Chapter 10: A Legacy of Darkness

A ground shatter blast shook the ground beneath Vegetto's feet as he stumbled backward in a daze, finding himself back in the open and devastated plains of Hell itself. He lowered his arms down, clenched into fists while his eyes darted around in search of the monster he had fought with merely hours ago, alone in the depths of the growing darkness dominating his already blurry vision.

He yelped suddenly, his hands shooting up to the black arm that rapidly seized his throat, hoisting him up slowly into the air. However, Vegetto's eyes lightly fluttered, his will and energy beginning to deplete, slinging his arms and legs at Janembuu in a desperate attempt to flee.

"The darkness can never be destroyed, while the flame can be extinguished..."

Vegetto cringed heavily, the black humanoid shape nearly blurred into a shade of color in his dying determination to fight.

"The Masters foresaw your demise...here..."

The fusion went nearly limp, his eyes widening openly slightly as the black shape turned into a mixture of red with a golden head, the voice belonging to one of the six figures that had appeared in the private meeting room of the Kais.

"Let yourself be unmade."

Bolting up to a sitting position, Vegetto gasped heavily for air as he sat alone on his bed in the dark room. The sound of his panting broke the silence of the night, the fusion reaching up and wiping the sweat from his brow while looking around for a moment in confusion.

He soon leaned forward, burying his face into his hands while shutting his eyes tightly in frustration, resting his forehead on the ends of his now balled up fists.

Why couldn't I break free from Buu's grasp? I've never felt so helpless...I was completely at his mercy before she saved me...

Steadying his breathing, Vegetto let his arms drop to his lap in a limp.

Even with the fusion, Buu's power would've surpassed ours within minutes at the rate he was drawing from those Masters. And if he could render me so helpless in my strongest form...

Vegetto lifted his head up, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I need to train."

He then tossed his sheets up, sliding his legs out from underneath his sheets. Standing upright on the wooden floor in his own small room courtesy of the Kais, Vegetto then quickly made his way over to the outfit he had neatly placed on top of the nearby wooden table and picked it up in his open hands. Dressing himself in his outfit, he pulled his white gloves on as a couple of soft knocks rung out from the door leading into his room, drawing his attention.

Vegetto kept his eyes trained on the door, remaining silent as the door slowly opened into the room. Leiji's head poked into the room, her eyes quickly landing on Vegetto with a concerned expression.

"Everything alright in here? I heard you screaming."

Vegetto sat down onto the floor, reaching for his boots.

"I wasn't screaming, don't worry."

Leiji smiled back in response, still peeking only her head into the room.

"Ok then, I heard you wake up suddenly. And seeing how you're already wide awake and getting dressed when the sun won't be up for a few more hours, I'm guessing you had a bad dream."

Vegetto continued to pull his boosts on over his feet, remaining silent in response before he glanced back up to her, making sure his boots were snug on his now covered feet.

"It was just a dream, nothing to worry about. But I am glad you actually came to check up on me."

Leiji's expression brightened up at the sentence, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Vegetto nodded, rising up to his feet and walking over to the door. He came within a few inches from Leiji stood on the other side, his eyes narrowed.

"I want you to teach me how to ascend to that transformation you used against Buu."

Leiji frowned instinctively in response, her expression dropping.

"That's why you were glad I came and talked to you?"

Vegetto nodded once in response, standing still. He then raised an eyebrow, Leiji's silent stare confusing him.

"Yes. Was there something else on your mind?"

Leiji sighed heavily in response, shaking her head once.

"No, no I guess not. Give me a few minutes to get changed and wake up a little and I'll show you what I can."

Vegetto nodded in acknowledgement, watching her leave with the door opening out wide as he stepped out of his room. He watched her disappear into her room, moving past and heading out into the dark atmosphere of the early morning on the Kai's homeworld.

Vegetto held his arms crossed in front of his chest, fidgeting slightly in place. It had taken him nearly a minute to travel to an open ground, far away from the metropolitian city limits of the new capital of the Kais themselves, yet he stood in the plains with an annoyed glare.

What's taking her so long? It's been nearly an hour, and she still hasn't shown up...

The fusion winced, grumbling to himself in the impatience. He began to pace from side to side, his thoughts racing through his head faster than he could keep track, vulgar and vile slurs about Leiji ringing out in his head.

Worthless monkey...

Vegetto immediately came to a halt, the slur sticking in his mind despite the others flying through without a single redeeming quality. He glanced down in complete shock and let his arms uncross, staring at his open hands with wide eyes.

What am I saying? I sound just like Frieza...like Cell. The monsters I swear I defeat for the greater good...yet I just emulated them...

He stood still, letting his arms go limp at his side. The fusion's surprised expression disappeared as guilt overtook him, frowning heavily.

I can't let Buu unnerve me so easily. I'm stronger than that, I can't let him get the better of me without even throwing a single punch.

Vegetto glanced up at the sound of a loud "fzzt" ringing out a few feet away from him. Dressed in a black training bra with matching black gloves, boots and baggy pants, Leiji brushed some of her short blonde hair back with her right hand. She frowned at Vegetto, looking him over as he stared back at her, nearly dumbfounded.

"What's wrong?"

Vegetto opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent for a few seconds. He then let out a half chuckle, smiling at Leiji uneasily.

"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about how we beat Buu, and it scared me a little how close he came to beating us."

Leiji smiled back in response, nodding at Vegetto.

"Right. But hopefully today, we can prevent that same issue in the future when we face those Masters. If you can learn how to ascend."

Vegetto reached back over his head, scratching with another uneasy grin.

"Actually Leiji...I've changed my mind about the whole training idea. Maybe we should go ahead and wait for the Elders to make a decision on what we should do next, since it might take too much time for all four of us to learn this new transformation."

Leiji blinked hard in response, raising an eyebrow again.

"Well, alright I guess we don't have to train if you don't want to."

She kept her questioning stare on Vegetto, watching him drop his arm back down to his side.

"Is there anything else you needed then?"

Vegetto nodded, his mouth turning into a genuine smile.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is."

Waiting for a response, Leiji remained still as she watched Vegetto step closer, clearly amused.

"Earlier this morning, when I asked you to teach me your transformation, what was it that you were really hoping I'd ask you?"

Leiji couldn't help but giggle in response, glancing to the side and waving her hand in dismal.

"Oh that was nothing..."

She paused, her attention turning back to Vegetto. He stood with his arms crossed, smirking back in response and remained silent. The two stared off for a moment, before Leiji finally rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Alright, it's just being the first time meeting the other Saiyans, I'd thought you were hoping to find out something more...personal besides a transformation."

Vegetto nodded back in response, keeping his smirk.

"Hmm, I'm sure I can come up with something in that case."

The fusion rubbed his chin for a moment, staring at Leiji who also held a small grin across her face. He then let his arm drop down to his side, his smirk widening a bit.

"Since I got here, I have been wondering, how is it that Kai's stumble across the most unlikely thing in the entire universe?"

Leiji kept her smile, raising an eyebrow.

"The most unlikely thing in the universe?"

Vegetto nodded once in response.

"A beautiful Saiyan woman isn't something you see here anymore. Having one standing in front of you now...it's nearly too good to be true."

Leiji's cheeks reddened, stifling a giggle as she glanced down in embarrassment. She kept her smile as she glanced back up to Vegetto.

"Well, actually, I didn't exactly escape Frieza's genocide. I originally met the Kais when-"

"Hey guys!"

Vegetto's expression deadpanned, nearly letting out an obnoxious groan as Gogeta happily landed in the open plain, close to both warriors. Leiji turned her attention to Gogeta, smiling back in response to the fusion.

"Good morning Gogeta."

Vegetto crossed his arms across his chest, his eyes slightly narrowed with an empty expression.

"What is it?"

Gogeta leaned back to his left, his eyes widening slightly.

"The Kais have asked us to meet them in their tower. They've uncovered something pretty important regarding the Dread Masters, something we all need to be there for."

Leiji glanced over to Vegetto, unintentionally smirking once he let out a sigh in response.

"Alright fine."

Gogeta kept a blank expression, his confusion apparent as he glanced between Vegetto and Leiji.

"Was I interrupting something?"

Leiji giggled, moving up to Gogeta's side and lightly patting him on the shoulder.

"You were, but it's nothing something important. It can wait until later."

She then glanced back over to Vegetto, raising an eyebrow.

"Right Vegetto?"

Vegetto smirked, nodding.

"Right...Leiji."

Leiji smiled back, suddenly vanishing into thin air and leaving the two fusions behind. Gogeta blinked, turning back to Vegetto.

"Is she upset or something? I can't tell if she was kidding or if she was mad for me interrupting."

Vegetto chuckled, moving up to Gogeta and nodding his head to the tower.

The two then disappeared into a sudden "fzzt", teleporting back into the meeting room where they had initially begun the mission for the Kais.

Having entered the room, Vegetto lowered his two fingers from his head, standing with Gogeta next to Goku and Vegeta in the room, opposite of the grinning Elder Kai.

"Ah good! You finally decided to show up!"

The Elder Kai did not wait for a response, crossing his arms behind his back and turning his attention to the floor before beginning to pace from side to side. His voice came out small, like a child telling a parent the story of a misdemeanor.

"So...we have good reason to believe these Dread Masters are the original creators of the universe..."

Vegeta's eyes widened, raising his voice.

"What?!"

The Elder Kai quickly glanced up, shaking his hands at the other warriors' dumbstruck expressions.

"Wait wait, we don't know for sure! I said we have good reason...but...we're still not entirely sure."

Kabito Kai kept a more grim expression, frowning.

"We discovered in the earliest beginnings of Kai rule, there was something that the earliest rulers avoided speaking of. Any mention of this dark past was met with extreme punishment, usually death, until the memory itself was eventually forgotten with my era of the Kais."

Goku narrowed his eyes.

"So you think this 'dark past' involved these Dread Masters themselves?"

The Elder Kai chuckled uneasily.

"Actually Goku, we know for certain that the dark past involved the Dread Masters. While using the crystal ball to span back time as early as we could, we eventually came across a certain individual that was executed for what the Kais called 'heresy'..."

The Kai pointed to the table, the crystal ball illuminating.

"Here's what he was preaching back when the first civilizations began to form across the universe, specifically to the first people of Yardrat."

The ball began to crackle, glowing as the sound began to ring out in the room. Each warrior and Kai in the room watched on, expressions falling at the sound of the panic stricken voice, screaming as if he were preaching to the crowd.

"Birth...pain...fear...death! The cycle of all life is rooted here, as the Masters have decreed! Accept your fate, mortals, accept your deaths as the Masters foresee! Our power is limited, yet theirs reign supreme! Don't...don't..."

Vegetto turned his attention back to the Elder Kai, his frown deepening as the speech was interrupted by the sounds of a violent struggle broke out, the crystal ball soon falling silent and dim.

"Is there anything else?"

The Elder Kai shook his head.

"Apart from that little piece of information, there is nothing. The first generation of Kais were good at making sure no piece of evidence in history could be traced back to the Dread Masters, but it seems like a convenient miracle one happened to avoid being deleted."

Vegeta kept his frown.

"Too convenient."

Kabito Kai nodded in agreement, continuing.

"What's even more convenient is a more recent discovery of ours, here in the present tense. Seeing as how this old Kai was the only mention of the Dread Masters in history, we began to investigate around the area where planet Yardrat is located. We felt a darker presence in the quadrant than before, and to our surprise, we discovered a new planet a few light years away from Yardrat itself. And the darkness is still growing, consuming every star in its path at a steady pace."

Gogeta frowned back in response.

"They're setting a trap."

The Elder Kai nodded, the room falling silent for a moment. He then let out a heavy sigh, his expression become serious.

"Without a doubt, it is a trap. But you five are the strongest beings left in the universe, and we need to find out more about these Dread Masters."

Vegetto shook his head in response, his frown deepening.

"No, we aren't ready yet."

Gogeta blinked, glancing back over to Vegetto as he continued.

"We were no match for Buu alone, who was merely a puppet for these Dread Masters. Facing him again, along with those six, is a suicide mission."

Vegeta kept his arms crossed as well, his eyes still narrowed and offered no resistance to Vegetto's points. Goku kept his frown as well, turning to Vegetto with questioning stare.

"Then what should we do? Let them destroy the entire universe while we prepare?"

Vegetto sighed heavily in response, glancing back to Goku.

"Kakarot, be sensible for once in your life. I know the thrill of facing this power excites you, but look at our chances. Unlike the past villains we've faced, we don't even have a tiny chance at winning against these Dread Masters."

Goku frowned.

"Sure we do. We were able to beat Buu, surely those Dread Masters can't match the kind of strength you and Gogeta have in that fusion?"

Vegetto's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, his dual voice rising.

"Are you really that naïve, Kakarot? We killed Buu in under a minute because that is all the time we had. While we couldn't measure his power directly, his strength was still growing, and it would've been more than our capability had we let him grow to that potential."

Goku blinked, glancing to Gogeta for a moment. The other fusion glanced down to the ground, silently agreeing with Vegetto as he continued.

"These Dread Masters are responsible for the power Buu has, and we have no idea who they are or where their power even begins, let alone ends."

Goku's eyes narrowed in response, meeting Vegetto's apparent frustration with his own.

"Maybe not. But at least I'm not a coward, and will answer the call when the universe is in danger."

Vegeta blinked, surprised at the stabbing comment made by the usually calm and collected Goku, turning his attention back to Vegetto in anticipation for a response. The fusion locked glares with his fusee, yet remained in control of his tone.

"I'd rather be a strategist, and answer the call when I know we have at least a chance of success. And I know, despite your gut telling you otherwise, that you know that I am right."

Goku remained silent for a moment, but kept his glare trained on Vegetto with a heavy frown.

"Thousands of lives will be extinguished. Our families, even the Kais themselves can be killed while we comfortably train."

Vegetto offered no change in expression either, continuing.

"If you let this foolish desire to protect every single life control you instead, they'll all die anyway."

Goku tensed in response. The Saiyan turned his head to Gogeta, who stared back at him with a small frown and soft eyes. His attention then landed back on Vegeta, who kept narrowed eyes of his own trained on Goku.

"It's always been your weakness, Kakarot. You can not expect to be able to protect everyone, you must be willing to accept that even what you stand for has limits."

Goku stared back at Vegeta, who offered a small smirk back at his rival.

"Don't let your pride blind you from the truth."

Goku's glare shifted immediately back into a wide eye stare, his tension nearly evaporating entirely. He let his arms go limp, frowning heavily.

"You're...you're right Vegeta. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..."

Vegetto nodded once in response, sighing heavily.

"It's alright, we understand. Let's put this behind us now, and let's see what we can do."

He then turned to the Elder Kai, his eyes narrowing slightly once more.

"Kakarot is right about one thing though: the longer we take, the more planets fall to this growing presence emanating from the planet. We need to train, and we need to spend as little time possible doing it."

The Elder Kai smirked back in response, keeping his arms crossed behind his back.

"Lucky for you, there's a little place on Earth that can meet your request. I'm sure you've heard of it, located at the Lookout."

Vegetto smirked back in response, nodding.

"I believe I still do."

The warriors gathered together, grabbing onto each other's shoulders as Vegetto gave a half smile to the Kais gathered in the meeting room.

"Keep our families safe."

Kabito Kai gave a small bow, a determined grin on his face.

"With our lives."

With the acknowledgement of the promise made by Vegetto with a small nod, the five warriors then suddenly disappeared into thin air, heading for Kami's Lookout.