Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z

Author's note: I've decided to model my story after the DBZ series in that it will be grouped into sagas. I have at least two, probably three sagas in mind.

A Second Chance

The Ramen Saga
Chpt 2: A New Life Begins

His first impression was of filtered sunlight streaming down through a canopy of ice blue leaves. Radditz slowly sat up and stared around him in confusion. Great, twisting trees of massive height stretched upward into the sky. A red sun was peeping through the leafy roof to reveal dense vegetation below.

Where am I?

It all seemed strangely peaceful. Thousands of faint sounds reached his ears, sounds of birds, insects, and other various forms of life. It sounded as if the forest itself were alive.

What am I doing here?

He turned his head to see what appeared to be a faint trail snaking it's way through the lavender colored brush. The Saiyan sat for a long time as he wondered about this curiosity. Everything seemed so strange.

I don't remember anything.

Radditz froze. His heart beat seemed to drown out the forest as he stared into space. I don't remember anything.

Who am I?

He looked down at his himself. Unknown to him, King Yamma had dressed him in an exact replica of Goku's orange gi as a private joke at his expense. Radditz, however, knew none of this as he searched for some clue to his identity. An unbidden wave of panic rose in his chest and it took him several minutes to mostly calm himself down.

Radditz's hands shook slightly as he looked back at the forest path. Not being able to think of anything else, he decided to follow it. His legs shook with effort as he managed to get to his feet. This strange world, wherever King Yamma had dumped him, had twice the gravity of planet Vegeta. He took a step.

He fell flat on his face.

The absence of a tail had also proved hazardous to his balance.

However, Radditz knew none of this as he scowled through the grass. His arms shook again as he pushed himself to his knees. Why was he having such a hard time standing? This time Radditz managed to take two steps before falling, this time on his rump.

This was absurd! Surely walking couldn't be such a hard task!

Radditz growled as he pushed himself to his feet again. To hell with walking, standing took enough effort. This time he simply stood there with a hand on a tree trunk for support. He stood there for a while before daring to take a single step. He wobbled slightly before taking another step, then another, and another.

Then he fell on his face again.

"Stupid dirt."

It was then that Radditz became aware of hundreds of tiny eyes peering at him through the hollow of a dying tree.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Paper!"

"Rock!"

"Paper beats rock!"

"HOW CAN PAPER BEAT ROCK?"

"You're both idiots," Celipa growled. Toma and Panboukin were both glaring at each. Panboukin had won yet another game of Rock Paper Scissors. Toma, being Toma, was being a sore loser.

"Paper always beats rock!" Panboukin yelled.

"And I'll say it again! How the hell can paper beat rock?"

Celipa sighed in frustration. Wasn't there anything she could do besides listen to these idiots? Totepo had been smart and left early. Stupid her for staying here.

"What the hell are they arguing about now?" growled a new voice. Celipa looked behind her to see a bemused Bardock.

"What else?" she asked dryly. "Toma's a sore loser."

"NO I'M NOT!" Toma protested. Celipa glared at him a moment before firing a small Ki blast at the other Saiyan. Toma gave a yelp. Bardock chuckled as he looked around.

"Where's my wife?" he asked. "I need to talk to her." Celipa pointed her thumb toward the distant figure of King Vegeta.

"Last time I saw her, the Queen had talked her and two others into ganging up on the King."

"Good Kami, about what?" Celipa shrugged at him.

"Don't know, but the good king was in a real hurry to try hiding from them."

"Did it work?"

"Of course not."

"Hey," Toma said suddenly. "Where's the Kid? Did Yamchops stick him in the box again?" Yamchops was the unfortunate name for King Yamma that Radditz had come up with. The nickname had quickly spread, until even the ogres were secretly referring to him as that.

"That's what I need to talk to my wife about," Bardock answered.

"So he's in the box?"

"No," he answered. Bardock paused before smirking widely. "He's alive." His team stared dumbstruck at him.

"How the hell did that happen?" Panboukin breathed. Bardock smirked again.

"I'll tell you after I talk to my wife."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Radditz managed to stand on his feet as he watched hundreds of tiny white faces peering at him out of the tree hollow. The creatures, whatever they were, could probably fit in the palm of hand. Their white bodies were pudgy and their heads were oddly shaped.

What the hell are those things?

A strange clicking sound reached his ears as they all began to bob their heads in unison. One adventurous creature hopped down and inched closer to him.

"Uh...can you tell me where I am?" he asked, feeling foolish. The creature bobbed its head and blinked at him. Does it even understand me? Two more creatures made their way towards them. Radditz wobbled again, but managed not to fall down.

"Hey! Wait a..." Radditz blinked as he realized that most of the other creatures were moving towards him. He took a step back and fell down again. "Stay away from me!" They halted before continuing onward. Radditz scooted backward.

"Get away!"

Radditz swore darkly as the strange creatures began to crawl over him. "Hey!" What the hell are these things? The Saiyan gave a yelp as something tugged on his long hair. He tried to fend off the offending creatures, but the heavy gravity and the lack of a tail were hampering his movements.

"What the..."

He swore again as the creatures began to drag him somewhere, he didn't know where. They clicked and bobbed their heads as they went, further agitating, and worrying, the Saiyan.

"Get away from me!"

Suddenly all of the creatures went flying back. Radditz didn't have any idea what happened, it was as if some invisible force had thrown them back. Radditz staggered to his feet and tried to get away. He caught tree branches for support as he attempted to escape the strange creatures, but they continued silently after him.

All of a sudden, they all began to click away at once, startling the Saiyan into losing his hard won balance. He slipped and fell down a steep drop off next to him and went tumbling down the dirt. He landed in a muddy creek. Radditz tried to stand up and slipped in the mud. This time, the creatures' clicking turned into a strange chirping chorus.

They're mocking me!

"Go away!" Radditz tried to fling mud at them, but it didn't reach up the steep embankment. The creatures continued to chirp at the agitated Saiyan as he tried to stand up and fell again. He muttered darkly through the mud.

What the hell's wrong with me? Why can't I walk?

Who am I?

Radditz staggered to his feet again and managed not to slip in the mud. He was completely soaked and covered in muddy slime. Small twigs and dead leaves were sticking throughout his long hair and segments of his orange clothes had been stained and ripped.

Slowly, and with great determination, he managed to get onto the bank on the opposite side of the creek. He sat there for a long moment as he glared at the small offending creatures. They gathered on top of the hill and stared down at him. Radditz climbed to his feet and walked slowly away, following the creek. He was a having a slightly easier time walking, but it was still difficult.

What is this place? Radditz paused as he stared around him.

Where should I go? What should I do?

It was at that moment that the Saiyan's stomach gave a loud rumble. He groaned as hunger pains suddenly churned his insides. Radditz gave a start then as he realized that he could hear a faint voice. He held his breath and listened more closely.

Radditz set his mouth in determination and slowly made his way towards the voice. He could hear it more clearly now. It was a deep voice. The Saiyan found himself slowly gaining a better sense of balance as he walked, but his body still felt incredibly heavy.

He paused as he caught a glimpse of movement in the trees. There appeared to be only one person, yet he seemed to be talking to himself. Radditz moved and accidentally snapped a twig. The voice paused. The Saiyan was debating whether or not if he should continue when the choice was made for him.

Something flashed out of the trees and landed in front of him. Something hit him in the chest, causing the Saiyan to tumble on his back. Radditz looked up in surprise to see a pointed eared man glaring down at him. He was holding a long, ebony staff in his hands as he studied the Saiyan warily. Ice blue eyes flashed underneath short cropped red hair as the man watched Radditz slowly stand up. The strange man wore a long, dark blue tunic over light tan pants, not unlike the orange ones that he himself wore.

"Who are you?" Radditz asked.

"I should ask you that my friend," the man said quickly. "You're one of Lord Ramen's spies, aren't you?"

"Uh.."

"Of course you are, you must be! Look at you, you look like a wild man! That dirty appearance of yours is probably so you can blend into the forest better..."

"I..."

"Why were you spying on me?" the man demanded again.

"I wasn't spying! I don't even know where I am!"

"Likely story," Red Hair shot back. "I know how your kind works. Ramen's been after this country for the last year. Well, you're a pretty poor spy..." The strange man continued to ramble on quickly as a dumbfounded Radditz could only stare at him. What the hell was he talking about?

"Look!" Radditz finally broke in. The man showed no signs of shutting up. "I don't know who you are, I don't know where I am, I don't know who this Ramen guy is, and I don't even know who I am!" The other man paused and cocked his head. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before pointing his staff at him.

"Look Mr. Wild Man, how do you expect me to believe a story like that? How can you not know where you're at?"

"Well I don't, okay! I don't remember anything!" Radditz yelled, growing more frustrated by the second. Red Hair scratched his head before peering closely at him.

"You don't look like a Lahanian to me, what are you?" he asked.

"Oh, like I know!" Radditz shot back.

"You must be one of Ramen's men, no respectable Lahanian would join him!"

"What about the unrespectable ones?" Radditz asked.

"Er..."

"See, I..." Radditz was cut off as the ground suddenly began to shake. There was a large rumble as what had originally appeared to be a nearby hill moved and sat up. The largest man that Radditz had ever seen, which was in truth, only the second man he had ever seen, stood up. The angry giant towered over the temporary speechless Saiyan and the loud mouthed Lahanian.

"Oh look," Red Hair remarked dryly. "We just woke up a forest troll."

The troll roared irately and beat its broad chest.