Tien watched in horror as his longtime friend, Chiaotzu fell to the ground in one blast. Chiaotzu didn't even have the chance to fight back, as if he was just a mild annoyance. To make matters worse, the "Demon King" Piccolo grew even stronger when his youth was restored.
Tien could only watch helplessly from a distance as Piccolo Daimao then slaughtered the very dragon that gave him his youth in the first place. To believe a being this powerful exists. He's strong enough to not only brush Chiaotzu aside as if he was a mere child, but he's also so powerful that he forced Master Roshi into using a sacrificial move to even have a chance. Fortunately for him, the Demon King and his sons didn't seem to notice his presence as they took their leave.
Tien looked at the corpses of his fallen friend and a martial arts teacher he has grown to greatly respect. His fists clenched in anger at the realization that the result would've stayed the same even if Roshi hadn't have knocked him out. Tien is pitiful compared to this monster.
A plan to avenge his fallen friends struck him like a bolt of lightning. He knew what he had to do. He needs to teach himself the mafuba, and visit another fellow crane student to enlist for help.
The Crane Hermit stormed off with dark thoughts rolling around in his head. His two best students betrayed him that day, not to mention that worthless Turtle Hermit used a Kamehameha on him when he wasn't ready for it.
His eyes glowered further, the moment he heard someone drop down behind him. He cocked his head slightly, to see who it was. Pure rage overcame him.
"What do you want?" He grounded out.
"I need Yurin's help-" Tien was cut off when his master held up his hand in silence.
"How dare you! You betray me and on the very same day, you try to take away my strongest remaining student?!" Shen screamed, more than questioned.
Tien stared at his ex-mentor as the man yelled profanities to him. Many colorful adjectives and insults were thrown his way, often with a violent threat that they both knew he couldn't actually achieve.
"Master Shen-"
"Shut up!" Shen snarled as he ranted more.
Fed up, Tien snapped, "Roshi is dead!"
That got Shen's attention. Momentary silence overcame the two, before the Crane Hermit started laughing profusely.
"Of course! Why didn't I see it before!? You were only pretending, so you could kill the old fool once you got his trust!" Shen exclaimed with pride, as he patted his student on his shoulder.
"I didn't kill him." Tien responded with a sigh.
Shen blinked in confusion, "Then who?"
"Piccolo Daimao has returned." Tien answered solemnly.
Shen backed up in utter terror, falling backwards onto the grass with his mouth wide open. Memories flooded through his mind of his Master fighting the Demon King alongside himself and his rival. Blood, corpses, explosions, and helplessness flashed through his mind as if it was just yesterday.
Tien took a hesitant step forward. He had never seen his master so frail. He put his hand on his shoulder and slowly allowed his ki to spark the older man out of his post traumatic flashback.
Shen slowly came to and in a shaky voice responded, "What has happened so far?"
Tien told him of the death of Krillin, Chiaotzu, and of the way Roshi valiantly tried to defeat the demon king by sacrificing his own life. He spoke of the fact that Roshi knocked him out knowing he'd only die if he fought alongside him.
"What do you need?" Shen asked numb.
"I will be training to learn the Mafuba at a location near where they died. I need you to send Yurin over to me." Tien answered seriously.
Shen nodded numbly. Tien sighed and flew off to train. Shen stared off into the distance as he thought about the situation.
Tien practiced the formation of the technique once more. It seems to be perfect in his eyes, but unfortunately it is a gamble in more ways than one. To even know if he's actually doing it correctly, he would need to actually use it and that would kill him. However, this doesn't worry him; he's dying either way against the likes of the Demon King.
He heard someone drop down from the sky behind him. He turned around slowly, "Hello Yurin."
The dark-haired girl smiled weakly, "Hello Tien."
"Did he tell you everything?" Tien asked, straight to the point.
The girl nodded before saying, "He wouldn't have to. It's all over the news."
Tien closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, before opening them with a determined look. "Let's go."
The two flew off towards King Piccolo's whereabouts. Both with the full belief that they would die, but with the hope of taking Piccolo Daimao down with them.
Piccolo Daimao sat on his throne at the so-called "King's Castle." His newly born son Drum stood with pride on his left side, while his wisest son Piano stood on his right. The three of them had just got done destroying an entire country of the world, causing a tremendous backlash of fear from the human populace. This fact made the Demon King smirk with excitement.
However, he still had some problems to worry about. There are still fighters out there who could potentially teach themselves the mafuba, which is what Drum was made for. Still, many of the most important fighters were killed from his now deceased son Tambourine.
But the biggest problem to deal with is his other half and his blasted genie. Both of them have grown stronger over the years when he was locked away by that blasted technique. However, there isn't much that the two of them can do to him for a while. Perhaps if he continued to have children, the sheer numbers would overwhelm the two.
Piccolo Daimao was snapped out of his musings the moment two humans dropped down in front of him. His son Drum took a step forward menacingly.
"Your reign of terror is over." Tien stated cooly.
King Piccolo laughed darkly, "It has just begun, and you do not interest me. But, Drum will play with you."
Drum smirked and cracked his neck. Tien and Yurin stood their ground. However, Tien could barely put his hands up to block before Drum's fist swung collided with his arms. Tien was sent skidding across the floor, with Drum punching him once again. This time, Tien's arms buckled under the force of the punch, knocking him through the palace walls. Drum followed with blinding speed, while Yurin gaped in utter shock. Snapping herself out of it, she ran after them.
Piano sighed in exasperation and said, "We're going to have to fix that wall. So barbaric. I almost miss Tambourine!"
Piccolo Daimao on the other hand smirked in amusement. His newborn son was a monster worthy of his lineage, if not the most eloquent of beings. He'll make sure no fighters are left in the world to learn the mafuba.
No one we'll ever seal him away again. Ever.
'This isn't good. He's stronger than Tien is, which just means Piccolo is on another level entirely.' Yurin thought worriedly.
Drum landed a punch directly in Tien's abdomen, causing Tien to immediately gasp for air. Drum grabbed Tien's face between his hands and pulled him in for a headbutt. The impact left Tien in a daze with his vision blurred. Drum then took his head and smashed it into the ground.
Tien couldn't believe how outmatched he was. It was taking all he had just to stay conscious. Every blow felt like the hardest hit he had ever taken, just to be replaced by the next one. He could already tell that a rib or two were broken, and he hasn't even been fighting for more than a few minutes. He may need Yurin's help to defeat this monster, but that might give Piccolo Daimao an indication of her powers.
Drum stood over Tien menacingly. He raised his claw in an attempt to pierce Tien. Tien quickly stored ki in his fingertips.
"Dodon PA!" Tien shouted.
Drum screamed out in pain the moment the piercing beam connected with his right eye. The demonic namekian staggered backwards as he clutched where his eye had been, blood gushing from his socket.
Tien picked himself up and flew at full force to try and capitalize on his opponent's vulnerability. Right before Tien's fist collided with Drum's face, Drum opened his one good eye and glowered at him. Drum quickly caught Tien's arm and in one swift motion, snapped Tien's arm in half. Tien went into shock as he was thrown by his now broken limb into the air.
Tien collided with the side of a building, as his arm dangled as if it was a pasta noodle. He slid down onto the ground in pain. He warily watched Drum stomping towards him, before he slowly looked over to Yurin.
Yurin looked worried for about a second before a resolve showcased itself. Tien felt and even saw dark ki surround himself. Rejuvenated, he stood up with stoic resolve. It was almost as if his broken arm wasn't even an issue for him, despite it dangling uselessly by his side. Drum cocked his head in warried confusion.
Tien charged at Drum with a blinding speed, causing the demon namekian's eyes to widen in surprise. Drum quickly raised his arms to block Tien's punch, just for him to be surprised that it still hurt a bit. The demon glared and punched back, with Tien blocked with his own arm. The two glared at each other in total contempt as they continued their flurry of punches.
In Yurin's eyes, the two of them seemed to be about the same amount of power. Unfortunately, her opinion doesn't mean much when she can't even see all of their movements. Tien was difficult to follow in the first place, let alone with her power making him much stronger.
But she is not feeling very reassured by this fight. Even with her power soaring through him, Piccolo Daimao is still in his castle. From what Tien told her, he is able to sense when one of his children die. Even if Tien kills Drum, Piccolo Daimao will not hold back due to this knowledge. Not to mention her witchcraft brings out the darkness within people as a side effect, and Tien has always been a closeted masochist. This cannot go well.
Tien and Drum were bruised and ragged from their fight. However, neither are paying attention to their injuries. Both were overflowing with killer intent, adrenaline, and increased irritation that they couldn't get an overhand over the other.
Their flurry of punches and kicks weren't visible to the naked eye. Drum found an opening and used a haymaker on Tien's broken arm, causing the latter to choke in pain. Drum smirked at the expression before kneeing him in the gut. The impact sent him flying a few yards away.
Yurin winced when she saw it. If Tien could just weaken Drum a little bit more, she may have the ability to finish him off. If that happens, she can take Tien and retreat for now, allowing Tien to heal up and fight King Piccolo when he is able.
"Hiya!" A cheerful voice greeted.
Yurin jumped in alarm before turning around and seeing a younger boy with spiky hair and a tail. He smiled at her with excitement on his face. This terrified her. If Drum notices this kid, Tien might allow himself to be hurt worse just to protect the kid. He always had a soft spot for unnecessary assassinations.
"Who are you and why are you here?!" Yurin asked worriedly.
The child put his hands behind his head and grinned, "My name is Goku! I wanna beat Piccolo, but who could resist such a great battle!"
Yurin smiled in reluctant amusement, the poor guy actually believes he could beat Piccolo Daimao. But it was impressive that he wasn't afraid of what is going on.
"Kid, you need to hide. Tien here is one of the strongest people in the world and we don't need to get in his way." Yurin explained simply.
Goku blinked and replied, "Tien is really strong. He beat me at the world tournament with that Kikoha technique…but I'm a lot stronger now!"
Yurin gaped and replied hesitantly, "Do you mean the Kikoho?"
Goku's expression made an 'oh' motion before grinning again and responding with, "Yep!"
Yurin was just awestruck. This little brat pushed Tien into using his strongest technique and he isn't even dead. He even says he's a lot stronger than he was before, perhaps even stronger than Tien. With him on their side, they may very well survive today.
Goku suddenly got very serious, "I wish I could keep watchin' the fight, but I have to go fight Piccolo now. Korin is counting on me. Once Tien beats him, make sure he is safe okay?"
"You're going to fight him by yourself?!" Yurin exclaimed in shock.
Goku nodded solemnly, "I have to. He killed my friends and my master."
'Oh. He's a student of Master Roshi isn't he? How did I not notice his gi? Am I that nervous about this?!'
"Nimbus!" Goku called out.
The cloud flew down to him. Goku hopped on the little cloud and started flying to the top of the castle, only to hastily return back to Yurin. He looked absolutely frazzled and solemn, as if he just acknowledged the situation. Yurin felt reassured, believing him to be feeling the same fear she is.
"My grandpa says I need to ask people's name when they ask for mine, especially if it's a pretty girl. Though I don't really know what classifies as "pretty."" Goku explained in a hurry.
Yurin sweatdropped and responded with, "My name is Yurin."
Goku smiled as if everything was fixed and said, "I won't remember that. See ya lady!"
Yurin twitched as she watched him fly off on his cloud. With a deep sigh, she returned her attention back to the fight.
'We're totally going to die.'
Tien sent a palm strike right in the hole where Drum's eye socket had been, causing the demonic namekian to screech in pain and fury. Tien used a front kick to slam Drum directly in his solar plexus which sent Drum flying. Tien flew after him to continue his onslaught, though Drum opened his mouth to send a ki blast to either severely injure Tien. The triclops barely managed to dodge the beam, but it at least caused Tien to momentarily stop his onslaught.
Drum skidded across the ground but eventually found his footing. With an animalistic snarl, he charged at his opponent. Tien charged at him with equal speed both with their fist in the air. Their punches collided with the other's face, causing both of their heads to recoil from the blast. They both skidded across the ground while trying to maintain their footing. They both glared at the other with determination, despite the fact both were bloodied, with handicapped body parts, and breathing heavily.
"It's about time I end this." Tien stated coldly.
Drum snarled in indignation, "I'll kill you human!"
Drum charged at him once more, though his opponent slowly floated up and held his hand up in as if he was going to nonchalantly catch his fist. Right when Drum got within a few feet, Tien quickly swung his broken arm towards his other hand. With his teeth gritted from the pain, his hands went into a triangular position.
"Tri beam!" Tien shouted.
Drum was blown into the ground at point blank range, causing Tien to be thrown back from the impact. A small crater was formed, where Drum's corpse lay.
Unfortunately, this attack didn't come without a price. Much of Tien's clothing was destroyed, including items within his pockets. Both the Mafuba's rice pot was destroyed, and the spell tag Yurin gave him to amplify his powers under her witchcraft. To make matters worse, Tien's body was covered with burns and bruises. Even with those two objects, there was no way he would even be able to take the demon king on in his condition.
"Tien!" Yurin ran over to him worriedly.
Tien hazily looked up at his friend but couldn't particularly find the will to speak. She started to apply pressure to his cuts.
"I know you just won and you need to rest, but we have to fight Piccolo Daimao. Now. Goku is fighting him by himself right now." Yurin said urgently.
Tien's eyes widened and slowly began to force himself back up. He coughed up blood as he did so, which caused Yurin to hastily put his arm over her shoulder to support him. The two of them slowly walked over to the palace.
King Piccolo was infuriated. This boy was the one who killed his son, Tambourine, and now he's fighting on par with himself. This was preposterous.
As the two were punching faster than the eye could see, King Piccolo felt his connection with his newborn Drum disappear. The demon king snarled in rage.
"After I kill you, I will kill whoever killed Drum. I will kill everyone! But I will give you hell first." Piccolo Daimao mocked.
"Oh yeah? You won't have the chance to!" Goku snapped back.
The two of them lunged at full speed once more.
Author's note:
Hello everyone! Tell me what you think alright?
Now about this story, I am trying to show how much different a story could be in the long run based off of just a little difference, aka Yurin knowing witchcraft earlier causing Tien to recruit her.
The main characters in this story are the Z-Fighters. It usually depends on which saga for who specifically, but Tien and Goku will be the most important at this point. In a later saga, it could be Piccolo and Gohan.
I do not use powerlevels in the later sagas of Dragonball and I definitely do not use multipliers unless it is the Kaioken or the Oozaru transformations. However, I may use powerlevels until the Frieza saga. Everything after that is subjective. I will go into more detail about it the moment this saga is over with.