Dragonball Super Z http://hometown.aol.com/juuhachigouda/dbszfic.html By: Juuhachi-gou and MiraiBulma Dragonball Z Walking On The Sun: Part Three "Watch the World Get Bushwhacked" So don't just sit back, kick back and watch the world get bushwhacked News at ten: your neighborhood is under attack So put away the crack before the crack puts you away You need to be there when your baby's old enough to relate ~*~ Confused, Kuririn blinked up at the rapidly retreating forms, then to his left-- where Gohan was supporting Gokou as both of them ran to join the battle again-- then up, into the skies, where his senses told him the impossible. "This... I can't.. this isn't happening!" he shouted as the voices floated down in the quiet between thunderclaps: "Kaaaaaa- meeeee--" "Maaaasennn--!" "Maaakanko SAA--" "FINALLLL--" The rest of the words were lost in a roar of energy that slammed the Dragon Killer in the back, toppling him forward to slam onto his face. With an angry shout he rolled, firing up at his attackers, but they simply winked out of existence, to reappear point-blank in his face and fire a second time. This time Ryubarasu's cry was one of pain as he clutched his eyes, momentarily blinded. Then the air in front of Kuririn blurred and he felt himself grabbed up-- they were all grabbed, Piccolo, Vegeta, Juuhachi-gou, Gohan and Gokou-- and the world blinked around them. The next thing Kuririn knew, he was being set gently on his feet on the floor of a crevasse somewhere. He whirled, taking a stance instinctively, then stopped, looking up at his rescuer. "Guh... Guh...." he stammered as a hand descended gently on the top of his head and the man in front of him smiled; wistful, a little sad and a little happy both at once. "Ossu, Kuririn," Gokou said. "You looking pretty good. I like the hair. You should keep it." "GOKOU?!?!" Immediately Kuririn backed up, tripped, sat down hard, and looked around. "But you're over-- you're over there!" He stopped, noticing that there were more than just two Gokous. There were two Piccolos, identically clothed, giving each other a wary once-over before relaxing; two Gohans, one more muscular than the other, each clad in the Son colors-- though, now that he looked closer, Kuririn saw, it wasn't quite the same; these newcomers' colors were darker, a midnight blue and red-orange. Two Juuhachi-gou's, one long-haired and curled into Mirai Trunks' side (MIRAI TRUNKS!?!?) and one not, exchanging what could only be described as the coldest stare this side of a Frigidaire. Two Vegetas, one wearing his Saiyajin armor like a mark of pride, sneering at the other Vegeta; and... two Gokous. In the dumbfounded quiet, Mirai Trunks stood up and looked at Vegeta. "You wanted to know who taught me Saiya-go," he said, and walked over to stand by the other Vegeta, the one in the armor. "And I told you that you did. It was the truth. Vegeta-san... this is my father, from my time. And our Gokou-san, and Gohan-san, and Piccolo- san. The reason my mother is so happy these days is that.. we found a way to bring the four of them back." He smiled, a bit shamefacedly. "I admit, I was trying to keep it a secret so I could surprise you... but I guess the time for surprises is over." "Subarashiiiiii!" Gokou dusted himself off and walked over to stare at the other him, eyes wide. "You look just like me!--Hm?" Squinting, he bent over to check the other Gokou's waist, then screamed: "AIAIAAAAAA! YOU GOT A TAAAAAAIL!" "Tail?!" exploded Vegeta, fists snapping shut. "Nanda kuso?!?!" "Saa, saa, Vegeta, don't have fits now," the second Gokou-- Mirai Gokou, Kuririn guessed they'd have to call him-- said, holding up his hands. "It's just the way we came back, you know? We decided to keep them." "And what business it is of yours anyway, naked-butt, that we have our tails?" added Mirai Vegeta. Vegeta's hands began to crackle with energy. "I'll make it my business if I please, you second-rate apology for me." "That sounds like a challenge." Mirai Vegeta crouched, tail whipping up and tucking around his waist. A full fledged fight might've broken out, save for Mirai Trunks, who stepped in-between them. "Onegai," he said, "Pappa... Vegeta-san.. now is not the time, we have the Dragon Killer to worry about!" "Hnn." Mirai Vegeta dropped his hands. "Later then, yamazaru." "Mushikera," Vegeta muttered back, then stalked off a few feet, turning his back. "How did all of you get here, anyway?" Juuhachi-gou said, abandoning her stareoff with her 'twin'. "I don't suppose you got off the crosstown bus." "Bulma-san," Mirai Gohan said. "After the Dragon Killer stole the first time machine, she built another one. We made 2 or 3 short trips once we got back to the past-- aa, gomen, to the now-- till we felt Trunks-kun's ki." "This is soooooo cooooooool," Chibi Trunks said, turning around and around to look at everyone. "Hai!" Goten agreed, nodding. "It's like stereo everybody! -- Anou...." he stopped counting all the people, then looked over to Mirai Gokou. "Anou... tousan-- um.. Mirai Gokou-san, where am I? Didn't I want to fight too?" "Tousan...." Mirai Gokou looked over to Gokou. "He's yours?" "Hai. Goten da." Crouching, Mirai Gokou beckoned Goten over. "How old you're, Goten?" "Ummm..." Goten hastily counted. "I'm almost 10!" Again that wistful smile, and Mirai Gokou put a hand on Goten's head. "Iie, " he said quietly. "I don't have a Goten. In my time, I died before me and Chi Chi could have another little boy. We only came back from Tengoku year or two ago. Time for Mirai Goten to be born's already past; Gohan is my only son." "Ohhhhh..." On impulse Goten flung his arms around Mirai Gokou's neck for a hug. "Gomen ne, I didn't mean to make you sad." "How touching," Vegeta snapped. "But as someone just reminded us, we have other things to think about." "Nice to see some things never change," Mirai Piccolo observed. "I see the Vegetable is as obnoxious over here as he is in our time." "Yeah," Piccolo said, "great to be able to depend on some things, isn't it. Gives you a nice warm homey feeling." "He won't wait on us to finish discussions." Mirai Gohan pointed up. "Look." All fell silent as they followed the young man's gesture to see the sky above them in torment, red lines running through it like cracks as the clouds boiled. "Maasaka," Gohan breathed. "It's like it's being torn apart..." "I think it is," his future self said. "I think the whole world is being torn apart. It's being pulled into the DragonKiller, to fuel him. He's like a great black hole. And after Chikyu..." "Everything in the whole universe," Gohan finished, swallowing hard. "Hai, I can see that. He wanted to be the most powerful thing in the universe, ne? So... if he has all the power IN the universe, he gets his wish." With a nod Gokou closed both fists and screamed, forcing himself back up to Super Saiyajin Three, ki battering the others, who all instinctively shielded themselves... except for Mirai Gokou, who stood his ground, eyes wide in wonder. *What.. what've they fought here! What could call for so much power!.... A new power.. another level..??!* As if in a dream, he watched the transformation, a wild excitement overcoming surprise. *Beyond the Super Saiyajin... could I learn do that too..?* Opening his eyes, Gokou looked around. "This is last chance," he said solemnly. "We stop him now, or never. We don't take him down this time, he'll be too strong next time to hurt at all. Trunks; Goten. You two go now. Leave here." "But, tousan--" Goten started to protest. "Don't," Gokou said simply. "You two, you're too tired from Fusion. You go get your kaasans and little Marron and take them to the Tengoku. Maybe Dende will know something to do if we don't make it. Kuririn... will you..?" "Stay with 'em? Yeah, sure, Gokou." Kuririn put his hands in his pockets. "I'm pretty strong, I know, but this is one time I'm way over my head. --Well, it's not the first time, but.. it's okay. Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to 'em. Good luck." One by one the warriors lifted into the air, forming up their groups, Mirai Warriors on one side and the other Zed Warriors on the other, as Kuririn shepherded the children away. "From the back?" Mirai Gokou called over to his counterpart. "Hai," Gokou answered. "And us from the front, all at the same time. With everything we got." He paused a moment. "You think you can manage Genki Dama?" Mirai Gokou blinked a bit, closed his eyes, and put his palms to the sky. An utter calm filled his features, as if thoughts of DragonKillers and fighting and dying had never crossed his mind in all his life. "Minna," he whispered, gently, "lend me strength... from mountain and ocean and forest, from all the little precious lives need protecting..." Almost at once motes of light began to gather in the air, a few at first, then more and more, streams of power drifting into him and setting his aura alight. Gokou watched, clearly fascinated. "Saa... you're quick," he said admiringly, watching the sphere of light already taking shape above his other self's hands. "Let me know when you're ready." He flew off to flank the DragonKiller in front, the others following. "This is insane," muttered Mirai Vegeta. "If it's withstood one assault from... that..." he scowled at Gokou, clearly not happy to find that in any universe Gokou could achieve so much power, then shook his head, a bleak smile crossing his features. "Still. It'll make a good story, assuming anyone lives to tell it." With an impatient flick of his tail he beckoned Mirai Trunks over, putting the boy on his right, to the outside of their attack group... where, perhaps, he might escape the worst of a killing shot. Mirai Juuhachi-gou instantly joined him there. Mirai Gokou paused to watch that, then looked at his own son. **Gohan..?** **Iie, tousan.** Mirai Gohan shook his head just a bit. **IF we're going to die, then let's die together. Trunks and Juuhachi-gou, they deserve to have a long life together, ne?** **So do you.** **I'm not afraid, tousan. Not when you and Piccolo are here.** **My son...** Mirai Gokou smiled, then nodded once. "Yosh'. Let's do it." **We're ready**, he sent silently to the other Gokou, and drifted slightly to the back, continuing to call energy from the earth and add it to the Spirit Energy Bomb. It had to be enough this time. It had to be enough. To the far left, Gokou heard and turned. "Gohan, you, me and Vegeta in the middle. Juuhachi-gou and Piccolo to either side. --Gohan, don't hesitate this time." "He's right, Gohan," Piccolo added. "Use all the power you have, all the power old Kaioushin gave you. Yeah, you might split the earth, but right now it doesn't matter. It won't make any difference now to be careful." "Hai, tousan, Piccolo-san, I understand." Gohan hunched his shoulders a little, nervous, then took a deep breath, reaching for something he hadn't dared do since the threat of Majin Buu. Reaching for Super Saiyajin. As the power exploded outwards, making the tortured Earth quiver to its foundations, Ryubarasu turned, eyes searching the sky. "Maasaka..." he gasped. "What--what IS this--" "NOW!" Gokou pulled his hands to one side, Gohan mirroring the stance, as the others opened fire, circling the DragonKiller, distracting him and hopefully opening him up for the final strike. "Kaaa.. meeee..." "Haaa... meee..." Gohan echoed. "HAAAAA!" "GENKI DAMAAAA!" Mirai Gokou screamed, launching the sphere. The world exploded in light, the concussion making a kind of silence as its roar overtopped any and all other sounds, and tumbling all the fighters back helplessly head over heels in the air before it, grabbing at one another to try to hang on, not be separated, find some stability in the maelstrom. It seemed impossible for the world to stand such a blow; unthinkable for anything to exist in its path. Not even dust remained as the blast faded; only a great influx of air to fill the void at its passing. "Whoa," Piccolo said, raising his head, then shook it, realizing the blast'd left him temporarily deafened. That wasn't much of an obstacle to overcome. **Piccolo**, he said silently. **What**, his own voice-- well, that of Mirai Piccolo, anyway-- answered him. **And don't yell so damn loud. My antennae hurt.** **Poor baby. Want an ice pack?** **Yeah. Pass it over, so I can show you where I want to shove it. --Do you see anything? Where ARE you anyway? And where are the others? ** **I'm here... Piccolo-san... anou.. Piccolo-sans...** Gohan pulled himself out of the rubble that had been a fair sized hill and shook off the dust, regretting the motion at once; his whole body ached. **Tousan? Gokou-san? Trunks-san? Juuhachi-gou-sans? Um.. me?** **Here...** Mirai Trunks tried to stand, collapsed back to his knees and found himself kneeling on top of his father. **Papa?!** **Shut...up.** Mirai Vegeta levered himself up, one hand to his ear, feeling the warmth trickling from it. **Idiot boy. I'm deaf, not dead. Kakarott?** **Nnn.... is this what.. happens when you drink too much sake..? ** Mirai Gokou pulled himself free and promptly tumbled down a ridge of shattered stone to fetch up at the feet of his past-time counterpart. **Aa, here's other me too, we're here. Gohan? Gohan?!** **I'm.. okay, tousan...** Mirai Gohan stood, supporting Mirai Juuhachi-gou on one side and Juuhachi-gou on the other. **I think... I think we all survived-!** **Yes**, a cold, bleak, black voice said in all their minds at once. **We all DID survive.** "Oh, Kami, no," Mirai Trunks moaned, forgetting he couldn't hear his own voice, turning to see the giant's form looming over them all. "No." Ryubarasu smiled down at him. He no longer looked quite human; inside the outline of his body, a vast darkness had begun to fill him, as if the mortal man he'd been once had become translucent and some essence of ultimate shadow had been poured into him, filling all the space inside, up to a few inches from the edges. "I grant you all your health again," he said softly, making a courteous gesture in the air. "For the few moments of life you have left, it's only right." "That's it, we're dead," Piccolo said, dryly. "Game over." "Man, and I didn't even pass 'Go' to collect my 200 zenni," Mirai Piccolo added. "Is now a good time to retreat?" Gohan asked, eyes wide. "Hai." Gokou said. "RUN AWAYYYY!" He grabbed everyone he could reach and teleported frantically back to the gorge they'd hidden in first. Seconds later Mirai Gokou appeared there too with the stragglers. "NOW what?!" Vegeta raged. "Chikusho! I don't believe this! What does it take to put this yagishiri DOWN?!" "You're asking ME?" Mirai Vegeta roared back. "Do I look like Kami? Don't prove yourself more of a fool than you are!" "Keep that up and you won't have to wait on Ryubarasu," Vegeta snarled. "I'll send you to Hell MYSELF!" "Tousan...?" Gohan said pleadingly, looking to his father. His heart sank at the look on Gokou's features. "It... it can't be over..?" "That was all we had," Gokou said, almost to himself. "We'd need to be twice as powerful as that now, to even match him... that was all we had." He closed his eyes, one fist pounding the ground. "All we had!" "..Chotto..." Mirai Gokou's brows knit. "Say that again." "All we had?" "Iie... the other part." "Twice as powerful?" "Still not hearing so good?" Mirai Piccolo chided his world's Gokou. Mirai Gokou didn't answer, not directly. "Twice as powerful..." he repeated. "Twice. TWO." "Hai--" Gokou stopped, his head lifting, gaze locking on Mirai Gokou's. "You think--" "What we got to lose?!" "We can do worse than try! You're right!" Gokou leapt to his feet. "Ikkusho!" Mirai Gokou also leapt to his feet. Whirling, he grabbed Mirai Vegeta's shoulders. "Vegeta, buy us some time," he said urgently. "Me and other Gokou. A few minutes. We need a few minutes." "What are you planning, Kakarott?" "No time explain! Vegeta, just buy us time!!" Letting go, Mirai Gokou turned, nodded to Gokou, and as one the two men vanished. In the moment after, Vegeta snorted. "And you claim to be a Prince of the Saiyajin," he sneered at his future self. "Letting a low born warrior like Kakarott order you around as if he had you by the root of your tender little baby's tail." The next second, Vegeta found himself slammed back against the crater wall and his own features, blazing with rage, staring back at him. "I didn't survive ten years in Hell without a body to listen to your mouth," Mirai Vegeta said, voice low and cold. "We both know that Kakarott is a tactical genius...more than either of us will ever match. If you haven't seen that for yourself by now, you ARE a fool, or a liar. I don't care which. If he has an idea how to save this wretched mudball of yours, then SHUT UP, GET YOUR TAILLESS BUTT OUT THERE, AND BUY HIM THE TIME HE WANTS!!" Stepping away, Mirai Vegeta made an impatient gesture to the others. "What are you waiting on? Kaiousama to come hold your hands? We MOVE!" He shot straight up, hair flushing gold as he went Super Saiyajin, the other Mirai Warriors on his heels. With a half-smirk--almost admiring--Vegeta powered up as well, looking at his companions. "You heard him," he said. "Do I have to kick your butts to get them moving?" He rocketed upwards, one palm extended flat as Ryubarasu turned to face him. "FINAL FLASH!" The DragonKiller never moved, only held open a palm, accepting the attack like a gift and absorbing it. "Thank you, Your Highness," he said mockingly. "I see you hold me in high regard." With the other hand he fired, searing Vegeta and sending him caroming into the nearest mountainside. "KUSOTTARE!" Mirai Vegeta charged, smashing his fists into the Killer's chest, then ramming home blow after blow, faster and faster till his punches looked like one great blur of motion. Ryubarasu only shifted a little backwards, then raised a hand, brought it down in the same slapping motion that'd felled Gotenks earlier. Mirai Vegeta fared no better. He screamed as he crashed to earth, struggling to pull himself from the rock as Ryubarasu lifted a foot, obviously meaning to crush him. "BURNING ATTACK!" Mirai Trunks roared, swooping to fire point- blank. Beside him, Mirai Juuhachi-gou also raised her slender hands. "ENERGY WAVE!" she screamed, pouring everything she had into the shot. With a growl, Ryubarasu brought his hands together in front of him, in a monstrous clap whose shockwave tumbled the two fighters away through the air. "You don't even begin to accept what you are to me, do you?" he said, irritated and amused both. "All of you are so many gnats who hum and buzz in my ears. And like gnats, I'll crush you." "Yeah, but you never saw gnats who had stings like ours," Piccolo retorted. Both he and his counterpart fired as one, the spiraling Makanko Sappou beams hitting the same spot. With a grunt, the DragonKiller turned to face and deal with them. As the crack and flash of blasts filled the air, a mile away the two Gokous were standing side by side, both in Super Saiyajin. Gokou watched as his counterpart struggled for just a little more power. "Almost there," he said encouragingly. "Hai..." Mirai Gokou flashed a quick grin, swiping the sweat out of his eyes with the back of one arm. "I guess I should've trained harder in Heaven." "Nanimo... I think that's it. Close enough." Gokou paused. "You sure?" "We got any other choice?" "It's gonna be a big strain on you. Maybe too big." "I know. It's no difference. Ready?" "Hai! IKKUSHO!" And for a second time the world went white, though this time there was no roar of detonation; simply the lighting of a star on the face of the blasted earth and a surge of power that seemed to burn through the nerves of everyone on the planet who could even begin to feel such a thing. As one, hunter and hunted, the Warriors and the DragonKiller, stopped, frozen in place. "N--Nanda...?" Gohan stammered, blinking furiously, eyes watering. He tried to peer through the light, had to turn away; the sheer force of--whatever-- was blinding to sight and mind alike. Beside him, Piccolo winced, baring his teeth. Not even Juuhachi-gou or her counterpart could look that way; not even the sophisticated lenses of their artificial eyes could handle the output. Then the star began to move, passing slowly but surely over the ground that crackled and buckled and shot out bolts of lightning at its passage, though it rode the wind a good hundred feet or more above the land. As it neared, the whole group could hear something; not with their ears, but in their minds. A low roar, like the whispering crackle of a Super Saiyajin's aura, but magnified a thousand times--and yet distant, muffled, just as though something or someone was trying to protect them from a sound so loud that only the echo of it was bearable at all. "What..." Vegeta began, then stopped. "M..maa...maasaka..." Now the light dimmed, somehow; not fading, but... changing, like the sun when the moon passes before it in an eclipse. In the heart of it now they could all make out a form, familiar and strange at the same time. Gokou. But did Gokou ever burn so bright, as though he were made of the light, as if power and not blood ran in his veins, as if energy was flesh and bone? "S... sugoi," breathed Mirai Trunks, squinting and blinking, trying to see more. "He... it's a Fusion. They fused! Gokou-san and.. Gokou-san..." End Chapter Fifteen