A/N: This is a distant prequel to my Xover Path of the Dragon: The Story of Gohan. As such, it takes place within the same universe. Same rules apply. If you haven't had the chance or desire to read Path of the Dragon, it's basically a blend of both universes, grounded to fit the universe of My Hero Academia. Sometimes it can get pretty bizarre, but for the most part, I have fun writing it. So that's all you'll need to know in order to start reading this fic. I'm including another AN at the end of this chapter.
I hope you enjoy this story. I had so much fun outlining it all and writing the first draft. Let me know what you think! To all of you who opened this story, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!
Opening Song:
"Emotions" by Man With A Mission
Son Family Farm
Mount Paozu, Japan.
June 25, 1989.
Gine took one deep breath, planting her bare feet as firmly as possible against the wet grass underneath. The cool summer breeze blew between her and her opponent, making her orange martial arts gi sway dramatically. A storm was brewing overhead, filling the air with an earthy musk.
Her opponent, a bald old man with a long white beard, bulging muscles and sunglasses that glinted maliciously in the afternoon sun smiled at her.
"Well then," he said, his voice an amused elderly squeak. "Are we just going to stand here and stare at each other all night, or are we gonna boogie?"
"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing, Master Roshi!"
Gine shot forward, leaving a trail of grass blades flying behind her as she charged at the old man. Gine swung her fists forward in precise, furious strikes. To her dismay, the old man seemed unworried, relaxed even, as he blocked, parried or dodged her punches with infuriating ease.
Gine gritted her teeth and twisted her body, lashing out with a powerful roundhouse. Roshi dropped to a squat and with one hand easily redirected her kick, adding his strength to push Gine out of balance. Gine yelped in surprise as Roshi rose, bringing the staff up and over, directly on top of her head. The staff cracked through the air and connected with the top of Gine's head with a thud.
"Ow!" Gine squealed, but Roshi wasn't finished. He spun the staff in his hand, jabbing its end against Gine's stomach, then quickly reversing and placing the other end behind her feet. Gine stumbled backward and the staff behind her now swept her feet, knocking her on her butt.
Gine grunted more from the shock than from the pain. She looked up to see her Master laughing victoriously.
"Ohohoho. You're holding back, young lady," Roshi noted with a light laugh.
"...Yes sir…" Gine panted breathlessly, wiping the sweat from her eyes with the back of her blue weighted wristband. "One for All is volatile and I still can't quite control it well enough yet. I don't want you to get hurt, Master."
"Well, don't hold back. I want to see just how powerful your Quirk's gotten with One for All. Besides…" He offered his hand. "…I ain't losin' to whippersnapper like you! Now get up and try it again."
Gine smiled, taking Roshi's hand and rising to her feet. "Yes sir!"
Master Sorahiko Roshi, the martial arts master also known as the Turtle Hero, Gran Torino… He was always so lighthearted, no matter who he was facing in battle.
"Okay," Gine said, digging the balls of her feet into the ground, charging up her strength for a mighty leap. Purple electricity shot out from her body and enveloped her as she drew upon her newly amplified Quirk.
"One for All," Gine called, arching her arm back as she flew at her teacher with blinding speed. "Musutafu… STRIIIIIIKE!" Her arms swung forward alternating between the left and right. Her punches now packed five times the speed and power as the previous assault. Her arms were a blur, shooting forward so fast that it almost seemed like Master Roshi was receiving a dozen punches in different areas of his upper body all at once. Master Roshi began to get pushed back.
"Here I go!" Gine shouted, taking off to the skies and bringing her hands together, gathering energy into the palm of her hands. The purple ki orb sparked and crackled with purple electricity, growing in size. "CLOUDBURST CANON!"
The electric ki blast shot out, expanding in midair into five thunderbolts, all baring down on Roshi. Master Roshi breathed in heavily. Long, narrow plumes of smoke began to leak out of his body rise to the sky. In a puff of smoke, Master Roshi was no longer a frail, old man. His body had quadrupled in size. Meaty, voluminous muscles now bulged out of his body, threatening to rip out of the white tanktop that he was wearing. Roshi was now a hulking mountain of a man, veins popping all over his body.
"KAAAAMEEEHAAAAMEEEHAAAAA!
Bright blue glowing energy formed in Master Roshi's palms and he shot it forth from a crouched position to counter Gine's Cloudburst Canon.
The two beams shot towards each other and met in a blinding explosion. The smaller, weaker electric ki blasts struggled against the massive Kamehameha Wave.
Gine grabbed onto her right wrist, pouring more power into her attack, but the Kamehameha Wave was just too powerful. Slowly, her ki blasts began to get pushed back.
"HAAAAAA!" Roshi roared, adding more crushing strength to his wave. The blue wave engulfed the smaller ki blasts and came rushing up at Gine like a tidal wave. Gine gasped and the next instant, she was hit by the wave. The wave coursed through her, making her scream.
After a few seconds, the wave dissipated, spitting Gine out. Gine fell back to the ground and landed with a rough thump on the wet grass below. Smoke rose from her body and she stayed on her back, eyes closed, taking in massive gulps of air.
"Overdid it a little, don't you think, Master?" Gine coughed, her breath coming out in black puffs. Her shoulder-length raven hair stood up in points.
"Heh, you're getting a lot stronger, Gine. I mean that, by a lot! But you've still got a long way to go."
Gine rose to her feet and bowed respectfully to her teacher.
"Thank you, Master Roshi. I appreciate your guidance."
"So that settles it then," Roshi said, stroking his beard. "One for All is already amplifying your Quirk and giving your ki blasts an electric edge."
"Yeah," Gine said, looking down at her hands. "Electricity-based ki, huh? That could be useful."
"Well, what did you think, Toshinori?" Roshi said, calling out to a little boy that had been watching them spar from a nearby tree. "Pretty cool for an old man, huh?"
With a puff of smoke, Roshi's large, bulging muscled body transformed back into that of a frail old man.
"Wowie!" Toshinori cheered, jumping down from the tree and running up to the old Turtle Hero, bouncing excitedly with a large snaggletoothed smile splashed over his face. "Do you think you can teach me to do that one day, Master Roshi?"
"Teach you to do what?" Roshi asked, placing his hands on his knees to bend down and be at the boy's eye level.
"Get all big and strong and muscly and stuff!" The boy said giddily, his lion's mane-like blonde hair swaying with his excited bounces.
"Ah, you mean my Muscle Form? Sure, but it's gonna take a scrawny little punk like you years and years of training."
"Awesome!" Toshi cheered happily, his cheeks glowing with a rosy blush. "When I grow up and get my Quirk, I wanna train with you every single day."
"You say that now," Gine said, tying her hair into a ponytail as she walked up to the two. "But after just one round of Milk deliveries, you're gonna be eating those words."
"AHAHAHA! Never!" the boy declared.
"Master Roshi! Gine! Toshi!" A voice called from the farmhouse. "Dinner's almost ready!"
"Alright, Grandpa. We'll be right there!" Gine called back.
"Oh boy, finally!" Toshi heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm starving!"
Gine smiled at the boy and looked up at her master.
"Won't you join us tonight, Master Roshi?" Gine asked, pulling off her ripped orange gi and wrapping it over her neck above her blue undershirt. "There'll be plenty of food tonight. Grandpa Gohan made a pretty penny off the crops last year so we've got more than enough to go around."
"Thank you for the offer, but I really must get going. If I leave now I can get a few hours of rest in before my patrol starts. But Gine, excellent work keeping up with your skills. Always remember to work hard, study well, eat and sleep plenty. That is the Turtle Hermit Way."
"Yes Master," Gine clasped her hands together in front of her chest and bowed reverently.
"And that goes for you, too, kiddo. Deal?" Roshi said, giving Toshi a warm smile.
"Yes sir!" Toshi bowed as well.
"Enjoy the rest of the evening, then," Roshi bowed his head and began to walk away.
"Boy, I'm starving!" Toshi said as he began to walk back to the farmhouse with Gine.
"Me too! I heard Grandpa's making plenty of Unagi eel tonight."
"UNAGI?!" Toshi shouted, drooling. "MMMM-Mmmm! Wait, we should probably hurry up and get there before Leek and Shugesh eat it all."
"You're right," Gine said with a laugh. "Those two have bottomless pits for stomachs. Hey Toshi, wanna race to see who gets there first?"
"Okay, but no powers. Deal?"
"Deal. Ready? Set. GO!"
Gine and the boy took off running as fast as they could back to the farmhouse where they lived.
Roshi turned to see them running back and smiled. From here, it was like seeing a loving mother and her son running happily through the fields. Toshi was a sweet boy. He was lucky to have Gine, and vice versa. They were orphans, living in a farmhouse with other orphans but at least they had each other.
Gine was a compassionate, caring young woman with a powerful Quirk. Even though her powers were growing exponentially and and much faster than even Roshi's had when he first inherited One for All, he had no doubt that Gine would use these powers responsibly and for the good of all. That was, after all, what being a Hero was all about.
Roshi pondered these things as he began to walk away back to the sea, when he suddenly felt an unnatural, cold wind blow past him. Roshi looked up and all of the flowers from the tree where Toshi had been standing were ripped off and flew away with the wind.
"Hmmm, what a foreboding breeze," Roshi said to himself, feeling a chill run down his spine. In the red afternoon skies above, thick black storm clouds were beginning to form. A storm was coming.
CHAPTER ONE – A NEW EARTH
Gine showered quickly, enjoying how the steamy, warm water washed over her hair and shoulders, running down her muscular, yet curvy body.
"Mmmm." Gine moaned to herself, gently kneading her fingers over her tense shoulders, feeling totally relaxed. "Oh yeah, just what the doctor ordered."
She finished taking her shower and began to towel off when she caught herself looking at the back of her body in the bathroom mirror. Just above her rear end was the severed stump of her tail. The stump was only about an inch or two long. Ever since it had been cut off all those years ago, her tail never grew back.
Gine slowly reached for it, and suddenly a flood of traumatic, terrible memories inundated her.
The feeling of the cold wet stone ground cutting her face, hands and knees as she was dragged through it by the Elites. The pleading cries of her parents, begging her attackers to have mercy on the girl, the two flashes of light that silenced their cries for mercy forever.
The stench of drunken men pinning her to the ground, a heavy boot on her cheek, forcing her head into the mud, their cruel laughter and the agonizing pain as they held her down and sawed away at her tail with a blade. And then, the final words she remembered from that life, before she was thrown into the black pit.
"Death to the traitorous House Karotto! Long live King Vegeta!"
The flood of memories was too much to bear. With a cry, Gine squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her hand away immediately, knocking over a sink rack with toothbrushes and other toiletries.
"Gine?" A female voice called from outside the bathroom. "Are you alright in there?"
Gine sobbed quietly, fighting to regain her composure. She gritted her teeth and cursed at herself. She knew better than to dwell in the past.
"You can't change the past, so there's no reason to live in it," Grandpa Gohan would always say. "Whatever life you had back then, whatever horrors you experienced in that nightmarish land back then is over. This is your second chance, an opportunity to start all over again and to heal, to replace the bad memories with good ones. A chance to have a life of your own and pursue your own happiness. You don't have to be afraid to let those terrible memories go…"
"Gine?" the voice asked again.
"Yeah, I'm okay, Fasha," Gine called, wiping her tears away. "I just slipped and banged my pinky on the sink. I'll be right out."
"Okay. Shugesh told me to tell you to hurry up because the eel is getting cold."
Gine wrapped a towel around her naked body and opened the door.
"Sorry about that," she laughed. "Let's go eat."
"Uh, Gine?" Fasha raised an eyebrow at her, crossing her arms. "Your clothes?"
"Ah! You're right! Silly me!" Gine laughed it off and quickly made off to her room.
Her room.
Her sanctuary.
As she went over to her closet to pull out a fresh change of clothes she passed by some memories she had made here. A soccer trophy. A Martial Arts black belt. A Local Fair Ribbon. Some pictures of herself with Grandpa Gohan, taken when she was around nine years old.
Grandpa Gohan had saved her. He found her wondering the fields, naked and alone, unable to communicate with anyone and starving, but most of all frightened. Feeling compassion for her, he took her in as his own daughter and fed her, bathed her, clothed her and taught her everything she knew about farming. Gohan was literally her hero. As time went by, more and more Tailless Saiyan orphans began to show up around the farm and Gohan took them all in as well. One man's generosity had made a difference in all of their lives.
And then came Toshinori, the youngest of the orphans. Unlike the rest of them, he was not a Saiyan. He had been kidnapped by a child trafficking ring to be shipped off to China, when Gine and Master Roshi had stopped them. The government took care of helping the children return safely to their parents, but there was one orphan who did not have any family, or anyplace else to go.
His name was Toshinori Yagi.
Feeling compassion for the boy, Gine brought him back with him to Grandpa Gohan's farm and ever since then, they had forged a strong, almost familial bond that she did not have with any of the other orphans in the farm.
Gine glanced at a framed picture of her and Toshinori celebrating his birthday. For someone who had suffered so much loss at such a young age, he had the biggest most heart-warming smile that Gine had ever seen. And even though the boy was Quirkless, Gine just knew that someday, that boy would grow up to make a difference in this world. She just knew it.
Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since the midday.
Okay, Gine thought to herself, pulling on a white black top. Enough reminiscing. It's chow time!
(…)
"Took ya long enough!" Shugesh grumbled. "C'mon already! I'm starving here!"
"Right, right, let's eat!" Gine nodded, grabbing a stack of plates and passing them out to the rest of the orphans huddled cross-legged over the mahogany table. "One for Fasha, one for me, one for Shugesh, one for Leek, one for Toshi, and one for Grandpa Gohan," she said.
"Thank you, Gine," Grandpa Gohan smiled sweetly at her, the creases under his kind, tired eyes and around his lips becoming more apparent with his smile. "Are we all ready?"
"Yes please!"
"Itadakimasu!" They all said in unison before digging in.
As they all ate and talked among themselves, Gine took a moment to look over each and every happy face in their strange little family and sighed.
Grandpa Gohan was right. The constant nightmare that was her old life was long gone.
This was her life now, and she would let nothing take that away from her.
(…)
"So, Toshi?" Gine asked as the happy blonde jumped up and down on his bed with logic-defying energy. "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"
"I wanna be a HERO!" Toshi cried, jumping in the air and landing in the bed on his back, arms outstretched.
"A Hero, huh?" Gine said thoughtfully. "Saving lives, stopping bad guys – that's a noble career."
"Mhm! I wanna be a Hero just like Great Saiyaman! Oh, and Gran Torino, too."
"Yes, that's a great goal to have, Toshi. But you know, Heroes have to follow the rules, too. And right now, it's time to go to bed, okay?"
"Okay," Toshi nodded. "But can you read me a story first?"
"No, no reading tonight. Time for bed."
"No reading?" Toshi asked in mock disbelief. "But my teacher says reading is indispensable for my academic and mental development."
Gine sighed and smiled at the boy.
"Okay, what do you want to read?"
"A New World."
"Really, Toshi? That story's so long, though. Can't we just read one of your Great Saiyaman manga or something?"
"Aw, but I love A New World. Just one chapter, then. Pleeeeeease?"
Gine sighed. How could she say no to that warm, glowing grin and those big beautiful blue eyes?
"Okay fine, you win," she finally relented, rolling her eyes.
"YES!" Toshi cheered, sitting up in bed, the blue covers falling away from his shoulders. Gine giggled and gently pulled the covers back over his shoulders.
"But just one chapter," She warned, tapping the boy's nose lovingly. "Then it's lights out, okay?"
"Mhm," Toshi nodded excitedly, watching intently as Gine reached for his bookshelf and pulled out the thick yellow hardback book with red lettering that glistened with the glow of the bedside lamp.
"The New Earth.
Chapter One.
There is a City on the other side of sadness.
A New Earth, called Otherworld.
I open my eyes and see the City of Peace, shining with the glow of happy faces and the streaks of joyful tears. It is the place where we meet, once again, the ones who came before, but fell midway along the path. It is a city of love, of second chances, and of forgiveness, where the meek and the heroic rise once again, forever more.
I open my eyes and see that there is no more death, nor mourning nor pain anymore.
I open my eyes and see a bright future in all its glory.
And should my hair turn to snow and my steps reach the end of the road – should my breath elude me and I lay down to die, I know I will rise, yes, I'll open my eyes.
There is a City on the bright side of Hope.
I open my eyes, and smile with tears.
Everything is all right, because now I am here."
"Hey... Gine…?" Toshinori meekly interrupted.
Gine paused and looked up from the book to see Toshi's beautiful sky blue eyes glistening. Usually when she read his favorite story to him, he would give her a beaming smile, ear to ear as he listened in excitedly. This time it was different, though. He was staring at something very far away.
"What is it, Toshi?" She asked, concerned, lowering the book onto the bed.
"Do you believe in Otherworld?" His voice lowered to a distant and poignant, pondering whisper.
"I like to think that it's real, yeah. Why do you ask?"
"It sounds like such a nice place."
"So they say."
"Better than here?"
"Much better," Gine leaned in, supporting her chin with her fists and her elbows on the bed. "I certainly hope so, at least. Why do you ask?"
"Is that… Is that where my Mom and Dad went?" Toshi asked, finally turning to face Gine. His sky blue eyes glistened with tears, but his smile didn't falter. The contrast almost broke Gine's heart.
"Ohhh, Toshi," Gine sighed, reaching over and passing a hand through the boy's thick blonde hair. "Yes. In fact, I have no doubt that they're smiling down on you this very second."
"Really? I hope so," Toshinori sighed deeply, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "Gine?"
"Yes, Toshi?"
"Promise me you won't leave me like they did, okay? I'm not… strong enough to lose you, too."
Gine sighed, feeling her own emotions swell up in her chest and she swallowed against the lump in her throat.
"Are you kidding?" She asked, holding back her tears. "We're pals. We're gonna stick together forever."
Toshi smiled.
"Okay good, it's a promise. And promises are debts. That's what Grandpa Gohan always says."
"And he's right. But Toshi? Just because the ones we love are gone, doesn't mean that they aren't with us anymore."
Toshi looked up at Gine, furrowing his eyebrows inwardly.
"Really? But how can someone be here and be gone at the same time?"
"Because they're always… here," Gine placed a finger on Toshinori's chest. "They live on through us. There's a piece of them that remains in our hearts for the rest of our lives, guiding us and protecting us and giving us the strength to never give up. Nothing can take that away from you, and it will make you more powerful than you realize."
Toshinori stared at Gine's finger placed firmly against his chest.
"It will make me stronger?"
"That's right. Growing up isn't easy, kiddo, and there will be times when you will want to give up. But when you think you can't go on anymore, look in here. Look inside. Remember your past – remember where you came from. Keeping your origin in mind will help you push past your limit and go beyond."
"I think… I understand. Thank you." Toshinori whispered, bringing his hand up to rest atop Gine's hand against his chest.
Gine paused. Toshinori stared at her with those blue eyes, yearning with hope. She smiled and gave his hand a warm squeeze.
"I'll be with you, Toshi, no matter what happens, no matter where you go or what you do in life. I'll always be with you. I promise," she said, straightening and bringing the book back up. "Now, how about we finish the chapter? It's starting to get a little late."
"Okay," Toshinori whispered.
(…)
After a few more minutes of reading, Toshinori had fallen asleep, the sounds of his light snoring echoing off the cracked off-white walls of his bedroom. Gine allowed herself a moment to stare at the sleeping boy's peaceful, angelic face that was bathed in locks of golden hair.
That boy didn't know it, but ever since he had arrived at Four Star Orphanage here in Mount Paozu, he had become a light in Gine's life. No matter what trials life had thrown at him in his six short years in this world, he always found a way to face them with a smile. Such a brave little boy deserved a much better life than this…
She leaned over and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek.
"Good night, Toshi," Gine whispered, almost to herself. "May your dreams carry you far, far away from this life."
(…)
It was around 3:30 in the morning, when a powerful gust of wind pounded the farmhouse suddenly. Gine woke up with a start and saw that her cabinets, drawers, chair and table were shaking violently.
Was it an earthquake? But the news hadn't warned about inclement weather for today. It didn't matter anyways. She didn't really have time to think. She had to get everyone to the storm cellar!
"Gine! Gine!" Leek was pounding on her door, screaming over the howling, ferocious winds. Gine opened the door and it flung open, breaking the doorknob in her hand.
"What's going on?!" Gine yelled.
"I dunno!" Leek's high pitched voice yelled, his waist-long ponytail flying wildly in the wind. "Freak storm just came outta nowhere!"
"We've got to get Grandpa and the others to the cellar," Gine commanded. "Where's Toshi?"
"Fasha already took him and Grandpa Gohan to the cellar. Everyone else is already there. We're the only ones left. We gotta go!"
"Okay," Gine said, feeling relieved. "Come on!"
Lightning struck wildly in the field below, illuminating the ground and turning night into day for a second.
"Ah!" Gine covered her face from the thunderous lightning strikes that pelted the ground. Slowly, she removed her hands.
"Come on, let's go!" Leek roared as heavy rains, sharp as needles, began to wash over them. The wind howled and moaned eerily.
"Wait," Gine said. "Something's not right here."
"Ya think?!" Leek yelled. He grabbed Gine by the wrist and began to lead her to the underground storm shelter behind the farmhouse. Gine's eyes were glued onto the area where the lightning bolts were striking.
"Wait… wait! The lightning isn't normal. It keeps striking the same spot!" Gine shouted. Suddenly, the wind picked up around them and began to swirl downwards. A black funnel formed, dropping from the heavens straight to where the lightning had been striking.
A golden light passed from the thundering funnel, crashing into the earth below. With that, the funnel dissipated and disappeared, taking the winds and the heavy rain with it. Slowly the bellowing winds also subsided and the rolling cloud that had set itself over the farm began to deteriorate in rumbling thunder.
An eerie calm fell across the farm like a thick blanket.
Leek and Gine stared at the newly formed crater in the middle of the fields, not able to believe the bizarre act of nature that they had just witnessed.
"What was that?" Leek whispered, as if the storm would return if he spoke to loudly.
"I don't…" Gine began, but froze. Something caught her eye. There was something moving, something alive from within the crater.
"I don't believe it," Gine said. "There's a person down there!"
"Gine, wait!"
But Gine took off running and leaped off the ledge of the farmhouse, taking flight. She landed just in front of the crater, and to her horror, there was in fact someone alive here. It was a half naked man, bleeding all over the place.
"Hey! HEY! Are you alright down there?" Gine called, keeping her distance. The man was very much alive, though severely injured. He clawed at the soft soil, trying to crawl away.
"Fuuuuuuu. Fuuuuuuughhh." He moaned, his face buried on the ground, his spiky black hair dirtied by mud and dried blood.
"Fffffffffff."
"He's badly hurt, Leek," Gine called out as Leek ran up to her.
"Oh boy, if he's not dead yet, he may very well soon be," Leek sighed. "Just look at all that blood."
"The least we can do is try to help him," Gine said. "Can you help me with his feet? I've got his shoulders."
"Yeah, sure," Leek said. "Hang in there, big guy. You're in good hands now."
"Fffffff…" the man moaned.
They quickly transported the large, muscular man to the largest bathroom in the house, where they could lay the poor bastard in a tub and mend his wounds. Dry blood caked his face and there were several wounds that were still openly bleeding. His armor was beyond destroyed, with many scorch marks highlighting areas where he had been gravely injured. Gine and Leek quickly removed the broken armor and began to clean him and tend to his cuts and wounds. Toshi and the other Saiyans slowly creeped into the cramped bathroom to get a look at the mystery man who had just crash landed out of nowhere in their field.
"Damn, he's hot," Fasha said, kneeling down next to Gine as Gine passed a warm sponge over the man's body, cleaning him up. "Hey Gine, let me have a turn. I wanna bathe him."
"Shhh!" Gine hissed. "If you really wanna help, why don't you try bringing him something to eat. Something that will recovery his energy, please."
"Fine," Fasha rolled her eyes.
"So this freak was just hidin' under the rocks durin' the storm or somethin'?" Shugesh asked, getting closer for a better look.
"I actually don't know where he came from," Gine said, passing the sponge over his face tenderly. Fasha was right. He really is handsome…
Gine stopped passing the sponge over his face and instead traced a long scar that ran from the top of his cheekbones all the way down to his jaw.
"Whoever he is, it's clear that he's a warrior of some kind," Leek commented.
"SHIT!" Shugesh cursed, jumping back from the bed. "Gine, you idiot!"
"What?" Gine asked, feeling a twinge of anger. "Why am I an idiot?"
"Because you brought him here!"
"Yeah, to save his life! So?"
"So, look at the damned Medallion he's wearing."
Gine looked back down and reached for the Medallion, and froze.
"Oh no," she breathed.
"He's an Elite," Shugesh growled through gritted teeth, his voice rising. "He's a damn Elite from House Vegeta!"
"Vegeta?" the man stirred and slowly opened his eyes, blinking. His eyes met with Gine's and they stared at each other for a long moment. Then the man's breathing began to quicken, his chest began to pump faster and his eyes began to widen. The man was hyperventilating in Gine's arms.
"NONONO! Shhh, it's okay! It's okay!" Gine tried to soothe the man, who was now staring at her like a wild animal. "You're okay, you're okay-"
"No, Frieza!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs. "FRIEZAAAAA!"
Ending Song:
"Strike Back" by BACK-ON
A/N: Thank you once again, to everyone who took the time to read this fic. Like I mentioned at the outset, this fic is a distant prequel to Path of the Dragon, but it's going to have stark differences.
For example, there are no teenaged lovers in this fic, so all my cringe coma inducing romance that I shovel down your throats in PotD will not be here. Gine and Bardock are adults, so they won't be giddy little high school kids, so their ship hopefully won't make be absolute cringe. Because I suck at romance (and just writing in general lmao)
Another difference is that the chapters will be much MUCH shorter, typically about 5k words rather than 12-15k like I normally do on the other fic. I hope this goal will help me update more frequently while keeping everyone engaged and cut out the fat from the rough drafts.
Lastly, in case you've not read my other fic, this is set in a universe I'm developing where many things coexist from both universes. Sometimes those things end up being the same thing, (ie. Gran Torino/Master Roshi). So that's something to bear in mind.
Okay, that's all I can think for now. Until next time, my friends!