Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
A/N: Who's ready for a new arc?! I'm taking a more "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" style with the movie villains and adapting into something new (and hopefully more enjoyable). I hope you all like what I have come up with~
Chapter 46: The Blackwater Mist
Within the Earth's Orbit...
It has been 13 months since the battle with the monstrous Frieza on Planet Namek. The Saiyan men, seeking to end matters with Frieza's ilk for good, have taken to the home world of the tyrant to neutralize any sort of threat from the even more wicked King Cold. As for the other members of the Z-Fighters, they all went home and got back to their normal lives on Earth. All was peaceful.
But peace is little more than a temporary luxury.
Unbeknownst to the people on the blue planet near to it, Earth's Moon suddenly came under assault. It was not a flashy or brutal assault, simply as sudden and rapid attack. A large, blood red crystal came flying towards the Moon. Its origin unknown, how long it had been flying unknown, the crystal crashed into the surface of the Moon and embedded itself deep into the crust of the satellite. It dug deeper and deeper until only the very top remained on the surface.
Things were eerily still. And then, with a flash of red, seven beings stood atop the bloody red platform. They all knelt and then an eighth being joined them. This eighth being stepped forward without a word and motioned for the others to follow him. The eight of them stepped hovered forward and stared down at Planet Earth, hungry and wicked smiles on all of their faces. The eighth being spoke as the little, blue planet reflected in his eyes. "Yes. This planet will do nicely~"
East City Market District...
Life on the Earth was going on a normally as it ever had. The lively hustle and bustle of the recently restored East City was in full display. Ever since the miraculous restoration of the city nearly a year ago, the residents seemed eager to live their lives happily and to the fullest. And among these droves of cheerful citizens, were two particular people who had more of a hand in their restoration than any of them would ever realize.
Both dressed in their casual clothes, Gine and Chi-Chi walked down the street. Each of them had their arms loaded with bags upon bags of groceries. It had been a pleasant trip for the two women as they shopped for their weekly supply of groceries. Chi-Chi jokingly sighed. "We're lucky that my Daddy is so wealthy. You and Gohan eat so much! You're both turning into different versions of Goku!"
Gine blushed, finished her banana and tossing the peel into a nearby trashcan. "W-We are not!"
Chi-Chi chuckled and teased. "The horse meat we bought last week was supposed to last for three days and you two polished it off in one day!"
Gine shook her head, but then she chuckled as well. "He really is growing into a proper, little Saiyan. In some ways at least~"
Chi-Chi glanced over to Gine. "You really think so?"
Gine nodded. "Yeah. He's strong, very strong. But it's so much more than that too. He's smart and gentle and as caring as can be. He's a Saiyan in strength, he's a Saiyan in spirit, he's a Saiyan in appetite...but he's going to be so much more when he grows up!"
Chi-Chi smiled. "Yeah. He's been so into his learning lately. Even if it's just so I'll let him train with you and Piccolo, he's making so many leaps and bounds. I just bought him a set of advanced learning books four months ago and I'm already having to order the next set up~"
Gine smiled back. "Right. It's been just as fun watching him study as it has been watching him train. I just..."
Chi-Chi turned to her mother-in-law, she gasped as the sight of tears shimmering in Gine's eyes. A massive, happy grin spread across the Saiyan mother's mouth and she spoke. "We've been staying up so late into the night lately. Studying and getting to know one another. He's taught me so much as the Earth and I've gotten to share so much with him about Saiyan culture~"
The tears cascaded down her cheeks. "I'm just so happy to have him Chi-Chi. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to get to be a grandmother like this~!"
Chi-Chi smiled as she and Gine continued to walk. She nodded and sighed. "Well, you'll have a long night to spend together tonight. It is the end of the month, after all."
Gine cocked her head. "What are..."
She gasped. "Oh yeah! The Moon is going to be full this evening, isn't it?"
Chi-Chi nodded. "Mhm. And, I know you've been teaching him and whatnot...but I still can't help but be nervous, Gine."
Gine frowned. "You're worried about his tail, right?"
Chi-Chi sighed. "I don't want to be. But we always had to tip-toe on eggshells when it came to that tail when he was little. Goku was never really aware of his reaction to the Full Moon, but I knew what would happen if Gohan transformed. I'm not going to lie to you Gine...I was relieved when I saw that he had lost it while Piccolo was training him..."
Gine nodded. "I can understand that. But you don't have to worry, dear. I've been educating him. From when it grew back on the trip back to Earth, I've been striving to make sure he knows the ins and outs of how his tail works and all of the things that come with keeping it. He seems all too happy to accept the restrictions that come with keeping it. He told me that he wants to keep it because it makes him feel closer to Kakarot, Bardock, and myself..."
The two women rounded the corner of the sidewalk they were walking down and, once the coast was clear, the slipped into the nearest alleyway. As the two of them walked deeper into dank alley, Chi-Chi glanced up to the afternoon sky, sandwiched between the two buildings. "I hope they're all okay out there..."
Gine glanced over at her daughter-in-law, and then she looked up at the sky as well. "I think...Bardock, Raditz, and Kakarot are all okay out there. Bardock is reserved, Raditz is cautious, and Kakarot is resourceful. I think, if you take those different personalities and you put them all together, they balanced each other out well enough to survive almost anything~"
Chi-Chi smiled. "You really think so?"
Gine chuckled. "Well...that and I feel like the three of them, in addition to Vegeta, are too hard-headed to just roll over and die."
Chi-Chi chuckled back. "Well, thanks for the positive attitude~"
She readjusted the bags on her arms and turned to Gine again. "So, you ready to take off? We have to get home so that we can get dinner going."
Gine rolled her eyes. "I still can't quite comprehend that we have to hide our ability to fly like that. I've never been to a planet where that was the case before. Earth is so weird..."
Chi-Chi giggled. "Well...we could always go and get our driver's licenses."
Before the two of them could take off, however, a trash can crashed to the ground behind them. Gine and Chi-Chi turned to find a mountain of a man stood behind them, a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other. "The only flying you broads have to worry about is me sending you flying if you don't hand over your wallets!"
The two women turned to each other. Gine cocked her head. "I-Is he serious?"
He shouted at the two of them. "You're damn right I'm serious! Now be good girls and-"
Quick as a flash, the bottom of Chi-Chi's boot was planted squarely in the mugger's face. He went flying back, his gun and knife both lost, and smashed his head into the side of a dumpster. As he laid there, bleeding and unconscious, Chi-Chi landed atop the dumpster and flashed a peace sign. And then she called out. "Come on Gine, ya slowpoke! We have to hurry and get home!"
Watching her daughter-in-law take to the sky, Gine could only laugh at her brash attitude. And then, she followed along back to Mt. Paozu. As they flew home, across the Earth, several other members of their little group faced everyday challenges of their own.
At Kame House...
Krillin thrust his hands forward and fired another massive blast into the ocean. He watched at the sea parted, the waves cresting and then crashing back down, and he sighed. "Dammit. Still not strong enough..."
Master Roshi was laying on his lounge chair in the background, using the slumbering Turtle as a stand for his portable television. The old pervert watched as the women in the exercise tape did their leg lifts, their glistening thighs shining under the intense studio light. "Hehehehehehehe..."
Roshi called over. "Hey Krillin! Why don't you take a break, son! Grab yourself and ol' Master Roshi a couple cans of beer and come watch the show~!"
Krillin blushed, embarrassed by the perverted showcasing of his martial arts master. He shook his head and charged a Kamehameha. "I can't!"
The monk fired the blast and made the sea rend again, still not getting the result he wanted. "I have to make myself stronger! I can't stop until I can part the sea all the way to the bottom!"
Krillin charged another blast. "If I can't get at least that strong, I won't stand a chance against the next Frieza that comes along! I refuse to be that helpless ever again!"
At Capsule Corp...
Yamcha was barely able to dodge as a heavy box of his gear came flying right at his face. He held his hands up in defense and shouted. "Hey! Come on, Bulma! Take it easy!"
Bulma shouted back, flinging one of Yamcha's bats directly at his head. "Take it easy? Take it easy?!"
She threw a lamp at him. "Forty women, Yamcha?! FORTY?! You've been screwing around on me with FORTY women?!"
Yamcha shook his head. "I wasn't screwing around on you! They're part of my fan club, babe! That's it! That's all they are!"
Bulma roared at the top of her lungs and flung a leather-bound notebook at Yamcha. "Then why do you have all of their phone numbers?!"
She threw Yamcha's phone at him. "Why do you have all of these photos on your phone?!"
And then, she reached into her pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a pair of delicate, silk underwear. "And who the hell do these panties belong to?!"
Yamcha nervously chuckled as the panties landed on top of his head. "I... I mean...they could just be a pair of yours that you don't-"
Bulma's stare was icy cold enough that it practically made the blood in Yamcha's veins freeze. After a moment, the former bandit spoke. "L-Look...I'm sorry. Okay? It won't happen again, I swear."
Yamcha smiled, hoping that maybe Bulma had been swayed. Bulma was cold in her response. "You're damn right it won't. I'm not putting up with this anymore, Yamcha. Being single is better than this. Pack your shit, and get out of my house."
Bulma turned and walked away. Yamcha held up his hands. "Bulma! Wai-"
A heavy door slams. And then silence. Yamcha lowered his head in shame and sighed. "Dammit..."
In a village at the base of Yunzabit Heights...
Chiaotzu sat respectfully on the sidelines and watched as Tien sparred with and defeated several of the pupils of the latest dojo they had arrived at. Ever since the two of them had made it back to the Earth, with a fresh lease on life, they had been travelling around looking for the next way to overcome their limits. Dojo after dojo and training hall after training hall had fallen to Tien's skill and their banners were rewarded to him as a result.
And this dojo didn't seem to be any different. With a showing of his martial prowess, Tien dropped the final student to the ground without having even broken a sweat. The three-eyed human looked bored and dissatisfied. He clapped his hands together in front and took a calming breath. "This can't be it. Have I really found the pinnacle where nobody on the Earth is a challenge anymore? Is...is this how Goku is forced to feel every day?"
As Tien mumbled to himself, the Master of this dojo, Master Zurin, stepped forward. He looked displeased. "I have heard a tale of you two. Going around and robbing dojos of their banners. If you truly believe that you will take the banner of the Jiang-Shi School so easily, you will be sorely displeased."
The Master pulled several spell tags from his coat and tossed them on the faces of his defeated students. Instantly, they all stood and began radiating a rancid, purple aura. The Master spoke. "Today, not only shall I defeat you fools, but I shall display a fatherly dignity to my young daughter!"
As the newly invigorated students surrounded Tien, Chiaotzu leapt in to stand by his longtime friend. The two of them turned to each other and smiled, and then they activated their Kaioken.
In the wastelands...
Piccolo was standing in the middle of the barren wasteland, his eyes closed in deep meditation. Ever since taking in King Piccolo, and then taking in Nail, the Namekian warrior had been working on fully making their power his own. Nail's influence within him seemed to have cowed King Piccolo's more overt evil, but Piccolo new he could still gain more. All he had to do was find that more within him.
However, Piccolo's concentration was quickly broken by an intruder into his wasteland. The warrior's eyes cracked open and he growled under his breath. "Kami."
Kami stood there, the harsh wind causing his robes to billow to the side. "Hello Piccolo."
A long, tense silence unfolded between the two. It quickly became clear that Piccolo was not going to start this conversation off. Kami looked up at the Moon, which he had restored a scant few months ago, and chuckled. "It's quite a nice Moon, isn't it? I have already taken the time to scold the Turtle Hermit for destroying it so long ago, I suppose now it is your-"
Piccolo rudely interrupted. "Cut the crap. Why are you here?"
The smile left Kami's face. This time, he didn't speak. He stared at Piccolo's back, the moonlight reflecting from his starch white cape. Piccolo spoke again. "You're not here to chat with me; you're here to check on King Piccolo. Right?!"
Kami nodded. "I am."
The elder Namekian stared at Piccolo once more, peering directly into his younger counterpart's soul. "I can still see him in there. His fragments. Festering and waiting to try and assert dominance once your guard is down. But...is...is that another? Watching over King Piccolo, ready to strike should he attempt to assert himself? Who is that?"
Piccolo finally turned, glaring at Kami with anger and disgust. "Mind your own goddamned business. I've told you before, old man, I am not you. I'm only connected to you. You have no right to barge into my private business. You have no agency over my life. No matter how much you wish it were different, I am not your subject to watch and command. Now piss off!"
Kami turned his gaze to the ground, silently contemplative. "I... yes. You are right. I should...give you your space and leave you to your own devices. Please, forgive me."
The Guardian turned and began to walk away. Piccolo turned around as well, going back into his meditation. But, before he could fall back into his own mind, Kami called over to Piccolo again. "Piccolo...you have been there, so I must ask you. How...how was our old homeworld?"
Piccolo didn't turn back. He didn't even open his eyes. "If you are so interested in Planet Namek, why don't you find it and go see for yourself?"
Kami sighed. "Why indeed."
On Kami's Lookout...
In a flash, Kami returned to his Lookout and was horrified by what he came home to. The Lookout was in obvious disrepair. The marble structures were cracked and crumbled and the various plants and trees were either shredded, snapped, or outright on fire. Kami stepped forward, feeling an eerie energy over the place. A rancid smell filled the air. "Mr. Popo!"
Kami stepped forward, marching towards his palace. "Mr. Popo!"
Suddenly, Kami was met by hysterical laughter. It sounded as if a hoard of demons was shrieking out from within his home. "Who dares-"
Three shadowy beings leapt out from the inky darkness and tried to lunge at Kami. The old Guardian jumped backwards and glared at them. Sick looking creatures all three of them. The brown one jumped up and tried to blast Kami in the face, but Kami struck him to the ground with his staff. The blue one ran over to his comrade. "Ginger!"
The black one, meanwhile, held out his hand and a spear burst forth from his skin. He charged at Kami and tried to stab the Guardian, but Kami dodged. He landed on the ground and slammed his staff down, causing the entire Lookout to glow with holy light. The demons screeched as their skin began to sizzle and Kami shouted at the three of them. "WHO ARE YOU WHO DARE TO STEP UNINVITED UNTO GOD'S DOMAIN?!"
The three of them screeched in pain as they flopped about on the ground. However, a massive blast came shooting from within the palace forcing Kami to cease his attack. "Ginger, Nikki, Sansho...could the three of you kindly refrain from embarrassing His Majesty's court with this sorry display?"
The three of them stood, Nikki scratching the back of his head. "F-Forgive us, Big Brother Spice."
Kami glared at this latest intruder, a large, handsome man with pale blue skin and a massive shock of snow-white hair. Spice smirked at Kami. "So, this is your domain, is it?"
The Guardian could instantly tell how outmatched his was. This one seemed leagues above the other three. Kami attempted to retreat back, but he slammed back first into something solid. The older Namekian turned and was met by a sheer mountain of a man, flanked by a dwarf and a horned horror. Kami sneered. "Who are you people?"
The big one spoke. "I'm Vinegar! The young King's Enforcer!"
The horned one chuckled. "I'm Mustard! The young King's Chamberlain!"
The dwarf sneered. "I'm Salt! The young King's Page!"
The brown one chuckled. "I'm Ginger! The young King's Attendant!"
The blue one smirked. "I'm Nikki! The young King's Herald!"
The black one cracked his knuckles. "I'm Sansho! The young King's Constable!"
And finally, Spice himself spoke. "And I am Spice. Secretary and Grand Chancellor to the Garlic Family. As well as the leader of the Royal Guard: The Spice Boys!"
Spice threw out his arm, sending his cape billowing to the side. "And I regret to inform you, that this domain is no longer yours."
Kami sneered. "What mere king would have the temerity to invade this sacred Lookout?"
Suddenly, an eighth sinister voice joined the conversation. "That would be me."
Kami turned and saw this eighth intruder step out from the shadows. A miniscule being that the other seven immediately took a knee for came into view and pulled down the hood obscuring his face. He was a pale blue imp with a wicked smirk and the clear stench of evil wafting from him. "Pleased to meet you, sir. I am Garlic Junior. The Prince of the once proud Makyan race. Allow me to be the first to apologize for our intrusion. And also, allow me to be the first to thank you..."
Kami flinched. "Thank me?"
Garlic Junior nodded. "Indeed. Thank you...for the donation of your planet and its people to the noble cause of avenging my nearly extinct race~"
Kami snarled. "Donation?! Do you think I will just allow you to take over my world like this?"
Garlic Junior smirked. "I am afraid that you do not have a choice in the matter. This floating platform in the sky, the people on the planet below, the full Moon above, and the Dragon Balls that you created, Namekian, will all play their part in ensuring that my plans are successfully completed."
The little imp laughed out loud. And then he snapped his fingers. "Vinegar. Do not kill our guest...but do break him."
Vinegar roared with joy and raised his fist into the air, slamming it down onto Kami and crumpling the aged Guardian to the ground. The intense, brutal beating continued outside. Bones audibly snapped as Garlic Junior marched into Kami's private quarters.
Garlic Junior approached Kami's throne and regarded a massive well that was next to it. "This well appears to be how that doddering old cretin affects the lives of his subjects below..."
The imp peered into the water and watched as billions of different lives flashed before his eyes in an instant. He smiled. "This would appear to be the well that we should poison, Spice."
Spice nodded. "Indeed, sir."
He reached into his cloak and produced a crystalline, black bottle. "The essence of the late King Garlic, my liege."
Garlic Junior took the bottle and chuckled. "Oh Father...your brutal vengeance shall be attained. I will die the stars of this universe red in your honor~"
He opened the bottle, tossing the stopper aside, and poured its contents into Kami's well.
Back in Piccolo's wasteland...
As the Namekian warrior stood there, trying to access a wider breadth of his inner power, a feeling of intense pain suddenly overcame his entire body. Piccolo fell to his knees, gurgling in pain, and snarled. "Wh-What the hell?!"
Piccolo dragged himself forward, cringing in agony. "Who...who the hell...?"
He couldn't move anymore, his head cracking against the ground. "What are you doing, old man...?!"
And then, Piccolo fell unconscious. He laid there on the ground, still as a stone, as a harsh wind blew over him.
On Mt. Paozu, the Son Family home...
The home of Goku was as busy and bustling as ever that evening. Gine and Chi-Chi were both stood at the stove, chopping vegetables and searing meat, trading places and tools back and forth as they cooked as a unit. The two of them were deep into their work, functioning as a well-oiled machine in their toiling over the boiling pots and searing flames. In this state, there were no two better cooks on the planet than Gine and Chi-Chi.
As the two of them cooked, Gohan and Ox-King sat at the dinner table in wait. Gohan was nose deep in his studies and Ox-King was locked firmly in doting Grandpa Mode. He grabbed a bit of Gohan's hair and lifted it up. "My oh my, your hair is getting pretty long again Gohan. You think maybe it's about time for another haircut?"
Chi-Chi interjected. "He's fine, Dad. I've asked him if he'd like me to cut it again and he says he likes it better this way."
Gine chuckled. "He's such a cute little guy~"
After a short time, the dinner was finished and the mother-daughter team quickly dished it out and set the table. The books were set aside and Gohan and his family enjoyed yet another delicious feast. As they ate, enjoyable family conversation took place as per normal. Gohan turned to his mother. "Hey Mom, can I go to Capsule Corp tomorrow and see if Bulma has gotten around to fixing up my Saiyan armor yet? I'd kind of like to get it back."
Chi-Chi slurped a mouthful of noodles from her bowl. "I would wait a few days. I talked to Bulma on the phone earlier today and I do not think that she's in a good place to be bothered about armor right now."
Gine bit into a slab of meat. "Yamcha?"
Chi-Chi nodded. "Yamcha."
Gine sighed. "Yamcha..."
Gohan frowned. "Is... something wrong?"
Chi-Chi waved him off. "I'll explain it when you're older."
Gine quickly changed the subject. "Uh...what about your other outfit Gohan? The one that Piccolo gave you?"
Gohan smiled. "I still have that one. It's just really damaged. I was meaning to ask you or Mom if you would sow it up."
Gine cheerily smiled. "Happily~"
The dinner continued well into the evening. As the piles of food slowly reduced, the conversation picked up. Warm conversation and humor continued well into the evening as Gine fell further and further into the family dynamic. Between her friendship with Chi-Chi, her doting on Gohan, and the occasional teasing from Ox-King, Gine had truly become a member of the family over the past months.
Gohan walked up to Gine and showed her his workbook. Gine stared down at it with a vested interest as she and Gohan worked through the complex math problem together. Chi-Chi smiled, her cheeks glowing, as she walked over to the fireplace.
Chi-Chi grabbed the poker, not paying attention to the flames, and chuckled as Gine began to get flustered at the more complicated equation. "Come on now, Gohan! Don't confuse your poor, ol' Grandma too mu-"
Chi-Chi cringed and pulled her hand away from the flames. "Agh! Dammit!"
Ox-King and Gine both turned in their seats. The older gent called over. "Chi-Chi! Are you okay?!"
Chi-Chi cringed, gripping her hand and hissing under her breath. There was a rather nasty, dark red burn running across her hand. "N-Not really."
Gine leapt from her seat with a start and rushed over to her daughter-in-law, grabbing her hand and looking it over. "Jeez. That's a pretty bad burn. Gohan! Go get a rag and some cool water!"
Everyone sprang into action, doting over Chi-Chi and caring for her badly burnt hand. Gohan brought back the water and the rag and gently began to cascade the cool water over the burn. Chi-Chi cursed herself as everyone cared for her. "Damn. I can't believe I burned myself like that tonight of all nights."
Chi-Chi cringed. "I still had to go and chop more wood for tomorrow morning. And gather water from the river to water the garden tomorrow morning..."
Ox-King frowned and rubbed his daughter's back. "I'm sorry Chi-Chi. I'd offer to go and do it if my back wasn't going out on me..."
Gohan raised his hand. "I could go and do it!"
Chi-Chi shook her head. "No, son, you can't. It's a full Moon out. If you go out there and you aren't careful, you'll transform into a monster!"
Gohan frowned. "But Mom..."
Gine stood. "Don't worry. I can handle it. You two just stay here and take care of Chi-Chi."
Chi-Chi stood, still gripping her hand. "Are you sure, Gine? You have the same problem that Gohan does. If you look at the Moon..."
Gine opened the drawer on the hutch, reaching in and pulling out a pair of sunglasses that she had previously bought specifically for times like this. "You don't have to worry. I have more experience with avoiding the activation of my Oozaru form. I can handle myself~"
Gohan frowned. "I...I'm sorry that I'm not more experienced, Grandma. I wish I could come and help you out."
Gine smiled. "You're fine, dear. Just stay here and help to care for your Mama. I'll be back soon."
Down by the riverbank...
With her sunglasses placed firmly over her eyes, Gine quickly got to work on the chores that she had volunteered to do. Filling water jugs and chopping some firewood was no problem for her with her standard Saiyan strength. The firewood didn't take even five minutes and filling the jugs was tedious more than it was hard. It was a pretty easy-going evening for Gine...minus one minor issue she was having.
This wasn't Gine's first full Moon outside while on the Earth. She had taken plenty of evening walks before just to clear her head after a long day of helping Chi-Chi to keep the household running. But something was off with this night. In spite of the full Moon shining brightly above, her surroundings seemed unusually dark. Even dark than a normal night where she was forced to wear her sunglasses. And the more work Gine did, the more she realized that she was developing a massive, splitting headache.
Gine groaned as she pulled the final, filled jug from the water. "Maybe I'm catching something..."
She shook her head. Gine didn't have time to get sick at the moment, she had to focus on the task at hand. The Saiyan woman slung the pallet of chopped firewood onto her back and grabbed all four jugs of river water, and then she began her walk back to the house.
As she walked back, through the pathway through the woods, Gine stared up at the sky. She stared at the dimmed, glowing light of the moon and the twinkling stars and thought back to the conversation that she and Chi-Chi were having earlier that day.
In her heart, something was still bothering Gine. As she stared at the Moon, the thought of her husband flashed through her head. Bardock. Gine sighed and spoke aloud. "It's not your fault. You have to know that, Bardock..."
A single tear streamed from under the sunglasses and down Gine's cheek. "What must be going through your head right now?"
In her distraction, however, Gine neglected to notice something directly in her path. An errant tree root stuck up from the soil in front of her. Unaware, and with her mind wandering, Gine's foot caught onto the root and she was sent tumbling to the ground. Gine grumbled as she felt the spilled water pooling under her. "D-Darn it..."
Gine pushed herself up and fell into a sitting position. "Aw man..."
She looked up and sighed. "Now I have to go back to the river and-"
Gine flinched in shock as she slowly realized that she was staring up at a completely undimmed full Moon. This shocked flinch was quickly replaced with unbridled panic as Gine began to scour the ground for her sunglasses. Looking at the ground, however, yielded a much different kind of surprise: the entire forest floor was covered in an unsettlingly familiar black mist.
The Saiyan mother's blood began to run as cold as ice. Slowly, she stood and turned around, looking up at the Moon again. She stared at the fullness of it for at least three minutes and, to her horror, nothing happened. Sweat poured from Gine's forehead. She gripped her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. And, as she took stock of the black mist and the apparent lack of Blutz Waves from the Moon, her body began to tremble. "No..."
Screams of terror and death began to echo in the back of Gine's mind. "No... this...this has to be a bad dream. It...it has to be a bad dream..."
As she stood there, slowly slipping back into PTSD, Gine's mind was racing. It went from face-to-face, from corpse-to-corpse, images burned permanently into her mind from all the way back then. The disaster on Planet Makyo. But then, Chi-Chi and Gohan immediately entered her mind and Gine gasped. "No! No no no no no!"
Abandoning the jugs and the firewood, Gine sprinted through the forest and back towards the house. It didn't take her long, but she was not pleased by the feeling when she got there. Everything was still and quiet, unnervingly so. And it was not just a lack of noise from within the house, it was a lack of noise all together. Everything around her was chillingly still...and yet Gine could feel hundreds of eyes stuck to her all coming from the surrounding forest.
Swallowing a massive lump in her throat, Gine rushed into the house. "Ox-King! Chi-Chi! Gohan! Are you all okay?!"
She rounded the corner into the kitchen and, to her horror, Gine found everything had been torn to pieces. The table was split down the middle, the dishes were broken, the fridge was tipped over. Her heart was beating in her throat. Gine grabbed two handfuls of her hair and pulled at them, beginning to whimper to herself. "This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. It's just a bad dream. It's always a bad dream. You're going to wake up any second and wish that Bardock was there to hold you and..."
As Gine mumbled to herself, the massive frame of the Ox-King appeared in the far door. His face was cast in shadow as he lumbered in. Behind her, Gine heard the door to the den creak shut and eventually close with an unnerving click. Gine lifted her head and squeaked at the lumbering form approaching her. "O-Ox-King..."
Behind her, however, another familiar voice sinisterly spoke. "Giiiiiiiiiiiineeeeeee..."
Gine turned. "Chi-"
As she turned, Gine was suddenly assailed by her daughter-in-law. Chi-Chi tackled the Saiyan Mother to the ground, hissing directly into her face with massive fangs showing. Tears welled in Gine's eyes, she stared at her reflection in Chi-Chi's now bright pink eyes and she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Meanwhile, at Capsule Corp...
Yamcha sighed as he grabbed the final box of his belongings off of what was once his and Bulma's bed. He looked into the box, down at a picture of him and Bulma together on a vacation and he kicked himself hard. He couldn't make himself say it out loud, but he knew that he had ruined their relationship and the it was solely and squarely his fault.
Hearing the door open behind him and sensing that it was her, Yamcha sighed defeatedly. "This is the last box, Bulma. I'm-"
Completely out of the blue, Bulma slammed into her ex-boyfriend, catching him off-guard and shoving him into the nearby window. Yamcha's hand went through the glasses and the shards tore into his forearm. The former desert bandit struggled as he tried to pull his arm out without mangling it too badly. He was able to do so, but just barely in time to avoid Bulma rushing at him with a chair.
The chair smashed through the window, shattering it out near completely and letting in a black mist that instantly gave Yamcha a headache. "Bulma! What the hell are you doing?!"
What happened next made Yamcha's heart stop. Bulma leaned over, sticking her tongue out, and licked a trail of Yamcha's blood from the glass. She turned to him and smiled, eyes glowing pink and fangs jutting out from her hungry smirk. And then, with a hiss, Bulma lunged at Yamcha.
At Kame House...
Krillin gripped the side of his aching head as he dodged another kick from the suddenly feral Master Roshi. Krillin stared in horror as Roshi lunged at him again, drool pouring from his mouth. He tried to bite Krillin with his new fangs again and again and again.
The monk had no clue what was going on, or why Master Roshi would suddenly be acting like this. But he knew he had to defend himself somehow. As he tried to think of a way to put a stop to this without injuring Roshi, Krillin was surprised by a sudden attack from the Turtle. Turtle tried to bite Krillin, but the lack of fangs rendered the attempt totally ineffective. Thinking fast, Krillin lifted Turtle into the air and tossed him at Master Roshi, sending them both crashing to the ground in a heap.
Krillin leapt into the air, watching as Roshi moaned about his aching back on the ground, and wiped sweat from his brow. "What the heck is going on here?!"
At the Yunzabit Heights village...
Tien and Chiaotzu were both breathing heavy as they stood atop a pile of battered martial artists. Beneath them, the suddenly vampiric fighters were howling and hissing, writhing in their attempts to get back on their feet. The two warriors rose high into the air to avoid being trapped in another brawl. Tien glanced over to Chiaotzu. "Are you okay? They didn't bite you, did they?"
Chiaotzu nodded. "I'm fine. What about you, are you okay?"
Tien stared down, watching as the various warriors below attempted to leap up and bite at them. "Okay is a strong word..."
Chiaotzu nodded. "This is pretty concerning..."
Tien shook his head. "And concerning is a big understatement."
The three-eyed warrior turned. "Come on! We're going to go and see if we can find out what the hell is going on."
As Tien began to fly, Chiaotzu nodded and followed along. "R-Right."
Back at the Son Family Household...
Gine was still screaming in utter horror as Chi-Chi was joined by the lumbering Ox-King in trying to bite her. She held the two of them at arm's length, shuddering in fear as they snapped at her, drool leaking from their gaping mouths. For a brief moment, Gine flashed back to that fated mission so long ago. Chi-Chi and Ox-King were replaced by two of her comrades, their fangs snapping inches from her face as she tried her hardest to keep them at bay. Gine trembled, sobs weeping out from the back of her throat. She remembered everything that went on around her. The snide laughter, the sounds of hissing and shouting and death...all of it assaulted her mind all at once, pounding against her brain like a fist against a drum. And then Gine screamed even louder.
It took her a second to snap out of it. Her breaths were rapid and shallow. Gine looked to her left and saw the Ox-King lying still. And then she looked to her right and saw Chi-Chi in a crumpled heap. Gine got to her feet and check on each of them, relieved to find that Chi-Chi and Ox-King were both still alive, just injured and unconscious.
Gine started to breathe a sigh of relief, but was caught unaware by a suddenly conscious Chi-Chi. The vampirized woman lunged at Gine, fangs at the ready. However, the cupboard suddenly flew open and Chi-Chi received a boot to the face for her troubles. She went flying into the tipped over fridge and smashed into hard, actually unconscious this time.
Gine looked over and saw, to her sheer relief, that Gohan had not been turned. The boy was knelt there on the ground, clutching his head and groaning. "M-My head..."
The grandmother crawled across the floor, grabbing her grandson and pulling him close, hugging him like a safety blanket. "Gohan! Oh Gohan! I'm so glad to see that you're okay. I'm so glad..."
Gohan groaned and leaned into Gine's breast. "Grandma...wh-what's happening? I... started to get a really bad headache and then Mom and Grandpa Ox started to act like monsters..."
Gine closed her eyes, pressing her lips onto the back of Gohan's head. The Saiyan woman's ears were ringing. She couldn't believe that any of this was actually happening. They two of them sat there for a few minutes, in silence. And then Gohan snapped Gine back into it. "G-Grandma...what do we do?"
Gine glanced down at him, and then over at Chi-Chi and Ox-King. "Go out to the shed and fetch some rope."
A few minutes later...
Gine gently laid her bound and gagged daughter-in-law onto the couch in the den, gently caressing her face and sighing. "Don't worry, Chi-Chi, I'll fix this. I don't know how I'll fix it...but I'll fix it, I promise you."
At the moment, Chi-Chi began to stir. She started to grunt and snarl beneath the tape, thrashing around on the couch until she fell onto the floor. In the kitchen, Gine could hear that the Ox-King had started to wake up and thrash about as well. Gine made sure that all of the doors to the kitchen were secure and then gave one last sad look to Chi-Chi before closing and locking the front door as well.
Stepping out into the front lawn, Gine looked over and saw Gohan staring up at the Moon. The young boy's tail swayed to and fro as he sat there, staring up at it. "So... something is affecting the Moon? And... it has something to do with this black mist?"
Gine nodded. "Yes. This is exactly like...that day. I... I can't believe that they've somehow come to Earth..."
In her deep thought, Gine seemingly didn't notice a vampirized bear charging at her from behind. Gohan cried out. "Grandma Gine! Behind you!"
Gine clenched her fist tight. And then, she turned on a dime and slammed her fist into the side of the bears face, sending it flying across the yard and into the shed. The bear laid there, dead, and Gine screamed at the top of her lungs in frustration. Gohan approached. "Grandma, what's going on?"
Gine turned to Gohan and wiped her sleeve over her eyes, banishing the welled-up tears. "Earth is in trouble, Gohan. From the looks of things, we're being attacked by the Makyans..."
Meanwhile, up on the Lookout...
Garlic Junior swam his finger around in the water of Kami's well. He watched at the Blackwater Mist swirled around his finger with a smirk. On either side of him, on the armrests of Kami's throne, the broken Guardian and an equally as injured Mr. Popo laid in their glass bottle prisons.
Garlic Junior chuckled. "Welcome back, Spice."
Spice stepped out from the shadows with a smirk, producing the One-Star Dragon Ball from his cloak. "The Dragon Ball, as requested, King Garlic~"
Garlic Junior took the ball and smiled at it, gazing upon his reflection in the orb. "Oh yes..."
The imp looked up to his Grand Chancellor. "And the others?"
Spice nodded. "They should have returned with their Dragon Balls within three hours."
Garlic Junior and Spice both looked up to the sky, watching as the once pale-yellow moon slowly turned as red as blood. Garlic Junior chuckled. "The conversion has begun, Spice! Soon...we shall have an army, a super weapon, and unlimited power above all else! Soon, the Moon of this insignificant planet shall become a new Makyo Star!"
Spice smiled and nodded. "Yes sir. And with those ready...the vengeance of the Makyans shall commence."
Proofreading: StevenBodner
