Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.
The Long Road
Chapter 56: The Expanse
Pan:
When her eyes opened, Pan just lay there, her eyes wide open. The air was cold and her clothes smelled awfully stinky, but, thankfully, she couldn't smell it anymore. The term was noseblind? Smellblind? It didn't matter. Her head was resting firmly on the hind leg of one of her furred companions, the one she'd named, interestingly, Noisy. Noisy was always getting her nose in anything she could, as far as Pan could tell. She had names for all of them now. There was Tooth, Sharp, and of course Tail. It was just easy to name them after all their defining features, but the one she was the closest to, of course, was Bean.
It didn't much explanation as to who Bean was.
Crisp morning air was filling her lungs, making it incredibly uncomfortable to just lay there. With a small noise of complaint, she stretched as she started to sit up. Even tired and groggy, she never felt more powerful thank she was over these last weeks. Every day was a struggle, but a struggle which seemed to leave lasting impacts on her body. Looking down at her arm, Pan could see the signs of muscular development, much like she always saw in her mom's, and it was so strange.
"We've gotta get up," she yawned, before patting one of the wolves on the shoulder, receiving a growl in turn. "No, Tail, we've gotta get up. C'mon, everybody up. It's time to get going."
Pulling herself up, moving out of the centre of the pack, she stood on her two feet and put her hands on her hips. Right now, she needed to get them all up. Her stomach was growling, and that meant they either needed to start foraging, or hunting. Her nose wasn't nearly as good as theirs either, which meant they knew where to look a lot better than she did. With an annoyed motion, she nudged the back of one of the wolves, finally prompting it to rise.
"I'm hungry, we've gotta find something to eat," she declared.
The wolves themselves finally started to rise.
After last night, she was going to need to quiet her stomach just to keep on track. She'd dreamt of her dad last night. It was a vague scattered remnant in her mind, loose and disconnected, but she could remember trying to hold on to him as he slipped away, falling through her tiny, weak fingers. It was all a bitter reminder of the fact that he was gone, and with him gone, she was out here. It was great to have friends, like her wolf friends, but despite how it was becoming ever increasingly normal, it wasn't home.
Home's not much better.
A gentle breeze blew past her as her eyes looked over the trees around them as they danced for the breeze brushing past them. It all reflected off the lens of her eye as she took in the morning glow of the forest. There were songbirds, brightly coloured, chirping from a branch as it creaked and swayed in the wind. Slowly, she looked back towards the shreds of sky which let bits of the peaking sun break through.
Maybe this place wasn't so bad.
A short howl broke her concentration, drawing her attention forward, revealing to her increasingly prey sensitive eyes the silhouette of an item of interest. Immediately her eyes widened as she saw it move through the brush, and her heart began to race. She hated meat. She hated it because it meant that they needed to hurt something in order to eat, but she needed to eat. Despite the gentle nature she always carried with her, she felt the primal base need for food override all other senses, as she began to slowly move forward, as the other wolves began to move ahead, preparing to herd the prey.
This wasn't the first time she'd run down an animal. She remembered how the last deer struggled violently as they took the life from it. It was desperate for air and kicked out wildly, but it was... it was it or them. It was her or him. It sent a pang of guilt running deeply through her system, but it quickly vanished as she prepared to plunge into the underbrush and rush towards the animal as soon as they confirmed.
Of course, there was something that went wrong. Another pack member broke a twig, or slipped, and the bushes rustled. As soon as this happened, a horned head looked up, before blasting away. Immediately, her feet took flight. Blasting past the others in a wave of motion, she felt the world sweep past her beneath her feet in a single bound, before two bare feet slapped into the mud and moss covered floor of the forest.
The feeling of mud and moss were quickly joined by fallen leaves, branches, and the roots of mighty, towering trees. The world around her was a green and brown blur as trees and their bark passed her by, and as she tore through branches to close with the hoofed buck. Behind her, she could hear her friends desperately trying to keep up, and falling further and further behind.
So close!
Finally, she burst past a tree, bumping into the kicking hind legs of the deer. When the two collided, they sprawled. The world thumped, and hard, as her should and kneel collided with the muddy, leaf covered ground. With a roll and a slip, she finally came to a halt as her back smacked into a huge, thick tree.
The buck rolled as well, before coming to a halt in the middle of a small space between the thick sea of trees that engulfed them.
It's legs kicked out briefly before it lay there, exhausted for a moment, as if resigned to its fate. Wild eyes sprang to life a moment later it as it slipped in the mud, and all Pan could think was that her stomach was growling, and it was getting worse. With a groan, she managed to pull herself up from the tree. Every string of muscle in her back hissed back at her as she rose, trying to hobble forward. The entire time she stared at the poor buck's eyes, she could see herself reflected back.
And even though she was just a kid, she didn't like what she saw. In its eye, she saw a thousand things, none of them good.
She could see a desperate looking, blood hungry little monster preying on someone who was just trying to get by. Further, she could still remember when she was clinging to her father's body, and she knew she could see the same determined look staring back at her before he sent her away. Was it the same look he'd given her last night in her dreams as he slipped through her fingers?
Now I'm the bad one?
For a brief moment, she could have sworn she could hear Garlic's chuckle emerge behind her, sending further shivers up her back. Hobbling forward, she grabbed the deer by its side, and with strength she didn't know she hand, pushed it up until it could stand, even as it thrashed around her grasp. Its antlers grazed her arm, causing her to cry out finally as she let it go.
With a kick, its legs on the ground rather than flailing in mud, it escaped, rushing away again despite its exhaustion. It still found the urge to run, and it still found the urge to live. Despite how hungry she was, and despite knowing her friends were hungry too, Pan found herself lost in a moment where she realized just how much she hated having to hurt anything. It didn't matter if she was hungry, she didn't want to hurt something else.
Just like she hadn't wanted to hurt the wolves before.
Just like how she'd not wanted to see her mother hurt by the demons that came and tore her life apart.
And just like she'd not wanted to see her father, dying at her feet as the same monsters tried to steal him from her as well.
There was another gentle breeze as it moved through the forest around her, and she could hear the songbirds again, even as her pawed companions slowly came through the brush behind her, tired and exhausted by the mistake, and the chase. They were going to go hungry now, because she didn't want to hurt the poor buck.
Limping forward, the girl's tail whipped around behind her anxiously as she rested her arm against a tree, trying to make sure her back started to feel... right... again.
She was so hungry. But more than hungry, she just wanted the world to be... fair?
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Cell Junior:
Ice tumbled through the vast expanse of nothingness all around him. Hours, days, and months passed in the blink of an eye. Small specks of light broke through the infinite darkness, each one represent new life, new worlds, new opportunities for power and to feed his strength. In this emptiness, the creature was left only with his own thoughts. Revenge was a common one, remembering the final moments before the cord was cut between himself and his father, or when he was sent hurtling into space. Every moment of this purgatory, could be used to train within his own mind, fuelled by his desire for vengeance. Every moment he stepped foot on new worlds, were to feed... to grow his own power once more.
But all around him, even as the rocky ice which surrounded his body remained locked in place as he drifted at high speed through the stars, he sensed... something.
The sea of pinpoints of light around him seemed to shimmer as frozen, violet eyes peered into the frozen, empty void. With eyes trapped behind the frozen barrier of moisture around them, the mild distortion of this vast universe was easily compensated by his unnatural eyes. Inside the core of this shimmer in the darkness, he realized he could sense gravity shifting slightly around him. As odd as it seemed... here, in the darkness between stars... he was no longer alone.
Suddenly, in the reflection of the stars, and as mass shifted around him, Cell Junior saw and sensed what was passing by him. A looming tower of darkness, brought to life only by his blocking of the tiny specks of light in the distance, revealed itself. It was a ship, a ship of massive proportions. It was almost like a moon, moving through the darkness. Even as it passed, blue light slowly illuminated the darkness behind it. The propulsion system hummed through the void as it reacted to the distant atoms scattered loosely through the emptiness of space. Slowly, the ice all around him lit up in this glow. But it was what was inside which gave him pause.
Within the shell of the monolith, he could sense lives, hundreds of thousands of ki signatures, all of them delicious morsels of energy for him to consume. Some of them were significant, and each one would feed his growing power. Each life within would struggle before its energy and biomass were consumed for his revenge. But there was something within, deep within the shell at its very core, which gave off a small signature now. But it was a deception. The android's mind processed the information rapidly as he almost reached out, touching the very edge of the energy pattern. In a second, something flashed before his eyes, almost looking directly into the very eyes of another being.
His own power was immeasurable compared to his father's. His strength had eclipsed him long ago as he feasted upon an unknowing Galaxy, one world at a time, and as he trained himself in his mind and body for the confrontation that would come when he returned to the place of his birth.
But the edge of the power which he touched, grazed but for a glimpse, shocked him at his very core as he sensed exactly lurked in this ship as it travelled through the darkness between stars. It wasn't possible that a being could be that powerful. His own strength seemed to pale in comparison to whatever this thing was.
"Oh? Is there something out there gazing at me in this darkness?"
Cell remained quiet as the ship continued to simply tumble through the emptiness around them, gaining more and more distance. Even as the mind became distant, the words which echoed through the fabric of the ki around them almost made his entire frame twitch.
"What could survive in this realm of darkness? What could live outside a ship, so far from a planet or solar system? Who would be brave enough to approach a being as divine and chosen as myself?" a soft tone asked, it sounded feminine in its origin even, but there was a dangerous edge to it, hidden behind every word.
There was a will to dominate in every word. It was daring him to somehow move or act, to reveal himself in this game which it was playing. This creature was showing him just how much he needed to gain before he returned to the Earth. How many more years would he need to pass through this void before he surpassed a being with this... overwhelming power. Even now as the distance between them grew to be as quickly as the size of a star system every few moments, junior could still reach out and sense the edges of the giant he'd just avoided.
"Even as you slip from me in this void, know that the light I bring to this universe will one day find you. I can sense your great power... and I will allow you to be illuminated, when we meet... Cell."
In a flash, he could see the shadowed eyes staring back at him as his entire frame shifted, cracking the ice which had formed around him. Green skin slowly was illuminated as her face came into view. His violet eyes made contact with the orbs of black as slowly a smile stretched across this creature's lips. Whatever this creature was, Cell junior already knew he would need to be twice as strong when he saw it again, if not stronger. The destruction of all of his enemies, would depend on superseding whatever this thing was.
His father had passed his perfection onto him, and allow anything to be stronger than himself, let alone threaten him was unacceptable.
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Goku:
It was really, really weird. Not the part where he was training with Goten, Piccolo, or this weird future Trunks. It wasn't the part where he'd been waiting for almost two days to hear back from the Supreme Kai and King Kai if he could train with the Grand Kai in the afterlife with the greatest warriors who'd ever defended the galaxy. Heck, it wasn't even because a bunch of alternate reality warriors were coming to try and murder all of them in order to seek newer, greater challenges. What was odd was that he knew that Vegeta was watching them from a distance. Sure, he was keeping his power concealed, and the only other one here who likely knew that he was here, was Piccolo.
The Namekian and Goku had traded glances more than a few times since he'd arrived, even in the midst of their sparring. Vegeta always trained on his own, and the fact he was looking in on their spars was perturbing at best. Heck, every few seconds Goku almost wanted to fly over to where he was estimating Vegeta was, and just asking in the most friendly tone possible, if he wanted to train with them. But well, to start, he knew Vegeta, and knew that wouldn't world. Following on top of that, usually Vegeta would never want to spar with them, and that means he must have some kind of alternative reasoning for watching.
I mean, there isn't really any other explanation? Unless he's watching Trunks.
When Trunks swept in towards him in the midst of his spar with Piccolo, looking to intervene. The fact he'd been keeping his mind directed towards Vegeta's position in all this had meant his defence had been sloppy, and his awareness had dipped. Before he could even fully realize what had happened, a boot collided with his jaw. The impact was hard, sending his head trailing back, before his body followed at almost a kind of warp speed. Just as his weight shifted, he could tell that Trunks knew that Vegeta was there as well. The main reason he knew that, was that Trunks had kicked him directly towards the side of the mountain where Vegeta was.
When he shifted his own power to push back against the force sending him towards the treeline, there was a wave which passed from him, blasting through the branches and trees in the form of a shock-wave. It passed through the forest beyond him, rippling through it for kilometres before the forest settled once more.
Well, there goes any chance of waiting for Vegeta to be the one to make a reveal. Because I can tell already that Trunks is about to-
"Father!" a voice echoed across the valley around them, Trunks hanging in the air and looking surprisingly stern as he did. "We all know you're there, Vegeta. There isn't any reason for you to be here, unless you're here to train. Now come out."
Slowly, Goku saw the form of Vegeta slowly elevate above the treeline, his arms crossed and his look even more severe than Trunks. There was an air of annoyance around him, clearly at the open remark that they'd all noticed him watching from afar. Still, maybe for once they'd get some answers out of Vegeta that wasn't just him being grumpy and angry that he wasn't the strongest being in the-
"You're not my son," Vegeta remarked bluntly. "I met a Trunks from another world, who is my son. It goes without saying that the Trunks inside this world, is my son. I don't know you, I don't know what of me is inside of you. But I do know that you're all fools."
Well, that proved me wrong. Well, at least right now. I'm sure any second now he's going to get started on being the strongest. Yep.
"Oh? And why is that, Vegeta?" Piccolo asked, clearly not amused by the intrusion. "Is it because we're trying to get ready for monsters that could arrive at any moment, who've all killed us before? Back up you're words."
And here comes the rage meltdown in 5... 4... 3...
But something came back and surprised Goku yet further as he saw the Prince of All Saiyans do something he'd never thought he'd see.
"Do you really think that training like we all have is going to stop these creatures? The demons from earlier, Mira and Towa, despite being interfering, insignificant bugs, have enlightened me enough to realize where our doom comes. These Saiyans have come from reality to reality, killing us along the way. They've killed us when we were younger, and perhaps even when we've been older. They've killed us in our greatest moments, and perhaps they've killed us at our lowest. Every world they step in to, they encounter us, and it's always the same. It's the same because despite how different the world is, I would wager we are all fundamentally the same."
What does he... oh wow.
It took him several seconds to absorb what Vegeta was saying, but Goku understood within moments. Mira and Towa had pointed out to him that they always die, even if they prepare? Which meant that they always knew what to expect. No matter how different the worlds were, Vegeta always inherently fought like Vegeta, or close enough. He always fought like well, himself, or maybe like Turles if he'd never hit his head. Piccolo always fought like Piccolo, and so on and so forth. Even the more varied fighters, like Trunks or Goten, fight like Vegeta, Gohan, or himself.
It meant that they needed to not just get stronger, but change a fundamental thing about how they fought.
Rising into the air, Goku began to grin as he realized the challenge that was waiting for him. It wasn't just going to be about climbing a mountain to become this Super Saiyan Three. It was going to be the challenge of climbing to this new level of power, while trying to change how he could fight. From his stance, to his more defined signature moves. He needed to rethink how he even tactically approached someone. Why bother to fight these monsters like he'd been fighting them across dozens of timelines? That just played into their hands. Learning to adapt meant that they couldn't just walk into this battle with confidence, and they could, in the knowledge that they could unleash parts of themselves which these warriors would never be prepared for.
"And you're here because you know full well that you can't be the only one who changes," Goku remarked. And I'm sure that you know that you'll need help, even if not directly. You need people to test your power against.
"If I end up being the only being to reform my approach, than I will die along with the rest of you. I am not a fool. If these creatures are half as strong as the boy over there describes them, than I have no intention of just waiting here for them to come kill me. Part of that means making sure all of you are there to act as fodder which can survive long enough for me to kill these imposters."
Well, there is the Vegeta I know. I was getting worried for a second.
"Well, this would be the first time sound advice has come out of you in more than a decade, Vegeta," Piccolo responded, before hovering closer. "But that doesn't answer how we're actually going to achieve all of this. Training to change our very styles will not only need to be intense, but they'll need to introduce elements to our combat style which we can't just obtain from nowhere. I've fought Vegeta before. I know most of his moves, and even if we both try to change our styles, or how we fight, we're still not learning a new method of combat-"
But if we could train in the Other World, with the Grand Kai, not just me, maybe we can learn from others. If all of the Good Warriors of the afterlife are there, we can learn tons of stuff from them. Heck! The Grand Kai might even train us! That'd be CRAZY!... I'm totally gonna bring them along. It'll be great!
"Guys, when King Kai and the Surpeme Kai get back, they're going to let me train in the Other World! I'll bring you guys along with me, and we can learn from tons of new people! Think of how-"
"That really just might work," Trunks interjected, hope shining through in his eyes. "If we can train with as many varied and powerful fighters as we can, and we can adapt how we fight, maybe-"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light just past them, and everything seemed to stop. Kibito, Shin, and King Kai himself appeared near the trees below, each one walking forward as formally as they could, and Shin bearing a rather large grin.
"Goku, we have good news."
Grinning back, Goku nodded.
"So do we."
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Cooler:
With these seeds, Lord Cooler, you may unlock power left unimagined to any save the Gods this fruit was originally meant for. It is the ultimate seed of power, life, and destruction. They will grow, and they will bear fruit. This is my offering to you, future ruler of this galaxy. In exchange, I ask only to ask you of a favour, to destroy an enemy which we both share.
The words of the Kai moved through his mind as he listened to the gentle hum of his hoverchair as Cooler looked at the small seed, trapped between his thumb and index finger. Behind the seed, was the vastness of space and beyond. This was the key to unlocking more power, more strength than he'd ever imagined. It was quite literally, a gift from the Gods, and it would be cultivated to create not just some company which destroyed and then sold planets on the market, it would be the foundation of an empire of perfect order and his own rightly earned rule.
Power which creates more power. To harvest this... Tree of Might not just on one world, but on a dozen, perhaps even a thousand will allow me to supersede any small minded vision of power Frieza ever had.
There it was again... Frieza.
Even now, nearly two decades since his brother's defeat on Namek and disappearance on the Earth, he still lived in the shadow of his brother. His own power had been earned. Every bit of power he'd worked towards by comparison to Frieza or even his father. The eldest son, the weaker son, who just to keep up with Frieza needed to train and discipline himself. Even then he was met with barriers. Frieza never trained once and for most of their lives, despite his own training, was by far the greater of the two brothers.
Just before his younger brother's death, Cooler had finally marshaled the talents and abilities to finally best, and kill his brother. But Frieza had the audacity to die by the hand of some monkey instead. It was his final way of spiting him, not even allowing him, the eldest brother, the more dedicated brother, to finally take the title he'd deserved. It was Frieza's name, which the galaxy still remembered and feared, because no one knew his true fate, save a select few. When they trembled at fear of the unknown, it was to the idea of Frieza. When his organization was mentioned, it was still mired in the image of Frieza. When his own name was heard, it was simply thought of as the brother of Frieza.
But inside this seed, this precious little item trapped between his fingers, utterly at his mercy, was the beginning of the end of Frieza. His brother's name would be lost to the sands of time, and in its place would arrive his own. Lord Cooler, ruler of the entirety of the Northern Galaxy, the strongest being in the universe... the one who decided who lived, and who died. This was the destiny which Frieza had stolen from him, and it was given to him seemingly freely from this Kai. He'd never met a god in person, and he also assumed that it was another thing Frieza never obtained in his life.
Behind him, doors slid open with a hiss of pressure as a familiar, blue skinned male walked into the observation room. Placing his right hand over his shoulder and nodding, Salza averted his eyes to the floor, just as was expected of him. For the better part of fifty years, Salza had been his right hand, along with the rest of the Armoured Squadron.
"Lord Cooler, we are arriving near the test planet."
This was the beginning of the triumph he could hardly imagine was happening around him. The final piece was about to be placed on this world, Terax II. A world drenched in heavy flora, strangely without any living fauna. It didn't matter all the same, whether creatures were on the planet or not. How many other lives had he sacrificed to keep this company alive? To keep the embers of empire burning, now that both his father and brother were dead? Even before, when he was the second son, the one destined to never be King, he'd killed trillions through his actions and orders, and none of them were to be regretted. Inconvenient creatures who refused to lay down and die, or accept his will, or that of his family, were nothing but mere objects for him to exert his will on.
The entire ship began to rumble as it closed with the atmosphere, the air burning around it. Flames licked up across the observation window as his two blood red eyes looked into the flame. The thick atmosphere roared back at the ship as friction super heated the hull. He was curious as to what this Tree of Might would appear. Legends of dozens of worlds, spoke of the Fruit of the Gods, grown in a tree more magnificent and beautiful, yet terrible, than any sight in the universe.
"My Lord?" Salza asked, sounding unsure. "Is all well?"
"Of course," Cooler remarked, not bothering to even look back towards his lieutenant. "I was giving myself a moment to enjoy fond memories of my dearly departed family, and relishing the results of this experiment... is there is a problem with that, Salza?"
Immediately he knew his lieutenant's body stiffened as he stood at attention. Nervousness filled his voice as he responded.
"O-of course not Lord Cooler. Forgive my intrusion. I didn't mean to interrupt-"
Turning his head finally, if ever slightly, before letting his red eyes shift menacingly towards his blue skinned minion, Cooler's glance shot towards the other alien.
"Tell Doore and Naiz to prepare themselves for departure when we land. I wish to plant this myself."
The entire vessel rumbled as the massive legs of the landing mechanism began to deploy at the bottom and sides of the ship. With a final deep boom which echoed through the shift, and some residual sounds of gears locking in place, his ship finally came to a stop.
With a light hum, his chair began to gently drift above the floor, his fist closing around the seed from the Tree. As he entered the main departing bay of the cruiser, his glance turned towards his three oldest and most trusted lieutenants. These men had burned down whole systems for him. Insubordinate rats were exterminated by them, and they were the heralds of his will. Far more capable than Frieza's own guards or staff, they were recruited under an entirely different vision. These warriors needed to be skilled and powerful, moreso than any of his other warriors. The Ginyu Force, and Frieza's own Bodyguards, as well as Vegeta and Kuwi, were all lackeys which Frieza kept around, and deliberately kept weak.
But that meant they could never be trusted to handle a serious crisis. Cooler could rely on Salza, Doore, and Naiz to do a thousand times the work of their Ginyu or Special Forces counterparts. But best of all, he could still rely on them being terrified of his power.
With a burst of white energy, his chair lifted into the air as the great doors above slowly opened. Within seconds his chair was lifted up, to be welcomed by green skies and an ocean of flora as far as his red eyes could see.
"So, how do we plant this thing?" Salza asked, looking towards his master. "Did that alien-god give any instructions?"
How does one plant anything?
Without answering, he fuelled his chair with a fraction of his power. Wind blasted past him as the horizon suddenly raced towards him, but always managed to keep ahead. If all he'd heard about this thing were true, then that meant that this tree would ascend past the atmosphere of this insignificant green marble itself. Mountains trailed beneath him as oceans swept from his view, before he finally found himself stopping.
Water flowed in a torrent across the landscape, between a forest of half submerged trees. Fertile land for this supposed tree. Raising two fingers into the air, a familiar purple glow covered them before he swept them down. A crescent of energy cut through the air behind his finger's motion, before the planet below was gashed open. Water immediately began to fill the wound in the surface of the world, and Cooler opened his palm, looking at the seed once more.
Behind him, his three minions arrived in the air.
"I wonder if this thing gets as big as all those old stories say," Naiz remarked.
"Are you kidding? If this thing makes the fruit of the Gods, it's gonna be nuts," Doore then added.
"Quiet, both of you," Salza cut in. "Lord Cooler, we await your command."
Reaching his hand higher into the air, taking the seed between his fingers again, he just looked towards the witnesses to the beginning of his ultimate goals.
"Witness me."
With that, he readjusted his fingers, before flicking the small grain of seemingly harmless see into the air, as it flipped through the air several times, before falling down into the water, hundreds of metres below, before being swept up in the current and spilling into the crack.
Turning his head to the others, all of them watching him intensely, as if their lives depended on it. Well, their lives did depend on it, so it was most certainly worth their full attention.
"Watch this area along with a science team. When we get any new activity, inform me immediately."
"Yes, Lord Cooler."
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Chi-Chi:
Right now, she needed to finish making food. Any minute now, her Goku would be getting home, and that was going to mean he needed a big dinner. After all this training he was doing, she wanted to make sure he was eating right and also was making sure he was washing. It was absolutely horrible when he let a week's worth of sweat soak into himself. Sometimes watching over Goku was worse than watching over the kids. Of course she still loved him more than anything in the world, but it didn't mean he couldn't fray the edges a bit. Of course, the fact that some big, terrifying threat was coming to destroy everything they cared about, did help her opinion on him training all day with Goten.
And the new future Trunks who was visiting them was such a nice young man. He seemed to be a bit more attentive than his other alternative future counterpart. It would have been nice for Bulma to see him more, but she suspected she had her hands full with that rogue of a husband of hers, Vegeta. She was always thankful that no matter how damaged Gohan had come back like, he'd not ended up like Vegeta. The nerve of that man was sometimes overwhelming, but he was still Bulma's husband, and you couldn't fix people's relationships.
But if she complains to me about him again, I'm going to lose a piece of my sanity.
When a pot of freshly made noodles almost tipped over as she let herself be lost in her own little world, she gasped as she reached out, catching it by the handle before flipping it back towards the sink. Moving a large bowl in the way, she caught the entirety of the wheat based strings, before shifting the bowl as well, letting the empty pot hit the floor. As if on command, Keiko began to cry behind her. Immediately, she winced, turning her head towards the defiant look of the daughter in her stool.
"It's alright, I caught it all. No need to cry-"
More screams echoed out, and immediately Chi-Chi let herself slump in defeat, before moving towards her daughter, pulling her from the highchair and beginning to rock her.
Please stop crying, I need to get everything else ready.
What else could go wrong?
Turning towards the stove, Chi-Chi could see a small fire catching on top of an active pot of tomato sauce, her eyes widened in terror as she realized how she'd forgotten about the entirety of the sauce now burning on her stove.
"Oh no," she whispered, her daughter still screaming in her arms, beginning to wail as she went into full tantrum.
Just then, the door opened, as Goten peaked his head in.
"Oh wow, burning food? Mom? What happened?"
"Don't just sit there! Put it out!"
"Okay, but you're gonna be mad."
Mad? Why the Hell was she going to be mad?
"Put it out!"
In a burst of speed, her son flew in, grabbing the pot before disappearing. When he reappeared, the contents of the pot were empty, clearly dumped somewhere, hopefully safe. Breathing a sigh of relief, the human princess just smiled at her youngest son.
"Thank you, Goten," she sighed.
"You're gonna be mad."
"Stop saying that. Mad over what?"
"Dad, Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo all took off to another dimension to train. Oh, he'll be back when the big bads get here."
There was no time to moderate her response.
"WHAT?!"
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Whis:
This Kai is such a bore.
Floating in front of him was of course, the same annoying and snotty Diaokaioshin from before, Abaddon wasn't it? He was by far the most irritating Kai he'd ever met, if only because he didn't fully understand his job. Kais were the Ying to the God's of Destruction's Yang, even if their powers weren't equal in the slightest. The Kais protected much of existence, and allowed the forces of destruction only to run wild when needed. This Kai however, actively was seeking to disrupt the very nature of reality, and all for some petty reason like revenge or fear.
Lord Beerus was thankfully napping again, which meant that an altercation was to be avoided.
"I am afraid to say that Lord Beerus is rather busy at the moment, and is unable to meet with any Kaio, even one as remarkable and virtuous as yourself," Whis commented, hoping the kind words would smooth him over enough for him to leave.
"I'm not here to see Beerus, I'm here to see you," the Kai remarked.
Me? How flattering.
It was always nice to be appreciated. Despite the fact he was stronger than Lord Beerus, often his counterpart would forget, and it made things entirely too uncomfortable from time to time. Of course, he wasn't exactly excited to be speaking with a creature as treacherous as this one. Whis knew full well what this Kai was capable of. He'd given the demon Garlic Junior a new reservoir of power and nearly pushed the universe into a state of true tyranny, all to kill a few pitiful Saiyans. Of course, the fact he'd just given Lord Cooler the seeds from the Tree of Might, was astoundingly irresponsible as well. Food meant for his stomach, and that of Lord Beerus, and even the Kais, was being recklessly given away, all to increase the power of a being who was obviously far too weak to the challenge the Saiyans on his own. It was another example of desperation, given he couldn't keep beings greater than himself under his thumb for long. But even Whis couldn't divine as to why this Kaio was so terrified of the Saiyans, it made very little sense to him. Certainly, the Super Saiyans were impressive, especially the first time they were observed in recent times when Son Goku defeated Frieza on Planet Namek. It wasn't the raw power which was impressive, but the mechanism for the transformation.
"Well, you certainly came to the right place! I am always glad to greet such esteemed guests as Kais! Though I must warn you, should we make too much noise in the celebration for your arrival, Lord Beerus may awaken. He is often rather angry when awakened without much cause, and may resort to some exceptional acts of violence."
A clear warning, but one that was needed. This creature in front of him needed to be off balance for any discussion. Truthfully, Whis always hated to tell anyone no to a request, and thus scaring him away with the prospect of an angry Beerus was an incredibly well played hand.
Excellent. Now he'll leave and-
The Kaio's eyes flashed with fear, but the thin Kai just swallowed hard before shaking his head.
"Then forgo the celebration, Lord Whis. I've come because despite my best efforts, the Saiyans have grown so powerful that they could threaten all of reality."
Clearly, this Kai has been drinking perhaps a bit too much 'sacred' wine.
Smiling and closing his eyes, Whis just tilted his head to one side, trying to seem accommodating.
"Oh my, they must have improved dramatically in the last few minutes, because I have yet to notice the monumental shift in power across the universe. Though I can see how these Saiyans could be dangerous. Perhaps they could be as threatening as a creature such as Majin Buu-"
Narrowing his eyes, the Kai clearly determined he was being toyed with, which was unfortunate for Whis, as truthfully he wished the unpleasant Kai would simply go away. Sighing openly, Whis just smiled again for him.
"However, if you believe this threat warrants the attention of Lord Beerus-"
"Saiyans from outside this timeline are going to arrive, and they will slaughter any resistance in this universe, and one in particular will eat the life energy of several more Super Saiyans. I need you, or Lord Beerus, to slay the leader of these Renegades-"
It most certainly has to be the bottle. The very idea-
"Check with the Supreme Kai of Time if you don't believe me."
Perhaps if I briefly check with her, it will be enough to convince this creature to leave without resorting to unnecessary violence. The death of a Kaio is always best avoided whenever possible.
Raising his hand, Whis flicked his fingers open as a bubble appeared in the air next to him, peering into the very core of space and time. Instead of seeing an ordered series of images, Whis saw chaos. Time itself seemed to be tearing apart at the fringes. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Even his own powers could interact with time, but this was something different. It was as if realities were spilling out of realities and fracturing into an ever infinite number of timelines.
At the core of it all, he saw a familiar, pink haired creature looking up at him, before frantically looking through other images.
Clearing his throat, Whis then smiled pleasantly.
"Supreme Kaio of Time, I would like to ask you to-"
"Lord Whis? I'm so sorry, but I'm not able to-
"Oh I don't mean to intrude, you look terribly busy with...a complete meltdown of the structures which have governed the universes for all of eternity. If... I dare ask, what has caused all of this?"
"Saiyans," she answered, before looking away. "Saiyans which began to use a time machine which created alternate realities to every world they jumped to, creating more of themselves and more realities. It's complete chaos, and there is no way to control any of it. There is no way to guide or protect events. It's even becoming harder to watch over the core universes timelines as everything becomes mixed. My role in the universe is... it's... it's!"
"Oh now my dear, there is no need to panic."
This actually may be something worthy of a degree of panic. With all of these extra realities, there could be billions of copies of myself, all the same or mildly different, or radically different, and that seems mildly upsetting to me. Imagine a universe where I can't enjoy sweets or indulging my stomach's whims, how awful.
"But-"
"Actually, I was simply calling to see how you were. You look lovely as always, I do so hope you manage to get that crisis dealt with! I'll see you the next time the Gods and Kais meet at a retreat. Oh, and I love what you've done with your hair, it looks very manic."
With that, he closed the bubble, before looking passively towards Abaddon.
"I fail to see why you would need Lord Beerus to stop several Saiyans, even if they are tearing apart the fabric of reality. It hardly impacts anyone but their immediate victims," Whis remarked.
"Because one of them, according to the original time traveller who incidentally started the process of making all of these alternate universes including our own, has met these creatures in their power hungry bid, and they may seen eclipse even Lord Beerus."
"Is that right?" a gruff voice came from behind them, and immediately the Kaio went rigid.
"Oh, good morning Lord Beerus," Whis remarked, smiling brightly. "You've woken up over a decade early, that can't be good for your beauty sleep."
"It's not, and it's even less so for this Kaio, for waking me up so damn soon!"
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Vegeta:
"Incredible," Piccolo's voice broke through Vegeta's thoughts as the four of them walked along a stone path in this bizarre world, lead by the Supreme Kai.
This place they were in was an entire world of fighters, all of varying talent and age, all of them training across the afterlife to expand their ki and hone their abilities to their utmost perfection. There was a degree of envy he could even feel slipping in, especially given how undeserved it was. Every single warrior he sensed here so far was his inferior. Not a single one of them could stand before him and defeat him in open combat. On this entire planet, the only warrior he knew could best him, was Kakarot himself.
"I fail to see why we should be so enthusiastic to be surrounded by weaklings," Vegeta remarked. "Changing how we fight is only worth while, if we can learn something useful from these weaklings."
Different techniques and styles could be adapted into his own, but what was the point if they were utterly useless at channelling more ki? Or, they were less efficient at mobility or strength? The compromise of fighting 'differently' also meant potentially weakening themselves in many respects, which of course meant that he was looking to adapt his fighting style to someone he could actually see fight in a useful capacity. Hell, he even recognized some species of alien here that he'd made extinct himself, which meant he fully understood their miserable techniques and found nothing of value to add to his own.
Where Piccolo and Kakarot seemed enamoured with this place, he was increasingly jaded. The plan wasn't the problem, this place was the problem. If he was given an eternity, he could perfect his style of fighting and battle to the point of perfection, but none of these creatures would be able to say the same. They couldn't hold a torch to any of them, so what knowledge would they be able to impart?
"This place is going to be a crazy learning experience, way different than the Time Chamber," Trunks remarked.
If only we had another decade in the Time Chamber, I would take that in a heartbeat over this. All of these warriors have had years more than we did, yet none of them have accomplished what a Saiyan could in a short lifetime.
Of course, the fact that his alternate would-be son was fascinated by this place, didn't further endear him at all to it. Crossing his arms, Vegeta just looked away from much of the sparring happening around him.
"This is where you will first be training," Shin finally remarked, as a doorway appeared in front of them on a nearby wall.
Gazing inside, Vegeta at first could only see darkness spread out across an eternity, before he saw something very odd coming into view. Inside, was a reflection of his own mind's demons. Standing at the fore was his father, behind him, Frieza, and a multitude of other monsters. Facing old, defeated enemies, was supposed to be the beginning of their training?
"What foolishness is this?" Vegeta scoffed. "None of those fools can touch me now."
Blinking, Shin stared back at Vegeta.
"Inside of these rooms, aren't enemies. They are reflections from your own past. They represent what your own soul feels is its greatest failings, in some way. If they happen to be enemies of yours Vegeta, than perhaps you should learn to become a bit more gracious in defeat."
There was such thing as an insult too far, and unfortunately Kakarot, the Namek, and the boy saw it, each stepping closer to him as he sneered at the Kai.
"First you bring us to this pitiful place, supposedly because Kakarot thought he could acquire new power here. Then you waste our time with these pathetic games!" Vegeta shouted, scoffing in disgust, he waved his hand to dismiss the entirety of them before turning away. "I'll see if any of these fools have a glimmer of insight, before walking into some pitiful black room filled with pathetic old men, and vague notions of 'teaching' from an impotent Kai."
As his words came out, he could hear the other fighters around him ceasing their spars, stopping to glare at him as if he'd sinned somehow. In reality, all he'd done was tell them what he thought of both them, and their pitiful Kai. He knew full well just how much more powerful he was than Shin, or any other Kai. If these warriors thought themselves so strong, they could prove it to him.
"Just leave him," Piccolo remarked, before walking towards the door. "It's not worth arguing the point."
The Namek at least understands.
"Very well. Time inside the Room of Insight can take hours, or even days. Once the door is closed, you must face your failures head on. When you emerge, your mind will be all the clearer for it, and you can become more open to the training than you ever were before."
"Neat. I bet I get to face not saving Gohan! Oh, and that time I couldn't save Krillin from Frieza. Oh! Or that time I couldn't stop Cell on my own-"
"These aren't things to get excited over, Goku," Trunks remarked.
Idiots.
And to think, three of the four most powerful warriors in this universe, of the warriors who would be fighting to save this universe from a trio of psychopaths, were made up of these. Worse, each one of them were at the very least able to challenge his power, and Kakarot may be able to overwhelm it. It was embarrassing.
In front of him, the ground rumbled however as a massive lizard of a monster emerged, his horns protruding into the air as he growled.
"We don't like cocky little runts, Saiyan," he grumbled deeply. "Especially when you new bloods think you've got the run of the place."
"Oh, forgive me," Vegeta remarked, smirking as he did. "Did I hurt your feelings? It'd be a shame if you could actually do something about it."
"Oh dear," he heard Shin murmur.
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Cooler:
Every moment spent in meditation was one where he allowed his head to clear. Days worth of productivity were being wasted by his being here, if this Tree of Might didn't emerge. He breathed evenly as he sat in his hoverchair, letting his eyes stay closed as he reminisced over the trials of his life. He'd destroyed four planets before he'd met the Kaio only days ago, and now here he was. Perhaps this was all some plot to divert his attention, and save several miserable worlds? If the rumours of what the Gods were like were true, they were spineless creatures who often plotted and schemed to keep the galaxy in check. They feared the true power of determination, at least in his own view. The legends even spoke of how they could never defeat creatures such as Majin Buu, or Bojack, only lock them away.
His will had reforged this galaxy however, in turn. Contracts were taken from thousands of clients as they cleared worlds or destroyed enemies of less despots, each one affiliating with him in exchange, offering technology, or giving substantial payment. Their "Empire" under Frieza and his Father had never been so well connected. You didn't need direct rule to govern, you simply needed power and connections. His minions themselves, represented that just as well. He delegated tasks to his minions, just as his company, or "empire", delegated tasks to affiliates and lackeys in and of themselves. It created more commerce ever, something else he relished the control of.
The door behind him slid open, and Cooler's eyes finally opened. The night sky of this miserable planet had cast itself over his ship, revealing few stars through the thick atmosphere above. Still, Cooler looked into the darkness through the glass for several seconds, before allowing his chair to slowly turn in the air. Standing there, his eyes frantic with excitement, was a tiny figure, sent by the Armoured Squadron clearly.
This was one of his brother's leftovers, Sorbet.
"My Lord..." he breathed, clearly out of breath. "My Lord Cooler! We bring news. It's incredible! The readings were remarkable for hours, but now... now-"
"What is it?" Cooler cut in.
"The Tree!" Sorbet shouted in excitement. "The Tree of Might sprouted over two hours ago, and-"
Two hours?
Not a single communication, not a single word? No one had rushed here to inform him?
His red eyes pierced the form of the little imp, almost literally as he hovered closer.
"I had given express orders to be informed of the tree's growth. And I hear of it only now? Who is responsible for this?" he demanded.
"The scouters were damaged when the tree grew, Lord Cooler! And the science team was studying it under the protection of Captain Salza and-"
"Who gave the order?" Cooler demanded.
"N... no one, m-my m-m-my L-Lord. It was a simple mistak-"
Before he could finish, Cooler pointed his finger out, sending a scorching bolt of purple energy past the tiny blue alien, blasting a hole through a junior officer. There was gags and noises from the red skinned alien, before he collapsed to his knees and slumped onto the ground.
"The next time you think you may have failed me, remember that I will kill you," Cooler commented bluntly, hovering past the trembling wreck. "Pull yourself together, or I'll have you join your stand in."
Sobert was too important for the moment to kill out of hand. Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't sacrifice him at the first sign of further trouble. Frieza killed important minions out of hand, and though Cooler had sacrificed more than his share, it was always with his greater vision in mind. As his chair departed the observation room and then blasted from the departure deck, he could already see something spectacular in the distance.
The entirety of the planet's horizon was taken up by a tower of bark and leaves. It was almost hard to imagine. Even as his ship faded into the background, it took Cooler several seconds to look down at the once dense foliage of this world, to reveal nothing but barren, soaked mud, and even then it appeared to be drying. This world's life was being sucked away, and it took him no time to deduce by what. This Tree of Might did as the legends implied. It consumed the world itself, sucking all of the planet's resources and energy into its very being as it sprouted. Even as the tree approached, its enormity became increasingly stunning.
It rose past the planet's natural atmosphere, and stretched further than many world's continents. The massive branches contained their own atmosphere seemingly. It was staggering in its scope. When he finally arrived at its base, he could only see roots the size of battle-stations digging into the planet's surface, sucking the life out of it. Slowly, he rose from his chair, hovering away from it as he looked on to the tree itself.
From his flanks, his armoured squadron slowly assembled around him.
"Lord Cooler, we meant to return, but-"
"Quiet," Cooler shut down, knowing their heads were already bowed. "I don't need to hear your excuses."
Carefully, he let himself rise alongside it, examining every inch of the tree itself, feeling his heart quietly race as he climbed further and further into the sky, and towards the peak of this organic mountain. All of his years of preparation and training, and of administration of the empire he had dropped in his lap, had come to this moment. This would be just the first step. They would harvest not only the fruit of the Gods, but they would harvest the seeds. He would have his organization, his infrastructure, span out across the stars and harvest every world which refused to kneel. Every enemy would contribute their own power to his own. He would become Legion. But that was only the beginning. With new power, would come new potential. He could go even where he, Frieza, or his father never dare venture. He could unlock arcane secrets locked away on ancient worlds, and unleash yet more power.
Now would be his time.
As the top of the tree finally came into view, he could hear whispers from a thousand different voices.
"Cooler, your brother has clearly surpassed you, and he's not even needed to train. Clearly, you need to be given a position of less importance, given you are no longer my heir. I will offer you the Northern sector of the Planet Trade Organization. Perhaps there you can assist your brother by representing our family."
A backwater. His father had given him a backwater to govern and expand, while giving Frieza everything. Frieza was the face of the organization, the face of the Board of Directors, the Heir Apparent to their father's title, and the tyrant which the galaxy feared. Even when he'd finally surpassed Frieza, his father never believed him for a moment. Now that the King was dead, now that he was out of the way, and now that he finally had the tool he needed, he would show his father what the world he would have built would look like. Not just sectors under control, but the entirety of the galaxy sworn to him, or to the company, living in terror of his wroth.
"Your brother has been killed, Lord Cooler."
Salza's voice broke through it all, his loyal assistant, even if he'd failed him on this world thus far. Through everything it was Salza who acted as his enforcer and diplomat. Worlds and unions of worlds, knew his herald when he spoke. The galaxy bled in his wake. It was Salza who determined what contracts should be distributed, and to which officers. It was his Armoured Squadron who kept the collection of hundreds of bases and worlds together enough for them to reach out and dominate their section of space.
"Cooler... Tell me, how does it feel to know that you are far weaker than I? How does it feel to know that father has chosen me to be successor? Truly, you must feel quite the fool, having wasted so much of your time believing yourself my superior."
Frieza. He'd spent enough time living in his brother's shadow.
When his feet landed on the top of the tree's centre, he looked up to see fruit hanging deliciously from the branches above. Even though he couldn't detect power levels, he could sense the energy radiating off of them. Reaching one hand out, he let his mind do so in the same motion, taking grasp of one of the fruit hundreds of metres away. It took only a tug to rip it free from the branch, letting it gently descend towards him. When the fresh fruit came into his hand, he felt the alien texture of the fruit on the edge of his fingers, taking it in.
Slowly, he pulled the fruit to his lips, before opening his maw and biting into it. It was sweet, and he could taste something beyond just the plant matter entering his mouth. The juice within it immediately infected his gums and tongue with an odd sensation, before he swallowed down the first bite. Two more bites, and most of the fruit had been tore away. Its remnants remained in his hand, and he just looked up quietly, waiting. Something was supposed to come of this, wasn't it?
Without warning, power flexed into his very core. His muscles blasted out as muscles burst with a sudden, incredible wave of energy, fusing into his very being. He cried out for a moment in surprise, before stumbling forward, trying to control his shape already, trying to pull his muscles back into place. His arm trembled for a moment as it regressed back into its original form, and he now knew he was smiling, even if shortly, even if devilishly.
"Impressive."
At the apex of this first consumption, of this beginning, he could hear one final whisper however, one which brought him more satisfaction than the others.
"Lord Cooler."
It was the voice of someone he'd not seen in years, the voice of a lost cause. Captain Gohan, the Saiyan who had supplanted Salza himself for years, becoming his right hand. The Saiyan whose power defied their very understanding of just how powerful those simians could become. Through Gohan, he understood how Frieza and his father could have been killed at the hands of a Saiyan. The boy had been a tool, a weapon to be wielded across the galaxy, and unlike Frieza, he'd never feared his strength. It was only when the boy's power level began to rival that of Frieza's however, that he'd made the tactical decision.
Frieza and his father died on the Earth. Any troops sent there, died. Strange and immense power level readings came from that world. It was a world to be avoided at all costs. And it was a world that Cooler realized had its uses. It was a world he could simply send one of his problems to, and watch them disappear. Gohan's voice was the voice of the gullible, it was the voice of the foolish who he'd sacrificed for his own standing and power. Because the moment he'd sent his foolish, and blindly loyal lieutenant to the Earth, was the day he'd sent him there to die at the hands of his father and Frieza's killers.
And when he'd departed, all those years ago, Cooler darkly smiled then in his victory, just as he smiled at his triumph now.
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Author's Notes:
I'm terribly sorry for the delays. I know a lot of people were worried I'd stopped writing, but the truth is my life's just been really, really busy over the last two months.
Also, thanks for all the reviews and PMs regarding what I was up to. I tried to respond to anyone with an account to let them know not to worry XD
Don't worry, I have no intention of quitting the story. I'm just busy. This is my primary story and will take up my major focus when it comes to my writing. I've not had a lot of time to proof this one, as my life is still a hectic mess at the moment, so if there are mistakes, I apologize. I tried to catch them :\
Now, I was originally going to get Videl some perspective this chapter, but it just didn't end up fitting. She's not being ignored, I just need to use her in the right kind of chapter, and this one just didn't end up being that one. I really wanted to give Vegeta, Goku, and others a bit of time to shine, as well as villains who aren't the Trio of Saiyans. I really wanna get a few chapters in, dealing with more personal issues for Videl, Gohan, and others before the Trio confrontation, but I also need a lot of other chapters to be done before then, like a recounting of the Trio;'s world, Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo, and Trunks trainingz, as well Gohan's next few chapters. Of course, not counting the Big Hell Chapter I wanna get done before the end of the year.
Yes, next Chapter is the big battle between the baddies and Gohan, and it'll be glorious. I've already got its ups and downs planned out, and I hope people will be as excited to read it, as I am to write it.
Also, this chapter I wrote a lot of it to Metric's "Cascades". I dunno why, it just seemed to fit and inspire me to do this one. I think a lot of it is because every character in this chapter is kinda urged to go forward, save Cell Junior.
Also, as promised, a bit of the music I write for the Protagonists.
Gohan: The main theme for him, during any big moment, or any time he's really pulling off something amazing, has to still be Ultraspank's "Where". Whenever I get the vibe for the character really pushing forward in battle, or in his personal life, and really rising to his peak, that's what hits in my mind. I think during his more subtle moments of his personal life, The Killer's "All These Things I've Done" kinda does it for me.
Goku: Goku's complicated, but I really do break down how I write character's into their more epic moments, and their more subtle moments, at least for protagonists. Really, when I wrote "I'm Dying", Chapter 46 between Goku and Garlic junior, that song (For which the Chapter is named, by VAST) really cemented itself to me when Goku really rises up and makes his last epic stand in battle. It really made that whole thing work for me, and now I have a lot of trouble plotting out Goku's bigger battles to come out, without that song kinda running through my mind during the bigger moments. For his quieter moments? I honestly don't have a song that comes to the fore. He's too... fluid to really get pegged down in his softer moments. Whatever fits the scene usually fits him in that case. The more I write Goku, the more I think I get him. I was really really bad at Goku when this story started, I like to think I've improved.
Piccolo: I don't really have much for Piccolo in TLR at this time, not because he's not important, but because he's not had the same depth of epic moments, at least on the combat side. I don't usually need music to help me write Piccolo in his calmer moments either. Much like Goku, whatever music fits the scene usually does it for me. I suspect if I really get to an epic scene with him, in my mind its been more to music like "Suicide Mission" for Mass Effect II, but I've not put it to the test yet to see if it sticks.
Vegeta: Oh Vegeta. You're so hard to find music for... Oh Vegeta. If I get really stuck, sometimes I'll listen to Hell's Bells by Falconer, but that's about it. I tend to find Vegeta is a bit easy to write too. I'm actually fortunate in that respect. Writing Goku and sometimes Gohan are a lot tougher than Piccolo or Vegeta XD
Videl: The song that best summarizes her, and often inspires me to write her? "Help, I'm Alive" by Metric. Absolutely inspires me when I'm writing her, absolutely makes writing her a joy. Which I can't wait to write more of her. I've got big plans for Videl during the next saga especially.
Pan: There was a song I listened to months ago when I was writing some of the stuff after Gohan died, like Pan being thrown in the forest, and it really inspired me. More than anything else, for the character and even her plotline, "Running with the Wolves" by Aurora really helped shape my understanding of Pan and her even her character arc as a whole. Absolutely love writing her, and love where she's going to go.
Goten: So far, nothing yet, but I suspect I'll be finding some stuff soon. Goten is a major player going forward. I'll let you guys know when something hits my muse for him.
Trunks: Nadda. But then again, I generally find him hard to write to be fair.
Reviewers:
Anonymous: Thanks a bunch. I think the Gohan vs. Baddies fight will be more complicated than Garlic pulling off the same trick twice in a row. Garlic will certainly try, but there are definitely going to be at least a few surprises coming up in Chapter 57 when I get it done. Given that my fight chapters are huge, I just hope it's something I can finish before the end of the year.
Tomorrow4eva: Everyone should have choice words for a rogue Kai who wants to commit genocide. He's a dink. Other than that though, I loved breaking the 4th wall, expect more of that from Taro. After all, you're just apart of his imagination, but he doesn't want to neglect to say hi.
Pyromania101: Turles is affected by a spell which is a bit more practical. Expect all to be explained in 57.
Perfect Carnage: The Z Sword is going to play a role in the story, worry not.
Also, to address the Piccolo stuff from Carnage and several other reviewers: Though I do want to address the Piccolo-power thing. Firstly, Piccolo is not the same as Garlic junior. I can't imagine Piccolo using the Dragon Balls for power, but not only that, he can't game the system with the Makyo Star. Even then, he's much stronger than Garlic without the Makyo Star or its essence, which means that the Dragon can't improve his power from there. Garlic was a coward and a sneaky bastard. I'd need a Namekian for him to fuse with, and it'd not exactly sit right given the field to pick from. For the record, if I ever manage to get back to The Catalyst, Piccolo was planned to be in a three way tie for the strongest individual character in the story. So I'm not hating on the guy, he's my favourite protagonist in the series and was for most of my growing up too. This story just isn't exclusively about him. I've also already made him much stronger than in the show.
DarkKnightShiva: Nope! Lol
ShadowFFD: answered by PM?
Guest1: Sweet. I don't really care, that's how it works in this story. It's something that's always bothered me in this series and several others. No one is forcing you to like that aspect of this story. Yep. I realize it's non canon. If you want full canon? You can read the manga.
Guest2: No, for real, they are Bullshit. Did you see the new Dragon Ball Movie? Where it's implied that one of Frieza's henchmen can take on Piccolo, who is fused with Kami, and then gets one punched by a diminished Super Saiyan Gohan? Power Levels are bullshit. They hold little meaning to me, so I genuinely don't use them.
DBZfanthefirst: Thanks.
MaxPain32: I think they did meet in their dream :D
Guest3: Gohan will return to life when the Dragon Balls come back. But he died almost right after they were used by Garlic. It's not been a year yet :\
Ronden Kiagre: Thanks for the advice, that guy's channel is cool, and has tons of interesting music on it.
Ardee: It's amazing that after you commented on how awesome the regular updates were, I couldn't write a chapter for what? Six weeks? Seven? Lol. Taro, Brass, and Junia will get a massive backstory chapter exclusively to them, sometime before the big confrontation. I also hope you enjoyed Cooler.
Brelic: Thanks man.
Guest4: I threw in some Chi-Chi this chapter for you. Figured I could use her to explain that Goku and Co went to the Other World.
Vuvuzelahero: I like to think I've hit a more natural stride with Goku. He took me forever to really start getting 'used' to. There are definitely scenes I'd love to rewrite, but I just don't have the time or patience right now XD
ScaryVampire: I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D
Titop: Slug is dead. He's already training in other world, I dunno just how much he can catch up to Goku or Gohan with that however. I don't think Kaioken would be helpful, as they seem to have phased that out of the show for multiple reasons. I don't watch Naruto. He's not merging with Shenron. It was lame at the end of GT, and I can't imagine I'd do much better explaining that one.
Digitaldestiny360: I'd love to take a look at it, but I'm always afraid of polluting my ideas. I get influenced easily, and so I hate it when I get exposed to something that makes me want to change all my carefully laid plans. But I'm glad that someone didn't completely hate the Garlic saga. My view of it, and the views of many of my readers, diverge wildly regarding it. Personally, it's my favourite saga XD
RaijuBlue: I think I answerd by PM?
TornPrince: Lots of Metallica there.
H: Too true...
Dii10Star: You don't want me to beta man, I can barely keep up with my own stuff. But I am humbled by the offer.
Frost: Nope, life's just been fucked up for me for the last bit. Too much work, too little time to myself, and too much to deal with. Thankfully, I had some time to finish this chapter finally, so I did! If I ever quit this story, there will be a summary chapter at the end of the story, that would have explained what the full vision of the story would have ended up being. Because the whole story is planned. I just need to finish writing it. I'd give you guys that at the very least.
Jaymunoz90: Updated! :O
Super Mystic Gohan: To be explained!
Guest5: Wow, an angry guest reviewer?
Goku: Neat!
Me: Quiet you.
So, let me get into this. I actually agree with you that SSJ3 is overrated, but these guys are going off of advice that says it isn't. Trunks sees it and goes "Man, we could use that right now", so the hunt for it continues. I think it's most definitely a flawed form, I don't think it's necessary a guaranteed knock out by any means.
And to reiterate from before:
If you want me to have Piccolo use the Dragon to increase his power (which it couldn't) and then infuse himself with the power of the Makyo Star, well, that's some interesting ideas there. There are no Nameks for him to fuse with which are worth while, and no, I'm not going to invent them so he can get stronger. This story doesn't have Piccolo as either a Major antagonist or as primary character. I like him more than Goku and Vegeta combined, sincerely, but this story just isn't really his focus. I've already made him much stronger than in the show. Yep.
Guest6: Obviously guest5. I find it ironic that I was given an extra review calling one character stupid, when that review was only made because the reviewer forgot to put it in the previous review. Irony?
I'm not trying to be a dick, I'm just curious as to why so many people tend to leave reviews which are openly hostile towards me in some respect. I can get not liking an idea, but if you don't like something, you can leave the review, and you know, not read anymore if you hate it so deeply. Leaving profane reviews (which I managed to get a few of over the last few weeks, a few I had to outright delete they were exceptionally inappropriate, which pains me, as I don't usually touch reviews once they go up), or ones which basically say the story is stupid, isn't going to really change the course of the story. I do appreciate feedback, but shouting that something in caps isn't going to grab my attention anymore than something in regular size. Stating that Abaddon is stupid is again, not going to really change my plans for the story. I have taken reader feedback and changed how I write certain characters. But I've never looked at feedback that just denounces something as stupid, and had it really impact me. I answer every reviewer for a chapter, regardless of the content of their review. The only exception is when people post things which are psychotic (calling me a piece of shit, ect), or seem deranged.
Anyway, Chapter 57 needs to get started. As I said, I'm hoping for before the New Year. It's going to be a BIG one.