Garlic Junior flies down a hallway, his hood and cape flutter behind him. His general, Spice, and vizier, Nicky, run alongside him. Ginger and Sansho sprint after them while three more figures bring up the rear of their group.
"They're gaining on us," says a tall figure from the back.
Bushy red hair bounces on his back over his armor. The horns curving straight up from his temples point towards his comrades ahead of him as he leans into his run.
"I'll slow them down," says the small red skinned Makyan next to him.
He stops and spins around. His conical hat slides on his head from the motion. The thick fur rim all the way around it drops over his eyes before being pushed away. He throws his hands up. Ghostly scarlet threads stream out of the ends of his fingers building a web across the purple stoned hallway.
"Don't stop Salt," yells back another tall figure. He wears a similar hat but with two horns protruding through the folded up rim.
"Don't worry about me Vinegar," says Salt. "This mission has to succeed."
Vinegar grimaces before turning to catch up. He sees his group round a corner and does the same. Two large double doors made of black metal are slowly being pushed shut as he approaches them. They are three times as tall as himself and closing fast. He flips sideways to squeeze between the thin window still open to him.
"I wasn't sure you were going to make it Vinegar," says Sansho.
Vinegar sees him and Spice pushing on one door while Ginger and his horned companion Mustard rest against the other.
"But Salt didn't," says Vinegar.
"He was a brave warrior," says Spice. "He knew what he was signing up for. Now we have to keep going for him."
Two loud bangs shudder the doors. The four press their shoulders against the metal while Vinegar moves to the middle. He places a hand on each door to help hold it.
Garlic Junior and Nicky stand near the far wall. They examine a raised circular plate on the floor. Electricity crackles in glass cylinders up to Garlic's shoulder evenly distributed around the platform.
"It's been a long time since we've seen this device hasn't it Nicky?" says Garlic.
"Yes my Master. Not since this castle belonged to your father," says Nicky.
He riffles through some papers on a desk next to a computer-like screen with a typewriter set before it.
"Perfect! The plans are here. We'll be able to build a teleporter of our own."
"I can't believe it's come to this," says Garlic. "Stealing the blueprints my father commissioned our court magicians to design. Sickening."
"I understand your rage," says Nicky. "But we knew this might happen if your father's plan to take over Earth failed."
"Damn them for overthrowing his reign. This kingdom should be my birthright. And damn you Kami for stopping me from attaining a new one! We won't fail again. When the Makyo Star finally realigns with Earth, we will have our revenge."
"Are you certain you want to go through with this again? I wonder if your father hadn't been afraid to challenge his rivals directly, then we could have beaten them instead of weakening our forces in a battle with Earth."
Nicky watches his Master's eyes narrow and grow red with blood.
"Never speak of my father that way again or I'll rip out your tongue," Garlic says. "This world is dying. We deserve a new kingdom. And it will be mine."
That sounded nice last time too, thinks Nicky.
Instead of voicing this thought, he asks another question.
"Will you be ready to open the rift between our dimension and Earth's?"
"Yes. My father taught me well in the ways of traversing the Dead Zone separating our universes. When the orbits of our planes overlap once again, my army will march through the portal and conquer Earth."
Garlic lets the fantasy play through his mind until another metallic sound rings out.
"Can we use this one now?" he says. "I'd like to begin building our foothold on Earth immediately."
"Hmm," says Nicky examining the paperwork.
A clamorous clang echoes again. They look over their shoulder at their comrades who have been pushed back from the door which slides open just a bit. They regain their balance and rush back against the door to slam it shut.
"Hurry Nicky," says Garlic.
"I can't be certain but there may be enough energy," says Nicky. "We're still a number of years from converging with Earth, and the farther apart we are, the more energy it's going to take to make the jump."
"But there's a chance it will work, correct?" says Garlic.
Nicky hesitates.
"Yes, but if it doesn't—"
"Good. I'll summon Ginger while you set the coordinates. If this attempt does leave him stranded between dimensions, we'll at least have a better idea of how much power we need to send the rest of us over before the invasion."
The dwarf yells his subordinate's name while Nicky punches keys on the typewriter. Garlic pulls out a pear shaped glass object and places it against his temple in front of his pointed ear. A shadowy worm wriggles through the skin into the glass. When it breaks free, a black flame with an electric red outline dances in the center of the container.
All the while, he explains the plan to his minion. Ginger now kneels on the plate with Nicky engrossed in the digital messages on the screen.
"Take this," says Garlic, handing the glass object to Ginger. "Stay in contact once you reach the other side."
He reaches over the threshold without stepping on it. His minion takes hold of it.
"I won't fail you Master," says Ginger. "What is my mission?"
"Your primary mission is to locate and assassinate Kami," Garlic says. "Your secondary objective is simple reconnaissance. Find out all information pertinent to our war efforts."
"Understood," says Ginger. "But why risk the element of surprise if I am unable to kill Kami. Shouldn't we invade with the full force of our army now?"
"Unfortunately I do not have the stamina to open a portal long enough to cross the current distance between our realms," says Garlic. "When they converge a few years from now, we will be much closer allowing me to create a shorter but much wider rift to fit our army. Until then, we will build a teleporter of our own and gather energy to power it. A few of us will join you at that time to finalize our preparations."
The doors finally breach open, nearly ripped off their hinges. Spice, Sansho, Vinegar, and Mustard open fire with ki blasts as they back away from the towering monsters that enter.
They are huge muscular humanoids. Their dark green skin shows no signs of damage from the attacks hitting them. They wear helmets and shoulder pads made of skulls with fanged canines. They wade through the glowing projectiles unfazed.
"How much longer Nicky?" says Garlic.
"Done," says Nicky, striking the last key. "Good luck Ginger."
Blue electricity arcs around the air above the platform. It strikes Ginger several times causing him to scream and writhe. Every time it does, he becomes more and more transparent, until he finally disappears.
"Did he make it?" Garlic says.
"It won't matter unless we get out of here alive first," says Nicky. He points to a large window high above with moonlight streaking through. "Quick Master, we must escape."
"I can't just leave my men to die," says Garlic.
"We knew the risks coming into this mission," says Nicky. "We voluntarily put our lives on the line. So pardon me, sire, but without you there is no hope."
Nicky slings a hand under his leader's armpit and flies for the window.
"Lord Spice," says Vinegar. "You must follow our Master."
He charges in to punch one of the giants.
"You too Sansho," says Mustard. "We'll hold them off while you all escape."
He flies into action too, outreaching a foot.
Spice and Sansho look at each other for a moment. Spice nods his head, and they both leap from the ground to follow Nicky and Garlic. The four escape the building as the tortured cries of their comrades chase after them.
###
Ginger hides in a forest on the outskirts of a city. He looks at the shadowy flame in the glass item his Master gave him. A voice sounds from it with the fire flickering in tune with the words.
"What have you found out Ginger?" says Garlic's voice.
"It seems the people of this planet believe Kami no longer listens to their prayers or wards off misfortune in their lives. They rely only on themselves and rather than superstition."
"I never expected much from that slug anyway," says Garlic. "But have you found his whereabouts?"
"Not yet. Everyone I've spoken with thinks he is a myth," says Ginger. "I've caught word of a huge event known as the World Martial Arts Tournament. I expect lots of people from all over the world to attend. Hopefully I'll find someone who knows something."
"Very well," says Garlic. "If there's nothing else to report, then I shall go."
"Actually, there was one more thing."
"Hmm."
"Rumor has it this world houses seven magical jewels that will grant a wish if gathered. It sounds like a mere fairy tale, but if such a thing really exists…"
"We could wish my father out of his eternal imprisonment," Garlic says. "See if you can verify such a whimsical thing. I'll call again when we have the chance."
"Yes Master, but, uh, how much longer until the orbits of our realms align? I don't mean to be an annoyance, but it doesn't feel right spending so much time not fighting for you and our people."
"I understand your frustration Ginger. However, your mission is integral to our success. I'm afraid I can't give you an exact time yet as time flows differently between our dimensions. But we're roughly half a decade away from initiating our plans. Anything else on your mind."
"No."
"Good. On your way then."
The flame shrinks as the presence fades. Ginger stows the clear container in the red cloak he is wearing. He pulls a hood up over his ears. By lowering his head, his face obscures in the shadows of the cowl.
He enters the nearby city on foot. His mysterious attire draws looks but no further attention. Upon arriving at a stadium with features of a traditional monk temple, he approaches the front gate. He scans all the faces for anyone of interest.
An attendant tries to stop him. He waves a hypnotic hand before the man's eyes. The attendant sees multiple copies of it stagger one after another following the same path as the one before it. Ginger walks past without any interference.
The man jars awake with the feeling of falling as his body leans too far to one side. He gets his feet under himself and cannot help but feel like he is missing a small lapse in time of the last few minutes. He shrugs and continues to collect tickets from spectators.
Ginger waits in the stands still searching each and every member of the crowd for anything suspicious. He hears an impassioned introduction from an announcer wearing sunglasses before two combatants enter the ring. One of them is just a spiky haired man with an excited smile.
But the other. The other one instantly stands out to him. A man with green skin and reddish pink patches on his upper and lower arms.
Could this be the man Master Garlic described to us, Ginger thinks. The very same man who battled Lord Spice, Vizier Nicky, and Garlic's father? How many other creatures have an appearance like that?
From the word go, Ginger is dazzled by a display of technique and form as well as overwhelming power and ki attacks. He cannot believe the strength, and more impressively, the control of such forces being thrown around. Nothing in the stories of Garlic Senior's battle with Kami could have prepared him for the feats of these two fighters.
And just when he thinks things could not be more incredible, the green man suddenly grows to ten times his own size. How could the spiky haired man possibly win? Yet the determined smile from the now bare-chested martial artist never cringes away.
Things take another bizarre turn when the man with orange pants shoots down the colossus' throat of his own accord. The giant began to hack and cough before finally vomiting the man back up.
The spiky haired fighter now holds a bottle which apparently Garlic's rival must have swallowed at some earlier point. He opens it releasing a phantasmal fog. The smoke forms the shape of a humanoid. Ginger gawks as two green men now stand in the ring.
Though the new one is much older than the first, he can tell they are related based on their similar features. The only other distinguishing visual is their clothes.
Ginger's attention is brought immediately to the kanji on the robes of the most recent arrival. It reads "god." There is no mistaking it now. This is the man who usurped Garlic's father for the role of Guardian of Earth. This is the man who sealed away the ruler of his own people who was supposed to lead them out of tyranny.
Ginger grits his teeth as he waits for events to play out a little further. The battle turns brutal as the combatants beat on each other relentlessly. Blood and injuries take their toll leaving them on death's door by the end. Somehow the man in tattered orange pants outlasts the other leaving him the victor.
When the climactic battle finally ends, Ginger sees Kami leave the main group. He follows silently after him.
"You can come out from hiding," says Kami after walking far enough away from the crowded disaster scene left by the tournament.
"I could sense you from the moment I was freed from my capsule," the Guardian continues.
He turns to face the corner Ginger conceals himself behind. The goblin steps into the open.
"You are one of Garlic's men," says Kami. "I should warn you that if you intend to repeat his mistakes, you will suffer the same fate he and his army did all those years ago."
"Heh, you won't be so lucky this time," says Ginger. "We won't stop until Earth is ours."
"Yes, I suspected your kind would try again," Kami says. "If I'm not mistaken, the anniversary of your invasion is still several years away. I don't know how many of you there are currently, but I will find out soon, make no mistake.
"For now, I suggest you take this precious time to get to know Earth and its people. See if you can share your way of life with ours. I could not reason with your former leader, but I am willing to try again with you. Cohabitation, not conquest, is the greater path to take."
"Not a chance you old fool," says Ginger. "We are strong and Earthlings are weak. The strong rule the weak. That is how it is on our planet. That is why we are under the heels of our masters."
"There are other qualities besides power that can be considered strength. There is value in humility."
"I'm not here to argue philosophy with you. Consider this a warning of your inevitable doom. Enjoy what time you have left."
"Just remember, I'm offering a rare opportunity. I recommend you take advantage of it."
And then Kami disappears in a heavenly glow of golden light.
###
Garlic stands over Kami who lies on the ground, moaning in pain. The gremlin heaves heavily. His hands are raised before him moving up and down with the motions of his torso.
The cape and shirt he once wore are gone revealing a pudgy chest and gut. His pants are stretched and hanging in long, ruffled wrinkles that drape over his shoes.
His eyes flick off away from Kami for a moment and return just as quickly.
"It seems Spice has found an intruder," says Garlic. "One of the humans you are so fond of. Come to rescue the girl no doubt. How noble. You must be proud.
"But it seems he has succumbed to the desires of his heart. Come. Let me show you the true nature of these humans once and for all."
Garlic raises one hand above his head. Kami's body stiffens and levitates into the air. The dwarf leaves the floor himself. He takes a moment to smile into his rival's pained expression. Then he shoots off down the hall with Kami in toe caught in a telekinetic binding.
Garlic hears explosions and fast paced movement as he approaches the fight between Spice and the humans. Upon entering the large corridor his subordinate battles in, he watches while slowly drawing nearer.
A warrior with long black hair in an orange suit knocks Spice around. The Makyan clearly cannot keep up with the human who dances circles around him. Punches and kicks penetrate any attempts at guarding them.
Having seen enough, Garlic fires a blast of energy that catches the unsuspecting enemy in the side. The force knocks him out, but before he can be pushed away by the force, Garlic grabs him out of the air with his psychic hold.
"Yamcha!" Bulma and Puar say together.
"Honestly Spice," says Garlic. "I can't believe you're having such trouble with these vermin."
Spice looks at his Master and tries to straighten his posture to a more refined stature.
"Apologies sire," he says. "I underestimated him."
"No matter. Grab the cat and the girl. We're going to the Great Hall," says Garlic.
He zips away with a struggling Kami and unconscious Yamcha. Spice wraps an arm around Bulma's waist holding her sideways against his hip. Another hand grips Puar by the neck as if she is a stuffed animal. He follows after his Master while Bulma futilely bangs her fists on his thighs.
They carry their victims into a huge enclosed space blanketed by the same black and purple as the throne room. They stand on a balcony circling the oval shaped room. Six mighty pillars in two staggered rows of three hold up a bridge crossing the top of the room high above their terrace. The columns fill the center of the otherwise empty area below. Two more columns, one on each end of the bridge, come straight down through the balcony to the floor below.
Garlic drapes Kami over the railing of the terrace. He then takes a telekinetic hold of Bulma from Spice. He moves her and Yamcha down to the floor they overlook, dropping them several feet above the ground near the center. The only discernible exits are giant doors too heavy for a normal human to push open by oneself.
Yamcha stirs awake from the fall. Bulma rubs her legs which took most of her weight in the crash.
"Now Kami," says Garlic. "Watch as your precious humans reveal their true nature and tear themselves apart."
Yamcha stands up, magenta circles still glowing around his irises. He sets his predatory sights on the terrified woman. Bulma slides herself back with her hands and feet. She manages to flip herself over and stand up. She sprints down the middle of the pillars as Yamcha gives chase. Kami watches in horror at the scene.
The Makyo star creeps along in its consumption of the sun nearly half way across it.