Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 22: Secrets from the Past ( Chapter 22 )

I DO NOT OWN DRAGON BALL Z OR ANY RACES, PLANETS, OR CHARACTERS RELATED TO IT. GALDRIA, HEVA, TIRIS, IQUELA, MIURA, ZELLIS, SETH, CLEF, HANZO, TWILIGHT AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS, RACES, OR PLANETS WERE ALL CREATED BY ME.

 

 

Dragon Ball:

Chaotic Future

 

CHAPTER 22

 

Mad God Saga, Part XI

“Secrets from the Past.”

 

 

 

Trunks awoke.

 

The purple-haired half-Saiyan sat up slowly, expecting at any moment to be overwhelmed by pain, yet, strangely, he felt only exhaustion and weakness. He took a moment to inspect his surroundings and found himself lying on the floor of a small bedchamber, and that the bed beside him held the unmoving form of Zellis. After standing hesitantly to his feet, Trunks made his way cautiously to the room's exit.

 

“Feeling better?” asked Bulma, who had been quietly waiting in the hallway outside, praying that her only child would soon recover. “You've been out cold for three days, and we weren't sure you'd pull through, even with Elysia's help.” The blue-haired woman embraced her son, tears of relief running slowly down her cheeks.

 

“Elysia's help? What do you mean?” he asked as Bulma stepped back, holding him at arms length as if to inspect him. “Mother, really, I'm fine. Just a little tired and sore, that's all.” Bulma seemed satisfied with this, and she gestured for Trunks to follow her down the short corridor.

 

“Elysia was able to use some of her Galdrian energy to heal you and the others,” Bulma explained. “Although she couldn't restore all of you guys back to your full health, she did what she could. Zellis, on the other hand, was completely unresponsive to the healing, though Elysia gave her every bit of energy that she could spare. It would have been too dangerous for her to do any more than that, since the Earth doesn't generate any Galdrian power for her to work with.” She opened a door at the end of the hallway and let Trunks enter first before following after him.

 

The chamber appeared to be some sort of sitting space, and Trunks was filled with relief when he saw several of his companions seated within. Popo, Dorian, Elysia, Clef, and a fully repaired Android 16 were all gathered together, speaking quietly among themselves until they noticed the half-Saiyan's presence. After exchanging greetings with his five comrades, Trunks realized that there were still some people missing. Before he could voice his observation, Dorian spoke up.

 

“Don't worry, they're fine too,” the old Prince said with a warm smile. “Hanzo, Gabriel, and Rika are out on the platform, keeping watch for any sign of trouble.” Trunks didn't have to ask what the former Galdrian Heir meant by `trouble.' As if sensing the purple-haired youth's thoughts, Dorian spoke. “Tempest still lives, I'm afraid. Not even Gabriel's new Power was able to stop him.”

 

“Well,” Trunks finally said after several moments of silence, “we still have a chance. Hanzo, Clef, and I only used up one of our allotted days in the Time Chamber, so maybe we can give it another shot…” No one in the room spoke what was truly on everyone's minds, however.

 

Regardless of how much training the warriors underwent, they would never be a match for the mad god.

 

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Hanzo scanned the horizon.

 

The Saiyan warrior scratched absently at his healing right arm, which was tightly wrapped in white bandages. Feeling had finally begun to return to his fingers, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was good because it meant that he may actually regain use of the damaged limb, but it also meant that an incredible amount of pain shot continuously through the healing arm. But pain was something that Hanzo was intimately familiar with, especially of late.

 

“How's the view from up here?” Trunks asked, coming to stand beside his disheartened friend. Hanzo replied with an indignant grunt, and Trunks could sense that the older Saiyan was in no mood for small talk. “Hanzo,” the half-Saiyan began, “we did everything we could…”

 

“Don't bother, Trunks,” another voice said from behind. Vegeta's son looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly when he saw Gabriel and Rika walking arm in arm toward them. “He's been in a foul mood for days, and the only thing that's gonna cheer him up is another shot at Tempest.” The young Galdrian Prince shook his head and flashed the two Saiyans a quick grin. “I really don't understand you Saiyans. We all get our heads busted in by this guy, and all you can think about is taking another whack at him!” Rika disengaged herself from Gabriel as she rolled her dark-green eyes and embraced Trunks.

 

“Don't listen to a word he says, Trunks,” she said, voice filled with false-sweetness. “Our dear friend Gabriel here is just as anxious to settle things with Tempest, too.” The brown-haired earthling returned to Gabriel's side and once again slipped her arm through his. “He's just much better at hiding it than Hanzo is.” The half-Galdrian warrior was about to protest, when an approaching power level caught his attention, along with the attentions of Trunks and Hanzo.

 

It wasn't much longer before Clef, Elysia, 16, Popo, Bulma, and Dorian joined their companions on the Lookout's main platform, all eyes staring intently to the south, where the mysterious power seemed to be approaching from. Several tense, silent moments passed before Trunks and Hanzo locked gazes and nodded once to each other. This power was uncomfortably familiar to both Saiyan warriors.

 

“Clef, 16, Gabriel, and Hanzo, stay here with me,” Trunks quickly ordered. “Everyone else, get back inside, now!” From the tone of his voice, everyone present knew that Trunks wasn't simply overreacting, but that something terrible was quickly closing in on the Lookout. Once all of the noncombatants were safely within, Trunks returned his attention to the approaching power.

 

A power that he and Hanzo were all too familiar with…

 

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Several months earlier…

 

The Genjin faced off against his two determined opponents.

 

“I have no quarrel with you, Saiyans,” Kalen said, narrowing his grey-green eyes as more and more energy welled up around him. It was obvious to the Genjin warrior that his two opponents found themselves feeling overwhelmed by his power, which was entirely alien to anything that either of them had probably faced. “Please, stand aside and allow me to retrieve the relics from your companions, before its too late.” Kalen spoke as calmly as possible, though inside he was seething. These fools have no idea what will happen! I cannot allow Tempest to be revived, no matter what.

 

“I'm afraid we can't do that,” one of the Saiyans, the older one, said smugly. “We've come an awful long we for those relics, and we're not about to let anyone take them from us, not even you!” The Saiyan narrowed his piercing green eyes as more of the strange golden energy emanated from his body. “We need that wish!”

 

“Hanzo's right,” the second, younger Saiyan agreed, assuming an offensive fighting stance. “No matter what, we won't let you get your hands on those relics!” With a sudden burst of power, the younger Ascended Super Saiyan flew through the air toward Kalen, who stood calmly, entirely unafraid of his two adversaries.

 

Both warriors, Genjin and Saiyan, clashed in an explosion of light, and the battle was immediately on. Clouds of pale blue sand were kicked up as the two fighters struggled to kill each other, and it felt as if the entire moon of Tiris were trembling. Shortly after the heated battle began, Hanzo entered the fray, joining his own strength with Trunks' as the two Saiyans did everything in their power to annihilate Kalen. But despite the amazing power granted by their Ascended Saiyan forms, Hanzo and Trunks were unable to keep pace with the bearded Genjin.

 

It seemed to the Ascended Saiyan warriors that Kalen was indestructible, for no matter how hard they managed to strike the mysterious Genjin, he always simply shrugged it off and continued the battle. By now, Kalen had taken hits that would have killed any other warrior, including Hanzo or Trunks, but somehow he remained relatively unscathed. Despite their obvious lack of power, however, neither Saiyan even considered surrender, for their pride wouldn't allow it.

 

During a brief respite, Trunks and Hanzo stood gasping for breath, watching their opponent warily across the battlefield. Kalen was truly an extraordinary warrior, and even after facing the full power of two Ascended Super Saiyans, the black-cloaked Genjin didn't even appear to be winded.

 

It wasn't long before battle once again erupted on the surface of Tiris, and the two Saiyan warriors found themselves fighting for their lives against an opponent of overwhelming strength and ability…

 

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Kalen landed upon the Lookout.

 

The five defenders who had been patiently awaiting his arrival immediately assumed fighting stances, prepared to do everything in their power to defeat the Genjin warrior. Kalen seemed unfazed by the presence of so many opponents, however, and he merely stood calmly near the Lookout's edge, studying the five people before him. Several tense minutes passed, with neither side making a move. It was then that Trunks sensed something unusual.

 

His power… it's different somehow, he thought, allowing his defensive posture to relax a little. He feels weaker than he did on Tiris, like his power is more subdued. Finally Trunks dropped his defenses and gazed curiously at Kalen, who remained standing several yards away, apparently content to simply stay put. He's not making any moves to attack, either…

 

“What are you doing here, Kalen?” Hanzo suddenly asked, maintaining his threatening stance. “Didn't have the decency to die back on Tiris, huh? Figures…” The recovering Saiyan warrior glared mercilessly at Kalen, obviously recalling with vivid detail the defeat he had suffered at the Genjin's hands.

 

Time had certainly weighed heavily upon Kalen, if the dark circles around his eyes meant anything, and the amount of grey that streaked his dark hair and neatly trimmed beard had nearly doubled since the battle on Tiris. The Genjin warrior still wore his large black over-cloak, but had forgone the plain grey jumpsuit for a more practical outfit: a form-fitting jumpsuit of deep-green covered on chest, forearms, and shins with an armor of some dull grey material. It didn't look at all that strong, but Hanzo knew that appearances could be deceiving, since his own race's battle-armor didn't appear all that substantial either.

 

“I've been searching for you, ever since we were separated on Tiris,” Kalen replied nonchalantly. “Let me say, the lot of you are very hard to track down.” The warrior from another universe raised his hands slowly above his head and dropped cautiously to his knees in a gesture of complete submission. “I have no intention of fighting with any of you, and I doubt I'd be able to defeat you all anyway,” Kalen said with an exhausted smile. “Rather, I come to give you aid in this, our time of need.” The green-clad warrior turned his intense gaze on Trunks, narrowing his eyes and setting his jaw slightly. “I come to help you defeat Tempest.”

 

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Everyone was gathered together in the small sitting room.

 

Trunks had decided, much to Hanzo's irritation, the take Kalen at face value, for it was obvious to everyone else that they would need every last bit of help they could get to defeat Tempest. Once it was certain that Kalen would be allowed to join them, Clef brought up a very important point: several months ago, during the battle on Tiris, Kalen had seemed to have prior knowledge of the mad god's existence. The Genjin warrior confirmed this, and swore to reveal everything that he knew to his new allies.

 

Now everyone, including Bulma, Popo, and Dorian, sat awaiting Kalen's tale. Only Elysia, who claimed to be too fatigued from days of strenuous healings, had decided to remain absent from the impromptu council, choosing instead to remain by Zellis' bedside in case the comatose noblewoman's condition happened to change. Dorian promised to fill his younger sister in on the details later, and once everyone was ready, Kalen began.

 

“My people first came into contact with the entity called Tempest over ten-thousand years ago. No one really knows where he came from, though we have always suspected that he originated somewhere in the distant past, when our universe was still young.” Kalen stopped for a moment, as if finding trouble deciding on his next words. He looked around the small room, darkening now as the light streaming through the open window had begun changing from the brightness of afternoon to the dim illumination of twilight. At length, the fatigued Genjin continued.

 

“Tempest went unchallenged in my universe for hundreds of years, unopposed, and bringing chaos wherever he went. Even my people, who are infinitely more powerful than your own, were unable to defeat him, and it was then that he became known as a god.” Kalen shook his head and closed his eyes, running a gloved hand through his short, graying hair. “When I was young, I had thought such legends foolish. But now, after having faced Tempest myself…” He let the thought go unfinished as he went on with his tale.

 

“Eventually Tempest's spree of destruction led him to my home world, planet Genji, where he found himself faced with his most powerful opponents yet. My people refused to simply bow down and allow the mad god to wreak havoc wherever he pleased, and thousands of Genjins faced Tempest in battle.” Kalen's pale, grey-green eyes lit up with pride as he remembered the valor shown by his ancestors, warriors who had fought to the death rather than give in to Tempest's power. “The battle raged on for years.”

 

“Forgive me for interrupting,” Hanzo said sarcastically, leaning back in his chair and propping is feet disrespectfully upon the table. Popo looked as if he was about to scold the Saiyan for doing so, but a sharp look from Hanzo obviously changed his mind. “I fail to see how any of this matters,” Hanzo continued, glaring across the table at Kalen. “I don't give a rat's ass about what Tempest did in your universe. What do you recommend we do to keep him from trashing ours?”

 

“I'm getting to that, Saiyan,” Kalen responded, body trembling with outrage. “Have you no respect for the sacrifices that my people made? You Saiyans claim to have `pride' yet you flee after every battle against Tempest.” The warrior from Genji stood to his feet and pointed a finger at Hanzo, who remained smugly confident. “My people, thousands of them, fought to the death against this `god'!” Several moments passed before Kalen returned to his seat, but not before shooting Hanzo one more disgusted glare. “You have no idea what true pride is.”

 

Before the confrontation got out of control, Popo stepped in. “Please, both of you,” he begged, standing to his feet. “This is my home, and I'll not have the two of you fighting here, understand?” He flashed an angry glance at Hanzo, no longer feeling cowed by the Saiyan's arrogance. “Interrupt him again, Hanzo, and you will find yourself waiting outside.” Hanzo stared icily at the black-skinned man for a moment before removing his feet slowly from the table and nodding once. “Please, Kalen,” Popo said gently. “Continue your story, if you will?”

 

“Of course,” Kalen said, his voice sounding tired and strained. “As I said, my people fought against Tempest for years to no avail, though they did manage to force the mad god to increase his power to stand against them. The sudden burst of Tempest's power, combined with the immense concentration of Genjin energy, caused a… a tear in the fabric between my universe and your own.”

 

“The portal beneath the palace,” Dorian whispered, eyes wide with new understanding. “Our most ancient legends tell us that the portal was formed during some long-forgotten cataclysm, something so powerful that it ripped away the veil between realities.” He shook his head with disbelief, chuckling to himself as he did so. “I would have never guessed that Tempest was responsible…”

 

“It's true, my friend,” Kalen said quietly. “And once Tempest realized what had happened, he wasted no time in entering this strange new universe. As you know, the rift led straight to planet Galdria, whose people were far too weak to face Tempest in battle. We don't truly know how many Galdrians were killed in those times, but there must have been thousands, tens of thousands even.” The green-clad Genjin looked toward Dorian and Gabriel, his eyes full of regret. “It was my peoples' fault that so many of you were killed. If we had simply followed Tempest right then, perhaps we could have helped the Galdrians, but instead my ancestors waited, for they were afraid to cross over into this realm.”

 

“I think that I speak on behalf of all Galdrians,” Gabriel began, noticing that his father seemed without words, “when I say that those dark times are no fault of yours, Kalen. You cannot be held responsible for the actions of your ancestors, and who can say if their presence would have truly changed the outcome of those ill-fated conflicts.” Dorian reached up and patted his son's hand where it rested upon his shoulder, eyes filled with pride.

 

Kalen nodded once and blinked tears of genuine emotion from his eyes. “Well said, my Lord. Spoken like a true member of the Galdrian royal house.” The Genjin remained silent before taking a deep breath and continuing his sorrowful tale. “Eventually, three members of my race realized that it was unjust to allow Tempest's continued existence, regardless of the fact that the mad god had left our universe. These three brave warriors developed a special attack that would neutralize Tempest's power and seal it within six stone vessels, since it was obvious that he could not be defeated in battle.”

 

“Then you were right,” Clef suddenly said, causing all eyes in the room to turn on him. “Back on Tiris, when you arrived to help us fight Tempest, you warned us… You told us that we couldn't beat him in battle.” Clef stood up and walked to the open window, gazing quietly out into the night. “If only we'd have listened.”

 

“Blame not yourselves,” Kalen said, breaking the silence that had descended upon the room after Clef's revelation. “You had no way of knowing how powerful Tempest truly was. How could you? No one in your universe even remembered the last battle against him.” It was obvious to everyone now that Kalen was nearing the end of his tale, for he stood to his feet and began pacing the small room anxiously. “After finally mastering their secret technique, the three Genjin warriors stepped through the tear and entered this universe. They quickly sought out Tempest, and with the help of several powerful Galdrians they were able to subdue him, for he was still slightly disorientated after entering this reality. Before the Genjins could use their attack, however, Tempest fled the planet, sensing that someone now had the power to defeat him.

 

“The three Genjins, accompanied by a score of Galdria's most powerful warriors, managed to follow Tempest, harrying him when they could and chasing him across the galaxy, until he decided to stand and fight once more.” Kalen stopped now, smiling grimly as he looked at Clef, Hanzo, and Trunks. “The place where Tempest decided to make his stand was Tiris, one of the moons of planet Heva.” Stunned gasps escaped the three warriors as Kalen continued, seemingly unconcerned with their reactions. “The battle was suddenly joined, and the Galdrians were forced to do their best at holding Tempest back while the trio of Genjins focused the power needed for their desperate attack. Now keep in mind that, at this point in time, Tiris was populated by several hundred Hevan colonists, and the battle against Tempest did not go unnoticed by them for long.”

 

“So, the ruins that we found on Tiris,” Trunks said, speaking for the first time since Kalen began his monologue, “they're the remains of this Hevan colony?” When Kalen nodded affirmation, Trunks smiled to himself and brushed a lock of his light purple hair from his face. “Talyn, the Hevan that we met on Tiris, told us that it had been beautiful once. I guess he was telling the truth…”

 

“So I've heard,” Kalen agreed. “On my home world, where the battle of Tiris still hasn't been forgotten, it is said that the moon was the most beautiful place that any Genjin had yet seen in this universe. That beauty, though, was all lost during the conflict. The Galdrians did everything in their power to subdue Tempest, but even their most powerful warrior was unable to do more than irritate the mad god. But when the Hevan colonists entered the battle, the tables turned in favor of Tempest's opponents.

 

“After several grueling hours of combat, though, Tempest once again gained the upper hand, and he dispersed all of his adversaries to the wind with a single attack. All but one, anyway,” Kalen said, focusing his attention on Gabriel suddenly. “One Galdrian managed to stand firm against the onslaught, and after activating a startling new power, this single warrior faced Tempest in mortal combat.”

 

Gabriel, realizing what Kalen was getting at, gasped in amazement. “My Power,” he said quietly, staring down at his hands as if expecting them to erupt with his newfound energy. “That's why Tempest seemed to fear the Heaven's Wrath power! He remembered his last defeat on Tiris, and he was afraid of being defeated again!” Gabriel's elation at this news was short-lived, however, as he cast a suspicious glance at Kalen. “How did you know that I could control the Heaven's Wrath, anyway?”

 

“Please, forgive me,” Kalen said, eyes downcast. “I watched your most recent struggle against Tempest, and I did nothing to assist you. But you must understand, that if I would have joined the battle, I could have been killed, and all of this knowledge would have died with me.” The black-cloaked Genjin remained quiet for a short time, finding it difficult to continue. “After you were defeated, I was able to follow you here, though I decided to wait and make sure that Tempest hadn't done the same. Once I was sure that Tempest would not be able to follow you, I came straight here.”

 

“You did the right thing,” Bulma said, patting the downcast warrior lightly on the arm. “Had you been killed, we'd never have learned any of this. We don't blame you Kalen,” she finished, flashing him her most charming smile.

 

“Thank you, my Lady,” Kalen said, feeling a deep sense of relief. “You are truly too kind. But, I think now it is time to finish my tale. This Galdrian, the one who manipulated the Heaven's Wrath, was able to hold Tempest off for another few hours, all on his own. But that time, the three Genjins had finished their attack, and they let it loose upon the mad god. Immediately after making contact, Tempest's body turned to stone and broke into six individual pieces, each one holding a fragment of his power. Everyone felt a great sense of victory, until the aftermath of the struggle was revealed. All but four of the eight-hundred Hevan colonists had been killed during the battle, along with all of the Galdrians except the wielder of Heaven's Wrath. Even the Genjins, who had not directly participated in the battle, had their own loses, for their power was severely diminished after that. But, all in all, everyone agreed that it was a small price to pay for their badly needed victory. Had Tempest been allowed to continue living…” Kalen shrugged and left the thought unfinished as he took a moment to think over his next words.

 

“It was then decided, by all three of the races present, that the vessels containing Tempest's power would be kept on Tiris, for no one knew what would happen if the pieces of the mad god were taken from the moon. The Hevans, who at the time were considered the most powerful race in this universe, vowed to defend the relics, and to never allow anyone to assemble them all together in one place, for that would undoubtedly release Tempest from his confinement.”

 

Dorian, seeing the direction in which this conclusion was heading, then spoke up. “And that was when the Galdrians and the Hevans formed our ancient alliance, to stand beside each other no matter what the situation was.” Kalen nodded once, indicating that Dorian's surmise was, indeed, correct. “And the rift between our two universes was left open, for what reason?”

 

Kalen shrugged as he answered. “Because, to my knowledge, there was no way to close it. Only one being that I know of has enough power to alter the barrier between universes, and he was sealed away on Tiris at the time.”

 

“Well, the gateway is closed now, anyway,” Gabriel stated. “When Tempest destroyed the imperial palace on Galdria, he also wiped out any trace that a portal had ever existed there, I'm sorry to say.”

 

“That explains much, my Lord,” Kalen said, face going suddenly pale. “I'd felt my powers lessening over the past few months, though I didn't know the cause.” When everyone in the room seemed to look to the Genjin for more explanation, he continued. “My power is far too alien, you see. It cannot sustain itself here, in this universe, without some tie to my own reality. Without another Genjin to draw energy from, and with the portal effectively sealed again, my strength will continue to decrease, I'm afraid…”

 

“So then,” Hanzo said, finally speaking up again after being berated by Popo. “What good are you to us, if you can't even fight, huh?” Trunks flashed an angry glare at the older Saiyan, who seemed completely oblivious, focused as he was on staring Kalen down.

 

“You're right, I'm afraid,” Kalen responded, looking away from Hanzo's haughty glare. “I had no idea that the rift had been closed, you see. It was my plan to return to Genji and recruit two more warriors who would help me seal Tempest away, for that is the only way to stop him.” The disheartened Genjin warrior sat heavily down in his seat and covered his face with his hands. “There is, I'm sorry to say, nothing that can be done to stop Tempest now…”

 

A chill of cold dread passed through Trunks, and he shuddered as the gravity of Kalen's words struck home. Tempest was unleashed because of my selfish desires! What have I done? The half-Saiyan turned his back to his companions as he exited the small sitting room, feeling a heaviness and guilt that was unrivaled by anything he'd ever felt before.

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

The battle-weary defenders of Earth struggle to recover from their crushing defeats at the hands of Tempest when the unthinkable happens: the mad god has discovered the location of Kami's Lookout!

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 23

Mad God Saga, Part XII

“Unexpected Visitor.”

 

 

 

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