Ox King punches another man in the face as he charges through a hallway of people. Upa and Bulma's mom are slung over his hefty shoulders. They bounce about as he wades through the invasion of the Capsule Corp building. The glowing pink of their eyes shine through the gloom.
"Has the city lost its mind?" says Upa.
He slaps at a woman clawing at the Ox King's back unable to do much else but watch.
Realizing he is being overtaken by the horde, Ox King stomps a heavy foot on the ground, then does the same with the other. The support beams under the floor giveaway as they collapse. Ox King lands on his feet one level lower. The mob members get buried in the rubble. He sprints off down the hallway to get some distance before they dig themselves out.
###
Garlic's laughter rings in Kami's ears as he watches a bewitched Yamcha stalk Bulma.
"Just imagine Kami," says Garlic, "this scene playing out all over the world. Pretty soon everyone will fall victim to the influence of the Makyo Star. There must be some interesting history between these two for him to hunt her down like that."
"But don't worry Kami," says Spice. "Things will return to normal once the eclipse has passed. Of course, by then, our people will have arrived and easily be able to take over your weakened planet."
Puar struggles against Spice who holds tight to the back of the cat's neck.
"Oh Yamcha," says Puar. "What's happened to you?"
Bulma shrieks down below. The high pitched noise echoes up to the balcony.
"Yamcha," says Bulma. "You need to fight this."
She weaves in and out of the pillars. The sound of approaching footsteps gets louder, but she refuses to turn around.
"Can you feel that Kami?" Garlic says. "The fear in the girl rising? The survival instincts kicking in? The willingness to do anything to escape this situation? Any connection they have means nothing when it's her life against his.
"Humans like to think they are above their basic urges and selfish needs. But this day will open their eyes to what they are capable of when the circumstances turn dire."
"Please you two," says Kami. "Don't hurt each other."
His voice is barely a whisper. He tries to stand up by pushing off the railing he leans on. He rises in small increments one inch at a time. The strength in his legs withers. He collapses against the stone support kneeling where he started. He sees Yamcha grab one of Bulma's arms.
The warrior spins her around to face him. He grabs her other arm. She winces as the hands tighten above her elbows. The pressure strangles the blood circulation. A sudden start lifts her off her feet as he shoves her.
Hard granite crashes against her back. The stop gives her whiplash, and she smacks her skull on the column. She slides down the structure to a seated position. She watches through blurry vision as the man now possessed by hate instead of love approaches.
"Stop it Yamcha," she says, barely able to form the words. "Don't do this."
Fingernails bite into her shoulders. She yells in terror. Her body raises up. She screams and kicks uncontrollably. Yamcha gives a wicked smile.
"Leave me alone! Don't touch me! You're a monster!"
A purple and black aura projects from her body. Yamcha staggers back a couple steps. Bulma's eyes flash with violet light. The eerie glow encircles her irises.
She lunges forward with speed beyond her normal capacity. A slap from her hand catches Yamcha off guard forcing him back a few more steps. When he turns his head back, pure rage burns in his eyes with a fuchsia flicker.
"You see that Kami," says Garlic, barely holding back his laughter. "You coddle them with your passive ways. But it's amazing what they can do with the right incentives. Fear. Anger. Any kind of stress can push them to go beyond their limits. And it spreads so easily. As soon as one person forces himself upon another, the other is forced to respond. When the stress becomes too much, they finally break through their mental constraints of morality or helplessness and achieve their true selves. And they all help push each other to do it in the panic as it proliferates. It's really quite beautiful."
"No Garlic," says Kami. His body tenses once more to get to his feet. "Your ways will only create everlasting resentment. Instead of growing together, they will only tear each other down. Progress can never be made. That's why your homeworld is the way it is. That's why you wish to take over mine and leave yours behind. Can't you see that?"
Kami gets one foot underneath him but still kneels on the other knee.
"Oh Kami," says Garlic. "The struggle has only strengthened my resolve. I'm stronger from enduring the pressure. That's why I will achieve my dream and you shall fail. For hundreds of years I have fought through adversity while you have lived in unengaging peace. Your mind and body have atrophied while mine have only been sharpened and hardened."
Puar continues to mutter inaudibly while watching Yamcha and Bulma.
"Don't give in Yamcha," says the cat. "You don't have to do this."
Then Puar yells out.
"You're stronger than this Yamcha, I know you are!"
Spice tightens his grip. He cannot be sure, because he looked down at his captive, but he thinks the warrior below hesitated for a moment.
The moment passes and the two resume fighting. Yamcha lands some bruising punches while Bulma cuts up his skin with her nails.
Saline droplets drip from Puar's eyes as the violence unfolds. Memories of all the good times she has shared with Yamcha come to her mind as she tries to comprehend how he devolved into such an emotionless beast.
Kami manages to get his other foot flat on the ground. The full weight of his body bounces on the hinges of his knees.
"It saddens me that your experiences have left you with this mindset," he says staring down at his feet.
His teeth slide across each other catching in their grooves. With one hand on his thigh and the other on the railing, he straightens his arms and legs. Kami rises to his full height and towers over the dwarf. He looks Garlic dead in the eye.
"But your way of thinking is poisonous. I believe in the world I have tried my best to cultivate. And I believe in the strength of heart those two have and the love they share for each other. I know they can overcome your treachery."
Garlic leans back from the words before settling his nerves.
"I'm not sure if I should be inspired by your confidence or pity your senile mind," he says. "Either way, those two are going to kill each other. There's no doubt about that."
"They will prove you wrong," says Kami, turning to watch the two below.
Garlic snarls and does the same.
Puar looks away from the two rivals and gazes upon her best friend once more. Yamcha overpowers Bulma with ease, clearly no longer messing around.
He knocks her to the ground a couple yards away. He begins his final approach raising his hands in a form Puar is all too familiar with. They glisten with sharp ki ready to rip his victim apart.
"No Yamcha," says Puar. "This isn't you."
The cat begins to struggle against the fingers around the back of her neck. Spice tightens his grasp bringing his thumb and index almost together. Puar wriggles her chin under his thumb and bites down hard.
"Argh!" says Spice, giving a shake of his wrist.
Puar breaks out of his loosened clutch. She propels herself to the floor below as fast as she can go. Her body nose dives straight to where Yamcha prepares his lethal attack.
She latches onto his chest. Her four paws hug him as tightly as they can.
"Oh Yamcha," she says. "Please come back to me."
The fur on her back peels away from her skin. Yamcha's fingernails scratch deep into her, scraping open wounds. As she gets pulled from his chest, she pulls up his gi just as her skin is stretched from her back.
Puar squeals in pain as her tiny limbs extend beyond their limit.
"Yamcha, it hurts," says Puar. "Stop, please stop."
Yamcha rips her free of himself and slams her against the stone floor. Her body bounces once, twice, three times as it skips away. He stares at her unmoving form.
"Pu-Pu-Puar," he says.
His face scrunches up as a hand moves to press against his forehead. He shakes his head back and forth. When his eyes open, the fuchsia rings around them shatter like glass. They immediately fixate on his still friend.
"Puar!"
He runs to her, drops to his knees, and slides to a stop at her side. He places a hand on her stomach and slips a palm under her head.
"Why did you do that Puar?" he says. "What were you thinking getting involved in this? Gah! It's not your fault. It's mine. I was weak. I let this happen."
Puar's eyes slit open.
"Yamcha," she says. "Are you okay?"
"That's my line," says Yamcha. Tear drops appear at the corners of his eyes. "You're so brave Puar. Thank you."
"I'm glad you're safe," says Puar.
Her eyes close once more. Before he can do anything to ease her pain, he notices Bulma rise to her feet. She rushes him. The rubber of her shoes squeaks with every step. She pounces at his kneeling frame. Her reaching fingers slicing towards him.
Instead of bracing for the impact, he rolls onto his butt and spreads his arms out wide. Bulma smashes against him ripping into his torso. Her hands claw in a frenzy lacerating cloth and skin. Despite the pain, Yamcha wraps his arms around her. He pulls her close while she continues to slash at him.
"I love you Bulma," he says.
He squeezes her tighter in his embrace. Her arms settle down. They slide around his sides and grasp his shoulder blades. Her enraged cries crack into sobs.
"Oh Yamcha," she says. "I'm so sorry. I never want to hurt you. I love you so much."
Puar turns her head to look upon them and manages a smile.
Garlic's fists slam on the railing just below his chin. Kami smiles through his weary eyes.
"How could someone as weak as her break the influence of the Makyo Star?" says Garlic.
He can barely get the words out coherently in his fury.
"I told you Garlic," Kami says. "All humans have the courage to overcome any obstacle. And that courage is fostered by love and compassion for one another."
"Hmph," says Garlic, blasting hot air out of his nostrils. "A minor exception at best. But you won't have the last laugh."
He stretches out an arm to envelop Kami in another telekinetic hold.
"Can you sense them?" he says. "It seems my subordinates tasked with finding the last Dragon Ball will be arriving soon. And do you know what I'm going to wish for? I will bring my father back from where you sealed him away."
Kami tries to speak, but the mental hold chokes his throat.
"Spice!"
"Yes Master."
"Clean up that mess down there and meet up with us when you're done."
"I'd be happy to," says Spice. "He and I have a score to settle anyway."
"As for you Kami," says Garlic, "let's have a little reunion with my father."
He brings Kami through doors to an external walkway. They head towards the main courtyard with a tree growing from the center.
Kami squints at the sun which has now been half swallowed by the Makyo Star.