DISCLAIMER:
Rath: (Collapses on the floor holding up a big giant stack of papers) "MUST… DO… D-DISCLAIMER! N-NEW CH-CHAPTER…"
Vetyga: (Sweatdrops as she snatches the papers from Rath's hands) "Umm, you don't look in any condition to be doing disclaimers, Rath. Battling that sign really took it out of you. You should relax!"
Rath: (Speaks with face planted in the floor) "N-Nonsense… It's m-my turn!"
Vetyga: (Sighs) "Fine, do it then!"
Rath: (Muffled) "W-we don't own D… B… Zzzzzzzzz…" (Rath suddenly falls asleep.)
Vetyga: (Sighs at Rath's pitiful display before turning to the reader) "Enjoy the chapter!"
IN THE PAST WORLD:
The air became unbearably dense as the mist swirled around the room like a tornado. Trunks felt as though he was breathing in water. He coughed violently. It was getting harder and harder for him to keep focus.
The Yuuli elder closed his eyes and took in another deep breath.
"Clearly my earlier tactics were flawed," the elder mused. "I'd have done this sooner to hasten your demise!"
Before Trunks knew what was happening, his entire body was overwhelmed with a painful burning sensation. He cried out as a new purple mist engulfed him.
The elder remained impassive to the sound of the boy's screams. His eyes remained closed. He turned his back to Trunks and began blindly pacing the room.
"Perhaps I should thank you though," the man continued almost thoughtfully. "You see, I am a scientist at heart. I can appreciate the fact that without you this discovery would have been delayed…" He paused before emphasizing, "Only delayed, of course. I'd have found out eventually. We Yuuli pride ourselves on our intellectual prowess. Still, an expression of gratitude is in order. You should feel honored to take part in this new experiment. I must test its limits, you know."
"S-Stop!" Trunks clammered.
"Stop, you say? Well, alright," the elder smiled with false kindness as he directed the purple mist away from Trunks. He did not bother to look back at the boy.
Within moments, the burning faded away. Trunks eyed the man warily. He did not want to experience such pain again.
"How do you feel?" the elder inquired.
"Don't ask me stupid questions," Trunks retorted angrily.
The Yuuli clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. "Questions represent the first step of knowledge. There is no such thing as a 'stupid question'."
"There is when you clearly already know the answer," Trunks spat out.
"Perhaps it's not the actual answers that I am seeking out," the elder laughed. "Your response was sufficient enough to sate my curiosity either way."
"Spare me the lectures, old man," Trunks snapped. His temper mirrored his father's. The man infuriated him. Even in Trunks's weakened state, Trunks was clearly more powerful than him, but that stupid mist of his gave him such an unfair advantage.
"Since when was life supposed to be fair?" the present Vegeta had once told Trunks after he'd complained about a particularly hard training session. "You don't even know the meaning of unfair. Be glad you don't…"
"How about we proceed to the next test then, shall we?" the elder suggested as he clasped his hands behind his back. It was more of a statement than a genuine question.
"I'm not some damned experiment!" Trunks launched himself at the man. However, his retaliation was short-lived. He did not even get halfway across the room before collapsing to the floor. His joints locked up painfully, but this time he didn't cry out. His vision darkened.
The elder continued to speak to Trunks in that same aggravatingly calm patronizing tone that a teacher might use with a student who wasn't quite grasping the lesson.
"You might find it interesting to know that I can now feel your every movement," the elder commented. "…Even before your movement is complete. The mist and I are now merely extensions of one another. Your strength and speed mean nothing anymore. Each and every displaced particle serves as an early detection system.
The Yuuli finally reopened his eyes and turned to acknowledge Trunks. He was disappointed in Trunks's silence. He shook his head.
"They call it the 'gravabloom', by the way," the elder informed. "It's the plant responsible for the black mist that currently grips you in its clutches. It grows on Planet Gravarix… Or so it did before Frieza had it purged. A rare specimen for sure. It is also one of the few in my collection that actually seems to have an enhanced deleterious effect on you. This has been noted."
Trunks clenched his eyes shut. His stomach churned rapidly, though somehow he resisted the urge to vomit. How could he help his younger father if he could not even help himself?
ALSO IN THE PAST WORLD:
Goku, Bulma, Goten, and Rah continued to stick to the air as they trailed the eerie orange fog down the hall.
'We're coming, Trunks!' Goku thought as he felt Trunks's ki flickering. He could now also vaguely sense the other being Trunks was fighting. The being's ki had a distinct almost empty feel to it, as though it were merely a shell. This was the same feeling he attributed to all those stuck in time — Those who logically should not exist.
'Definitely not the time-looped version of Frieza,' Goku concluded as he mentally prepared to join the battle. 'Could be King Vegeta, but then again, Trunks wouldn't be struggling if that were the case… Must be one of the Yuuli then.'
Goku glanced back at Bulma, who was holding onto Goten with an iron grip.
"Stop flying so low!" Bulma panicked.
Goten peered upwards. His hair was brushing up against the ceiling. "But, Mrs. Bulma," he said. "I can't go any higher…"
Goten ducked down slightly to bypass a low archway.
"Eeeek!" Bulma shrieked as they go near gripping range of the creepy mist on the floor. "Higher higher HIGHER!" she exclaimed as she pounded frantically at Goten's arm with her fist.
Goten looked helplessly at his dad. Giant sweat drops slid down his forehead.
Goku chuckled to himself. Whenever they returned to the Present World, he'd definitely have to make it up to Goten.
"It isn't over until I say it is over," an elderly voice sounded in the distance.
"I don't care!" a younger familiar voice retorted.
"Trunks?!" Bulma immediately stopped hassling Goten. "Oh Trunks! Finally!"
"Bulma…" Goku motioned for her to be silent.
'Huh? What's going on?' Bulma thought with concern. She didn't like how Goku suddenly looked so serious. Instinctively, she knew she should do as he said.
Goku looked around until he spotted a large air duct near the ceiling. 'Perfect!' he thought.
"Son," Goku beckoned Goten to him. "I need you to keep watch over Bulma and Rah until I get back. That vent up there should keep you high enough out of range."
"I can help!" Goten insisted, but Goku shook his head 'no'.
"I don't know what we're up against," Goku replied. "I can't risk their safety."
"Awww, okay, Dad," Goten conceded as he watched his dad open up the vent and gently lay Rah inside.
"They are alright, aren't they?" Bulma asked hopefully. "Trunks and Vegge both… They aren't hurt, right?"
Goku hesitated, but decided to answer truthfully. "Whatever it is seems to be giving Trunks a hard time, but he's holding up. Vegge… I don't know. I can't sense him."
"But it's hard to sense anything in this place, right Dad?" Goten spoke up in an effort to make Bulma feel better. "I still can't sense Trunks, even though I heard his voice. Don't worry, Mrs. Bulma!"
Goku smiled at his son. Goten had such a big heart. Goku couldn't be more proud.
"That's right, son," Goku confirmed as he ruffled Goten's hair.
Bulma pretended to pick an eyelash out of her watering eyes as she nodded. "Just bring them back safely."
"I will," Goku pretended not to notice the wavering in Bulma's voice. "I promise!"
The next moment, Goku was gone. His ability to teleport was still blocked off, but it no longer mattered. He reached the large room at the end of the corridor. At long last, he'd found both Trunks and the source of the mist.
As Goku entered the botanical room, he immediately took note of several things. One, there was broken glass everywhere. Two, the orange mist was emitting from a single plant in the center of the room, but there were also other vapors in the room coming from a variety of different exotic plants. And three, as expected, Trunks was facing off against a Yuuli man.
Trunks crouched down as he tried to anticipate the elder's next move. He cringed as he saw a white smoke shoot towards his face like an arrow, but he rolled away from it just in time. He then shot a beam of blue energy at the man.
The elder laughed as his shield once again absorbed Trunks's attack.
"Do you ever learn?" the Yuuli asked snidely as the shield magnified the boy's attack and reflected it back at him.
Before Trunks could react, an unseen force redirected the attack away from him. It exploded against the remnants of a shattered plant chamber.
"What!?" the elder shouted as he took note of the new arrival. "And who are you?"
Trunks looked up in surprise. Goku gave him a cheerful wave.
"Sorry, I'm late," Goku commented before locking his attention on the Yuulian elder. "Can't let you have all the fun."
"Goku!" Trunks exclaimed in relief. "Am I glad to see you!"
"Your fight is will me now," Goku declared to the elder.
"Is it really?" the Yuuli yawned. "A fight implies intent. This is but an experiment, but I am always open to additional test subjects." The Yuuli's eyes narrowed sinisterly as he added, "Especially Saiyan ones!"
"Goku, watch out! Don't let the mist touch you!" Trunks called out in warning.
Trunks's warning came just in time. Goku narrowly avoided coming in contact with orange vapor as the Yuuli attempted to catch him off guard.
"Good to know!" Goku replied.
The elder frowned as he turned to address Trunks.
"Test subjects who interfere with my plans do not last long," the man commented. "Mind your own, boy."
"Those who harm innocent people don't last long!" Trunks countered.
"You think Saiyans are innocent?" the Yuuli looked incredulous. "Then you are ignorant. Fight with the Saiyans… Sympathize with the Saiyans… Die like the Saiyans!"
The elder took energy from his protective barrier and channeled it into an offensive attack. He launched it at Trunks to silence the boy permanently; however, Goku once again deflected it. It exploded against a far wall.
"I said your fight is with me now," Goku repeated in a dangerous tone of voice.
"Very well then, Saiyan," the elder conceded.
"KAAAAA… MEEEEEE… HAAAAA… MEEEEEEEEEE… HAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku wasted no time. He launched his signature attack at the elder.
As the Yuuli focused his efforts on absorbing the incoming energy, Goku suddenly appeared behind him.
"Hyaaaaaa!" Goku launched yet another ki blast.
The elder did not have time to block both attacks. While he was able to withstand the majority of the first attack, the second hit him full force. His shield was now completely depleted.
"H-How are you so fast?" the elder stammered, but Goku did not reply.
The mist in the room became notably less potent as the Yuuli was forced to use it exclusively for defending himself.
Goku continued to launch his double-sided attacks against the Yuuli, not giving him the chance to retaliate back. The man's main weakness was becoming clear: he could only focus on one thing at a time. Goku's tactics were wearing him down fast.
The elder decided to change strategy. He did not appreciate being toyed with and it was clear Goku was doing just that. He looked around anxiously for something. "If you kill me, then you will never learn the truth, Saiyan," the elder rasped breathlessly.
Goku paused from his assault. "What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.
"Why I am one of the few 'Aware'," the elder replied. "Why I know your presence here is out-of-place… Why the loop repeats itself… I could go on and on."
The Yuuli continued to look around through the corners of his eyes, until at last he saw a glimpse of the smaller Saiyan child laying limp behind a broken chamber to his far right side. The man held up his hands in a harmless gesture as he backed slowly towards the boy.
"You aren't making any sense," Goku replied.
"You wouldn't understand. Only the few do, but it is my doing," the elder shrugged. "Saiyans are not the brightest lot in the universe, so perhaps I'll have to spell it out for you… Everything you've witnessed on this ship has been to serve a single purpose: REVENGE."
As the mist ebbed away from King Vegeta, he found its effects lessening rapidly. Still, his head throbbed from the exposure. He could feel drool drying on his chin. He slowly opened his eyes, but the brightness of the room was too intense, forcing him to once again shut them tightly closed. He groaned as he placed a hand on his throbbing forehead.
If the others in the room were aware that the king was again coherent and listening in on their conversation, they did not openly acknowledge the fact. He was out of their line of sight.
"Revenge?" Trunks repeated. "For what? We didn't do anything to you!"
"You? No," the Yuuli agreed. "No, you are merely an intriguing test subject. Then again… You fight with them, so by all means, it should include you."
"What's your point?" Goku interjected.
"The point is that you don't belong here," the elder narrowed his eyes. "But how do I know that? Because I am the reason this loop exists in the first place. I alone survived the onslaught of Frieza's and the Monkey King's wrath. However, I was not content… In an instant, I'd become the sole survivor of my kind, but as luck would have it, I rank amongst the most accomplished scientists in the universe!
"There are many mysteries in the universe, you know. One of them is my 'Curse of the Ghoul Saber'. Your minds could never fully comprehend how it works. Just know it grants me the ability to repeat the events of that day indefinitely… until we at last reach a more favorable outcome."
The elder pointed towards Goku and Trunks. "Ten galactic standard years… One to three loops per day… Thousands of different scenarios… And not a single one of them factors in your existence. Only those who I directly programmed into the loop should be here, but here you are….
"Even better, you bring me the Monkey King's son! The other Awares informed me so. I'd programmed the curse to make them understand the situation, but I fear they are still limited in their ability to comprehend the ramifications of this gift you bring…"
At long last the elder had stalled long enough to reach his goal. He quickly bent down to lift Vegge's unconscious form up by the back of the shirt.
"The King programmed into the loop does not have an heir," the Yuuli continued. "I'd have known if he did, but yet here he has a son. Earlier I confirmed it true."
King Vegeta's eyes opened wide as Trunks's past words to him flooded his mind. Combined with the Yuulian man's words, he finally put two-and-two together.
'What have I done?' the King thought with dismay as he recalled what he'd said to Vegge.
"Let him go!" Trunks growled angrily, but before he or Goku could make a move, the elder clicked his tongue.
"Come at me and he dies instantly," the elder warned. He smiled in triumph as they both immediately backed off. Now it was his turn to take advantage of their weakness.
"Maybe you're wrong," Trunks said. "He's not even the King's son!"
The Yuuli laughed. "I'd know if that were the case. The other Awares and I are mentally linked. As soon as they relayed their suspicions, I had the good doctor give him my special potion just to be certain. In addition to its more interesting effects on Saiyan youth, it relays to me their genetic makeup. With it being a cursed substance and me being the curse's creator, you could say it grants me certain perks… There is no doubt who he is, though I suspect you all come from the unaltered time period. The King never died before the loop's creation, so it makes sense. Perhaps killing the Monkey heir is not enough to make up for the deaths of my people, but perhaps if I studied him and programmed him into the loop as well…"
The elder's train of thought was cut short as a ki beam suddenly sliced cleanly through his throat. His mouth rapidly opened and closed, but no words came out. His hold on Vegge loosened as he fell cold to the floor. The man died choking on his own blood.
Trunks and Goku's mouths hung open with shock. They looked towards the source of the deadly attack and saw King Vegeta lowering his hand. The King's expression was stern and unreadable.
Thousands of potential scenarios calculated and not a single one of them ended in such a manner…
Until now!
Rath: "And thus concludes this chapter for TTWV! I originally didn't intend for them to get into so much trouble on the 'Ghoul Saber', but alas, the characters wouldn't stop digging themselves in a hole! Next chapter, they will finally be back on track to Planet Rijow. It's there that the major twist I'd planned since the onset of this story will take place. Some of you may have predictions about what will happen. We'll see if you are correct.
Thank you very much for all the great reviews given on the last chapter. I'm glad the story is being well-received.
At "TwistedFortune": Wow, you read this all in one sitting? I'm glad it captivated you for that long!
At "WildVegeta": I must admit, every time I update, I actively check for your reviews. I'm always happy to know that you still love the story so much. The fact that it's among your favorites is an honor. If not for you in particular, I'd have deleted this story a few years ago. It took forever, but TTWV is finally starting to reach its closure.
At "Fangirl Fluffy": Wow! Your review was amazing! Not too many people tell me exactly what it is they liked or didn't like in my story.
At "Guest": I'm glad you found this story and thought it interesting enough to read the whole thing! I hope you liked this chapter.
At "gonepostal77": Well... I missed the "soon" part, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.
Until next time! Sawatdee!