Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 23: Unexpected Visitor ( Chapter 23 )

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 23

 

Mad God Saga, Part XII

“Unexpected Visitor.”

 

 

 

Ten years earlier…

 

The prisoner sat silently in the darkness.

 

For what must have been the hundredth time, he scanned the small, damp cell that held him, praying to find some sign that escape was possible. Unfortunately, just like all of the other times, the hopeless captive found nothing. It was as his captors had said: escape was impossible. The haggard, beaten man made his way to the far corner of the cell and closed his bloodshot grey-green eyes, allowing time to pass by quietly around him.

 

Eventually sleep came; though it was restless and filled with panic-driven dreams, and the exhausted prisoner found himself starting awake, only to come face to face once again with the impenetrable darkness of his cell. Finally, just as he had managed to relax once again, one wall of the cell simply slid aside, flooding the captive's eyes with bright, painful light. Three men, all dressed in the garb of Tribunal guards, entered the chamber as the prisoner cowered further back into his corner. Another man, clad in rich, shining robes that identified him as a Tribunal herald, entered after the three guards and came to stand directly before the trembling captive.

 

“Kalen Malum,” the herald said in a stern, ice-cold voice. “After much deliberation, the Tribunal has come to a decision regarding your fate.” The herald, who seemed to be fairly short in comparison to the three towering guards, crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed pale hazel eyes as he studied the prisoner, purposefully allowing his silence to stretch on. When it seemed as though the pause would last forever, the herald continued.

 

“You know that it is forbidden for one of your low class to seek companionship with any woman of higher rank, yet still you insisted upon pursuing the daughter of Ardys, who sits highest upon the Tribunal.” Again the herald paused, as if awaiting some response from Kalen, who remained dubiously silent. “For seeking to seduce and manipulate Lord Ardys' only daughter, tomorrow you shall be executed.” With that, the messenger made a slight movement with his hand, indicating to the guards that he was ready to leave the cell.

 

“What madness is this?!” Kalen roared, rising suddenly to his feet. “You claim that I pursued the girl? There are countless witnesses who can attest that it was she who sought me out!” As Kalen took a step forward, the three massive guards interposed themselves between him and the Tribunal's messenger. “Am I to be executed for a young girl's foolishness?” It was now Kalen's turn to await an answer, though none was forthcoming. After staring intently at the captive for a moment more, the herald calmly exited the cell, accompanied by the guards, once again leaving Kalen in enveloping darkness.

 

Kalen sat stiffly upon the ground and ran a hand through his tangled, unkempt hair. Can the Tribunal truly be so blind? he thought angrily, clenching his eyes shut, as if doing so somehow made the darkness less oppressive. I have no doubt that Ardys is behind this! He would never believe that his daughter was so manipulative; she has him wrapped right around her finger! But another thought entered Kalen's mind, one that made his blood run cold. What about the plans she and I made together? If she was merely playing me for a fool, she could have me tried for treason, and the penalty for that crime is far worse than death… Kalen shuddered as he realized that it was pointless now to worry, for whether it came mercifully quick or torturously slow, death was imminent.

 

Hours passed slowly by as the Genjin prisoner did what he could to relax, though it was nearly impossible to do so. The darkness was crushing, and the damp cold made his joints ache miserably. So involved was he in his own self-loathing, that Kalen at first didn't hear the faint whisper that came from outside his enclosed cell.

 

“Kalen, my love?” a soft female voice asked quietly. “Can… Can you hear me? I've come to help you, if you'll let me…” Silence followed this last statement, and Kalen feared for a moment that his would-be savior had given up and left.

 

As quickly as his aching body would allow him, Kalen made his way to the far side of his cell. “Please, don't go,” he whispered, ignoring the crack of his own voice. “Are you still there, dear-heart?” A gasp from without his cell told him that she was indeed still with him.

 

“Oh Kalen,” the girl whimpered, voice full of emotion. “I thought that I was too late, that they'd already taken you away!” Kalen heard muffled crying outside his darkened chamber, and the sound nearly broke his heart. Immediately he forgot his earlier accusations, for how could a cold-hearted, manipulative young woman find the strength to come here and find him? It must be as she said, she must truly love him!

 

 

“I'm to be executed tomorrow,” Kalen said as tears came unbidden to his tired eyes. “It is your father's doing, to be sure!” Again, a terrible silence fell over the cell, and Kalen struggled to maintain what little composure he had left. “Nothing can be done…”

 

“That's not true,” the girl said, and suddenly light once again flooded the death-cell. Kalen reared back, shielding his eyes as the chamber was opened, and his young lover strode confidently into the cell. “I will not sit by while my father puts you to death. I love you Kalen! And… what of our future, all of the plans we've made?” Suddenly the girl threw herself into his arms, burying her face against his shoulder as her body was wracked with sobs.

 

Kalen ran his hands through her soft brown hair as he held her close, ignoring his own tears as they ran freely down his dirtied cheeks. “You will be punished severely for this… For allowing me to escape.” No answer came from the trembling form in his arms however, though the sobs had long since stopped. “I would rather see myself dead than allow your father to harm you. I have nowhere to run to, my love, for the Tribunal's reach is far.”

 

“Then you must go somewhere beyond their reach, Kalen,” the young woman said, staring up at him with wide golden eyes. “We have no choice but to put our plan into action earlier than we'd hoped. You must pass through the veil, for not even the Tribunal could find you there.” She pulled away from the captive's strong, warm embrace and walked purposefully toward the cell's exit. “Come, I know the way.” Kalen hesitated for only an instant before following his young lover to freedom.

 

The two Genjins carefully made their way to the highest level of the Tribunal's palace, miraculously reaching the portal room unseen. Kalen was unsure how much of this was due to unnaturally good luck, and how much was due to his young companion's influence over the palace guards. Honestly, Kalen didn't care which.

 

The portal room's door closed behind them with an ominous creak, and Kalen followed the brown-haired girl into the center of the chamber. An immense pillar stood in the room's center, nearly filling the entire chamber, and Kalen was astonished by the amount of strange, alien power that seemed to be radiating from within it. With a single, fluid motion, Ardys' daughter caused a section of the pillar to roll aside, revealing the pulsing, multicolored tear between dimensions.

 

“You remember the plan we came up with together, Kalen?” the girl asked, all traces of fear and grief gone, replaced by cold determination. “Unfortunately, necessity has forced a change, and I will be remaining here. I don't know how I'll be able to bear living without you by my side, but it will only be for a short time, so long as you remember what we spoke of.” The brown-haired young woman pulled away from her lover momentarily and caught his gaze with her shining, golden eyes. “For our goal to be achieved, you must first find the resting place of Tempest, and you must see to it that he cannot be awakened, else all of our planning will have been in vain.” Ardys' daughter stepped forward and embraced Kalen again, kissing his cheek and whispering quietly into his ear. “He must not be awoken from his slumber, beloved…”

 

“I swear to you, I will not allow that to happen,” Kalen said, feeling a lump rise in his throat. But to be separated from you… “And soon, I promise that we will be together again, beyond the veil, where your father and the rest of the Tribunal will be powerless to stop us…”

 

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Kalen snapped out of his reverie as someone spoke.

 

“Kalen, did you hear me?” Clef repeated, finally breaking the ominous silence that had descended upon the room following Trunks' exit. “Is something wrong?” the Namek asked as he stared intently at the Genjin warrior.

 

“No, nothing's wrong,” Kalen responded, shifting a little in his chair. “Just… remembering, that's all. Much has happened since I left my home world, you see.” The green-clad Genjin closed his eyes and found himself once again staring into his lost love's beautiful face, and a shiver of regret passed through him. “I've failed someone who meant very much to me.”

 

“If you don't mind my asking, friend,” Hanzo began, glaring suspiciously at Kalen, “how is it that you found yourself in our universe anyway?” Miura's older brother stood up from his seat and walked over to where the Genjin sat. Once he had reached Kalen, Hanzo leaned over threateningly, resting one arm upon the table to support himself as he gazed intently down at the black-cloaked warrior. “I think we're all a little curious about that.”

 

“Fair enough,” Kalen said, ignoring Hanzo's overtly menacing posture. “If explaining myself will assist you in trusting me, then I've nothing to hide.” Kalen narrowed his grey-green eyes as he met Hanzo's gaze straight on, obviously unfazed by the Saiyan's air of superiority. “Ten years ago I found myself on the bad side of one of my race's most powerful rulers, a man named Ardys. To escape his wrath, I fled through the tear between our realms and ended up in the hidden chamber below Galdria's imperial palace.” Kalen quickly cast a curious glance toward Gabriel and Dorian, but neither Galdrian showed any signs of shock. “After sneaking my way past the royal guards, I fled the planet.”

 

“So that's it, then?” Rika asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Explain something to me, Kalen: if you've been here for ten years, then why didn't you try and secure Tempest's relics sooner? It seems to me that had you done so, it would have saved us an awful lot of trouble.” Several grunts and nods of agreement accompanied this last statement, and Kalen found himself irritated by everyone's lack of trust.

 

Have I not done enough! he thought angrily as his body trembled with pent up rage. I warned them on Tiris! I told them what would happen, but they refused to believe me! Why should I have to explain myself to them? But as the silence dragged on, Kalen realized that nothing would be solved by dwelling on the past mistakes of others. So be it, then…

 

“When I finally escaped Galdria, I immediately made my way to planet Heva,” Kalen finally said. “It was my hope to gain permission from the Hevan High Council to seek and gather the vessels that held Tempest's life force, so that they may be kept under a more watchful eye.” Deeply buried rage, along with memories best left forgotten threatened to get the better of the Genjin then, though he managed to continue. “Had I known what their decision would be, I'd have never gone to them. Not a single member of Heva's ruling body knew anything about Tempest, or the battle that had been fought on Tiris all those centuries ago. I couldn't believe my ears when they told me that I was daft! I, who had come before them to save two universes, was told that no such battle had ever taken place.” The green-clad Genjin looked down for a moment, as if this declaration from the Hevans still was fresh in his mind. “These people, who had been charged with guarding the vessels, they… They had forgotten. Well, perhaps not `forgotten,' but they had confused the situation beyond all reasoning. How could they actually believe that if the vessels were joined together a great god would come forth and grant their wishes?! It's a miracle that some egomaniacal Hevan bastard hadn't awakened Tempest before now, in hopes of gaining some advantage over political enemies!”

 

Kalen looked up, surprised to find all eyes in the room focused absolutely on him. Hanzo, who remained standing over the Genjin, had relaxed his threatening stance, and gazed now at Kalen with a mixture of curiosity and pity. Clef remained seated directly across from the fatigued warrior, watching him with wise, dark eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul. Popo and Bulma, who were obviously feeling like they were in over their heads, waited silently for Kalen to finish his tale while Gabriel and Dorian remained entirely caught up in this story that so deeply affected the welfare of their own race. Kalen shifted his glance to Rika, who stood calmly beside Android 16, both of whom seemed honestly interested in the weary Genjin's continuing tale.

 

Finally, Kalen felt ready to go on. “There was, upon the Hevan council, one man in particular who seemed determined to cast doubt upon my story. He had the entire council convinced that I merely sought the power of the relics to make some selfish wish… Mylember, I believe his name was—” Gasps of complete disbelief from Clef, Hanzo, Rika, and even Bulma and the others suddenly interrupted Kalen's monologue. “You know of this Mylember, I take it?”

 

“We've had dealings with him in the past,” Clef said simply, though he was obviously shaken by this revelation. If Mylember was so hell-bent on keeping Kalen away from Tiris, then he must have known the true story, somehow! Cold dread passed through the Namekian's body as he realized what this shocking news must mean. He knew how deadly Tempest was, even before he told us about Tiris! Miura was right after all; Mylember was so spiteful about losing to us that he fully intended for Tempest to be unleashed… A quick exchange of glances with Hanzo told Clef that the Saiyan warrior shared his assumption.

 

“Oh… I see,” Kalen said, understanding that there was some unspoken past between these warriors and Mylember. “As I was saying, Mylember managed to convince the council that I was some sort of danger, a `terrorist threat to the people of Heva,' is how he put it. I was immediately taken into custody and thrown in their dungeon.” Again, memories of those dark times welled up from somewhere deep within Kalen's mind, and he struggled to keep them bottled up and forgotten. “I… I remained in their custody until Mylember was killed nearly two years ago. After his death, it was like some hold that he'd had over the council just… vanished, and they released me without any comment. After taking some time to recover from the Hevans'… hospitality, I made straight for Tiris.” Kalen looked up, once again meeting Hanzo's baleful gaze with a cold glare of his own. “You know the story from there.”

 

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Trunks looked down upon the Earth.

 

Some great protector I've turned out to be, he thought darkly. Gohan, Father, you'd both be so ashamed of me right now. What have I done? The young half-Saiyan clenched his fists in anger as tears of hopelessness came unbidden to his narrowed eyes. What hope do we have now? Kalen even said that nothing can be done… Faint footsteps from behind interrupted Trunks' introspective inner-turmoil. The purple-haired warrior looked over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything,” Elysia said softly, stopping a few feet away from Trunks. “Zellis is still… sleeping, and the others are still ensconced in their meeting. Actually, I'm surprised you aren't with them, Trunks.”

 

“I just needed some fresh air, that's all,” he responded, returning his attention to the landscape that sprawled out below the Lookout. “Not that it's really helping, though.” I can guess why she's really here, Trunks thought, closing his eyes. It's my fault that her lover is dead, and that her planet was ravaged. Her people have suffered for my selfishness, and I'm ready for anything that she needs to say.

 

“I don't blame you, Trunks,” Elysia said as she moved closer and laid a hand gently upon his arm. “And I know that Arius wouldn't either…” Her glowing pink eyes glistened with unshed tears when she spoke of her lost fiancée, even then, after so much time had passed. After a moment, she turned those warm eyes on Trunks, who was stunned by her heartfelt words.

 

“Elysia, I…” Trunks struggled to find suitable words to express his feelings of guilt, but none came; only tears, which flowed freely from his teal eyes and ran unashamedly down his face. The feelings of failure that had been running rampant in Trunks' heart now came rushing to the surface, and all he could do was weep as those feelings took advantage of this sudden outlet. The grief that he had kept bottled up for the past several months was suddenly too much for him to bear, and he felt like he was going to die until a pair of soft arms encircled him, and Elysia's tears joined his own.

 

“I know, Trunks,” she whispered, eyes clenched shut in a vain attempt to stop the tears. “I feel so useless, so hopeless. Arius would be so ashamed of me, but what else can I do? Tempest is too strong, he's just too strong for us… And Arius is gone, and my people are suffering… What can we do?” Her slender body was wracked with sobs as she buried her face against Trunks' chest, and it was quite some time before she was composed enough to speak again. “I don't blame you, I never did. And I never will… I swear it.”

 

Several minutes passed with neither stricken individual saying anything, only holding each other until they'd purged all of the grief from their hearts. Eventually all of the tears ceased, and silence fell upon the Lookout. Calmly, using the sleeve of her silken robe to dry her face, Elysia stepped away from the young half-Saiyan, and there was a glint of relief in her red-rimmed eyes.

 

“Thank you,” she said quietly, a small smile upon her lips. “I thought that I was the only one holding anything in… I'm glad I was wrong.” Trunks only nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed that he cried like a child to this young woman, who was little more than a stranger to him, despite the time they'd spent together. “Trunks, listen to me,” she continued, taking his hand in both of her own. “You're no good to us if you keep on blaming yourself for this. It wasn't your fault, and the only person who thinks that it was is you! We need you at your best right now, Trunks. We all need you to be strong, and to fight for us, no matter what.”

 

With that, the young Galdrian Princess turned away from the silent half-Saiyan and made her way back into the Lookout's main building. Trunks remained for several moments afterward, merely staring down at his home world below him. Eventually though, as the chill of night descended upon him, Trunks followed Elysia back inside, leaving the Lookout unguarded.

 

It was a mistake that everyone would soon come to regret.

 

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Zellis remained unresponsive.

 

Elysia reentered the small bedroom and shut the door gently behind her, as if she was afraid that any loud sound would awaken the unconscious noblewoman. In reality, if Elysia believed that a slammed door would've been enough to disturb Zellis, she'd have done it so hard that the entire Lookout would've shook! Still, it was hard to believe that the green-haired girl lying unmoving on the small bed wasn't merely sleeping, for there were no visible wounds to account for her comatose state. Elysia studied Miura's adopted-sister in the silver moonlight that shone through the room's single window before she returned to her seat beside the bed.

 

I just don't understand what's wrong, the Princess pondered, taking Zellis' hand in her own. Elysia closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on the well of Galdrian power that was within herself. It took a moment to tap into it, but once she did, raven-haired Princess began channeling that energy through her hand and into Zellis. I've been at this for days now, and still no change… This should be working! I just don't understand, Elysia thought, feeling slightly dizzy as more and more power flowed out from her. If I keep this up, I won't have enough energy to sustain myself… Brief thoughts of an ethereal reunion with Miura entered her mind, but she immediately banished them as she cut off the energy link between herself and Zellis. No. what would Arius think of me if I gave up on life, especially now, when our people need me!

 

“Physically the girl is fine,” a familiar, monotone voice said as the door opened slowly. Android 16 entered the room cautiously, as if he too was afraid of disturbing the “sleeping” Zellis. “I fear that the damage that remains is nothing we can heal.” When Elysia flashed him a slightly confused look, 16 went on. “You have done remarkably well in healing her physical wounds, but it is the damage to her mind and her spirit that will be the hardest to fix. And in the end, only she can heal herself of those hurts.”

 

Silence followed 16's revelation, and Elysia could only nod dumbly. I can't believe that I didn't think of that, she thought to herself. I must really be getting exhausted… “I take it that the `council' is adjourned, then?” she asked, running a hand through her jet-black hair.

 

“It was, until Trunks returned.” 16 shut the door softly behind him and came to stand beside Zellis' bed. “Right now, the remainder of Kalen's tale, which Trunks missed when he left, is being repeated for him. I came to see if you would like to hear the news as well.”

 

It took Elysia a moment to realize that Android 16 was asking for her permission to tell her Kalen's story, rather than simply assume that she wanted to know. When the Galdrian Princess nodded, 16 began relaying the Genjin warrior's amazing story, and Elysia found that her dark thoughts seemed to have fled into the night.

 

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The Lookout shook violently.

 

Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, and the others assembled in the small sitting room were tossed to the floor as a second shockwave tore through the Lookout. Trunks rushed to the aid of his mother, assisting her to her feet and holding her steady in case another violent tremor struck. When it seemed like no more were coming, Hanzo and Clef, followed shortly after by Gabriel, Dorian, and Kalen, immediately leapt to their feet and dashed out of the room. After making sure that Bulma was alright, Trunks joined his companions on the Lookout's main platform. Or, rather, what was left of it.

 

Nearly a third of the Lookout had been obliterated, and large hunks of white stone hung momentarily in the air, as if suspended by some invisible power, before plummeting to the ground far below. A fine cloud of dust and small debris filled the air around the gathered warriors, making it hard to breath and even harder to see. But one didn't need to see to understand the situation, for the air was also filled with a frightening, dark power that made everyone's stomach twist.

 

“I've finally found you, worthless wretches,” Tempest said, his painful voice booming and filling the air around them. “I promised you during our last battle, Saiyans, that I'd find your little hiding spot! Did you think I was merely bluffing?” Blood-curdling laughter echoed off the Lookout around the assembled warriors, who stood trembling, searching in vain for any sign of Tempest. But the dust was too thick, and nothing could be seen of the mad god.

 

Belatedly, Android 16, Bulma, Elysia, Rika, and Popo exited the small building to join their companions. From the stricken expressions on their faces, it was obvious that they too could feel Tempest's terrible power and strength. Realizing that any noncombatants who remained would be at risk, Trunks turned to face his mother and the other newcomers.

 

“Mother, take the Aircar and get out of here!” he shouted as Tempest began to power up for another attack. Savage winds tore through the air around the gathered fighters, making it as hard to hear as it was to see. “Take Zellis, Popo, Dorian, and Elysia and go, now!” Bulma nodded agreement, but it seemed that not everyone that Trunks had mentioned intended on leaving.

 

Popo was the first to contend. “Trunks, I will not leave this place,” the jovial, black-skinned man said stubbornly. “It is the only home that I have, and I have nowhere else to go. Besides,” he continued, getting a distant look in his round, dark eyes. “Perhaps now is the time for me to finally rejoin my Kami…”

 

“You can't make me leave, either,” Elysia shouted, grabbing Trunks' arm with a strength that surprised him. “I'm done running, and what good will it do me anyway? We all know that eventually, all of us are going to have to stand against Tempest or die, so why put it off any longer?” Trunks was about to protest, but Elysia narrowed her shining pink-eyes and stared the half-Saiyan down. “I'm not going anywhere.”

 

Eventually Trunks could only nod assent, though he wasn't entirely happy about it. He cast a final glance at his mother, who, with Dorian's assistance, was now loading the unmoving form of Zellis into the Aircar. She looked over her shoulder at him, eyes filled with tears, and entered the vehicle without another word. After an agonizing moment without any sign of movement from the Aircar, it eventually lifted off and sped away into the night.

 

Finally feeling sure that his mother was safe, Trunks returned his attention to his enemy. Now that the dust had settled, Tempest could be seen hovering in the air before the assembled warriors, arms crossed arrogantly over his massive chest, lifeless black eyes narrowed in a glare that seemed fully able to kill all on it's own. A quick glance to his left and right assured Trunks that his allies were ready, no matter what the outcome of this battle.

 

Suddenly, without any warning, Tempest was among them, and Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, Gabriel, Kalen, Android 16, Rika, Elysia, and even Mr. Popo were caught in a battle for their lives…

 

And the lives of every living thing in two universes.

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

Death and destruction at the hands of Tempest fuel the fires of rage that burn within his opponents. Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, and the others are determined to make this their final battle against the mad god, but are they really up to the challenge?

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 24

Mad God Saga, Part XIII

“Power's Price.”

 

 

 

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