Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaioshin Saga: Story 2: A Truth Untold ❯ Chapter 3: To Be or Not To Be ( Chapter 3 )

A Truth Untold

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the Dragon Ball Z characters. They are owned by those who own them. I do, however, own the original characters (if any) and the fic all of this is in. That is all.

Chapter 3: To Be or Not To Be

The sun slowly set behind the horizon, the reds, yellows, purples, and pinks came between the blue of the day and the black of the night. Stars outlined the night side while the clouds lined what was left of the day in a vain attempt to keep the light alive. Eventually, the darkness would win over the light in a effortless struggled yet the stars would disappear in the morning rays. Light always had a way through the darkness even if it had to ultimately destroy it with its hopes.

Most would be settling into their homes as night came to be, ready to nestle into the soft sheets of their beds. As the night took over the sky, the light from torches moved along a plain of a faraway planet. The torch bearer's, four in all, circled two others that remained quiet in the light. Both were expressionless as they went along, waiting for whatever came to them as they moved.

You think I'll pass this part? Shin asked telepathically towards the other, hoping for a half decent response. He had learned how to transmit his thoughts to other people's minds, thus giving him the advantage as it allowed him to give information without saying a word.

It depends on what answers you give the Kaioshins. That is, if you know what you're saying. Don't dwell on some reactions. Some need to be quicker then others, Kibito thought back easily without even a look towards his master.

Will they test me on the Ki training?

No. Kaioshins do not need to know how to fight, just how to defend themselves. I think the North Kaioshin learned that the hard way.

So, what will they question me on?

That I can not tell you. You will have to find out for yourself.

Suddenly, the torch holders stopped walking, with Shin almost bumping into the one in front of him. The ones with the torches spanned out several steps before thrusting the torches into the ground with forcefulness. The four turned to face the two, their faces dimly lit by the flickering flame. All was silent as they stood there, awaiting for one to speak.

"It is time for the questioning to take start. Our young one will be tried before he can ascend to the East Kaioshin name. Are there any objections before we proceed?" The Dai Kaioshin said, his plump face looking around. With no words for several moments, the Dai muttered something under his breath as he stepped backwards as another stepped forwards to begin the questioning.

"I am the West Kaioshin, the opposite direction of you. I have seen the East in past turmoil before and I did not like what I saw. How do we know that we do not have to come to your aid at every whim?" She asked, her green eyes dancing with the flicker of light.

"I, uh, will keep order in the East. I will surpass any danger that there will be. I....I will make sure there isn't anything that goes unnoticed," Shin stammered, obviously showing the sings of nervousness.

"And our help? Will you call upon us every time that you are in trouble?"

"Unless there is a good reason to call upon the help, then no. I can not rely on the help of others all the time, even when I can correct what has been done myself," He answered, trying his best to hold the fear from his face. The West Kaioshin nodded her head towards the Dai before stepping next to her torch. Then the one on the other side of Shin stepped forwards, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I am the North Kaioshin and have seen what your past had delt you. How do we know that your emotions of what happen won't get in the way of your duties?" He asked bluntly.

"I have learned how to move around what had happened. I know that I can never get it back. It won't get in the way of what I have to do," He responded as he kept the pain out of his voice. The North Kaioshin did nothing as he went back to his post, the remaining one stepping forwards from behind the young one.

"I am the South Kaioshin and have seen what your training has taught you. What does your training have to do with becoming a Kaioshin?" He demanded in a harsh tone.

"It shows me the responsibility I have to my quadrant. It gives me the strength, knowledge, and hopefulness to rule over it."

"How do we know that you will not fail?"

"I have no grantee that I will not fail. I have to take each day as it is," The young one said, sweat beads starting to form on his forehead. The South Kaioshin did not say any more to this as he stepped back. Now the Dai Kaioshin stepped forwards, ready to speak once again.

"If there is nothing else for anyone to ask, then I will state what has to be said," He said, giving the boy a look. "I have watched, and tested like the other Kaioshins have, your training many times before. Despite learning enough to become a Kaioshin, you have struggled with every step of it. Your tests failed more then passed, and I am afraid I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should bestow the title of East Kaioshin upon your shoulders or give it to another. there is a lot of uncertainty in your eyes and I don't know if it should be mixed with the universe. What will you do if you do not become a Kaioshin?"

"I will accept what has been decided, understanding that I did not do what was needed of me. I will take that understanding and live with it for the rest of my life," Shin mused, feeling the sting of his words setting in.

"There is no grantee that I can give you the honor of this title. Yes, you have shown that you can handle pressure but there is nothing much else I can go on. Until I give my decision, which perhaps will be in the morning or sometime in the hours afterwards, do not get too settled in. There is a bigger chance you will not be a Kaioshin."

Shin bowed down to the Dai before looking up at Kibito. The other looked back at him as he placed a hand on his shoulder with ease. A yellow aura came around them before they disappeared from sight, leaving the Kaioshins alone in the darkness. All four looked at each other, no smiles nor any expressions on their faces.

"Is there anything else that can assure him that he will become a Kaioshin?" The North wondered out loud to the rest. "Can he be one of us?"

"He surely has a lot of skill. I have seen the way he looks whenever the Kaioshin order is mentions," The South responded. "His training has improved his outlook on life. Surely there is more then what he shows."

"I agree. The title should be bestowed onto him," The West said, looking strictly towards the Dai, who sighed. "But it is not our decision to make. We are only here to question and question we did. We watched what he can do, with or without our presence known. Is there any hope that he will be a Kaioshin?"

"I do not know. There is a lot of things that are wrong in him, as he carried them over the years, but there's no one else. We really do not have any choice in this matter as there is no one else. I have to go by the laws that the Kaioshins of generations past have set down," The Dai Kaioshin said, turning his head towards the new night sky. "Yet, he has shown more then what I expected in him. He has changed since he first came to this planet, and in a good way. Furthermore, I will tell him his answer in the morning as soon as possible."

All Kaioshins nodded to one another, pressing one hand around the handles of the torches as they pulled them from the ground. They came together, a little bit closer then before, as they started their walk back towards their palaces.

****

The cells they had been in were no more as they were free from the substance that bound them useless. No more did they have to wonder what was going on in the outside world that moved on. They were free to test the senses that had laid dormant for so long. Now their dreams of being free were a reality. A reality that soon became a nightmare. A nightmare that had started many years ago, and still continued on until the holder of that nightmare freed them. And they did not know when that freedom would be.

They had found themselves drenched in the substance that had held them inactive, their bodies able to age with the time that had passed outside. Each saw the two creatures more clearly now, more closely then ever before. The smaller one smirked up at them like he owned their lives, only to show them that they did. With each attempt of their escape, bolts of energy surged through them until they were brought to their knees. Soon, the energy bolts came to a crawling stop as they learned their fate that was in the hands of the most cunning, and dangerous, creature alive. And they did not like it one bit.

The other stood near the other one, much taller then what was first seen. Shrouded in a black cloak, the hood pressed over it's head so that no one could see into the opening of it, the creature watched the others as it stood in silence. Only a few times did it say something to the creature, who, in turn, gave a nasty retort towards the other. Mostly it watched the torture they went through, red eyes gleaming from inside the void.

"Your targets have been shown to you by the images I have placed inside your mind. I have seen that you do not want to go along with what I have in store for these ones, known as Kaioshins, but you have felt what it was like to disobey me," The smaller creature said, narrowing it's eyes at the two. They had long since gotten their hearing back, their eyes already used to the light that now illuminated their faces. "I have also noticed the young one's expression when I showed you the picture of the soon-to-be Kaioshin. What is it that intrigues you about him?"

"It seems like I have known him from some where. Somewhere far away," The young one said, the eyes of this one bowed down towards the ground.

"From where?"

"I do not know."

"I think you do," The creature said, it's eyes gleaming with a certain vileness. The young one bit it's lower lip, it's body backing up. "You do not want me to hurt you again, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"Then tell me. Where do you know him from?"

"It was a long time ago. He...he....reminds me of a brother that I had. Before....before I came here," It stammered out, a scared look upon the young one's face.

"What was this brother's name?"

"Um.....I can't remember....."

"Ah," The creature smiled curtly, a distant memory coming back to him. "Yes. That child that got away from me. Well, I have a job for you. See, the Kaioshins are a unwanted thing to me and I have plans for this universe. I've already demonstrated what I can do yet they do not seem to get the point. I believe that I will give them something that I've been working on for a while."

The creature nodded to the hooded one, signaling the other to show them what exactly he was talking about. The second creature stepped towards a curtain that possibly shielded something from their view. In a seconds time, the other took the curtain away, stepping with the fabric as it revealed a massive, egg shaped, pink ball. They turned their attention towards it, their eyes going wide with wonder.

"That, my pets, is what I am going to use against the Kaioshins. Not the egg itself but what is contained within it. My perfect way to strike against a force that has been a thorn in my side for generations," The creature purred with happiness. "And you, my dear, are what someone would call the bait. But, no. That's not the case." He clasped his hands behind his back as he started to pace, slowly, back and forth. "You see, that child, the one that is about to become a Kaioshin, is the strongest out of the five. That's not saying that the other four won't give up easily, but this one has more to him then what is shown.

"Your role in this matter is to distract that child once he becomes a Kaioshin. Yes, I understand that he would have more power then he has now but he is young. He doesn't have what it takes to really do his job well. But, once I go after the other Kaioshins, I will take him out personally. The tool that I have created will take out the others with force," The creature scowled at a passing thought. "If he listens to me, that is. He has already shown that he is hard to handle but that is nothing compared to what I can do to him."

"I don't want anything to happen to this Kaioshin," The older one stammered out, it's eyes going wide. The small creature stopped pacing to glare up at the one that had spoken.

"Then, my pet, you will not have to worry about it," He said, a smile forming onto his lips. A smile that gave the other a look of relief that went throughout it's body.

A scream of pain went along the room, echoing far into the blackest night.

****

"I'm not going to pass, am I?" Shin asked as he laid upon his plush bed and stared up at the ceiling through the mesh like canopy. He and the other had only recently come back to the palace they took in as their home, the younger one already in a depressing mood.

"I can not say. The Kaioshins expressions were unreadable, and their minds were blocked, even from me," Kibito answered truthfully as he stood near the doorway to the room. He had his hands clasped behind his back with his face serious as he watched the young one with interest.

"Blah. I probably failed. I could tell just by the way the Dai was speaking those words. I didn't have to read his mind to do so."

"Don't think negative, Shin. The results could go either way."

"Exactly," Shin mused as he sat up and pulled his legs towards his chest. He then wrapped his arms around his legs, his eyes looking lost and confused. "You heard what the Dai said. I've failed more then I have passed."

"The test isn't over yet. You've got to get through this night still."

"Not if I didn't pass the questioning and their evaluations."

"You will. You are being tested every moment, even as we speak. Don't doubt yourself because that will only make them feel like you can't do anything even when you can. You've got to learn how to make yourself think positive."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have to go through this."

"I may not have to but the other Kaioshins did. So did the Dai Kaioshin. He didn't automatically get the position."

"When will I know about the Dai Kaioshin's answer? When will he give me it?"

"Whenever he decides he wants to tomorrow. He doesn't have to tell you as soon as you wake up."

"I shouldn't have wanted to do this," Shin grumbled as he buried his head in his knees. "I should have walked away as soon as my heritages was known. I didn't expect it to be this hard."

"I know that but there is no one else. There has to be a Kaioshin for every direction," Kibito said, walking to the bed and sitting down next to Shin as he placed his hands into his lap. "You are destined to do this. I know it."

"Am I really?" Shin moved his head towards the other and looked at him all the while keeping his head on his knees. "What if I was meant to do something else other then what I am about to do?"

"You probably were but fate has chosen you to lead this path."

"I don't feel like I fit in. I mean, look at the South Kaioshin. He's too serious with things while the North seems to be like a little child despite his is probably thousands of years old. I don't want to even talk about the West....."

"They don't care about you fitting in. As long as you do what you have to do, and do it right, they will not care about anything else," Kibito gave the young one a rare smile. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out as it should be. There is no reason as to why you shouldn't pass. Trust what you know and yourself. If everything else fails, just smile and walk away."

"What will happen if I fail?"

"Then you will have the option to either stay or leave. I had the option to do so when the last Kaioshin I served died. But I stayed and here I am."

"They won't kill me?"

"Why would they kill you?" Kibito asked, raising an eyebrow. Shin raised his head with eyes full of confusion.

"Because I know too much about the universe. I know where the planet of the Kaioshins is. I just know too much for one person."

"If worse comes to worse, they would erase the knowledge you have gained about the Kaioshins and leave you with everything else that you have learned. That way, if you ever left the planet, you wouldn't tell a soul about the Kaioshins."

"I guess the universe doesn't know about the Kaioshins or the Kaios. Or isn't ready to know."

"I imagine that most people know about the Kaios. At lease, the ones that were allowed to keep their bodies and ascend to Other World to train under one of the Kaios. Those are few and far between while it is even rare for someone to train under the Dai Kaio," Kibito sighed at this. "Yes, there are still some things that are uncertain with you but you have learned enough to become a Kaioshin. I believe the real test is about to come soon enough."

****

She felt his presence, even if she and he were many worlds away. Everything that she had known before was null and void, leaving her with a sense of misplacement. Yet, she saw that there was still things that were the same with him, despite the two had grown up far apart. Now it was time for her to show him the changes that were inside of her. The changes that came with her imprisonment and his freedom. The changes she did not want to show at all.

The one sighed as she shook her head lightly. She stood by a beat up pod that looked like it had gone to hell and back a dozen times. The creature said it was the only thing he was willing to give her and the only thing that would deter any thoughts by the young one. He had also placed a half believable story into her mind, one that would possibly work to a joyous brother she had not seen in years. She did not think it would work but who cared what she thought? Her opinions did not matter anymore and her thoughts were no longer hers. There were no more thoughts in her, and she hated that. But she could not complain. If she did, she'd end up like the older one had.

She sighed again, her eyes staring at the piece of junk that sat next to her. How she could control a piece of crap like that was beyond question; one that she dared not ask. It wasn't her place to ask anything from the creature, especially one that had created a being of pure evil. One without emotions, without a soul, and without pity for the ones that it killed. She was different from that black hearted creature that laid dormant within it's own cell. She was far from him. Or was she? Here, she stood, on the verge of sending her life into chaos again. Sending one person into the pit of hell and never letting him come back.

And she had no way out of it.

****

Daybreak had come with the hopes of a new day, and hopefully a new life. Perhaps it would be fate if he got what he wanted, but it probably wouldn't be so. Like so much that had passed, things didn't always go to plan, and always went the wrong way. Maybe, just maybe, this would be something that went right for him. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe.

Shin slowly opened his eyes in what light there was that came from the windows behind his bed, his mind not in gear from the night to day transition. His thoughts still lingered in the few dreams that he had, most of them on what was awaiting him in the hours to come. The rest of night, out of the resting sleep, was spent tossing and turning among the soft sheets of the bed. There was no comfort at any point in the night, costing him the well deserved sleep that he longed for. Now it was too late to get back what was lost, forever away from his grasp.

The surrounding room came into focus as his eyes got used to the light. Shin sat up, a small yawn forcing him to stretching his arms towards the heavens. It was then that he noticed Kibito had his arms crossed over the lower edge of the bed with his head resting on them. The rest of his body had managed to find a comfortable position to be in as he slept, not knowing that the young one had awoken. Shin smiled at this, moving his body from under the sheets, placing his bare feet onto the plush carpet. He sat there for a moment, just watching the other with interest. He felt compiled to touch his hair gently, just to sense the softness but he didn't want Kibito to wake. He was fine as he was without any help from him.

It took several moments before Shin broke out of the trance, and back into reality. His thoughts jumped from the other to what the day was about to deal him. Would he pass? Did he have a chance? What was going to happen? These questions swirled around in his head like a tornado as he moved his body off the bed, soft enough not to disturb the other. He wanted so badly to ask something more of his protector but he didn't have the heart to wake him or the courage to tell him. Not yet, anyways. Perhaps in time it would be okay to hint towards something more but that was something he was petrified to do.

Shin tiptoed across the carpet in a attempt to keep Kibito asleep for a little longer as he made his way towards the door. Not that he didn't mind being around him, not at all. It was that the young one didn't want to go through any more training, even at the last minute. He was too nervous to do anything, the uneasiness swirling around him like a black fog. It wasn't like he couldn't handle what was about to be placed on his shoulders, if he was allowed to have it, but it was just that. His failure to pass a simple test would be hard, even if it was a test to be a Kaioshin.

"Where are you going?" The question made him stop in the middle of this tracks as he turned around quickly. Kibito was now facing him, his back leaning against the bed.

"It's breakfast time," Shin said nervously with a lopsided grin.

"I know it is. You should have awakened me, then."

"Well, you were asleep, and I didn't want to disturb you."

"You're too nervous to sleep."

"Yea," Shin's shoulders slumped a bit as he lost the smile. "How'd you know?"

"You've never up at this hour unless I wake you. And I can tell by the way you speak," The other said plainly as he stood up with ease. Shin smiled at this, watching his bodyguard walk towards him with even more ease. "Are we going to have breakfast or what?"

"Sure, Kibito," The young one said wistfully, the cat-like smile appearing on his face. At that moment, nothing else mattered as he turned around, Kibito right behind him. Whatever happened to him was going to happen. As long as he was with the other, he would be fine.

And nothing would get in the way of that.

****

She still didn't want to do this. It just wasn't right. To help distract one of the Gods while a vile, soulless creature destroyed the rest, and leaving the universe without protection. Without the warmth that it felt whenever someone feel into a dream filled sleep. Those days would be over soon, and she would be well on her way to meet those that she helped kill if the creature had no more use for her. She knew he would do such a thing, like he did with the older one. No more use for a pathetic life form.

She watched the stars move past the window of the pod, her blank, lifeless eyes staring out into eternal space. She found the pod to be in good working order with a few glitches here and there but nothing she couldn't work out. It wasn't hard to keep it in control, despite the pod going off course every so often due to the navigational glitches. Nothing that was worth risking going back over. If she died because of the pod, oh well. It wouldn't be her fault as it would also bring her comfort to her.

The creature figured it would take anywhere between four days and week to reach the planet of the Kaioshins. Not long, even by that planets clock. Like most planets, the gravity was different then the rest. It didn't allow the inhabitants to age as quickly as they should, even if a million years had passed. Even after one left the planet, the years that they spent on there would have affected the way they would live for the rest of their lives. Some say that they would be immortal in a sense, keeping their bodies young and carefree. Maybe she should abandon the mission and stay on the planet, keeping the one she seeked company and helping him with his duties.

She knew that would never be as the pod raced towards the planet, a hallow feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.

****

With the sparkling rays of the sun breaking through what was left of the darkness, light came back to the world. Every ounce of the light, that scattered from the other horizon of the planet, touched the living, breaking life forms, telling each to get up from their slumber. The sun gave life back to those that had lost the touch of wonder the day gave. Everything now was in a circle that would, and could, never end. Not even the Gods could do such a thing, with their power to control everything that they touched.

All was awaiting for the light to come into his place in the heavens above. All but one. And this one stood at the edge of a grand palace that spanned over hundreds of feet and stood at three floors. A palace that had beautiful carvings of glass, stone, and marble. A palace with enough room to keep anyone happy. A palace built for the God of the Gods. A palace in which Shin wished he had never set foot in the first place.

He and Kibito stood in front of the Dai Kaioshin's palace, waiting for the God to come down the same steps he had done so many times before. Waiting for the answer that the young one wanted to desperately know. Waiting for something that he could not wait for any longer. It was tearing him up inside like a knife through butter. He couldn't help but feel the nervousness seep through his body, and vibrating into the palace itself. He wanted to get this day over with so that he would have a sense of calmness to him.

"You're getting nervous again," Kibito snapped down at him as he kept his arms behind his back and his stance perfectly still. He didn't bother moving his attention away from the stairs, like the young one had, waiting patiently for the Dai.

"I can't help it. It's not like you have to do this," Shin snapped back, moving his weight from one foot to the other. He knew how to keep still in times like this but it was seemly impossible for him to do so. It wasn't like the other's future depended on it.

"Let him be nervous," The Dai Kaioshin's voice said from at the top of the stairs. Shin managed to move his head up towards the pudgy deity as he descended the stairs slowly. The young one silently urged him to go faster then his fat legs would let him but he tried his best to keep still. Kibito grunted at the Dai's statement, taking his eyes off the God for one moment to glare down at the one by his side.

"Have you found the answer, Dai Kaioshin?" Shin asked, biting his lower lip as soon as the Kaioshin reached the bottom step.

"Yes, I have. I think I have seen enough to give you the best answer that I have," The Dai did not smile and the young one took that as a hint towards what he was dreading.

"Whatever your answer is, Dai Kaioshin, I will accept it. I will take it and live with it for the rest of my life," He said, bowing his head just a bit.

"You had better because you have a lot to learn about the East Quadrant," He grunted out. Shin snapped his head up, his eyes going wide as the smiling face of the Dai looked upon him.

"You mean.....?"

"Yes. I think that, despite a few uncertain things, you have more qualifications then the other Kaioshins have. You'll probably be the Dai at some point. I can't do this forever, you know."

"Yes, Dai Kaioshin," The young one said, bobbing his head down in a frantic nod, a happy expression on his face.

"Well, don't get all excited yet. You still have the ceremony to go through. Once that is over, then you will be a Kaioshin."

To Be Continued....