A/N: Alright! I found away around GayFiction's restrictions! WOO! Ok, This is what I'll use for now on for formatting
Blank lines l-l
Passage of Time --oo-O-oo--
Change of Place --OO-o-OO--
They'll be centered like the title of the chapter, making them look cool! Of course, there will also be a little blurb below it like always so if the symbols confuse you, you'll at least be able to figure out exactly what type of change it is. I realize that if there aren't any letters or characters on a line then GayFiction will just simply erase the line, so the trick is to make a cool looking combination of letters, symbols and/or numbers. Problem is what I consider cool and what you consider cool is totally different. They were cool... but now they're not. GayFiction has struck again...
If you're wondering about my change of name for FanFiction… look no further than all the new stories… especially Naruto. Over 70 of them are male/male which is making me ill. I don't mind the odd yaoi story but when the majority of them become that… I start questioning things. Most of them are just done by hormonal females that want to see two males go at it but never will so just write about it.
l-l
Response to Reviews:
Limar() – Well, the thing is I won't be updating any faster than 1 every week, sometimes 1 every 2 if it's exceedingly huge. That's what I try to aim for. If motivation (or ideas) run out then it usually takes longer to update but I generally aim for 1-2 weeks.
Cash – Well… as for cell, don't worry Goku will be training/fighting his entire life. Piccolo is still there and without the saiyans attacking and Gohan with any special powers there is no way Piccolo will ever become good so those two will constantly be fighting and growing stronger and stronger. Who knows what'll happen in their fights, perhaps Piccolo threatens Chichi or one of their children, perhaps he kills one and Goku goes SSJ, who knows. Regardless, you shouldn't be worrying about that because it'll all be explained at the very end. :). And yes, power levels that huge SHOULD be outlawed but I went off the series so I had to go with the estimation power levels that were on several websites. I saw a few websites (dbvortexfor instances) with low ones but they fucked up the power levels that WERE explained and shown in the series so I disregard those ones. And yes, I love magic! All types, except the mangled version shown in Harry Potter… ugh… They TRY to use the standard magic system but then they go and make a mockery of it, so I hate them. Wouldn't have been bad if they had tried to go original and did it shitty, but they just screwed up an already existing system.
Anime-Ronin - yup, four females... although by the time the fourth one gets introduced maybe 1 or 2 of the others may start looking elsewhere. A female will only go for a guy for so long, especially when there is another, free one, close by.
Luna's Meow - Yes, elves once more, but not from Weiss, from AD&D. When someone thinks magic, elves are almost always associated, or at least that's my experience, so when I placed my guys in a magical environment elves seems the real sensible race but don't worry, you'll be seeing other races as well. Some much more magical than elves.
yodey() - Ya, I disliked Gohan how he was during the series... kinda. He started shit, became good, then became shit and then good near the end with Buu. I'm taking him a step further and am going to change him from what he was and into his own person, not a reflection of his father. I'm hoping I'm doing the change gradual enough that it looks at least semi-realistic. I'm not a professional writer so don't expect perfection :)
FireDemonLord - No he didn't. Bardock had Raditz and Goku, that's it. Don't care where you get your sources, that's what it is. I'm not going off most of the movies. Only the few that can actually FIT into the DBZ story line without causing catastrophic plot holes, like Brolly for instance and the Trunks Special and Bardock Special.
l-l
Chapter 10: Unexpected Help
l-l
This wasn't good. This was most definitely not good. Having a large group of angry beings powerful enough to kill a number of you pointing weapons in your general direction is probably the last place Gohan wanted to be in. Of course, as his luck would have it, he was stuck in the middle of such a situation.
"I asked you a question. I demand an answer!" The creature demanded. Judging by his slightly more expensive looking armor and weapons, along with a helm with a symbol on it which none of the others had, Gohan figured that this was the leader of… well… whatever they were. He had a hunch about the race, but he wasn't going to go flapping his chops and make a mistake causing him to sound ignorant. He knew Trunks and Bardock had enough common sense to keep quiet but he wasn't so sure about the other two.
Gohan looked over at them. Nope, they weren't going to keep quiet. Despite knowing that they were overpowered; both Karreth and Vegeta appeared as if they were about to explode. Well, more like just Vegeta. Karreth was mildly irritated but with her being female it would equal the same as a male saiyan being enrage to the point of going berserk. He had to act fast or this could spiral downwards into a blood bath very quickly.
Gohan stepped forward drawing everyone's attention to him. He knew Karreth would keep quiet but Vegeta, he had to act fast. "We're just travellers." Gohan said calmly, as if the weapons pointed at him were mere toys, and to him they were. "We're just passing through when we saw this fabulous city of yours and stopped to view its splendor properly. A city like this deserves to be admired." Gohan said politely. If nothing else, try flattery.
The commander snorted, or at least Gohan assumed it was a commander having no idea how their hierarchy works. "Fabulous city? You have a fancy way with words, and this pig sty is nothing compared to the splendors of the capital, everyone knows that." The guard replied. "Now, would you like to try again? The truth this time, I won't have you lying to us. Our mages will make take note of which words you speak are true and which are not."
Vegeta stepped forward to speak up but stopped as Gohan glared at him with such venom that it paralyzed him. "Karreth, make sure your little brother doesn't get out of hand. Being as young as he is he tends to say the worst possible things at the worst conceivable moment. He lacks the wisdom of knowing when to speak, and when to stay quiet." Gohan declared hotly.
Karreth nodded and grabbed Vegeta by the collar and dragged him back a little, placing him near the center of their group. Vegeta was completely complacent. He had seen something inside Gohan's eyes that he didn't like one bit, something that terrified him. There was something inside he never wished to see emerge.
Gohan turned back, his face completely calm once more. "I assure you, we mean no harm. We were simply travelling in this direction when we noticed your fine city. You must have heard Karreth complementing it on its beauty and Trunks with its architectural design. It is a fabulous city. A city does not need be large, or important, for it to be beautiful." Gohan said. Every word he said was true, he knew it and they knew it. He was suddenly glad his mother had forced him to read all those political studies books. "But you asked who we are, and I have delayed in that answer. I am Gohan, the child is Vegeta and the one who grabbed him earlier is his older sister, Karreth. The one with the lavender hair is Trunks, a true friend, and the last one is Bardock, a close relative of mine." Gohan said as he introduced everyone.
"Strange names you have." The commander said after a moment of silence, "But you have spoken no word of a lie and have done as I have asked."
"Yet there are questions we still wish answered." Said another musical voice; this one must softer than the other. This time it originated from one of the robed figures. The figure clasped its hands together it did a number of strange signs before disappearing and reappearing beside the commander. It raised its hands and drew the hood back revealing a shockingly beautiful woman. Karreth immediately became jealous and began to watch Gohan closely. "You are not elven, yet you speak our language as if you were one of our own. Even the inflections are accurate, something few outside our race are capable of doing." She said. The question was there even if it wasn't asked directly. "And yet you are not elven, nor are you dwarven, human or a halfling. You have the look of a human yet the tail of a monkey. You are… alien to this world are you not?" She inquired.
Gohan sighed. "You are quite perceptive. Most would have passed our tails off as nothing more than a furry belt." Gohan replied as he unwound his tail from around his waist letting it wave through the air for a bit before wrapping it around his waist once more. It had gotten quite a bit of training while in the gravity chamber. The additional weight pressing down on it made it far more durable and pain tolerant than it once was. "As for why I can speak your language so fluently… I've always had a knack for learning." Gohan said lightly.
He really did not know how hew knew their language. It just came naturally to him and to the rest apparently from the reaction Vegeta had given. He had seemingly fully understood what was said to him. Yet they didn't turn their head one bit when he had spoken to Vegeta, meaning that they couldn't understand what he had been saying. Now that he thought about it he had spoken to Vegeta in his native tongue while he had spoken to the elves in theirs. There were several languages spoken back on Earth. The first and foremost was common, or the planetary language that everyone knew but there were a few other racial or national languages which weren't as well known or spoken. His mother had forced him to learn them all. He must have automatically started speaking in one of those tongues when he heard it. As for the right inflection, that was something he'd have to sort out later, as well as how Vegeta and the others knew. Trunks, like him, would have been well versed in the other languages like he was, having been from the same planet, albeit a slightly more devastated one.
"I see." The female said, knowing that Gohan was hiding something but wasn't able to follow up as he had answered her questions truthfully and completely so far. He had simply neglected to add the additional information everyone else usually did. "And you were merely passing through, was that it?" She inquired again. She continued when she got a returning nod. "What I find interesting though, is why you stopped here. And why you decided to come in this direction. We've been tracking you for some time and are quite curious as to how you suddenly appeared in the middle of our lands without our knowledge, and how you seemed to home towards to closet settlement, and how you seemed to know exactly where it was."
Gohan frowned; they were getting into questions he didn't want to answer. "How we appeared in the middle of your land isn't any of your concern but I will say this. No more will be coming by the same route we did, no one else 'can' come by the same route we did." Gohan started. "As for how we knew where to go and stop. That also is none of your concern. You know through this that we have an ability to do so, an ability to locate your settlements so let's just end it with; it wouldn't have mattered if we had appeared near your settlement or another, a human or dwarven. We still would have travelled towards the closet, regardless of the race or nationality."
"You didn't answer my questions." She stated.
"I answered what you wanted." Gohan returned, "I'm not willing to tell you everything about us, just like I doubt you're willing to tell us anything about yourself. Your people are able to judge if my words are true or not, so I simply stated that we have no harm, no intend to bring any form of harm to your people, either directly or otherwise." Her mouth thinned, it was apparent she was not liking this answer. She wanted more than assurances. "If you do not wish us near here, tell us to leave and we will go. If you will allow us in, show us to a place where we can rest and we'll pay for it. If you wish to fight us, go ahead and get it over with." Gohan said in a cold, dark tone. "We've answered your questions, assuaged your fears, and yet you question us like we were prisoners of war or spies. We are neither. We've tried to be calm and collected while questioned, but you demand much and give nothing. I see no point in answering anymore questions without assurances from you. Are you going to kill us and are just getting information from us before you do so or do you fully intend to let us in or go on our way?"
"What will you do if we tell you to leave?" She asked.
Gohan thought about that for a moment, "Not much really. We'd leave and head for the next city and hope for a better introduction. And we'll keep going until we find some place that accepts us. But if every place is like here, there could be a great many dead people by the time we finally find a place." Gohan answered.
She nodded and drew a deep breath. "Alright, you can stay here with us on one condition. You do not harm any of our people or cause any sort of disruption."
"We might as well leave then because our appearance alone would cause a disruption." He replied.
"That is of no concern. I meant a disruption caused directly by your actions, not because the citizens wish to gawk at you." She said.
Gohan smiled at her, "My thanks." He replied, "I don't suppose you have a name?"
She frowned at him, "My name is of no concern." She turned to the commander, "Tylan, escort these travelers to the nearest inn." She commanded before she did a few hand signs and disappeared.
With the disappearance of the magistrate the others began to disperse until only the commander, Tylan, was left. Tylan turned back to the saiyans from where he had watched the others disappear. "I don't suppose you can fly." He said as he pointed at Gohan.
"We can, just lead the way and we'll follow. As long as you don't disappear like that woman did we'll be able to keep up." Gohan returned.
Tylan nodded and began to float up into the air, his boots glowing brightly. Gohan turned to the others and beckoned them to follow. Several moments later Gohan was flying beside the commander with the others lagging only slightly behind. It was quite disturbing to Tylan, and many others, to see five alien creatures flying beside one of their own without the aide of any magical equipment.
As they flew up through the many tiered city Gohan resolutely kept his face forward, refusing to show that he was impressed or bedazzled by the sights laid out before him. Vegeta was much the same, firmly believing that the saiyan architecture was far superior and nothing these underdeveloped fools created could compare to what they had. The other three were openly admiring the view and gawking at a certain places, although it was different for each as they each found beauty or interest in different things.
They had ascended three tiers, or at least that's what it appeared like as the tiers weren't all exactly perfectly horizontal and seemed to overlap at points, before Tylan stopped his ascent and landed on a bridge that bridged three huge trees. The saiyans landed beside him and quickly followed him as he crossed the bridge to one of the huge trees. There was a huge building built around the tree itself with a large wooden platform encircling the entire building. Railings lined the platform to prevent small children to roll or run off them by accident. There was a large sign hanging from the front of the inn with the words 'The White Crown' printed across the center of it over the picture of a white crown on a green background.
With a soft push Tylan opened the door to the inn revealing that the inn was not only built around the tree, but inside it as well. The common room stretched all the way around the trunk of the tree while a couple of staircases, one leading further down into the depths of the tree while the other spiraled upwards, could be seen built into the tree itself. What was curious was that the openings in the trunk didn't appear as if they were cut or sanded. It looked almost as if the wood was simply shaped to fit the desired shape like it was putty. Several tables were occupied, but what surprised, and in a sense comforted the saiyans, was that the majority of the people within were not elves, but other creatures like humans, dwarves and halflings. This apparently was the place where foreign travellers often rested.
Tylan turned to the others and beckoned them in. "I shall take my leave of you here. Just sit at a table and you will be served and a place to sleep will be arranged for you. And in reference to something you said earlier, everything is free. We're not like the dwarves and humans. We do not value currency. One's worth is measured based on their actions, not the gold they posses. I hope you won't abuse this hospitality." He said.
Gohan smiled, "Don't worry. We won't. Like I've said before we are not here to cause problems."
"See that you don't." He said as he turned and left the establishment.
"Over there Gohan." Trunks said as he pointed to a table near the corner of the common room. It was large enough, and with enough chairs and benches, to accommodate the five of them comfortably.
Once the five of them were all comfortably arranged around the table a thought struck Gohan. "How exactly are we going to explain our appetites?" Gohan asked the others.
"We don't, we order what we want, and we eat it. I'm not starving myself because of these idiots." Vegeta growled.
"I think we should just order one meal each and see how it tides us over. I'm beginning to have a hunch as to what is going on here." Gohan said. The others regarded him curiously but when he didn't respond they simply went back to thinking silently. Much was going through their heads, well except Vegeta who was more intent on filling his stomach than thinking and every time he tried to think he remembered the look Gohan gave him earlier.
"So what now?" Karreth asked, "Do we just sit here until something happens or do we go searching for something we don't know. We have very precious little information to go on here."
"Is our little friend giving us any hints?" Gohan asked Bardock.
Bardock shook his head negatively, "No, he's been pretty much sil…" Bardock stopped for a moment and appeared as if he was listening to something they couldn't hear. After a tense minute his attention returned to those at the table, "Well, I know a little I suppose." He said finally.
Gohan was about to open his mouth to ask when a waitress appeared at their table. She looked at them curiously for a moment, obviously trying to figure out who they were. A smile graced her face as she spoke "May I take your orders?" She asked politely.
"What are you serving?" Gohan returned just as politely.
She listed the few things they were cooking, the list was short compared to the standards they were used to but then, they didn't have the technology they had. "… And that's everything, what would you like?" She said after she finished listing the items.
Gohan smiled at her causing her to blush. "I'll have one of today's specials with water on the side." Gohan answered.
"I'll take a large steak with some ale." Vegeta stated.
"I'm sorry child, but we don't serve alcohol to children." She said.
"WHAT! I'm no child!" Vegeta yelled.
There was a large smash as Karreth bopped her little brother over the head. "That's enough of that Vegeta. I'll have a large roasted chicken with water as well and my little brother here will have juice." Karreth said.
"JUICE!"
"What Vegeta said sounded nice." Bardock said with a smirk. "Give me a large steak and some ale." Vegeta glowered at Bardock who simply smirked back.
The waitress turned to Trunks to get the last order, "I'll just have a garden salad and some vegetables and anything else you think is good. No meat though." Trunks said.
The waitress gave Trunks a brilliant smile. "An excellent choice sir." She said before she turned and left.
Trunks watched her go for a moment before he turned back to see everyone staring at him. "What?" He asked.
"No…" Karreth started.
"…meat?" Vegeta finished.
Trunks shrugged, "My mother was a big fan of eating healthy. There wasn't anything else to eat BUT meat before we came here and now that I have the choice…" Trunks shrugged.
"Leave him alone, he has his preference, just like we have ours." Gohan said, cutting off anymore jabs or questions. "What I wish to know is what our little friend inside Bardock told him, and just how exactly you three can understand and speak their language. They speak an old Earth language that isn't used much."
"All saiyan children, upon birth, have a translator placed within them. It grows with them and is as easily removed as ones heart." Bardock explained, "It was placed in babies because it is then that our bodies can most easily adapt to it. A few children do die from the process but overall." Bardock shrugged.
"What a handy device." Gohan said as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "May have to get myself one of those some day. What about our friend?"
"What he told me was more of an explanation." Bardock started. He paused for a moment to adjust himself in his chair so as to be more comfortable. "He said we're a select chosen group, or rather everyone here but Vegeta and Trunks but they certainly wouldn't hinder us. Apparently he, it's a he by the way, and his sister are fighting over the multi-verse and we are his way of taking control of the multi-verse. I suppose we can consider ourselves as chess pieces so to speak. Gohan would be the King and Karreth a bishop. The Queen and several other pieces have yet to be collected, or rather they have yet to be brought together with us. Trunks and Vegeta would be considered rooks. On the outside but a force used to stabilized and protect the main pieces." Bardock explained, he had their undivided attention. Chess was a very popular game across their universe. The supreme kai's had played it often with one another and had spread it to the younger races. It was called by many different names but essentially it was the same game.
"And what about you?" Trunks asked, glad that some things were beginning to fall into place.
"This is like chess, but not exactly. It's slightly more complex as the pieces are spread over, let's say, four boards with each universe being a board. As one board is won by one of the two entities they can move those pieces to the next board or spread them evenly across the remainder. The entity we are under decided to move us as a group, maybe in consideration for our feelings, maybe because he thinks that with us all combined winning this universe will be much easier. But there's more than just that, it's far more complex. Winning a board doesn't mean it's a guaranteed. Should, lets say our side, lose on one of the boards our opponent can move pieces to the board our side had previously won, or our homeland and the fight for that one would begin anew. There is a great risk in our entity bringing us all here. Without any pieces on the other board all his opponent needs to do is bring a single piece there and it's lost. But to answer Trunks' question each side has one untouchable piece. A piece that is used to pass information to the other pieces on the boards. I am that untouchable one for our side, they have their own. That's not to say I can't die, it merely means that the other side can't actively search me out and destroy me. If a stray blast or sword takes my life… Well like I said, the game is complex. They don't control our actions; they just set the stage and certain conditions and let us play it out. What's more is that to prevent the game from lasting for an eternity there are only a limited number of pieces per side. Should one be taken out, it's gone for good." Bardock paused for a bit to let this information sink in.
Gohan sat back again, not noticing he had leaned forward during the explanation. He was going to ask a question when the food they'd ordered arrived making him change what he was going to say. "Let's finish this discussion after our meal." Gohan said.
There was a unanimous agreement as the saiyans dug into the meal with a ferocity that startled everyone in the room. The waitress barely had time to turn around and leave before they sat back, finished with their meal.
"Wow, that was good. I'm full!" Gohan said happily. He was right about his early guess. He knew the others would be confused as to why this food filled their bottomless pits like it was nothing.
"Surprisingly yes." Vegeta grumbled. "Even the 'juice' that was ordered for me wasn't bad."
Four jaws dropped to the floor. "WHAT!" The four yelled at the same time startling everyone in the common room.
"You can't be Vegeta!" Karreth yelled as she pointed a finger at him, "You NEVER compliment anyone about anything!"
"What?" Vegeta grumbled, a little embarrassed, "Is there something illegal about me complimenting something if it's justified?"
"I'll take that as a great compliment then." The waitress said as she finished gathering the dishes. She had never seen a meal cleared so fast, it had been a little shocking to say the least. With a small shake of her head she silently left the group to what they were doing.
"Anyways…" Gohan began, still shocked at Vegeta's words. Perhaps there was hope of turning him into a gentleman after all. Gohan thought and looked at Vegeta and saw the glare, Maybe not. He amended silently. "I was right about the food. I'll explain what I mean after Bardock finishes with his explanation." Gohan said.
Bardock smiled lightly, "Well, as I was saying if one of us dies, there isn't anyone coming to replace us. Which is why I believe that he kept us together. It's far safer in a group than not, and since we've been revealed we've become targets." Bardock stopped as Gohan opened his mouth.
"Do you know what we did in the last universe to 'win the board'?" Gohan asked.
Bardock nodded, "Yes, he told me that It was the genocide of the Aeesu-jin race." Bardock explained. Four pairs of eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected. "And it won't be the last time we commit genocide. That's the biggest difference between the two forces. Individually our side is far more powerful than theirs. But the other side utilizes an entire race of creatures so it balances out in the end. If you hadn't trained us as hard as you did than we would have lost that universe. You would have survived but everyone else would have died, including me. With me dead there would have been no way for the pieces to move from universe to universe. So you would be forced to sit and wait as the other side slowly won the other three boards and threw its forces at you until it wore you down to the point where you were easily disposed of."
"So we have to figure out which race doesn't belong in this universe and destroy it… great…" Trunks muttered. "We're all going to have one hell of a kill count by the time this ends." Trunks finished, trying to make light of the situation.
Vegeta rubbed his hands together greedily, "This is getting good." He said in excitement. "I'm glad I came!" Typical Vegeta.
"So, to win 'this board' we need to not only to figure out what race we need to destroy, but find it, and figure out how to get there?" Gohan asked in disbelief. This was not looking good. "A universe is huge and we don't have any means of traversing it." Everyone agreed with Gohan. This wasn't turning out to be quite what they had anticipated.
"I only know what I've been told although I would assume he brought us here for a reason. Meaning that either the race we need to destroy is on this planet, or there is something, or someone, on this planet with the means to travel elsewhere." Bardock said as he tried to assuage their concerns. "Well, he had a few other things to say. One was that he couldn't directly interfere with what we do because if he did then it would mean his opponent could as well and that would create a large mess they'd both rather avoid. I'm allowed to say this much because the other side already knows all of this. But what is good is that even though we don't know exactly who or what we need to fight, they don't either. They don't know who we are, or where we are, only that we are somewhere here in this universe."
Gohan sat back, once again not noticing that he had leaned forward. Despite the troubling news it was still rather exciting. He didn't really like being a pawn for anyone, but they were apparently given enough leeway in what they did that it wasn't too constricting. It's like they were given a destination, but how they got there or what they did on the way was entirely up to them. It wasn't quite so bad if it was put in that light. "Well, that's something at least. We can relax a little knowing our opponents won't suddenly jump out of thin air and backstab us." Gohan said wryly.
"Yes, you are quite correct. But they'll be as actively searching for us as we are for them so I wouldn't get too comfortable, or for too long." Bardock said. Suddenly he tilted his head as if he was listening to something. A moment later he nodded and looked at Gohan. "Gohan… he says he's sorry for what he did to you." Bardock said.
"Huh?" Gohan said, not quite understanding what Bardock was getting at.
Bardock sighed, "Apparently when he moved you from one time to another he tried to integrate you into that timeline but… It failed. It worked fine with Trunks but not with you, he doesn't know why as of yet." Bardock said.
"I'm still not totally understanding. Nothing is missing, I don't feel any different, aside from heightened senses…" Gohan said, obviously confused.
"The senses were simply a beneficial side effect." Bardock explained, "It wasn't supposed to occur but…" He took a deep breath. "When one moves through time their aging process halts until they return to their own time. The whole reason why time travel is so difficult is because you have to step outside of time. When you do that time loses track of you until you return to where you originally left, then it can start affecting you once more. He tried to integrate you back into the timeline so that time would once again see and affect you but it failed. You are now essentially immortal. You can still die due to unnatural causes, but you will never age."
Gohan's jaw had dropped now. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm immortal!? What the hell… great… today's just getting better and better." Gohan said bitterly.
Vegeta glared at Gohan enviously. "Damn! Now you're an immortal as well! Where is justice in this? You don't even appreciate this gift!" Vegeta growled in annoyance.
Gohan glared at Vegeta, "Shut it Vegeta. I'm not like you. I don't live for power. I will be forced to watch everyone I care about slowly age and die around me while I live on! I'll only be able to die if I take my own life as I'm too powerful for a disease to affect me and I've yet to encounter a creature that can even come close to matching my strength." Gohan breathed in deeply before sighing. "And I don't think I could ever take my own life…" He muttered.
"But that doesn't make any sense." Trunks said in confusion. "If time doesn't affect him then his cells shouldn't reproduce or anything. A cell grows with age and then divides when it reaches a certain growth stage. That should be completely halted! And if this was all true then it should have affected me as well when I went back to his time. I was hurt badly many times yet I healed meaning that cell regeneration took place. On top of all that we shouldn't have been able to do anything or affect anything!" Trunks protested.
Bardock shook his head, "No, it's not like that. He exists inside of time, so he can affect things, but time simply doesn't see him. It's like an invisible force is manipulating things. It's there, but you can't see it. And if time can't see it, it can't affect it. And you should know this Trunks, time has no affect on bodily functions, merely the length they occur for. As one ages the time each cell has to live decreases until it reaches nothing, but that part has been halted. Now each new cell has the same lifespan as the previous. Cells will grow, reproduce and die, but their life spans will never shorten. Even the amount of saiyan growth hormones his body produces has reached a plateau." Bardock explained, confusing both Vegeta and Karreth. They knew very little about biological functions and even less than time aside from them both existing. Trunks finally understood and Gohan was able to follow simply because he had read up on it a couple years before he started to go to school.
There was a moment of silence as everyone thought upon everything that had been revealed. Trunks, Bardock and Karreth felt sorry for Gohan but their thoughts were leaning more towards what Bardock had revealed about their situation while Gohan was fully in mope mode. To learn that he would live forever had completely changed his perspective on life. Now whenever he looked at a life form he could almost see it age and die before his very eyes. He knew it wasn't, and that it was just his mind playing tricks, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to look at things quite the same way as before. Vegeta though, he was slightly upset that Gohan was immortal instead of him but that was overshadowed by the though of facing multiple races of powerful creatures. His blood lust was already beginning to burn and he hadn't even encountered the creatures yet, or even knew what they were.
With an audible sigh Gohan broke the silence, "Well, there's no use in worrying about it I suppose. I'll just take it like I have everything else in life, right up the ass. Life seems to just 'love' dealing me the worst possible cards and then sit back and laugh." Gohan said in self remorse. "Well, if I ever come face to face with it I'm going to fucking drop kick it."
The others laughed at this, "You were about to say something about this place earlier?" Trunks asked.
Gohan nodded and placed his hands behind his head as he sat back. "The trees, the forest, the people, the food, the equipment, why we weren't allowed to bring anything except the basics… It's all because this place doesn't utilize technology at all. In fact it runs by an entirely different set of universal laws than our own universe." This produced more than a few pairs of wide eyes. "This place is purely magic. No technology at all. I've read books that talked about magic, it also talked about other fairy tale races like dwarves, elves, ogres and orcs to name a few. There were many different kinds, hundreds, thousands. I believe we've entered a universe exclusively dedicated to magic and magical creatures. Our universe held both with Babidi being an example of a creature that possessed magical skill and Majin Buu being a magical creation. I don't think I really need to give examples of technology." Gohan explained to the others. "The weapons and armor, I'm willing to bet they were all enchanted, hence why they were glowing. The robed figures were probably mages or sorcerers, people capable of casting magical spells. It would also explain how the trees were able to grow so tall, how the soil is so rich, how there's undergrowth but no sunlight because magic provides them with what they need. They don't actually use the soil to feed themselves, or if they do the soil is self replenishing. It also explains the food. I think the food acts differently then ours. Ours was based on whole numbers; I think their food is based on percentages. Like a steak will fill your stomach 50 of the way regardless of how big or small you are. A glass of water will fill you 5-10. I'm just making estimates here but it's the only explanation that I can come up with, and certainly not impossible by means of magical aide."
"You can't actually think we'll believe that!" Vegeta protested.
"It would account for all the weird occurrences that we have been experiencing and witnessing since arriving here." Trunks mused, drawing an incredulous look from Vegeta.
"Let's just believe what Gohan's saying for now. It makes everything fit nicely so let's go with it until it's proven wrong." Bardock added his assent. "It's not like we have anything to lose by believing it, and it sure beats trying to explain it based off the logic we're used to. I know I've been getting headaches just trying to sort out how the simplest of these strange occurrences work."
Vegeta grumbled but didn't say anything which meant that Vegeta had decided to go along with them for now. Gohan looked around the common room and noticed it had grown emptier. There were only a few people remaining at the visible tables, and half of them seemed to be passed out from too much alcohol. A look out through one of the numerous windows in the place revealed that it was now dusk and the main source of light now came from little balls of light that hung from the walls or floated gently through the room.
"I think we should figure out where we are sleeping." Gohan said, drawing the others attention to the emptying room and the darkening sky. "Unless you would prefer to sleep where you're sitting."
The five stood up from the table and began to cross the room. Beside the stairs was a room that had been moulded to resemble a small room with a counter stretching across the only apparent entrance into it. There was a man sitting behind the counter who quickly stood as he watched them approach. Behind him on the wall, or rather inside of the tree, were many hooks, some with a key hanging from it but most of them empty.
"I assume you'll want some rooms, am I correct?" The man said, "Of course you do, how silly of me. You wouldn't be here if you didn't need some. We have singles and doubles, how many of each do you want?" He asked but answered before they could respond, "Yes, yes of course, you'll want two doubles and a single. I'll get you the keys you need." He said as he turned and collected three keys from the hooks behind him, seemingly almost at random.
Gohan shook his head in amusement at this. They had just now arrived at the counter, just in time for him to hand them their keys. "Thank you." Gohan said politely.
"No problem, no problem. The rooms are all two floors up, side by side, well the doubles are, the single is across from them. Have a good night and sleep well." He said quickly.
Gohan nodded before he turned and ascended the stairs, the others close behind him. It was remarkable how smooth and gentle the staircase spiralled upwards. No technological machine could ever hope to match it. What was more though was that the wood felt warm, alive almost. There weren't any forms of heating in the building, not that they had noticed, but it wasn't really needed seeing how the tree itself provided warmth.
"What an odd fellow." Bardock mused.
"Very, it seems these elven folk are just as varied and different from one another as we are." Karreth said in amusement. Karreth looked up and just in time to see a key fly in her direction. She deftly snatched it out of the air before it hit her and looked up at Gohan. Bardock held a key in his hands as well.
"You're in the single Karreth, I'll take a double with Trunks, Bardock and Vegeta will share the other." Gohan said, answering their questions about sleeping arrangements.
They stepped out of the stairwell and onto the third floor, or they assumed it was the third if the common room was the base level. "Really Gohan? I thought you and me could share the single..." She said in a seductive voice.
"Yes, but we were given two doubles and a single, might as well put them to use." Gohan said, deftly evading the suggestion, "And a female needs a little privacy right?" Gohan said with a small smile on his face.
Karreth pouted for a moment before shrugging. It's not like she actually expected Gohan to just cave in and sleep with her. She'd have been suspicious if he had. They soon arrived at their rooms and, after a couple minutes of idle banter they wished each other goodnight and went into their respective rooms, locking the doors behind them.
l-l
--oo-O-oo--
l-l
The next day in the common room…
The common room was quite crowded this morning as the travellers that had stopped to rest the night here came down for their morning meal. The saiyans had once again claimed the table they had the previous night. They'd come down early to discuss what their next move was. The waitress, now accustomed to their eating habits, had patiently waited for them to finish their meal when she brought it, not that she was forced to wait long. There was a large myriad of people gathered in the large place, more so than the previous night. Either some had retired before they had arrived or some had arrived afterwards, and perhaps a little of both. The travellers were of all different strength levels, some ranging from as weak as Vegeta in his normal form to as strong as him in his super saiyan form.
"So, does anyone have any great ideas on where we should go?" Gohan asked as he scratched the top of his head.
"We could always ask around." Trunks supplied, "If this is a small city then staying here may not be particularly worthwhile. Why not try and find a larger city. More people mean more information."
"Hopefully one with a better welcoming crew than this place." Karreth said in amusement.
"I don't care where we go! There just better be something exciting there, like fighting and killing." Large sweat drops dripped down everyone's face. Typical Vegeta.
"So which large city should we go to?" Gohan inquired, "There are at least five or six huge cities, some of them far larger than anything we've ever encountered in our universe."
"The closest one obviously." Trunks replied.
Suddenly Gohan frowned and looked just slightly beyond and to the right of Trunks. "I know you're there. There's no point in staying invisible." Gohan said suddenly.
"Very well than, but I have a suggestion." Said a beautiful and musical voice. A voice filled with power and wisdom, one that drew immediate attention from everyone who heard it.
The air behind Trunks shimmered as a figure appeared before them, standing not more than a foot behind Trunks. Gasps and cries of exclamation echoed through the room, indicating to the saiyans that this person was someone of importance. But Karreth immediately became jealous, especially with the way she was looking at Gohan. She was exceedingly beautiful, with a perfectly formed body with just the right curves to satisfy anyone's tastes. She had light golden skin and with a small mouth, pert nose and emerald green eyes that was framed by fine, golden hair that hung down to her waist in waves. She was dressed in a soft white robe that went down to mid-thighs and left the arms bare. It was cut low enough to show ample cleavage of perfectly formed breasts. Her fingers were dotted with several rings and her neck with chains and necklaces, each looking as if they were worth a king's ransom. Soft white slippers adorned her feet and several anklets could be seen around her ankles.
"Well, you certainly aren't your average elf." Gohan said in mild interest, "For one you're far stronger than these peons." Gohan said as he indicated to the people within the room. "Stronger than Trunks even."
"But not stronger than you, am I correct Gohan?" She finished for him, a small smile still gracing her face.
Gohan shrugged, "In raw power I exceed you, yes, but you're far older than I am, probably older than even Kibitoshin. So in the area of experience, and perhaps skills and talents you exceed me. Also your power comes from a slightly different source than my own." Gohan replied.
"Ah, always the gentleman I see." She said in amusement. "You are curious how I know of you?"
Gohan shook his head, "No, the supreme kai said he'd been talking with some of you. Which makes me believe that you are the supreme kai, or at least a kai, of this universe. And since you are here, instead of sitting up there laughing at our helplessness, that you've decided to aid us in some fashion." Gohan said, logically sorting through the pieces of the puzzle.
She smiled brilliantly at him causing Karreth to glare at her. She turned to look at her, "You seem to have a problem with me little one. You may claim he's yours, but until he accepts you he's fair game for anyone, including those such as myself." Eyes widened across the room and more than a few gasps as well. Karreth however grew red with embarrassment and anger.
"Why you!" She started, standing up violently as she clenched her fists.
"Karreth, stop, you attack her and you are dead. She'll kill you before I have a chance to step in." Gohan snapped at her. She looked at Gohan, her eyes pleading, before she sat back down, but not before giving the goddess on last glare.
Musical laughter echoed through the room as the goddess laughed at the situation. "I've forgotten how amusing these mortals are. Do you not agree Gohan?" She asked with an arched eyebrow. Not getting a response she shrugged, "No matter. I'm not about to gobble you up, or even try for that matter. You're a little to rough for my tastes anyways. I'm simply here because your supreme kai however, DOES interest me." She replied in amusement.
Gohan smirked for a moment before he fell into full blown laughter. The others looked at him as if he was insane, or at least until he opened his mouth and spoke, "He doesn't know does he?" Gohan said, still chuckling to himself. "He better start running, or perhaps it's already a little late for that. But I thought supreme kais couldn't transcend their own universe?"
Finally it clicked into the others and smiles and smirks graced their face. "You are quite correct. A supreme kai cannot transcend their own universe, but I am not a supreme kai. I'm a goddess, and one that you said before relies on a different source for power. He may not be able to, but I can. We don't out of courtesy but there's nothing stopping us from travelling there and affecting things." She grinned and shrugged before she continued, "But hey, I'm just as much a woman as she is." She said as she pointed at Karreth. "I have my needs as well, but I need someone of equal rank and status." Her smile dropped as a look of pity and sadness overcame her, "Besides… he's been through so much that he deserves someone. We've been able to handle any problems that have arisen here just fine, but our problems might as well be nothing compared to the horrors he's had to live through."
Gohan nodded, "Yes, I know what you mean. With creatures like Majin Buu…" He trailed off as she shook her head.
"No, Majin Buu was nothing, merely an aftershock to an earthquake compared to what went on before. Most of it happened when Shin was still a child. You knew that there were four Kaioshins and a Dai Kaioshin but… How do you think they came into existence? One female and four males? You know that at least 15 generations of them have existed, perhaps even more. Where were their parents? Siblings? Friends? Their race? The kais that you have aren't true gods like we are, they don't live forever. They're just a supercharged race… a race that nearly went extinct. A race that will become extinct in a couple million years when Shin dies…" She drew a deep breath and finished, "Well, you understand now. Majin Buu was nothing compared to what happened before. Majin Buu was just an old tool left over from that war. Bibidi didn't create it per se, he merely repaired it, gave it a few extra abilities like regeneration and the ability to hide it's power, but put several limiters on it's complete power so he could remain in control. By the time he finished it was technically his creation as it hardly resembled the original, but it was based off a different weapon."
Gohan stared at her in surprise, "I didn't know… he never said anything… how do we know what you're saying is true? And you DO realize everyone is listening to this conversation." Gohan pointed out, indicating the numerous pairs of eyes transfixed on her.
She shrugged, "Let them, they have no clue as to what we speak. They'll simply pass it off as godly knowledge, something they can't ever begin to fathom. This isn't too far from the actual truth. It is, for the most part, godly knowledge and they'll never be able to fathom it." She replied. She didn't care if they heard; if she had to she could just erase this discussion from memory. "As for how I know… It becomes lonely being by yourself. All he had was his assistant to speak with and you've met HIM before. He's not much of a conversationalist. We traded stories often, although it was generally him lamenting on his past, wishing he was more powerful, and just this past discussion, wishing he had known about the saiyans true strength. When we talked he told me all about the 'saiyans' and their amazing powers, how they've always been able to rise to the challenge, never backing down, never giving an inch and always coming out on top in the end. How they possessed powers beyond even that of his kind, beyond that of my own and my brethren. I didn't believe him, not at first, but now that I've seen you… I'm beginning to see exactly what he meant. You all possess absolutely astounding powers, especially Gohan and Trunks. But what's even more breathtaking, is the potential you all have. The weakest among you has the ability to exceed the greatest of the gods… It truly is something to marvel about. What makes me curious now though is how such a race could be created in the first place. It cannot be because of a natural occurrence."
Gohan was truly surprised at this, much like Bardock and Trunks. They really had not expected this kind of praise, especially not from someone as powerful as her. Karreth was practically smirking, looking like a cat that had just gotten into the cat nip. Vegeta was looking rather smug with his chest swelled with pride and his ego exponentially increasing.
"I thank you for the compliment but…" Gohan looked over at Vegeta, "We had nearly popped his ego and then you drop by and swell it by several times!" He said in mock anger.
She laughed at this before giving him a brilliant smile, "He's young, let him have his ego. But this isn't why I came here. I got side tracked a little I suppose." She said as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I came here to give a suggestion. There is, on this planet at least, a super city." She said, "It's large, population exceeding a billion people, and its home to every major race this planet has. It's at the juncture between the four racial boundaries. I suggest heading there. You'll find what you're looking for, as well as several other interesting and possibly useful information and items. Just fly above the tree line, you should be able to see it. After all, it extends from the ground all the way up into the clouds. It's taller than any mountain on this planet."
Their eyes bugged out, "You're kidding!" Trunks gasped out, "That shouldn't be possible! Even with the strongest alloys the city should have collapsed in on itself due to the weight!"
"The gods probably helped construct it." Gohan said, "Lending their magical abilities to make it so it DOESN'T collapse. You should have expected this Trunks. Nothing else in this universe has made much sense to us."
The goddess nodded in agreement with Gohan, "Yes, you are quite correct; there are also always two of us there at any given time checking over it to make sure it doesn't collapse. We really don't want a billion deaths on our hands because we weren't taking proper care of it." She replied. She unfolded her arms and waved, "I may or may not see you later. I just came down to give a suggestion, and to see if what Shin had said about you was correct." And then she was gone.
"How convenient" Bardock murmured to himself but everyone heard just fine, "Just when we were looking for something to do, or some place to go. Look who shows up and gives us exactly that. I wonder if the other side has people doing the same thing."
Gohan stood up and looked down at Bardock, "Let's assume that they do and keep a sharp watch. Our little 'vacation' has officially ended. Now that we have a direction to go, let's get to work." Gohan said. The others agreed and soon they were shooting up through the many tiered city startling many of the citizens as they passed. It wasn't everyday one witness five people sheathed in a strange and unknown light fly past them at speeds exceeding anything they thought possible outside instantaneous teleportation.
As they ripped through the tree tops and appeared above they quickly found their target. The goddess was right, there was absolutely no way they could miss it. It could easily be the size of a small province. The five of them exchanged looks, if they had only flown above the trees instead of running through the forest they could have gone straight there instead of spending the night in that small city. But then, they'd have never met the goddess or gleaned some additional information about Kibitoshin. Without saying a word Gohan blasted through the sky with the other four close behind, their aura trailing behind them.
It took them far longer to get there then they had originally expected. The city was so huge that it appeared much closer than it actually was because of its sheer size. Despite flying close to Vegeta's top speed it still took them the majority of the day to get there, and all the while it slowly grew larger and larger until it encompassed their entire field of view. The sheer size of the city was mind boggling. It was almost impossible to think a city could be this huge. When the goddess had said it was home to over a billion creatures they had thought she was exaggerating, but now they weren't so sure. Words couldn't describe its size and they briefly wondered just how anyone found their way through that place.
In time they eventually did reach the city but it took awhile, most of the day it appeared, and they had been racing against the setting sun. They weren't sure exactly how long it had taken them; they weren't allowed to bring watches or any other kind of automated time keeping. As they finally reached the city itself they were confronted with the daunting task of figuring out just where the hell they were supposed to go.
The city stretched from the ground and soared all the way into and above the clouds. Up near the cloud line a barrier of sorts could be seen, as to what it was for they had no idea but one would imagine it was to keep the air density within the city equal to that of the lower elevations. The city itself though, was beyond anything one could have possibly imagined. It defied all logic and reason. There was a huge central column with many walkways, streets, boulevards and buildings jutting off from it. This was the semi-normal part. The sheer size of the central column was staggering, being nearly a full four kilometers in diameter. It was the rest of the city around it that truly defied all logic. Sure, boulevards and streets ran off it in all directions, but nothing held them up. No supports, no beams, nothing. They just floated there as if suspended by an invisible force, which they were. From these streets other huge buildings, although no where near the size of the central column, towered into the sky also not visibly supported by anything. This wasn't all though, while some buildings were attached to the streets, others simply hung in midair by itself. What's more than this was that plant life and other forms of vegetation could be seen lining boulevards or stretching down the center of the street, apparently without any or roots. At this Trunks simply scratched his head in disbelief and threw logic out the window. It was apparently not going to do anything for him except cause a headache. The city though, despite its massive size, was not a disorganized mess that one would have thought. It looked as if the entire city had been constructed all at once, or its expansion had been planned out at the very beginning so the makers would know exactly what to put where and how. There was certain logic to the layout of the city which was slightly comforting to the saiyans as it gave them something to grasp onto. The city had many tiers, more then they wanted to count, but it was set up in a certain logical manner that was nice. Every hundred meters there was another inner tier, where the small buildings were constructed. This isn't to say that the inner tiers were the only place the smaller structures were located, but it was where the majority of them were. Every five hundred meters there was a middle tier, or rather the inner extended outwards half again as far where the medium sized buildings were located, or the ones between a hundred and five hundred meters tall. And every mile there the middle tier extended outwards even further, and this was where the titanic buildings were located: The buildings between five hundred meters and a mile high. The smaller structures were still there, in places, but it was dedicated almost entirely to the largest structures.
"Well, we're here Gohan. How the hell do we find anything in there?" Trunks asked as he waved his hand through the air indicating the titanic city.
"Let's just grab someone and demand answers!" Vegeta suggested.
"And who would we ask brother?" Karreth replied, "And what answers do we desire? We can't simply ask them what we should do. That'll just get us strange looks."
"We're already getting strange looks." Trunks pointed out, indicating the various people staring at them in curiosity.
"You've been rather quiet Gohan." Bardock remarked, peering intently at his grandson who seemed to be lost in a daze.
"Follow me, quickly." Gohan said and a moment later he was shooting through the air towards the city, angling slightly down and to the right.
The others exchanged odd looks before they chased after Gohan who seemed to pull away from them no matter how hard they attempted to catch up. Thankfully the aura trail he left behind made his path more than easy to follow. They all wondered just where Gohan was headed as they entered the city and began to dodge citizens that entered their path. Down and around buildings they flew, in and out of traffic. It was becoming increasingly difficult to follow Gohan as the crowd of people began to hide the trail. There were far more people capable of flight, either due to spells or magical equipment, than they would have anticipated, and far more than they liked.
After a few minutes of flying they sensed Gohan slow down and stop completely. Around another building they went and found Gohan, along with several other elves, some looking very angry. The saiyans settled down just several feet behind Gohan, close enough to show their support but not close enough to really add to the situation. Now that they had settled down they realized they were on one of the inner tiers, within several feet of the central column to be exact, on one of the many boulevards the extended outwards away from the main pillar. A large crowd had begun to develop around them.
There was a group of five elves that was consisted primarily of males, all of which were exceedingly powerful. Nothing compared to Gohan or Trunks, but one or two of them could probably beat Bardock at his maximum. Four of the five males were dressed in expensive looking armor wearing enough weapons to outfit an armory and all of it was glowing and humming. Some of them were so powerful that they literally gave off a life force of their own despite being inanimate objects. The last one was wearing a long robe of what appeared to be soft blue material. It swirled around the elf like it had a life of its own and it was one of the items that gave off its own life signature. There were strange writings covering the sleeves and hem of the robe, and each letter was visibly glowing. It was this person that Gohan held in his grip, or rather he held the elf's wrist in a firm grip that even the gods couldn't break.
Aside from the group of five elves, there were two others, both female and the older one of the two looking much like the mother of the younger, that they were confronting. The older woman was dressed in just a regular green tunic and white trousers with a few pieces of jewelry adorning her neck and fingers. The younger of the two though really caught their attention. She was beautiful, not like the goddess they encountered, but beautiful in her own right. She was a slight elf, standing only 5'10" tall with flowing golden hair and golden skin. She had emerald green eyes and a small mouth with natural ruby red lips. One thing that caught their attention was her ears. While they were pointed, they weren't nearly as long or tapered as the other elves they'd encountered suggesting that she was a hybrid, or that one of her parents had been. She was wearing a sleeveless blue gown that stretched to her feet. It was held up by a soft, velvet belt at her waist and four straps, two on either side, that went over either shoulder and had clasps at the top. The neckline stretched down ending just slightly above her perfectly formed breasts giving a hint of cleavage but hiding the majority of it. She wore no jewelry aside from a pair of earrings that chimed when she moved her head. What caught their attention was her power. She was easily twice as strong as anyone there, yet again with the exception of Gohan and Trunks at his maximum, and Karreth could have sworn she saw something glow on her forehead for a brief instant.
The five male elves that had been glaring at Gohan began to shift their gaze to the other saiyans and back again. They were not happy; this was most definitely not going to end pleasantly…
To be continued…
l-l
A/N: There, slightly larger than what I wanted but it was good enough. Close to where I wanted to end it regardless. May or may not make the next one a long and drawn out fight, simply because it's in the middle of a crowded city and I'm not too sure I want Gohan and the others to bring the entire place crashing down QUITE yet. I might though, depending on what everyone else wants. So, do you want to see a fight between Ki and Magic that'll rock a city or should I save it for the chapter after, regardless the chapter after WILL have fights, multiple fights. And fights that won't threaten the safety of over 1 billion people :).
A/N: I changed how time actually works in my story from the way it actually is in real life. Stopping time actually doesn't have any affect on bodily functions, or at least slowing it down doesn't slow down bodily functions because bodily functions work at a constant rate, and time isn't necessarily constant. Confusing? Don't worry about it unless you're going to take a physics major in university. Also time isn't really an entity but I made it like one. Forget about the scientific stuff and the way it is in our world because if you compare real life with my story you'll go 'huh?'
A/N: Oh, and I explained about Kibitoshin like that because I was always curious as to where the other Supreme Kai's had gone. Seemed ridiculous to me how it was possible for 15 generations to exist with so few people. There must have been at one time an entire race. Despite what one may believe, you need more than 2 people of opposite genders to keep a race going. There would be so much incest that genetic defects would destroy them within 3 generations, if not then soon after. And the 4 supreme kais and the big supreme kai were so radically different from one another that it's stupid to think that they're even remotely related. All they shared was skin color, and I'm not even sure about that.