~Takula Saga~

Chapter 45 - Alive

The old man's eyes narrowed, sadness slowly making its way over his face and into his words. "My name is Takula … and this is my library."

Silence consumed the small room. The Z-fighters there looked over the beaten and broken man, wondering if they could trust what he said. The old Kai just continued to look strait at all of them. "Well are you going to help me down or not?"

Krillin nodded, moving over to the old man as he started to make some smaller distructo disks to cut the chains. Gohan meanwhile decided to try and get some more information of of the man. "So … you're really Takula? Then who's that guy out there that looked like a younger you?"

After cutting the chain's, Krillin caught the man and held him up, Takula wrapping his arm around his shoulders for support. "That man, well... His real name is Hoi, one of the last of the Kashvar. The Kashvar possess skill in dark magic that equals the Majin race, if not more, and a long time ago he was my assistant. Along with Kibito, we ran this library. Tell me, how much of your race's past did he tell you?"

"He told us that we share a common ancestor, and that ancestor used to be the supreme Kai. Do we really have time for this? What if Taku-er, Hoi or whatever his name is catches us?" Videl crossed her arms, slightly leaning towards the door so they could continue on.

"I see, he told you that much. Well, as we go, allow me to finish the story. You should know this before we continue, so you know what you'll be facing. Besides, it is to late to stop what is about to happen. All you can do now is fight."

Krillin blinked, looking towards the man he was carrying. "You know what his plan is?"

The old Kai nodded. "Hoi would often come to me and gloat to his hearts content. With those chains designed to hold us Makaioshin around me, I could not fight back."

"What's a Mak … a makia … what you said Mr?"

Trunks sighed. "He said Makaioshin, Goten."

"Well if you're so smart, what is a maka-whatever? Huh?"

Trunks blinked, unsure of what to say. Takula took the lead of the conversation again as the group started to continue on their way. "The saiyan race was the supreme Kai's of the universe, like Hoi said. They were rather peaceful, but were known to be unforgiving. Their dual transformation's are what made everyone listen to them however. They were untouchable, and everyone knew it. With their power however, they chose a more direct method of rule. They taught their language to many races in the universe, and helped other cultures develop technology to grow food or clean water. That is the reason many of the species you encountered know your own language. It was molded into the language the universe decided to use, and it stayed so even if the symbols changed over time."

Takula's eyes narrowed, as if the events were running right before his eyes as he started to describe what happened. "Hoi told you that the Majins allied with another race, he didn't name it I suspect. The Saiyans and the Shin-jin fought against them, but with the Majins on the other side they were doomed. That nameless race was the Makaioshin. The Makaioshin were Shin-jin who turned evil, and it only took one to start a landslide. They say if you put one bad apple in a bushel of good ones, they'll all spoil. It was true, at least with us. At first, it was just one Makaioshin from the first generation of Shin-jin. But then many of the Shin-jin turned on their Saiyan friends, saying that they wanted to be true Kais and not just assistants. They got the Kashvar race as their own assistants and war broke out."

Takula turned his head to Vegeta, eying the saiyan prince up as Vegeta did the same back. "It was this time that the saiyans gained the title of strongest in the universe. By all rights, the Saiyans should have lost quickly. The Makaioshin and the Kashvar had the element of surprise and they had the saiyans outnumbered. And yet the Saiyans held the line. In one year, earth time, it seemed that the saiyans would be keeping their position. That is when the Majin race came into the picture."

"The Majins were a small, nearly useless race much like the Kashvar. They had one spell however, that could summon something so dark and dreadful and yet so simple that the saiyan's couldn't fight back. They were called Buu's, pink creatures of strange heights and weights, shapes and sizes. It only took one saiyan to be absorbed after turning into his duel transformation that the tides changed."

"Absorbed?" asked Videl.

Takula nodded, a grim look covering his face. "These pink creatures were like a piece of gum you got stuck on your shoe, except after stepping in it the gum would stretch out and around you. Consume you. After surrounding you, it would change, taking some of your physical attributes and all of your abilities. Alone, the buu's were only about as strong as your super saiyan three, but after absorbing saiyan's on the next level, the saiyans were forced into fighting a losing battle."

"Next level? What are you talking about! A level above that of a super saiyan three?" spat Vegeta. He could hardly believe this story as it was, but now it was just over the top.

"It is true. Gohan here has experienced the next level, the duel transformation. Hoi told me of it one day many months ago when he had the library changed coarse. He bragged about a power level on par with a super saiyan four, and how he would use it as bate to draw out the Buu. But like I said, to understand the present, you must understand the past. The Kashvar used their dark magic to seal away the Saiyan's power, like Hoi told you. The Saiyans were forced to retreat due to the lack of power and numbers, but the story doesn't end there. As soon as the saiyans had left the picture, The Makaioshin, Kashvar, and Majin races turned on one another. The Majin felt that they could be the supreme Kai's with the strength their Buu's. The Kashvar simply believed their race above all others and it was the only one that deserved to live. And the Makaioshin feared that their new assistants would do just as they had done, betray the current supreme Kais for power."

"And so just as war ended, a civil war began. The Kashvar were the first to fall, not being able to keep up in terms of raw power as the Makaioshin or the Buu's, and so they retreated with what few numbers they had left. The Majins and the Makaioshins however were ready to fight to the last man. It was bloody, but the buu's had regenerative power that was beyond any natural means. The Makaioshins new that time was running short, and so they launched an all out offensive. What was left of my race fought with all they had, and at one point it even looked as if we were going to win. But just as a ray of hope started to shine, karma caught up with us. The Kashvar's returned with a beast known only as Hirudegarn. The beast was massive, and it could fight on par with the Buu's. The Majin's however saw this as an opportunity to finalize their victory. The Majins fused the hundred or so buu's that remained into one, using all of them together to take over the monster Hirudegarn. The beast that was produced could not be described. Not one fiber of that thing's being was good. It wiped out my people as if they were nothing, and then turned on its own creators. It didn't even bother to absorb them."

"I was the last one of my race, I'm not sure how many Majin's or Kashvar's escaped, but as it turned I was not meant to die that day. Four shin-jin and one Daikaioh, the leader of the shin-jin, the last of their kind came oddly enough to my rescue. They new they couldn't fight with the beast, and so they sealed it up. Even though I could see in their eyes they wished to kill me, they knew they couldn't let this beast survive. Before they sealed The Buu away, the Daikaioh asked me to take over this station and to continue it's mission. When I asked him why he trusted me to do so, he told me that I was young, and stupid. But besides that, I was also the last one, and he had no other choice. With that, he sealed the beast within himself and then he turned into a small planet, and the four shin-jin helping him became planets as well to complete the seal. You know those four planets the shin-jin were as the planets where the Kai's live, and the fifth one being where the supreme Kai lives.

The Z-fighters were quiet as they neared their destination. There wasn't much they could say, it had been so much information to take in. The silence was uneasy, but the old Kai was quiet, and no one else felt like talking. The feeling of being watched was strong enough now that they couldn't tell which way to go anymore, but Krillin seemed to know where he was going anyway. It wasn't long however till Takula stopped the group.

"This door, what lies beyond is what you're looking for. But as I've said, it's to late to halt what has been set in motion. What you must do is kill whatever waits in the next room. And to that end, you'll need these."

The old Kai opened his mouth, a pair of yellow ear-rings sitting on his tongue. Videl shivered, slightly grossed out. Takula took the ear-rings into his hand and charged them with what little energy he could spare to dry them. "These are called Potara ear-rings. I've kept them hidden, using what power I had to make sure he couldn't find out about them. They have the ability to fuse two beings into one that far surpasses the fighters even if they were to fight together, but the fusion can not be un-done. Vegeta, Gohan … if you wish to beat Hoi and save earth, you'll both need to fuse."

"What! I am the prince of saiyans, I am not going to fuse my body with anyone. A true saiyan fight's alone!" Vegeta, ever tactful, more or less spoke for Gohan as well.

"Permanent fusion? That's a little extreme, isn't it?" Videl nodded at Gohan's statement. Like hell her … boy- … crush … love interest was going to fuse with anyone, but of all people especially not Vegeta!

Takula narrowed his eyes. "It is the only way you will have the strength to destroy what is coming. But you will not listen to me?"

Vegeta didn't even bother answering, letting Gohan shake his head no for the both of them. Takula sighed, holding his hand out with the ear-rings. "At least take them. And if you will not listen, then let me do something else. I can sense that Hoi used my abilities to unlock your potential, but it is unfinished."

Gohan and Videl glanced at each other, unsure what he meant by unfinished. Gohan took the ear-rings and put them inside his gi sash, were they'd be the safest they could be while Takula answered their questioning looks by floating up off Krillin and placing his hands on their heads. "Think of my technique like two doors. The first door is a storm door to protect the second one from outside forces, while the second door holds the mass of your hidden energy in check. My technique by-passes the storm door, opening the main one. You can see inside now, feel the power within you. But with the first door still shut you can't get inside, or in this case use the transformation that will let you use all of that power without hurting yourselves. Now hold still, it will only take a moment."

Before Gohan or Videl could question what was happening, a small snap could be heard in the back of their heads. Takula slowly floated down, putting his arm over Krillin's shoulder again. Gohan and Videl looked themselves over, not exactly feeling any different. Besides that snap sound, nothing really had happened. Takula smiled, looking them over as well.

"Just power up like you normally would. The transformation will take care of itself. But, boy ... you are a special case. Maybe you will be able to win … tell me, do you have complete control over the silver state?"

"The...silver what?"

"Uhhhh... Let me explain. Your second self, the one hiding down withing you. When you both work together, you change into a silver fighter, yes? Only a few people have been recorded to have this ability, and most if not all went insane due to it. But if you can control it, you could be unstoppable. A silver saiyan, now that would give us an edge."

Gohan's face paled. He had only told a few people about that, even still there was no way for Takula to have known. "H-how did you..."

"The power split. Your power, the large mass of energy. You've probably seen it, yes? That large ball of energy that circled yours and your other self's, when it was unlocked it split evenly between the both of you. The only way to use all your energy now would be to work together with him. Have you tried?"

"N-no. Lately I haven't been able to talk to Gray. He's been quiet, though I don't know why."

Takula sighed, shaking his head. "It is no matter then. Come, we must go in now. It is time to face them."

The group shook off their respective stupor's and walked through the final door, taking in the room that appeared behind it.

The room was large, but that was hard to tell with all the wires and machines sitting on either side of an isle that made its way to the other side of the room. It was there however where the real eye-catcher was. On the opposite side of the room stood a large circular device standing at least twenty feet high, facing them with a blue liquid like material inside the circle. And infront of the blue like water stood Kibito and who was now known as Hoi, both who were watching them. The Z-fighters made their way down the wide isle, stopping about half way.

Hoi smiled, locking his eyes with Takula. "I see they decided to free your worthless corpse from it's shackles."

"And I see you've opened the gate... How long till it comes?"

"Oh, it shouldn't be long now. I opened the gate as soon as we gathered enough energy from Vegeta fighting with Gotenks. It's been a few hours now. The gate can no longer be closed, and soon the other side will open as well, opening a gate to Other-World."

"What are you planning! Doing something like that, what's your goal?" Videl raised her fist with her voice, ready to take action.

Hoi just chuckled, his body starting to faze out of view slowly. "What, Takula never told you? Or maybe he left it for you to figure out. Or maybe he wished for me to tell you? Either way, I'll be the one talking now."

Finally, Hoi's body flickered, changing to a small green mole-ish looking alien. He had an M on a large black helmet over his head. Long whiskers framed his face. Takula growled, Gohan noting that he didn't like Hoi's new transformation.

"You see, my race … the great Kashvars have a dark mimic technique I can use on people. It's a curse really, to be able to transform into lesser beings. However, it does have it's uses. Especially when one want's to find out information. I used it on Takula when he was much younger, and better looking if I'm being honest, to gain information on how to use this station to bring a certain Buu back. He was sealed away withing the supreme Kai planet at the end of the war, and the four planets around him acted finished the seal. But now, because of you Gohan, Cell blew up one of the seals. It is but a crack, but a crack is all The Buu needs to break free! You will act as the bait to drag him out of his sleep, and his first corse to get his strength back, that is the reason why I trained you fools! Ahahahahha! I also used the dark mimic on Bibidi here to gain information on how to control the demon when I get him here. And as it turns out, I also gained a nifty little trick that helps me gather some followers, isn't that right Kibito?"

The large red alien nodded, reaching up as he undid his red headband relieving an M burned into his skin. Hoi started to faze out of view again, reappearing as a small red-ish purple alien with much smaller whiskers on his cheeks. He was dressed in a purple cloak that covered his small body. The hood of the cloak was lined with fur, and his head was covered with a tall black hat with no rim to it what-so-ever.

Takula nearly growled under his breath. "Hoi's true form."

"Ah, it is so much better to be in my original glorious form. And by the looks of it just in time too! Ready yourselves, you worthless excuses for organisms, your reckoning is at hand!"

The circular gate started to spark, the water beginning to form small ripples as the room started to shake. The Z-fighters struggled to stay upright, all the while Hoi just held his arms up in his victory.

Suddenly, the Z-fighters took notice of three power's coming through the gate. They readied themselves. If this was a gate to Other-World, who knows could come through that thing. Through the ripples in the blue liquid, two bodies shot out landing just at the feet of the Z-fighters, causing there eyes to open wide as both mens halo's started to fade away. They could have been twins, one easily mistakable for the other even with their wild spiky hair. The orange gi on one however put the argument to rest on at least who one of them was. The other with the red headband on however was a little harder to guess who it was.

Everyone in the room was rather startled. Hoi especially looked like he was taken back, surprised that what he had expected hadn't come through his gate yet.

The two on the ground were both struggling to hold consciousness, but that fact was soon overshadowed when the third body came through the portal. They all looked up, finding a man with a black cape that reminded them a lot of Piccolo's white one. He had a black hood over that covered his face, and the black cape curled around to cover his sides and arms. Underneath the cape was a black gi, with a dark gray sash around the waist. From what they could see, he also had matching dark gray wrist bands and shoes that looked much like the Namek's.

The man smiled, taking a chomp out of a strangely shaped chocolate bar, while his own halo above his head slowly faded away. At the same time he lifted his other hand, pointing the palm out towards Gohan. A burst of black energy roared from his body, making his cape waver in the wind while the Z-fighters shielded their eyes from the sparks the useless machinery on either side of them exploded with sparks and groaned with the twisting of metal. As the man lowered his arm, the energy faded.

Gohan looked up towards the man, slightly shaking. He had felt that energy before. The man lifted his free arm up again, this time flicking his hood back in doing so releasing the spiky white hair it had been hiding. And with a ominous chuckle, Darkon smiled.

"I'm BAAAAaaaack."

Author's Annotation:

Dun dun duuuuuun!

In other news, is not liking me right now. My last chapter currently has no hits while it has seven reviews. I all ready reported it to support, so for now I'll just have to deal with not knowing if people are just reviewing or if they're actually looking. Lol

In related news, do to the slight agrivation that caused me, I accidentally reviewed my own story. I know, how stupid can I be. Well, I had been reading a rather good story in another window while waiting to see if I would soon start to get some hits or not. Upon not getting any hits, I decided to give up and go review the story I was reading before going to bed. What actually happened was I just went back to my own story and gave myself a review. I didn't even realize it till later when I went to look at other reviews. I'm pretty sure I can't remove it, so it's just going to have to stay there. So anyway, if you notice it don't think I'm trying to up my own review count. It was a complete, and utterly stupid, mistake on my part. Ah well, I'm human. Until next time please remember to read and review, even if I can only see your reviews!