goku's fighting two of them, and I know I wouldn't want to do that without help. Sorry to run," he said, lifting into the air. "We'll get acquainted later. Bye now!" He blasted off, heading Northwest, towards Goku.
"He has come here for Goku?" Popo asked, almost rhetorically.
Dende sighed and looked down at his friend. "When does anybody not?"
The long-haired boy kicked Goku hard in the stomach, but at the last possible moment Goku caught his leg and threw him off to the left, narrowly blocking as the other came in with a punch. He elbowed the short-haired boy in the chest, then spun around quickly as he saw a huge pink blast coming at him. He phased out and reappeared in front of the long-haired boy, punching him hard in the face. He spun around the boy, slamming his foot into his back, kicking him into the ground.
Yet more trees fell victim to his fall.
Goku spun quickly to meet the other, forming a ki shield in front of him at the last moment as the boy flew in for an attack, slowing him down. Goku punched him hard in the stomach, then gave him a two-fisted blow, knocking him to the ground. At this point, the other flew up and attacked Goku, exchanging blows with him at super speeds, and holding his own. He knew things would take a turn for the worst when the other recovered.
Goku might have been severely crippled, by the boy flying at his back with an intention to break it, had Vegeta, his hair yellow and his eyes green in Super Saiyajin 2, not phased in at the last moment and blasted the boy back down.
Vegeta looked at Goku and flew round him, grabbing his opponents arm as he prepared to throw a punch, spinning him several times and throwing him into the ground, directly on top of the other. Vegeta fluidly extended his right arm in the very same motion that had been used to execute the throw.
A lethal and readily recognisable energy ball flashed into existence on it.
A feared and respected phrase issued from the lips of the proud Saiyajin. "Big Bang Attack!" The words echoed throughout the forest, as local wildlife instinctively fled the bright, glowing light, tripping over one another, trampling, and in general fleeing like crazy.
The light from the attack pulsed as Vegeta gave a mighty yell of power. The only two creatures foolish enough not to move lay prostrate on the forest floor.
A flash of light as the attack was released.
And then the explosion ensued. Trees, grass, and life in general was incinerated in the inferno, a bright ball of light followed by a lingering nuclear cloud.
Vegeta floated in the air, arm outstretched, waiting to see what was left of his victims. There was, predictably, nothing. Vegeta lowered his arm, satisfied. He looked at Goku sharply. "Good morning, Kakarot," he said, as only he could.
"Hi Vegeta." Goku looked around at the destruction in consternation. "Did you have to kill them? And all those trees?"
Vegeta had seen Kakarot for fully twelve seconds this morning and already wanted to kill him. "Of course I had to, Kakarot! And there are plenty of trees left, you banjo-strumming hippie! You and your whole family..." Vegeta gestured vaguely to the huge forest of East District.
"But..." Goku stopped in mid-sentence as he and Vegeta looked towards the power approaching from the north-east.
"What is that...?" Vegeta said, nervously.
"Nobody I recognise..." Goku contributed.
Vegeta clenched his fists. "Get ready Kakarot, it may be another one."
Goku nodded as he and Vegeta floated side by side, waiting for their mysterious power to arrive.
Gohan and the girl met, explosions of kinetic energy rocking the mountains every time their blows connected. Gohan received a powerful right hook, responding with a kick to the face. Every blow was bone-crushing, as both fighters went all out.
They moved so fast that Trunks and Goten lost track of them, and could tell they were fighting only by the constant wind and the wanton destruction their battle was, without a doubt, causing.
Goten stood, slightly shocked. Trunks, noticing, looked over at him. "What is it?" He asked.
Goten looked at the ground. "Well, I... I was certain I had finished her. I mean... I felt her power fade. What happened?"
Trunks looked up at the two warriors, hitting each other very hard. "I don't know... maybe she regenerates? You know, like Majin Buu."
"I don't think... I hope it's nothing like that," Goten said, eyes wide.
"Yeah," Trunks responded. I know what you mean.
Both boys looked up again at the yell of: "Kamehameha!"
Gohan, feet embedded in the ground, had just launched an amazingly powerful Kamehameha wave at the girl. Dust and rock flew, were torn away from his spot on the ground as the energy burst forth from his outstretched hands. She floated above Gohan, watching the wave as it approached.
When it was very close, she screamed and batted it away from her with her left fist, coming down at Gohan. He smiled, cutting off the beam, feeling now how much energy she had expended in that attack.
He caught her fist, and slammed her into the ground behind him, rising into the air and blasting her with thousands of yellow ki blasts.
Gohan floated in the air, face grim as he poured ki blasts onto the body of the girl, which he could now barely see. He stopped, forming a large ball on his hand.
Suddenly, she rushed out of the hole and floated above Gohan, her breathing perilously ragged. Gohan looked up at her, the ball of energy still charged on his right hand.
She raised her right hand above her head, gritting her teeth. A ball of black energy, which Gohan could not feel, flashed into existence above her outstretched palm.
Both fighters threw their balls of energy simultaneously.
The black ball cut through Gohan's energy ball, swallowing it completely. Before Gohan could react, he threw his hands up, there was a black flash, and he was gone.
Trunks and Goten stood in awe. "He... he vanished..." Goten noted.
The girl smiled nightmarishly at Trunks and Goten, who now stood, facing her. Goten was furious. "What did you do to him!?" He screamed, going Super Saiyajin immediately. He stood, teeth clenched at the girl.
Before she could react, he was in the air before her, ramming his fist into her face. She slid along the ground, stopping abruptly as Goten kicked her stomach, driving her into a rapidly forming crater. When she was several hundred feet down, he came out of the hole, turning flips in the air.
He stopped, hands together behind his back. "Kamehameha!" He yelled, thrusting his arms forward and unleashing a devastating Kamehameha wave. It barrelled into the middle of the crater, widening it as it exploded brilliantly on impact, Goten floating high above, arms still outstretched.
The world held its breath for several tense minutes.
And then, there was an explosion as the girl rocketed out of the hole, ready to hit Goten several times very harshly.
Trunks flew in front of his winded friend. "Why don't you try me out?"
The girl smiled a hateful smile.
Goku and Vegeta stared in shock and surprise at the tall, newly-arrived Super Saiyajin. He smiled at Goku. "You must be Son Goku," he said, noncommittally, as though unsure about it.
"Uh... yeah... that's me..." Goku said, staring at the awesome power this man wielded, at least equal to his own.
"Hm?" The tall warrior said suddenly, looking around warily. "Goku! Do you feel that!?"
"They're still alive!" Goku realised suddenly.
"Hn?" Was all Vegeta managed, through his anger at the presence of another Super Saiyajin. At least he was only level 1. "What are you talking about!?" He squeezed out through clenched teeth. "I blew those creatures into oblivion! Nothing can survive my Big Bang Atta..." Vegeta was cut short as a fully revitalised long-haired warrior rushed at him faster than he could react, and positively boiled with anger that Tennin had just blocked the blow.
Deflecting the punch to the side, he balled the fist of his right arm, which he had used to block, and whipped it back across the boys face. The boy was knocked back and floated, holding his nose. The other boy rushed at Tennin and barrelled into his stomach with a powerful head-butt, emptying the Super Saiyajins lungs and causing him to ache. The other boy, the long-haired one, now charged in, as both boys began punching and kicking Tennin as they had Goku earlier in the day.
Tennin, who was getting very annoyed at all this, did something imperceptible and yelled loudly, performing a Kiai which propelled both boys several thousand feet away, both slightly unconscious. Tennin, knowing they would circle around and come back at him, quickly used the time to power up.
To Vegeta's extreme ire, he ascended, there and then, to Super Saiyajin 2. With very little effort, he then went up to Super Saiyajin 3, yellow energy flaring around his long hair.
"What!?" Vegeta screamed loudly, releasing a bit of spittle. "Only you can do that, Kakarot!"
Goku floated beside the Saiyajin Prince, hands on his hips. "Well, apparently not anymore!"
What did he do to get that sudden burst of power? Goku thought to himself. Did he use... could he have used the Kaio-Ken Attack? This guy sure is full of surprises. I wonder what he'll shock us with next.
Tennin floated in the air, looking proud and powerful as a Super Saiyajin 3. His opponents approached him at libido-decreasing speeds. Sensing a slight differential in their proximity to him, he whipped to his right, delivering a crushing blow to the short-haired boys face, narrowly ducking the flying kick of the long-haired boy, leaving him above Tennin.
Tennin expertly whipped the arm he had just used to deliver a punch with up, elbowing the long-haired boy in the stomach. The boy floated in the air, holding his stomach, as Tennin phased out and appeared above him, knocking him out cold with a two-fisted blow to the ground. He quickly whipped to his right, kicking the other to the ground.
He floated there, staring down at his prostrate opponents, and looked up at Goku and Vegeta.
Vegeta grimaced. "Not another one. Nice job, but you forgot to finish it!" Vegeta blasted the prostrate bodies of the two boys, incinerating them for a second time. "And stay dead!" He shouted.
"What causes you to believe they won't just revive again?"
"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted. "Nothing can survive my blast twice!"
"I agree with our new friend, Vegeta," Goku said. Tennin looked at the warrior, surprised. Goku shook his head and looked at Tennin. "Hey! Super Saiyajin 3! Why don't you tell us about yourself?"
Tennin smiled a contented, fulfilled smile. "I would love to, but there is still one more of those power signatures..."
"Oh yeah!" Goku said. "Let's see, who's over there?" He stroked his chin as if in thought. "Hm... Trunks... Goten... where's Gohan?" Goku looked frantically at Vegeta. "Vegeta, do you feel Gohan anywhere!?"
Vegeta shook his head. "I've not felt him in some time, Kakarot."
Goku sighed. "He must have died. Oh well!" Following this, Goku gave a carefree shrug of his shoulders which utterly bewildered Tennin. "All the more reason we better get over there! You better come with us, um... what was your name?"
"Oh ah... Tennin."
"Great! Nice to meet you, Tennin! Thanks for saving my hide a while ago!"
Goku and Vegeta flew off to the Northeast, as the mysterious Tennin followed.
Several minutes after they left, a large fish surfaced in a lake not far away, a bead of sweat sliding off its brow, the relief evident in its eyes. It then got scared by the sky, which it did every five minutes or so, and hid underwater.
Piccolo was now flying with all the speed he could muster towards the final battlefield in today's impromptu attack. He had been watching the battle quietly until Gohan's power had disappeared.
The powerful Namekian flew over landscape, scarcely seeing what lay below. He had always harboured secret fear of anything powerful enough to defeat Gohan, and wondered what in the hell they must be dealing with. The parts of him that belonged to Kami and Nail had nothing to say about it, unusually.
Piccolo's sharp eyes turned southward, towards the three incredible powers he felt approaching Gohan's former location. Two he recognised, Vegeta and Goku, but just who was the third? His strength was incredible, whoever he was. The determined Namekian piled on the speed, rocketing as fast as possible towards the place where he knew that Trunks and Goten were preparing to renew his acquaintance with someone he wanted very much to never ever ever see again: Gotenks.
Trunks desperately exchanged blows with the blue-skinned girl, a normal practice in martial arts which had currently degraded to mean that he frantically tried to block a flurry of blows from his opponent.
He was currently enjoying a bout of success, but feared for his consciousness when his luck turned.
Trunks would have liked more than anything at that point to have the girl away from him, to give himself a chance at least to go Super Saiyajin, but she insisted on granting him not even that.
Instead, she kept raining down a flurry of blows which he had to work extremely hard to block.
The girl punched him right in the nose. He flew back and slid in the grass, rolling skilfully to a stop beside Goten, who had already fought her as a Super Saiyajin and failed.
"Well," Trunks said, wiping the blood from his face, "seems to me that we only have two options."
"Yeah!" Goten said, forcefully. Then, a moment later: "Uh... what are they?"
Trunks frowned at his friend, still trying absent-mindedly to stem the flow of blood from his nose. "Well, either we gang up on her, which probably won't work any better than this has been doing... or... we can call on our old friend..."
"Oh yeah!" Goten said, loosening up his right arm. "I don't know," he began, mockingly. "You think you're up to it?"
"I'm feeling just fine!" Trunks said, standing his full height beside his friend. "Ready!?"
"Whenever you are!"
"Alright!" The boys said, in sync, assuming the positions.
The girl looked on curiously as they spoke together. "Fusion..."
"Um... pardon me, Goku?" Tennin said to Goku as they flew towards the battlefield.
"Oh! Yeah, what?" Goku responded, quickly.
Tennin looked forward, towards their destination. "Forgive me for judging, but... shouldn't you be more concerned about the death of your son?"
"Oh, well... we can just bring him back with the Dragonballs." Tennin stared at Goku in consternation.
"Uh... what are the Dragonballs?" Tennin asked, the wind whipping his long Super Saiyajin 3 hair out behind him.
"Wow!" Goku said. "Why did you come here? I mean, a lot of people come for the Dragonballs."
"I came to belong..." Tennin said quietly.
"Whaddya mean belong?" Goku asked him.
"Well, you see, Goku... I'm your half-brother." Goku's eyes widened with shock, but he didn't stop flying.
His face lit up with a smile. "That's great!" He said. "Hey Vegeta!" He shouted behind him. "Didja hear that!? This guy is my half-brother!"
Vegeta, behind them, snorted. "That would explain his total inability to finish a fight!" He shouted.
As Goku was preparing a barrage of questions for the newcomer, he was shocked at feeling a power he had not felt for some time...
"Ha!" Both shouted at once, flawlessly performing the Fusion Dance. The familiar glow enveloped their bodies as light sprang forth, then receded, throwing a cloud of dust in its wake. When the light and the cloud receded, the girl stared at her cocky new challenger.
"Well, it would probably work out better if you just gave up now," the new challenger noted, the strange blend of two voices almost utterly bewildering the girl.
Gotenks leaned forward, obviously waiting for an answer. "Hm... no comment, huh? Well, if that's the way you want it..." He effortlessly ascended to Super Saiyajin, cycling through the stages in several seconds, reaching three before five had passed.
The girl was becoming increasingly unhappy, and making no secret of it.
She speedily charged up another ball of pure black energy and threw it at Gotenks fiercely. Wishing to avoid his friend/brothers fate, he shot up into the air as it flew through his after-image.
Behind Gotenks, it pulled a mountain out of existence, but the fused warrior failed to notice that as he punched the girl in the face, bringing blood spurting from her nose. She staggered back, struggling to regain her balance, but was unable to regain it before Gotenks grabbed her head and used it to hit his knee with.
More blood flowed from her face as Gotenks smashed his knee into it. Rising into the air, he delivered a roundhouse kick to the girl, sending her flying away, sliding along the ground.
Gotenks dropped to the ground, extending his hand towards the girl, not even giving her time to stop sliding, and preparing to unceremoniously blast her into oblivion. Smiling as the energy formed on his outstretched hand, Gotenks spoke to the girl for what he thought would be the last time. "Say goodnight!"
He released the blast, rock and dirt kicking up in a formidable cloud of dust behind him. The yellow blast rocketed towards it's target, who was only now passing through the rubble and dust of her trip along, and into the ground, rolling along, unconscious. She wouldn't even have had time to stop moving before it was over.
"NO!" Came a cry, and at that moment, a streak of black came in from the left, and the tall, formidable Super Saiyajin 3 Tennin interposed himself between the girl and the ball of energy.
Gotenks eyes widened as the energy impacted with Tennin's outstretched arms, thick cords of muscle rippling as his set posture was thrown back by several centimetres. All of the detritus that had been laying on the ground all around blasted far off like dangerous shards of glass in the hot wind caused by the energy of the ball against that of the Saiyajin.
Tennin poured energy out of his body and into the thin shield protecting him from incineration, his yell echoing all around the mountains.
The Saiyajin warrior gave a last, mighty yell as he leaned into the ball, and threw it upwards, where it rocketed off into space and exploded brilliantly.
Tennin stood to his full, intimidating height, and stared at Gotenks in that way that Super Saiyajins had of staring, which tended to make most sane people a bit fluttery. "That was very rash," he said reproachfully. "You were so focused on your own fight that you didn't even take time to sense for other enemies. I bet you didn't even know we were here until you saw me."
Gotenks was indignant, all the more so because Tennin spoke the truth. He sensed everyone now, Goku and Vegeta floating about one-hundred feet above, and Piccolo standing on a rocky precipice not far away. But he hadn't before. He sighed with frustration. "Who the hell are you?" He asked indignantly.
"Goten!" Goku shouted. "You shouldn't talk like that!" He folded his arms as he looked down at the half of his son he fancied he was currently talking to. "What would Chi-Chi think?"
"Oh, shut up, Kakarot. He's my son too. A healthy swear here and there is good for everyone. And I think your son is getting too old for that woman's coddling." His hard, sharp eyes shifted to Tennin. "And besides, that half-brother of yours gets on my nerves. If that's even what he is."
Tennin prepared to respond to Gotenks' question, but was interrupted by a shout. "He's right, Gotenks!" Piccolo said, reprovingly. "You are far too confident!" The Namekian flew from his place atop the precipice, lighting not far from Tennin. Goku and Vegeta dropped to the ground, walking over to the general area where everyone seemed to congregate.
Piccolo looked at the newcomer, Tennin, was impressed by his size, power, and control, and then to Goku and Vegeta.
He looked back at Tennin. "So who exactly are you, anyway?"
Tennin shifted back to his normal form, his unruly white hair reverting to shoulder-length. He smiled and blushed slightly. "Oh, my name's Tennin. I'm uh... Goku's half-brother..."
Piccolo smiled. "I would believe it. But why didn't you want our over-confident friend here to kill this girl?"
"Yeah!" The unfortunately still-fused Gotenks chimed in. "I'd like to know that myself."
"Because," Goku said, stealing the spotlight. "Killing them only makes them stronger. Tennin had to take care of two that Vegeta finished off..."
"Yes," said Vegeta. "And then... I had to finish them off again!" Vegeta crossed his arms and turned his back. "You must be from Kakarot's family tree. You're just like him."
"Maybe we should..." Goku began to reluctantly suggest.
"No," Piccolo said firmly. "I understand why Tennin wants her alive now. They have evil in them, but it just happens to be winning out over the good. Somebody is controlling them."
Gotenks had joined Vegeta in the pissed off and not talking corner of the conversation, until the fusion suddenly split.
Vegeta looked over his shoulder. "There you are, Trunks." He said to his son, who looked more sheepish than several herds of sheep. Goten stood on the right, looking the same.
"Yep, it's me..." Trunks said.
Vegeta stared at him for a moment and then turned away. "Trunks, Bulma and I will be having dinner at your house tonight, Kakarot." Vegeta then made a full turn and stared at Tennin. "I want to be there for the story."
"Yeah," Goku said, "I think we all want that!" He turned to Tennin. "Would you mind, big brother?"
"Oh, actually I'm your little brother..."
"Huh?" Goku said. He stepped close to Tennin, and ran his hand from the top of his highest hair spike to around Tennin's chin. "But... you're at least two feet taller than me... are you sure?"
Tennin blushed again. "Uh, no... I mean I'm younger than you... seven or eight years younger."
"Oh well, you should've said so!" Goku said jovially. Goku leaned over so he could see Piccolo. "Hey, Piccolo, you coming to dinner?"
"I wouldn't miss this," he said, smiling.
"Hey, Goten!" Goku said, suddenly remembering a pressing matter. "What happened to Gohan?"
Goten looked at his father. "I... don't really know, dad. It's like he disappeared."
"You mean you think he's still alive?" Goku asked.
"I... don't really know..."
"We'll worry about it later, then." Goku concluded. "Well, ready everyone?" He addressed all present.
"I've got to take this girl to Kami-Sama's Lookout," Tennin said. He smiled at Goku, who was, in fact, his half-brother. "I know where you're at, I'll be there."
"Alright then," Goku said, smiling and waving. "See ya soon!" Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta took off. Tennin stood for a moment and watched them go.
"So that's my brother," he thought, the wind their flight had kicked up whipping his hair about. Tennin smiled and chuckled to himself. "He's far different from what I expected. All those 'strongest in the universe' rumours made me think he was so shrewd and calculating, but he actually seems a little crazy." He looked behind him, at the prostrate, now-peaceful form of the girl, and though: "Maybe I can belong here." He smiled happily as he scooped up the girl and used Shunkanidou to reach Kami's Lookout.
There was darkness.
There was darkness that penetrated into his very being, which held to the edges of his mind, and beyond that, his consciousness. It overwhelmed his senses, he saw, felt, smelled, even, strangely, heard, darkness. The darkness was complete, and although he knew that at sometime he had been something, somewhere else, at the moment darkness was all that was or is or ever could be.
There was power in the darkness. Diffuse power, not coherent enough to bear any menace or level any threats, but an incredible power. A dark power. A dark power which floated in the darkness, trying, perhaps, to bring cohesion to itself. It's agents were near. They were scattered all about this place of darkness, and they were coming for him. Just as the darkness was in his senses, so they were a part of the darkness, and he could feel them coming for him.
They were to latch to him like parasitic beasts, leeching what life remained in him from his body and leaving only the darkness, the single, inevitable, overwhelming darkness. And even as he knew this to be true of them they were there, latching onto him, taking him into the darkness, showing him the mind of the darkness, a mind that was not a mind, a mind of things that did not exist.
He screamed in pain and agony, and all that came was darkness.
But without warning, rudely, horribly, a scream louder than his could be heard, a scream that breaks glass, that hurt him, which abruptly stopped. Then there was nothing.
Tennin landed outside of Goku and Chi-Chi's home about half-an-hour after the battle, and was surprised to see it crawling with life. Light poured from the several windows, the chimney emitting a pleasant-smelling aroma. From within the sound of muted voices could be heard, and laughter, something which Tennin had not heard often in his life, but always enjoyed. Very cosy, he thought to himself.
And yet, he had trouble approaching the door. Life, he knew for a fact, did not tend to lead him towards those who actually enjoyed the sight of him. How did he know this would be any different? He supposed it was a calculated risk, like most others.
Against his inner warnings that told him how things would turn out, he approached the door. As he was preparing to knock, it opened.
A short, pretty woman with short, blue hair looked up at him. She wore bell bottoms and a halter top. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Who are you?" She said, staring up at the very tall man.
"Oh... my name is Tennin." He shook a lock of his shaggy white hair from his enticing orange eye.
"Oh!" The woman said, opening the door and putting her hands on her hips. "So you're Goku's half brother." She cocked her head and stared at him for a moment. Tennin stood awkwardly, having not even the slightest conceptualisation of what to do. She smiled sweetly. "Hmm. You're much cuter than Goku ever was."
Tennin flushed deeply and Bulma giggled. "What do you mean by that?" He said.
Bulma opened her mouth to speak, but was suddenly pushed out of the way by an exuberant, and honestly very slightly tipsy, Goku. "Hey, Tennin!" He gave a huge, open-mouth smile as only he could. "We've all been waiting for you!"
"How rude!" Bulma said, from her place on the floor.
Goku completely ignored her. "Come on in!" Goku pulled his half-brother inside by the arm.
Tennin just managed to duck the doorway, something he was used to doing because of his height. Inside, he saw a room where the pleasant smells from the chimney were stronger, filled with a lot of people. The amount of people made him nervous, as he was aware they would all be there for him.
Tennin spent an altogether very enjoyable half-hour being introduced to the friends and family of his half-brother. They all seemed very kind, but he picked up on several spiritual signals from them. Chi-Chi was forced to like Tennin, as he was polite and not at all offensive. Tennin was particularly happy with Pan, as he had always found kids amusing. Over that time he was introduced to everybody, except Gohan, who had disappeared in the fight that day.
The very cosiness of his half-brother's life shocked Tennin. He wanted, badly, to belong with these people. He was even beginning to feel he did. Tennin already felt close to his brother and some of the others, having already fought with them in battle. Just as he began to get into the conversation, to laugh at the others jokes and tell a few of his own, Vegeta spoke up. "So, why don't you tell us your story, then?"
There were murmurs of agreement from around the room. Tennin didn't particularly want to remember his story, but decided that he at least owed an explanation to these people, since he had just come along and dropped into their lives all of a sudden. "Yeah!" Goku agreed. "Let's go into the living room and hear it. Is that okay with you, Tennin?"
"Well, my story is nothing special..." The general response to this statement was one along the lines of 'nonsense, of course it is.'
"Well, alright," Tennin conceded.
Several minutes later, Tennin sat in the air in the midst of the living room, everybody else sitting quietly, waiting for him to begin.
He looked around at all of them with his gripping orange eyes. He had relaxed by now, certain that these people were not going to judge him or reject him unless he gave them a particularly good reason to do so.
As he began to recall the memories of his life, others in the room felt his thoughts, saw parts of these memories, and felt their interest in this mysterious Saiyajin grow.
Tennin opened his mouth, and spoke into the silence.