#so when TOEI finally approved it they were like. well. better to use these rights than do nothing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

melodyalanaroster · 3 years ago

Photo

Miracle Romance

"Oh my god." Alana gasped with tears in her eyes. She stood in front of a large mirror and stared at herself. "I finally look like Serenity." She smiled as she left the dressing room and showed herself to Nathaniel. "You look amazing." Nathaniel smiled. Alana began to cry. “For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be like her... And now, even for a few moments... I can be her.” Tears made their way down her face as she smiled. "I guess I have to break your one rule." Nathaniel smiled. "You are not dying your hair black." Alana remarked. "I could wear a wig." Nathaniel replied. “But Nath... We talked about this...” Alana began. "I am not letting anyone else be your Endymion." Nathaniel interjected.

★

Throughout Alana's life, she had made it very clear that Sailor Moon had been a staple to her. It was a staple in the Roster family. By the time Alana reached the point of living in the Black Tower, at least four generations of the family enjoyed it. Including both primary sets of sisters, Margaret and little Ravenna.

She would play pretend with Viktor, Severina and Sam when they were children. She would always be Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity, Viktor was Tuxedo Mask and Prince Endymion, Severina was Sailor Venus and Sam was always Sailor Jupiter. The tree house in Alana's backyard was often the Moon Kingdom and they would frequently save the world. The adventures would always end with the power of love winning and the kids going into the house for a snack.

As the kids reached adolescence, they were forced to stop playing. But, their love of the anime was still prevalent. Alana always kept up with merchandise news and rumors about the release of a second anime. Lynne had made sure that Alana and Sam had their own copies of the manga, original anime and movies. Viktor happily talked about being Endymion to Alana’s Serenity until they were forced to break up. They wanted to continue the fantasy, but circumstance parted them. Severina was always happy to talk to everyone, and toss out ideas for a proper cosplay group, but Sam dampened the idea with the reminder that, as long as Viktor’s and Severina’s fathers remained in control of their lives, they’d never be allowed to do so.

When Lynne moved Alana and Sam to Amouria, things began to change. "She won't shut up about that Nathaniel guy." Viktor growled as he sat down next to Severina. “Viktor, you knew from the day one that you and Mels weren't allowed to be together. She has to find her Endymion." Severina sighed. “But seriously? aunt Lynne moves her and Sam to Amouria and they both immediately find guys they like?” Viktor complained. “You know Mels talks about other guys too. Right now, it could be Castiel, Lysander, Armin or Nathaniel.” Severina tried to make things sound better. “No, it's definitely Nathaniel. She barely mentions the others to me. Mostly about Armin playing games, Castiel being an ass, and Lysander losing his notebook. But she dotes on Nathaniel a lot.” Viktor retorted. Severina sighed. "Viktor... Do you remember what happened to Adonis and Beryl? Their envy got the best of them, they became evil and they died. Please keep a clear head.” She reasoned. "I am not like Adonis and Beryl." Viktor shot. “Viktor, I can't believe I have to be the voice of reason here. Both of our moms made it very clear that aunt Lynne, Mels and Sam have more freedom than we do. They're not blue bloods. They have to find their miracle elsewhere... Although, you and I will probably end up being paired together in an arranged marriage set up by our fathers.” She explained. Viktor thought for a couple of minutes and sighed. "I just thought..."

The first time Nathaniel ever went into Alana's room, he instantly noticed her Sailor Moon dolls. "They're really hard to find these days... And Sailor Moon means a lot to me..." She said as she explained what the show meant to her. “It's a connection to my past, my closest friends, and my family.” She smiled. Nathaniel looked puzzled for a bit, then smiled. "That's really sweet.". He smiled. He noticed a picture of her, Sam, Severina and Viktor on a shelf and picked it up. “You all look like you’re having so much fun.” He mused. “Yeah... That’s the only time we’ve ever been able to dress up.” Alana sighed, wistfully. The kids were in makeshift Sailor Scout uniforms. Their hair wasn’t perfect, and Viktor’s tux didn’t fit right, but they didn’t care. The photo had been taken a few weeks before Cosima Chevalier’s death, and was one of the last happy memories they had as a group. “Its cute.” Nathaniel chuckled as he looked at her lovingly.

When her mother went into the hospital, Nate arranged it to where Alana and Lynne could sit and watch whatever they wanted in the room. Lynne suggested marathoning Sailor Moon. The days in the hospital weren't as bad when they watched the show and Lynne stayed stable, but there were days where not even fighting evil by moonlight could save the day. But, that didn't keep them from trying. It didn't take them long to get through all five seasons and three movies of the original anime. “I heard they're making a second anime that's supposed to be closer to the manga!” Alana attempted to be cheery. She was sure that she, Severina and Sam had told her about Crystal, but she really couldn’t think of anything positive to say. “That's lovely! Do you know when it's set to come out?” Lynne asked. “I have no idea. I'm sure Toei will update us when they can!” Alana replied. “I hope its soon.” Lynne smiled. Suddenly, Lynne began coughing and her monitors started to go off. “NURSE! HELP!” Alana cried.

Even when Sam and Alana fought so badly that the Military and RDR felt it was necessary to create a treaty between the two organizations to prevent the sisters from ever being enemies again, it was actually their love of Sailor Moon that truly began to bring them together again. Severina had gotten wind of the fight and forced the girls to go to her house. “OW! RINI! YOU'RE HURTING MY EAR!” Alana whined. “Seriously! What the hell?” Sam whined. “I don't care if I'm hurting you two! This kind of fighting is unacceptable! You two are sisters and you know that this behavior will tear the family apart! I won't allow that!" Severina began to cry as she lead the sisters to her home theater. "What's all this?" Alana asked. "You've forced my hand, so I'm pulling out the big guns!" Severina cried as she grabbed a remote and turned on the screen. Sam and Alana looked at the menu then at each other. "Go figure." Sam grinned. "Of course." Alana grinned. The menu on the screen was the DVD menu to Sailor Moon R: The Promise Of The Rose. By the time the song “The Power Of Love” was playing, tears were streaming down the sisters' faces. "Mels." Sam began to choke. "Sam." Alana's voice wavered. They looked at each other, sadness and regret in their eyes. “Mels... I’m s-so s-sorry f-for what I-I said..” Sam sniffled. “I’m s-sorry t-too S-Sami...” Alana blubbered as she hugged Sam. “I love you.” Sam muttered as she held onto her sister. “I love you too.” Alana murmured.

When Death’s Domain was getting set up, Alana dedicated a whole room to the series. “You’re seriously going to have an entire room dedicated to Sailor Moon?” Derek had asked. “Yes. Its going to have shelves for merch, posters, and a couch to relax on.” Alana mused. “Melody can have whatever she wants for her apartment. And, if it helps her destress, I most definitely approve.” The Red Death announced. “Well, the majority of my collection will be in there. There’s going to be something Sailor Moon related in every room.” Alana smiled. “Of course there will be.” Derek facepalmed. “I’m not apologizing. I love Sailor Moon and I wanna showcase it in my home.” Alana laughed. “And I’m sure you’re going to do nothing but post about your collection for a while.” Derek rolled his eyes. “Obviously. Moonies have a good presence online.” Alana mused. “I thought “Moonies” were people who followed the Unification Church?” The Red Death inquired. “Yeah, they are called that, but Sailor Moon fans are also called “Moonies”. I know, in certain circles, I have to be sure to differentiate... But, its what we’re called.” Alana explained as she shrugged her shoulders. The room ended up becoming a paradise for fans of the series. Shelves filled with various collectibles, a couch decorated with two throw pillows and a blanket, a coffee table with two sets of coasters, a large rug, framed posters, plushies, moon and star lights along the walls and showering down the window and a tv mounted on one wall. In contrast to the vast majority of Death’s Domain, the room was an explosion of bright colors.

★

Nathaniel stepped into the restroom for a few minutes. Alana watched the door in anticipation. When he came out, he was running his hands along the circumference of the black wig, making sure it was in its proper place. The thought of how similar he looked to Viktor shot through her mind. She did her best to suppress that thought. "You don't even like cosplay..." She muttered as she smiled. "You do so much for me, I don't mind doing this for you." He grinned. "Nathaniel! I love you!” She cried as she wrapped her arms around him. “I knew I was going to see Princess Serenity, I didn't know Prince Endymion would be with her!” someone called from behind them. They turned around and saw Sam leaning in the doorway. “Sam! I look just like her!” Alana cried. "I wonder if I can get Ken to be Nephrite." Sam commented. “I'm sure he would be if you asked him. You two would be the perfect Jupiter and Nephrite!” Alana beamed. “I didn't know this was turning into a full on cosplay group!” Ken laughed as he walked up behind Sam. "Why not?" Sam asked. "I'm not sure Viktor would appreciate being Kunzite." Alana remarked. “He'd have to get used to it. Since Nathaniel is Endymion, that demotes Viktor to Kunzite.” Sam stated. "Right because when you guys were kids, Viktor was always Endymion." Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “Viktor has had years to accept his position in my sister's life. If he doesn't accept it, it will not end well for him.” Sam replied. "Do you think he will?" Nathaniel asked. "If he truly cares about her, he will." Sam nodded. “Viktor has known for years that our time ended long ago. Accepting his new position is painful for him, but he is well aware of the fact that it's something that he must do.” Alana explained.

A few minutes later, Renee walked into the room. “You both look magnificent! The girls and I have gotten a backdrop ready, would you two mind taking a few pictures?” She beamed. Alana smiled and turned to Nathaniel, a very hopeful look on her face. "Would you be okay with that?" She asked. Nathaniel nodded. "Sure." He grinned. They followed Renee into a room. "Oh my god! You two look utterly amazing!”, “You look beautiful Mels! Nathaniel, you look so handsome!”, “True Moon and Earth royalty!” the other girls cooed when they saw them. “I think we should do a cosplay group. I'm Jupiter and Rini will be Venus.” Sam commented when she walked in. "I volunteer to be Mercury!" Renee cheered. "I'll be Mars." Lyra smiled. "I'll be Pluto." Veronica beamed. "I don't mind being Saturn." Nora suggested. "I wonder if we could get Lucy and Noelle to be Uranus and Neptune." Sam pondered. "We could also see about getting Ravenna to be Chibi Moon." Alana proposed. “I think that would be fantastic. Who would be the rest of the Shitennou?” Lyra asked. "I could see if Armin could be Jadeite." Alana thought out loud. "Are we really setting up a cosplay group?" Nathaniel asked. Sam looked at Nath, as if he had said something really stupid. "Do you not realize how highly rated Sailor Moon cosplay groups are?" She asked. Nathaniel shook his head. “Sailor Moon cosplay groups are some of the most elite cosplayers in the anime world. Sailor Moon being one of the most iconic anime in history, it is instantly recognizable. The cosplayers take some of the most beautiful pictures, make some of the coolest videos, and even do events. They may not be unionized like Star Wars' 501st Legion, but they come together and coalesce with great ease whenever they recognize each other. Children who recognize them run up to them the same way that they do with superheroes, and typically, they are nice to them. It is a sisterhood of love and justice.” Sam explained. "Not to mention how fun it would be to finally be in one." Alana cooed. “We'd still need Zoisite.” Veronica stated. "I wonder if Derek could be him." Nora pondered. “Uh, guys? Can we please get to the photoshoot?” Renee asked impatiently.

After posting for photos for what felt like an eternity, Nathaniel and Alana went into the changing room to get out of their cosplays. "You do look really beautiful in that." Nathaniel smiled as he took the black wig off. Alana blushed. "Do you really think so?" She asked nervously. “Of course. You look magnificent.” He blushed as he walked over to her and kissed her. “Thank you for doing this my love. It means the world to me.” Tears came to Alana's eyes as she spoke. “I love you my Melody.” Nathaniel cooed as he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I love you so much Nathaniel!” She mused as she threw her arms around him.

★

A few weeks later, in the early hours of the morning, several cars arrived at an old castle in the country. “This place looks amazing! Perfect for our photo shoot!” Alana cheered as she got out of the car. “Welcome to the Astarian Royal Palace Lady Melody!” A woman with long brown hair, sunglasses and wearing a knee length blue dress beamed as she walked up to them. “Mrs. Reynard, I presume?” Alana asked as she shook the woman's hand. “Yes ma'am. We spoke over the phone.” the woman smiled. “You are fully aware as to why we need the palace today. Am I correct?” Alana inquired. “Yes. For your little photoshoot. Cosplay, I believe.” Mrs. Reynard replied. “Yes. Sailor Moon. Its important the palace be the backdrop to this shoot.” Alana stated. “The photographer will be here in a few minutes to set up. They'll need time.” Mrs. Reynard explained. “That's fine. We need time to prepare.” Alana smiled.

After a couple of hours, the members of the group began to step out of their respective preparation rooms and into a lounge. Lynne Roster as Queen Serenity, Sam as Sailor Jupiter, Severina as Sailor Venus, Renee as Sailor Mercury, Lyra as Sailor Mars, Noelle as Sailor Uranus, Lucy as Sailor Neptune, Nora as Sailor Saturn, Veronica as Sailor Pluto, Ravenna as Small Lady Serenity, Viktor as Kunzite, Ken as Nephrite, Armin as Jadeite, Derek as Zoisite, Nathaniel as Prince Endymion and Alana as Princess Serenity. When the entire group was gathered in the lounge, tears filled Alana's eyes. “It's so beautiful!” she happily cried out. “Awe! Mels!” Severina cheered as she hugged Alana. “This was a fantastic idea!” Lynne beamed. "How long do we all need to wear this?" Armin asked, slightly uncomfortable. “Just a few hours. We're gonna get a TON of shots! ” someone replied as they walked up. It was a young woman with short platinum blonde hair, bright green eyes, and pale skin. She wore black pants, a white button up top and a deep blue beret. "You all look so regal!" She cheered. “Alright everyone, let me introduce you to you Catarina. She's a friend of mine from boarding school. She's the photographer I told you guys about!” Severina introduced. “Hello everyone! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you all!” Catherine bowed. ” Severina introduced. “Hello everyone! It is an absolute pleasure to meet you all!” Catherine bowed.

The photoshoot took several hours, and took place at various locations within the castle grounds. Lynne insisted on at least one family shot with Sam and Alana, and one with Sam, Alana, Severina, Ravenna, Ken, Nathaniel, and Viktor. “This is odd. I don't quite know the anime, but those characters aren't actually family, aren't they?” Catarina asked, curiously. “Not exactly... I mean, Queen Serenity, Princess Serenity, and Small Lady Serenity are three generations of lunar royalty, and Prince Endymion is Princess Serenity's husband and Sailor Chibi Moon's father... But, this shot isn't about the show's family. It's about their family.” Lyra explained. “Oh. That's sweet!” Catarina smiled. Alana insisted each “couple” got their own picture. Viktor wasn't too happy that his couldn't be with Alana, but he didn't mind posing with Severina. Kentin was very happy to have a romantic pose with Sam. "Nephrite and Jupiter look so fantastic!" Renee cheered. “Are you kidding? I've been wanting to do this set for a long time!” Sam beamed. “My favorite part of all of this. I hate this wig, but being your knight is worth it.” Ken mused as he looked at Sam lovingly. "This is awkward." Derek rolled his eyes when he and Renee had their turn. "Oh grow up!" Renee snapped. "Derek... You know what happens when Renee gets mad!" Alana laughed. “Yeah... She gets pretty scary.” Derek sighed. Everyone laughed as Renee forced Derek into a somewhat romantic pose. "But this is so awkward!" Derek whined. "Just do it!" Renee demanded. When their part of the shoot ended, Derek sat down and shot back a bottle of water. “That was weird. "Lyra, Armin, you're up!" Alana cheered. “Now this will be interesting! ” Ken chuckled. “And in Dragon Ball references Armin! Toei may own both franchises, but now is not the time to try to mix the two!” Sam ordered. “Awe come on! That takes part of the fun out of it!” Armin whined. “Armin, if we were doing a smaller photoshoot, I wouldn't mind a few “fun” shots. So please be more serious.” Alana urgent. "Fine." Armin sighed as he and Lyra took their places in front of the camera.

“God that was exhausting! Who'd have thought that Cosplay would be THAT much work?” Nathaniel whined he crashed onto the living room couch at Death's Domain. "If you had cosplayed as the Winter Soldier when Armin and I cosplayed as Captain America and Black Widow at that Marvel Exhibition in High School, you would have known, first hand, A LOT sooner!" Alana shot as she crashed down next to him. "You still won't let me live that down?" He asked. "Nope." She chuckled. "Why not?" He asked. “Because Armin and I worked our asses off to do our characters justice and we were hoping you would join in on the fun. Especially considering how Natasha and Bucky get together in the comics several times, so it would have been a cute “couple's cosplay” for you and me. Not to mention how cosplay is more than just “wearing a costume”. When someone properly cosplays, they also wish to play the character, even for just a day. They temporarily escape reality and enter the one the character they're cosplaying as resides in. Weeks, months, and even years are spent building props and even hand making the items and outfits. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into it!” She explained. "I know you and Armin love it, but I don't think I could do it as often as you want to." Nathaniel sighed. “I get that. Its not for everybody. But, I'm thankful you did it for me.” Alana Mused. “I love you Alana. You always do so much for me... And it has been a long time since I've been the "prince" to your "princess." He grinned. "And I'm sure rubbing it Viktor's face added to your enjoyment.” She chuckled. "That did make it a bit more fun." He smirked. "I really wish you wouldn't antagonize him." She sighed. over you and find someone else. It's the same with Castiel. You're not going to be with him, so he needs to quit pining." He shot. "Yes, but with Castiel, you two have reached a mutual agreement, and he has angered me in such a way that I spat that truth with him." She chimed in. "Which makes the situation with Viktor worse. had your family and Severina telling him for years... Yet he insists." He huffed as he rolled his eyes. "Despite that, he is still one of my best and oldest friends. We were raised together and are still like family. Can you at least try to play nice with him?" She requested. Nathaniel looked at her annoyed. "Please! Pretty please! My sweet Endymion…” Alana begged as she playfully batted her eyes. He thought for a minute and exhaled. “Fine. ” He sighed. "Thank you." She mused. “But if he oversteps the boundaries that you and I put in place, I won't be so kind.” He stated. She cuddled up next to him and kissed his cheek. "I love you Nathaniel." She cooed. He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I love you too Alana."

★

Several weeks later, after the images from the photoshoot had been posted and gone viral, an idea came to Severina's mind. She turned to Alana and Sam and smiled. "What?" Sam asked. “What if we did a cosplay concert?!” Severina cheered. “Nope. I'm not singing.” Alana stated. “PLEASE! We could choose a song from Sailor Moon and singing it at a convention!” Severina urged. “Really? What song would we even do?” Sam asked. “What about “Moon Effect”? It's sung by all of the scouts!” Severina cheered. “Please no. I don't sing.” Alana begged. "But, you wouldn't be alone... And we can't do it without our Sailor Moon!" Sam sneered. “Honey... You're such a beautiful singer! Please!!!!” Severina pleaded. “No…” Alana muttered. “Damn it Mels! Just do it! We all know that you sing when you're alone! On top of that, Nath, Rini, Viktor, Mom and I have all been telling you for years that we all think your singing is beautiful! So, just do it!” Sam snapped. "Don't forget how your teammates think so too." Severina added. Alana thought for a few minutes and huffed. “Fine. I'll do it.” She sighed. “Huzzah! Let's do it at Comic Con!” Sam cheered. "No! That’s too big a venue!" Alana pleaded "That's why it should be done there! You'll get over your stage fright on one of the biggest stages on the Convention Circuit!" Sam explained. "My babies singing a Sailor Moon song in full cosplay? I'd love to help you with it!" Lynne cheered as she walked up to them. "Fantastic! We'll make it a family project!" Severina smiled. Alana looked around at the other women, thought for a few minutes, sighed, and sheepishly grinned. “I guess the Roster Family women are putting on a show!��

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Words cannot describe how badly I've wanted to write something Sailor Moon related to my story...

Sailor Moon means a lot to me... It was my mom’s and my “thing”. No matter how much we fought, argued, and went at each other’s throats, we always bonded over the series. The first and last time I watched it in it’s entirety was with her just before her disease started taking its hold. She was the one who got me my first bits of merch, who was always happy to talk to me about it. The last Christmas gift I got her was a blanket with all the scouts on it, and she gave me plushies of Luna and Artemis. When mom died, Sailor Moon came to mean so much more to me. My aunt made me pendants with her ashes in them that look like the Legendary Silver Crystal, I got Pluto’s Garnet Rod tattooed on my back, and I became more adamant about collecting items. Each time I get a new item, I feel closer to her... There are times where I’ll even burst into tears because of Sailor Moon making me think of her....

Yes, I used the character sprite of Nathaniel that I edited from the Dark Chocolate Steward to make him look more like Endymion. I made his hair black, and edited his rings and earrings out.

Little tip... The bit about Adonis won't make sense unless you've read the Codename Sailor V manga.... If you’re not in the mood to read it, Adonis was a lowly Venusian soldier who was in love with his princess (Venus). Venus fell in love with Kunzite instead of him. He found her on Earth and cursed her to never be able to have love again, thus freeing more of her time up to focus on her duty as the leader of Princess Serenity’s Sailor Guardians.

This was originally going to be a Valentine's Day special for 2020. Then 2020 became the dumpster fire that it was and my real life needed more of my attention....

The majority of this does take place during the first year between University Life and Love Life. Before Nath and Alana go on their globe trotting adventure. The flashback section takes place at various points in time.

Credit goes to:

Naoko Takeuchi for Sailor Moon

@candysweetposts for the Princess Serenity Pack (seriously, thank you for going through with my request!)

@chinomiko and Beemoov for My Candy Love

19 notes · View notes

jippy-kandi · 3 years ago

Photo

Digimon Adventure: 2020 – Episode 56: The Gold Wolf Of The Crescent Moon (Review)

Thoughts on the fifty-sixth episode of the Digimon Adventure reboot series.

I think this was a good episode. Great? No, this series isn’t really capable of that. But it was very good compared to a lot of the episodes we’ve been getting in the endgame . . .

YAMATO! I’m still excited to see him, despite how far this series has fallen. uwu

Gabumon has a dream of CresGarurumon - which is nice to let kids know he’s coming. :P

I already like the tone of this episode. Zanbamon’s entrance was cool.

Wow, two deaths right away. So intense. :D RIP Gryzmon and Hanumon.

I like Storabimon a lot. He doesn’t even seem like a Digimon, but a human stuck in a Digimon’s body. XD; I wish more Digimon were like that, ie., have actual character and personality instead of seeming like pets . . . Storabimon is basically a Digimon version of Yamato, LOL.

Oh! Koushirou! It actually shows a lot of growth for Yamato to contact him for help. Awww. I like this a lot. Natural character development is the best. uwu (Even though it still would have greatly helped had the series focussed more on the characters and their bonds . . . but I’ll take simple victories here. :P)

Gabumon seems to have more personality/is his own character in this episode, too. I like!

Oh! Taichi! *listens for the cheers* . . . Oh, there is none. :P He added absolutely nothing to this episode, as per usual. XD; But kids need to be reminded of The Actual Main Protag, I guess? Taichi toys must sell! :P

Koushirou informs everyone of the Zanbamon legend and it’s actually pretty interesting for a kids’ show. Toei should do this more often instead of silly filler episodes that are utterly pointless . . .

Storabimon takes Yamato and Garurumon to his home that fell to Zanbamon, and the camera zooms in on some flowers amongst rubble and, I dunno, I laughed. :P It’s sad. But the zoom!!! “Please focus on how sad this is. It’s really sad. Look!” XD;

Getting Sword In The Stone vibes here - which is exactly what they were going for. I still dig lazy inspirations in kids’ shows, I guess. :P

OK, two things about Yamato wielding that massive sword/spear: one, IT LOOKED SO FREAKING HILARIOUS OMG. XD; And two, YAMATO FUCKING BENCHES. Reboot Yamato vs Kizuna Yamato - who would win? 11-year-old Yamato and his deceptive arms, or 22-year-old Yamato with his pecs of steel??? Unsure. It’s gotta be a close one! :P

Yamato’s Crest of Friendship activating because he stood fighting alongside his Digimon doesn’t seem like something isolated or special . . . but the actual moment really worked for me. And I think it’s enough - especially for this series, where almost every evolution did NOT feel earned/done well. This one is definitely one of the better evolution sequences that had some meat to back it up. So I approve.

CresGarurumon is very cool. And very Egyptian-inspired. :D At least this alternate evolution was way better than MetalGarurumon’s debut. It kinda makes up for that bad racing episode. Kinda. :P

I loved Zanbamon’s “tears” when CresGarurumon struck him. Very cool effect. :D

Overall, this was a good episode. Yamato remains my favourite character in the reboot, as it was in the OG. :P And CresGarurumon’s evolution was a lot better than BlitzGreymon’s - though WarGreymon’s was a lot better than MetalGarurumon’s, so it evens out. :)

Next episode: MULTIPLE TAICHIS!? Toei heard our cries, guys, and is finally giving us more of what this series has been sorely lacking. :P :P :P

But I wouldn’t be surprised if the episode is actually good. Toei likes giving their Protag good writing! And everyone else silly filler. But we’ll see. :P

#digimon #digimon adventure #digimon adventure:#digimon adventure 2020 #yamato ishida #taichi yagami #koushirou izumi #review #screenshots #spoilers #cresgarurumon is very cool

32 notes · View notes

duhragonball · 4 years ago

Text

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (130/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[10 October, 233 Before Age. Interstellar Space.]

Luffa's star-yacht, the Emerald Eye was constructed as a civilian pleasure craft, but under her ownership it now served as the de facto flagship of the interstellar Federation she had created. As a Super Saiyan, she had little need for fleets or armaments in battle, but she needed the transportation to get her from one battlefield to another. The current war against a cult of alchemically-enhanced Saiyans had kept her very busy. When she wasn't liberating a Federation planet from Jindan cultists, she was recuperating from her wounds or traveling to her next battle. Today, she was en route to a conference with the Federation's civilian and military leaders to discuss the situation. In preparation for this, she contacted her allies in the field to compare notes. The dining room of her yacht had a set of video conference monitors. Luffa sat alone at the table, scooping reheated pottage from a large bowl and eating it with her bare hand while they spoke.

"I've fought this rock creature thing on a dozen different planets by now," Luffa said. "All of them were attacked by Jindan Saiyans beforehand. I think their mission was to prepare those worlds for whatever magic trick he's using. Whatever it is, it assumes the form of King Rehval, Seltiss' father, and it talks like him too. I've gotten pretty good at fighting them, but they're too strong for most of our forces. Katem might do okay on his own, and maybe a few dozen of Seltiss's troops could figure something out, but your fleet wouldn't stand a chance, Marshall."

To Luffa's left, a screen showed Seltiss, leader of the Saiyan Free Company, with Xibuyas. They were teenagers, and uncomfortable with Luffa for a number of reasons, not the least of which was her claim to be Xibuyas' mother. But Luffa was rather accustomed to making other people uncomfortable. To her right, Marshall Ryba Booth sat at a desk in one of his fleets' command ship. Physically unimpressive, Booth's only real power lay in his political savvy and his sway over the Federation's military.

"And how do we stop him?" Booth asked. "The Saiyan invaders have been difficult enough to handle without some indestructible rock creature backing them up."

"The one thing in our favor is that he only seems to be able to manifest himself in one place at a time," Luffa said. "So far, he only seems to be using this power to draw me away from his underlings. That tells me his main objective is something he needs his troops to accomplish. Maybe he wants them to take something from the planets he's been sending them to, or he wants to conquer and hold territory. His rock body can't move from place to place, or he'd do it himself."

"What's to stop him from destroying Federation planets?" Booth asked. "He has more than enough power. Even his weakest soldiers could do it."

"It's not a small thing, destroying a planet, Marshall," Luffa said. "I'll let the kids explain it, and we'll see if they learned anything."

Xibuyas opened his mouth to object to Luffa's tone, but Seltiss spoke first, and he remained quiet. "You're right, Marshall," Seltiss said. "It doesn't take a Super Saiyan to blow up a planet. I could do it, and I'm not nearly as strong as Luffa or Xibuyas. I know some Saiyans who are weaker than I am, and they still have the raw power to damage a planet's crust. That wouldn't cause it to explode, but it'd still be enough to render it uninhabitable. But most Saiyans know better than to use that much power carelessly. Tactically speaking, it just isn't worth it."

Luffa smirked with approval. "Very good. Your turn, Katem. Why's it a bad idea?"

"My name is Xibuyas, and I didn't come here to play your games," Xibuyas grumbled.

"Oh, chill out, Xibuyas," Seltiss said. "Just answer the question."

He sighed and did as she said. "Everything a Saiyan needs is on a planet," he began. "Food, air, water, the light of a full moon. Oh, there's battle to be had in space, but no one wants to be cooped up in a starship, afraid to cut loose for fear of wrecking their own life support system. Planets are sturdy enough to support the Saiyan lifestyle. They're too valuable to destroy. Only a fool would annihilate one without a very good reason."

"Well done," Luffa said. "Rehval's a coward, and a bastard, and a lot of other things, but he's not stupid enough to tear down a potential resource. If nothing else, he knows we have to stretch our forces pretty thin to defend the Federation. If he starts blowing up our planets, he'll make it easier for us to defend the ones that are left."

"My father still thinks of himself as a cosmopolitan head of state," Seltiss said. "I don't understand why he's taken this aggressive posture, but I'm sure he plans to advance his standing in the galactic community. He might conquer your Federation, or weaken its influence, but if he destroys it, he'll only be proving that he's a rampaging monster. He would be undermining everything that the Rehval Dyansty has been trying to do for the Saiyan people."

"No, it's worse than that," Luffa said. "Your father's got some kind of god complex now. It's not just about good standing in galactic politics. Now, he wants people to worship him. Either way, he can't blow up all the little people, or there won't be anyone around to thank him for it later."

"Can you defeat him, Luffa?" Booth asked.

"I managed to knock those rock bodies of his around pretty good," Luffa said. "The trouble is that he can just abandon it and move on. Make another one someplace else. I can't hurt him unless I find his real body, and that could be anywhere."

"Well, his followers won't tell us," Xibuyas groused. "I've interrogated plenty of them, and it's always the same result. They'd sooner die than betray him."

"There must be some limit to his power," Seltiss said. "His base must be close to Federation space for him to animate all these creatures."

"Even if that were true, it's still too big an area to search," Luffa said. "And we can't commit our forces to look for him because we're stuck on the defensive. Our only option is to whittle away at his goons. But it's the only option he's given us, so it must mean we're playing into his hands. The whole thing's pretty damned annoying."

"Which is why the Federation Council has ordered this conference," Booth said. He rested his elbows on his desk and steepled his hands. "It's been almost eight months, and if there really is no end in sight, then we need to plan ahead for a prolonged conflict."

"A waste of time," Xibuyas muttered. "We should be fighting, not wasting time with a gaggle of bureaucrats!"

"Oh, I agree," Booth said, "but this is what happens when wars grow old. Strategy gives way to policy, and the public has to be reassured that this is all worth doing."

"Cheer up, boy," Luffa said to Xibuyas. "You and I can spar a little if you get bored."

He winced with disgust at the suggestion, and Luffa grinned with satisfaction. King Rehval had raised him to hate her, and he still did, even after he had turned against the king. Teasing the young man was the closest thing they had to a relationship.

"We ought to think about how to search for my father," Seltiss argued. "I agree that we can't spare the ships, but there has to be some way to track down his base. Until we do, we're just treading water."

"What are thinking, Seltiss?" Luffa asked. "Hire a few bounty hunters to snoop around?"

"It's worth a try, right?" Seltiss said with a shrug. "They don't even need to find anything, just as long as they can point us in the right direction."

It pleased Luffa to have Seltiss on her side. Rehval had turned her son against her, so turning his daughter against him seemed appropriate. The girl was too interested in fashion and poise for Luffa's liking. Her bright pink hair dye and pressed suit coat made it hard to tell she was a Saiyan teenager, but she made up for it with her skills as a leader.

While they were talking, a crewman entered Booth's room and whispered something to him. "Hold that thought, ladies," Booth said as he began tapping buttons on his computer. "I've just received reports that a Saiyan surrendered to a patrol ship near Qongoding. He was dressed in the same red uniform the Jindan cult uses."

"Surrendered?" Xibuyas asked in disbelief.

"That fortuneteller of yours didn't say anything about this, did she?" Seltiss asked Luffa.

"No," Luffa said, "but Dotz can't predict everything, and she's been focusing on attacks. If this guy turned himself in without a fight... Where is he now, Booth?"

"On his way to you, apparently," Booth said. "He kept insisting he has vital information, but he refuses to talk to anyone until he sees you, in person. So the captain decided to grant his wish."

They all looked at one another for a moment, and Luffa finally said: "I think I'll be a little late to that conference."

*******

[12 October, 233 Before Age. Interstellar Space.]

So far, Guwar's plan had worked. Knowing as much as he did about the Jindan Cult's tactics, it was easy for him to enter Federation space without running into any invasion ships that might have tried to stop him. The trickier part was avoiding the Federation's Saiyan allies. Guwar had heard that bands of Saiyan mercenaries had joined the Federation cause, but he hadn't expected there to be so many of them. It gave him a shred of hope that King Rehval could be stopped, but it also made it harder to enter Federation space. He was certain that a Federation patrol would accept his surrender, but a Saiyan would show him no mercy at all.

And so, he couldn't truly relax until he was aboard Luffa's ship. Once the patrol ship took him into custody, they rendezvoused with her star-yacht, and a blue-skinned woman crossed over via a docking tunnel. Instead of leading him back to the yacht, she studied him carefully, without a word of explanation.

"Haven't I seen you before?" Guwar asked.

"I doubt it," she said.

"I'm sure of it," Guwar said. "The eyepatch, the red hair... I wouldn't just forget--"

"He's clean," she suddenly said. "I'm bringing him aboard."

It was then that he noticed the earpiece in her left ear, and he realized she was talking to her ship. Then she put a gun to his lower back and nudged him to lead the way through the docking tunnel. As they walked, he finally realized where he had seen her before. That bar on that planet where he first ran into Treekul and Endive. Endive had disguised herself as Luffa, and Treekul had been dressed up as a blue alien with red hair. It was all part of some test to see if Guwar could be trusted before they recruited him in the quest to find the Jindan Cult. He suddenly remembered that Lesseri, the third woman in their gang, had actually trained under Luffa for a short time, and she must have based Treekul's disguise on this alien.

It all felt like ancient history, but it must have only been a few months ago. He had lost track of time since joining the cult, but he was sure it couldn't have been that long ago. It hurt him to think of the others. He had harbored a certain affection for Treekul and Endive, and he had only recently learned that they each felt the same way about him. And now that he finally knew, he would probably never see either of them again. Well, it saved him the trouble of having to choose one of them, he thought bitterly. He disliked Lesseri, but he had no idea what had happened to her, and that bothered him more than he cared to admit to himself. For all he knew she was long dead, another martyr sent to the Federation to die in King Rehval's pointless war.

Though he knew it wasn't fair, he resented this blue alien woman for reminding him of all of this. He supposed that Lesseri's little test had failed. At long last, he had chosen to betray them to Luffa after all.

"In here," the woman said as she led him to a small room.

He noticed the word "brig" on the door, though the lavish accommodations made him wonder if he had misread the sign. There were two rooms which might qualify as holding cells, and each of them had a fake plant and a magazine rack. The whole thing looked more like a waiting room than a jail.

"I guess even rich people have to put their unruly guests someplace, huh?" Guwar said. The woman didn't reply. She just nudged him into one of the cells and activated a force field to seal him inside. Even in his weakened condition, Guwar expected that he could break through the field, or even smash through the walls around it. The woman seemed to agree with his assessment, which was why she kept her plasma pistol trained on him while they waited.

A few minutes later, Luffa entered the room. She ignored Guwar and spoke with the blue woman instead. Guwar wasn't surprised by any of this. This sort of treatment was what interrogations were made of. They would do whatever it took to rattle him and shake his self-confidence. What bothered him instead was how much shorter and younger Luffa looked in person. There were bandages wrapped around her shoulders and arms, and bruises on her face. He knew that she had the ability to transform back and forth from her glowing golden form, but she looked so normal right now. Almost pathetic.

This was the miracle warrior he had risked everything to find?

"I'll take it from here," Luffa said, and the blue woman left them alone. Luffa found a chair and shoved it in front of Guwar's cell before taking a seat. She didn't say anything at first. She just stared at Guwar, like a bird-of-prey regarding its next meal.

"I know where he is," Guwar said. "That's all you wanted to know, isn't it? The last time we met, you were chasing me because you thought I knew something about Rehval. Well now I actually do, and I'll tell you all about it."

"Nagaoka, right?" Luffa said. "I've never heard of it, but that's where you want me to go, isn't it?"

"You already knew?" Guwar asked, somewhat anxiously.

"The patrol crew who brought you here? They went over your ship's computer core," Luffa explained. "I was talking to them while you were moving into your new 'quarters.' Now, I'm pretty sure you could rip your way out of that cell, but I think you're smart enough to know what'll happen to you if you try to leave."

"I know things that weren't in the computer," Guwar said. He hadn't counted on anyone to backtrack his navigation logs, and suddenly he began to realize how expendable his life would be once he revealed all his secrets. "I was part of his cult. He shared the Jindan power with me. He took the power away from me when I left, but I know how it works, and how to deal with it. I can help you plan your attack, but you need to move quickly! He thinks he's invincible, but if he finds out you know where he is, he could pack up and move to a new hiding place--"

"Why should I believe you, Guwar?" Luffa asked. "You don't have much credibility where I'm concerned."

"I risked my life to come here!" Guwar exclaimed. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"Sure it does," Luffa said. "It means you're more afraid. Something's got you so scared that you'd rather risk flying into a war zone and turning yourself in to me. You figure if you give me some intel on my enemies, I'll protect you, instead of turning you into a red stain on the ground. But being desperate doesn't help your credibility. Kind of the opposite, really."

"I don't believe this!" Guwar snapped. "The last time we met, you were chasing me across the universe for information on Rehval that I didn't even have! Now I'm coming to you with his exact location and you threaten me?"

"Let's say I believe you," Luffa reasoned. "Most likely, you ran to Rehval because you thought he could save you from me. Now, you're running to me because you're afraid of him. That makes you a coward, Guwar, no matter how you slice it. Right now, I'm disgusted to breathe the same air as you."

She made a derisive snort as she crossed her arms, and waited to see how he reacted. The fearful look on his face was no surprise to her, but then his expression shifted, and he looked more insulted than afraid. And then she was surprised to see a flicker of defiance in his eyes.

"No," he said. "I don't buy it. That holier-than-thou act of yours doesn't wash with me."

"Really?" Luffa asked.

"If I'm so offensive to your presence, if you're so confident that you can get along without my help, then you would have killed me already. You can still kill me right now, so what's stopping you?"

"Suppose you tell me," Luffa replied.

"You're the one who's desperate, Luffa," Guwar said. "I can see it in your eyes. For all your power and majesty, you want to end this war more than Rehval does. That's why he's using attrition tactics against you. He knows you care about the people who live in the Federation, and that you can't stand the mounting civilian casualties. Oh, you may be an invincible warrior, but no matter how inevitable your victory is, you won't be able to bring back the war dead. You need a way to end this conflict quickly, and the only way to do that is to take the fight to Rehval, and this 'coward' you're looking at is the only lead you have."

Luffa glared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Then, at last, she jumped out of her chair. For a split-second, he expected her to tear through the force field and rip him to pieces. Instead, she simply laughed, which somehow felt almost as terrifying.

"Well, I guess you've got a little spine left after all, haven't you?" she said. "There might be hope for you yet, Guwar."

"Please," he said wearily. "You have to listen to me. You've got to believe me."

"Oh, I will, Guwar," Luffa said ominously. "I just need to confirm something first. You say you were part of Rehval's cult, but I can't sense the Jindan power in you."

"I already told you," he said, "it was taken from me when I turned against him."

"Sure, and I can sense how much weaker it's made you," Luffa said. "But that could just mean you've gone soft without any battles to fight. No, there's only one way to be sure you really were part of his cult, and I was kind of hoping you'd admit you were lying to me so that I wouldn't have to check." With that, she shut off the force field and stepped into his cell.

"What are you doing?" Guwar tried to ask, but before he could finish the question, Luffa planted his hand on his face and concentrated.

"Rehval fixed up his goons with something called the 'Mindworm'," she said. "It keeps telepathic beings from reading their minds. The last time I ran into it, it felt like I poured hot spices into my skull. So if you're only pretending to be in with the cult, I'll see it in your thoughts. But if you really joined Rehval's side, then you should still be... Aaaah!"

She released him and staggered backward as she grimaced in pain. Guwar stepped towards her, unsure how to proceed, but Luffa waved her hand in a wide, awkward sweep, producing enough of a ki force to knock him away from her and onto the floor.

"You idiot!" he shouted. "The Mindworm is a booby trap! Even a brief exposure to it will put you into a coma!"

It had never occurred to him to warn her about the Mindworm. He didn't think she would do anything so impulsive, so reckless, and now she was seconds away from becoming a vegetable. To think he had pinned all of his hopes onto this stupid girl! He had begun to wonder if she might really be a Saiyan messiah after all. Against King Rehval, anything less wouldn't be enough to save their species. But no, she was no better than the rest of them, and when she fell, there would be nothing in the universe that could protect him...

"Wrrrrrrong," Luffa growled through clenched teeth. "I told you I encountered this once beforrrre, and it didn't stop me thennnnnn..."

She screamed, and then balled her fists and tensed her body until she was transformed. She couldn't see Guwar with her eyes closed, but she could smell his fear and sense him scooting across the floor in a feeble attempt to put some distance between them. He didn't have to worry, but Luffa saw no pressing need to tell him that. Instead, she focused on the battle that mattered, and as she turned her immense power inward, she began battering her hands against her head and chest.

"I'm... not just another pretty face!" she snarled. "Creeps like you think they can get the drop on me once in a while, and that somehow proves I'm not so tough after all. But there's more to being 'invincible' than just winning lots of fights. It's about... unngh... about taking the worst shots... and finding ways to overcome them!"

She cried out one more time and when the light of her aura subsided, she opened her eyes and stood before Guwar completely composed. The effects of the Mindworm lingered, but she had dispelled them much more quickly than before.

"There," she said, still maintaining her glowing golden form. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe I should try that again some time and use a stopwatch to track how long it takes me to shrug it off."

"You... you...!" Guwar babbled. Luffa shook her head and walked towards him. Before he could try to scramble away, she grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up over her head.

"Oh, calm down," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Not while there's a chance that you could be useful to us. Even if you are lying to me, there's no doubt that you've been involved with the cult."

"I'm not lying!" Guwar pleaded. "I can prove what I'm saying, I swear it!"

"Good for you," Luffa grumbled. "Because you're going to get your chance. I may not be able to interrogate you telepathically, but Marshall Booth has all sorts of people working for him who know a lot of creative ways to get information out of people."

She tossed him into a nearby chair and chuckled as he nearly fell over.

"Welcome to the Federation, Guwar," she said. "It might be an unpleasant stay at first, but if you give me Rehval, I promise we'll make it up to you later..."

NEXT: To Win the Peace

#dragon ball #fanfiction #lssjluffafic #super saiyan #luffa #zatte #xibuyas #seltiss #guwar #ryba booth

3 notes · View notes

duhragonball · 7 years ago

Text

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (61/?)

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[24 November 236 Before Age. Extraliga.]

The distance from one end of the galaxy to the other was vast, almost too great to contemplate. Light travels 186,000 miles per second. A beam of light emanating from the planet Wist would take tens of thousands of years to reach the planet Extraliga on the opposite side.

Compared to this immense timescale, the ability to travel the same distance by starship in only six weeks would normally come as a relief for anyone planning a trip. For the Shockmaster, it was still far too long. He had waited centuries, and while he was willing to wait a little longer, he bristled at each delay that had been put in his path.

The answer to everything lay on Extraliga. He had learned this long ago, but the shortsighted leaders of Ancient Wist forbade him to go. Fearing that he might defy them, they waited for him to commit a trivial offense and used it as a pretext to seal him away for thousands of years. They feared his plans, but what they feared even more was an uncertain future without his immense power to protect them. If the day ever came when their successors truly needed him, they would be able to release him from his confinement.

But they never did, and instead he awoke to find himself in a decrepit society built upon the ruins of the one he knew. The culture he had sworn to protect was long dead, but this was a blessing in disguise. For now there was no one to stop him from bringing about its resurrection.

His initial efforts had been clumsy. Disgusted with the people of "Goldwall", who had inherited the planet during his long slumber, he had tried to forcibly assimilate them into a replica of the world he remembered. They had readily embraced this at first, but he had found the results deeply unsatisfying. No matter how hard the Goldwallish tried, they would never truly become the culture he once cherished.

Impatiently, he had accelerated his plans to invade Extraliga, opening a long-forgotten wormhole to deploy his forces in a matter of minutes instead of weeks. The Goldwallish had many wondrous Wistian devices to support the war effort, but they had long since forgotten their true purpose, and thought of them as mere relics. With the Shockmaster’s knowledge, the way to Extraliga became clear and swift. He had wanted to go there himself right away, but forced himself to wait. There was no telling how much Extraliga had changed in his absence, and so he had used his troops to gauge their resistance while he consolidated his power on Wist.

The Super Saiyan had proven to be the greatest obstacle. In a matter of days, she had neutralized his invasion force, sealed the wormhole, and launched a counterattack against him. Her motives were ridiculously confused, but ultimately unimportant. Despite the damage she had inflicted upon Wist’s military and civilian infrastructure, he had defeated her with ease, and forced her to retreat in shame. She had set back his cause, but only by a few months, and this was a small price to pay for the knowledge he had gained.

This time, he had been forced to assemble an invasion fleet, largely comprised of hired ships crewed by mercenaries. Without the wormhole, he had been required to make the six week trek by stardrive to Extraliga, where his forces had needed to fight their way past the orbital defenses to reach the surface. The Extraligans had been ready this time, and they had been backed by the power of their Federation allies.

Now, as he strode across the plains of Extraliga’s eastern continent, surrounded by a legion of his troops, he concluded that it was better this way. The first invasion had bypassed most of these problems, and even though failed, it had still revealed enough information about Extraliga’s weaknesses to prove that a second, more conventional invasion would succeed. If the Shockmaster had joined the first invasion, he could have cut the Super Saiyan’s counterattack short, but she might have sealed the wormhole and destroyed the planet out of spite.

This way, she had been humiliated well in advance, and the news of her defeat had reverberated through Extraliga’s other defenders. The Federation’s warriors still fought against his, determined to prevent him from establishing a beachhead on the planet. But they refused to confront the Shockmaster directly, knowing that he was too powerful for even their mightiest ally. The best they could manage was to harass his forces on other parts of the planet, leaving him free to move at will.

"Alpha Company reports they have pacified the capital," his aide said as they toured the camp his men were setting up. He had promoted Tigon after the failure of the first invasion. He had also promised her as a bodyslave to one of the mercenary captains, a self-styled “General” Lekvar, as part of his fee, though she didn’t know that yet. For the time being, she had served as a proficient, albeit reluctant--executor. With the powers he had bestowed her, she had recruited the troops and coordinated the ships and suppressed dissent on Wist. But she still resented his neglect of the Wistian civilian population, and her usefulness to his cause was nearing an end. Still, she would be difficult to replace.

"WHAT OF THE FLEET IN ORBIT?" he asked, his deep, rasping voice booming from seemingly everywhere at once.

Tigon shook her head. "Two more of our ships were destroyed by the unknown surface weapon," she said. "One of them was the ship we ordered to track down the weapon and disable it."

He clenched his fists, but made no other response. Extraliga had surface-to-orbit plasma cannons all over the globe, but his forces knew where they were and how to avoid their fire or destroy them. Indeed at least half of these weapons had already been neutralized. But the Extraligans had added something new to their arsenal since the last invasion. It was at least twice as powerful as the usual cannons, and apparently mobile. Whatever it was, it seemed to move across the planet faster than his ships could react, like a sniper moving through tree cover as he picked off soldiers in a clearing.

This had proven to be a disruption to his plans, but it also supported his assessment of the Extraligans’ flagging morale. Whatever this weapon was, they didn’t dare turn it upon the Shockmaster himself, and so all they could do was pick off a few of his ships.

But the ships, like Tigon, were expendable. Extraliga was simply delaying the inevitable.

"HAS THERE BEEN ANY INTELLIGENCE ON THE SUPER SAIYAN?" he asked.

On this matter, Tigon had to rush over to another officer to ask for an update on enemy communications. He crossed his arms while he waited for the answer, but it made little difference. Luffa was a potential obstacle to his plans, but only a minor one, and he had already taken her into account.

Weeks ago, his spies had reported that the Super Saiyan had gone into seclusion on some far-off planet in the galactic core. Knowing the Saiyans, she was either training to avenge her defeat at his hands, or she had abandoned the Federation in utter despair. The Saiyans thought themselves to be proud and mighty warriors, but in truth they were brutish dullards with fragile egos. Deal them even the slightest setback and they would flee to find a battle they could win more easily.

Luffa was a sign of the times. In the days of Ancient Wist, Saiyans were understood to be nothing more than beasts and craven mercenaries. Today, the galaxy practically worshiped one of them as some sort of folk hero, as if she actually stood for anything besides her own base appetites. They relied on her to broker alliances and settle their petty disputes simply because she was immensely strong.

That would all come to an end very soon. Once his business on Extraliga was finished, Wist would be restored to its former glory, and there would be a great power to lead the galaxy once again.

"No reports of Saiyan activity of any kind in this sector, My Partner," Tigon announced.

He chuckled with approval. It was as he expected. He didn’t know the exact location of the Super Saiyan’s lair, but it hardly mattered. The center of the galaxy was at least three weeks away from Extraliga. Even if she found the courage to challenge him again, by the time she finally arrived it would be far too late.

The only real threat to his plan now was that his enemies might attempt to destroy Extraliga rather than allow it to be conquered. The Federation starfleet had sufficient combined firepower to scour the planet's biosphere, but such a concerted effort would leave them vulnerable to his own ships. A warrior far weaker than Luffa could still have enough ki energy to destroy a planet, but an interloper that strong would instantly detected by the Shockmaster’s own ki senses. Since arriving on the surface, the only significant power levels he had sensed were his own, and those of his strongest allies.

Satisfied that there were no genuine threats to his victory, he decided that it was time to crush Extraliga’s resistance once and for all, beginning with the mysterious weapon that was harassing his fleet.

"CONTACT THE FLEET," he bellowed. "ORDER ALL SHIPS OVER THIS CONTINENT TO ASSUME GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT OVER THIS POSITION."

Tigon was confused at first, but when she realized what he was up to she nodded and went to relay the order. There was no sense of triumph in her expression. He could tell that she, like most of the Wistians under his command, no longer cared whether they won or lost the war, so long as it came to a swift end. He also knew that he didn’t care how they felt about it, so long as they obeyed him.

The new deployment would put his ships at risk if the Federation fleet moved in to attack, but he knew they wouldn’t, because it would mean coming in range of the Shockmaster’s power, and he could pick off their ships just as their mystery weapon had been picking off his. This way, he would either lure his opposition into a direct assault, or force them to back down. Either way, the initiative would be his.

For an hour, the camp was quiet. His troops continued their work and the ships overhead held their position. Then a beam of light appeared from the eastern horizon. It crossed the sky, moving ever upward, until a brilliant point of light appeared over the camp, like a newborn star.

*******

High above the Extraligan atmosphere, General Lekvar stood on the bridge of his flagship, the Saucy Sexhaver. He crossed his arms, and tapped his finger impatiently against his elbow.

This was taking too long. Considering how anxious the Shockmaster had been to reach this planet, Lekvar had assumed that he would waste no time in conquering it with his invincible power. Instead, he was holding back, as if he needed the civilian population to survive for some reason. An orbital bombardment would have taken the fight out of the Extraligans in a fraction of the time it had taken to soften up their defenses and land ground troops.

At the very least, those ground troops could have done something about the surface-to-orbit weapon that had been sniping at the fleet since they arrived. Instead, the Shockmaster was having them gather together over his position, as if that would solve anything. Even if the Shockmaster could protect them from the ground, holding position left them vulnerable to some other attack.

The worst part was that he had to take these orders from Tigon. Lovely as it was to hear her voice, he preferred to save that pleasure for after the battle was over and the Shockmaster turned her over to him as payment. He had plans for that woman, but first they would have to win the battle, and that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon.

"General!" cried one of his officers from the tactical station. "Incoming fire from the surface!"

"Take evasive--" Lekvar began to say, but before he could even finish his order, the entire bridge was engulfed in crimson flames. A moment later, the entire ship exploded.

*******

"WHAT WAS THAT?" the Shockmaster demanded.

Tigon rushed to the communications station, where she hurriedly conferred with the soldiers manning the sensor grids. "Another ship destroyed!" she shouted, though this only confirmed the obvious. "We’ve pinpointed the origin of that blast, but there’s no sign of any vehicle!"

He didn’t care about the details. The Extraligans’ secret weapon could remain a secret as long as it was destroyed. He was about to give orders to bombard the source of the attack, when suddenly a second beam of light fired up into the sky from out of the northwest. Once again, a point of light winked into existence and faded away. Another starship destroyed.

"The mercenary ships overhead are breaking orbit," Tigon reported. "We’ve pinpointed the source of the second attack but..."

"REPORT, TIGON," the Shockmaster commanded.

"It’s five miles from the position of the first attack," she said, struggling to contain her frustration. "And there’s still no heat signature. There’s no vehicle, no life signs... Even if something could move that fast... No. No, there has to be two of them--!"

"ORDER BOMBARDMENTS ON BOTH POSITIONS," the Shockmaster commanded. "TELL THE FLEET TO OPEN FIRE ON ANY SHIPS THAT ATTEMPT TO RETREAT."

Tigon swallowed hard, but gave no argument. The Extraligan weapon--or weapons--was proving more nimble than he had expected, but his plan was still working. With each shot, with each ship destroyed, his army could learn more and more, until at last they could force a decisive confrontation. It would cost his fleet dearly, but the Shockmaster was willing to pay the price. At least this way he had the mystery weapon’s attention focused on a single area, allowing his other forces to operate more freely elsewhere.

There was a third beam of light from the southeast, then two more in the west. With each shot, another ship was destroyed. Eventually, Tigon and her subordinates managed to determine the shooter was operating within a ten mile radius of the camp, though there was no obvious way to predict the location of the next shot.

And then, another shot was fired from a much steeper angle. Everyone in the camp could hear it this time. Tigon looked up from the sensor grid and said: "That came from less than five hundred yards away!"

Furious, the Shockmaster took flight, racing out into the general direction of the source of the blast. With his speed, he didn’t need to know a precise location. He could simply cover the entire area, or reduce it to a smoldering crater if necessary. He didn’t expect to find the shooter. Whatever it was, it was fast enough to have already moved on, but if he could catch a glimpse of it, or spot tracks or other clues, then it would surely--

He heard the weapon fire again, and this time the sound came from behind him. He turned around in midair just in time to see the energy beam fading from view.

It had come from the middle of his own camp.

In a rage, the Shockmaster streaked back to the camp as fast as he could. There was a cloud of debris billowing up from where the weapon had fired. As he reached the site, he could see his soldiers mobilizing to defend themselves.

It didn’t make sense! How could the enemy have gotten anywhere near the camp without being spotted? Then, as he landed in the center of the camp, he realized his soldiers had seen the enemy, but hadn’t been able to react quickly enough.

Tigon was there to meet him. The tall Wistian woman was still wearing her headset from the comm station, though it had been jostled loose and lay crooked on her head. She was covered in dust, indicating she was nearby when the weapon had fired.

"One person, wearing one of our uniforms! Dressed like a technician--" she blurted out. "By the time we knew what was going on, they had already disappeared into the crowd."

"FIND HIM, TIGON!" the Shockmaster demanded.

"I’ve already ordered the troops to battle stations," she said breathlessly. "I’ll assemble a search team, and--"

"Don’t bother. I'm right here."

They both turned to find one of the soldiers standing on top of a supply crate, brandishing a pipe. She started banging it against the edge of the crate, as if trying to draw even more attention to herself than she already had.

"Stay where you are!" Tigon shouted.

The intruder laughed.

Tigon leaped up to the crate to tackle the warrior. Though the Shockmaster had empowered her with the merest fraction of his own might, she was still extremely formidable, and he found himself mildly impressed with how quickly she closed the distance to the enemy. Her right hand was already extended to seize the pipe before the enemy could attempt to use it--

And then Tigon was suddenly thrown back again. She went sailing through the camp like a shot-put until she crashed head-first into a barracks wall.

That was when the Shockmaster noticed the enemy’s tail. She had swatted Tigon with it, and now it waved freely beside her left hip.

The intruder crossed her arms and made a derisive snort. "Any more flunkies you want to throw at me?" she asked. "No? Then let’s get on with it."

Before the Shockmaster could react, the intruder tensed up for a moment, and then a golden light burst forth from her body. The helmet and visor that obscured her face flew off, revealing a head of glowing yellow hair. The grey technician’s coverall she had used to sneak into the camp was torn to shreds, revealing a sleeveless black shirt and baggy yellow pants underneath.

To the Shockmaster’s ki senses, it was as if the woman had appeared out of thin air. One moment she had possessed no ki at all, and in the next she was overflowing with it.

"IMPOSSIBLE," the Shockmaster said. "I WOULD HAVE SENSED YOUR POWER BEFORE. MY FLEET WOULD HAVE DETECTED THE SHIP THAT BROUGHT YOU HERE!"

She turned her head and spat. "What’s impossible is that a Saiyan would be so cowardly to stay away from a good scrap like this," Luffa replied. "You should have known I'd be here, Shockmaster, and that I’d be ready to finish you."

"YOU’RE NO MATCH FOR ME," he grumbled. "AT BEST, YOU CAN ONLY DESTROY THE PLANET TO DENY MY PRIZE, BUT YOU FORFEITED THAT OPTION BY COMING HERE."

"Destroy the...?" She was genuinely confused, and then she laughed. "I get it now. You think I’m desperate. You think I’ll blow up Extraliga out of spite, is that it?"

She raised her hand and curled her fingers inward, beckoning him to come closer. "Well if that's what you want to believe, go ahead. Just try and stop me."

By now, every soldier in the camp had gathered around to see what was happening. They had their weapons at the ready, but none of them had taken aim. They knew they were no match for the Super Saiyan, and that it was up to the Shockmaster alone to deal with her.

He knew he could defeat her. He had done it before, and even if she had become stronger, it would never be enough to overcome the summation of Ancient Wistian power that flowed through him. She thought his confidence was based on prejudice against the Saiyan race, but it was actually faith in the Wistian civilization that had created him. There was simply no doubt in his mind.

And yet she had managed to surprise him. How did she arrive on Extraliga in time to confront his invasion? How had she avoided detection until now? Why hadn’t she destroyed the planet already? It was the only way left for her to avenge her pride, or was it?

This had to be a diversion. That was the only explanation. She knew she couldn’t beat him, but if she could trick him into wasting time on another battle, one of her allies could execute some secret plan. In that case, he needed to finish this quickly.

He summoned his power, and violet lightning began to circle his body. With a thought, he took back the portion of the power he had given to Tigon. He didn’t expect to need it, but the woman was no longer of any use to him now, and there was no point in taking chances.

"Yes, that’s it," Luffa growled. The smile on her face grew wider as his power increased. She was actually... pleased? "Show me!" she screamed. "Show me what you’ve got!"

At last, he decided he had powered up enough to knock her unconscious in a single blow. He wouldn’t sully his honor by killing her. One of the troops could see to that, or he could simply leave her to her fate. Surely a second loss would break even her stubborn resolve. He reached back his massive fist, and launched it at Luffa’s face.

She didn’t move. She just followed his hand with her eyes, her face contorted into a twisted, eager smile.

NEXT: The Rematch.

2 notes · View notes

duhragonball · 8 years ago

Text

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (44/?)

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous Chapters conveniently available here

[17 May 236 Before Age. Planet Wist.]

Once upon a time, the Aughtriver Valley had been the Aughtriver Plain. Centuries ago, some enormous public works project had rerouted a major waterway through this region to provide hydroelectric power to local industries. But millennia ago, the Ancient Wist Civilization that once ruled this planet knew it as a plain. This same civilization had produced the mighty warrior called the Shockmaster, who had been sealed away until a few weeks ago. Once he was revived from his slumber, the Shockmaster seized control of the planet and vowed to change it back to the way he remembered it. Among other things, that meant turning the Aughtriver Valley back into a plain again.

The inhabitants of the planet Wist didn't seem to mind these sweeping changes. Until recently, their world had been called Goldwall, after the fortress from where they were dominated by a series of sadistic tyrants. The Wist civilization was remembered as a bygone age of peace and prosperity, far removed from the political turmoil and uprisings of the modern era. The Goldwallish wanted to become Wistians. They wanted to be united under a strong leader and forged into a better, stronger society. So none of them bothered to ask what any of that had to do with dumping tons of dirt into a valley to level the terrain.

The Saiyan Kandai cared about none of this. He had sworn fealty to the Shockmaster and became one of his four chiefs of staff in exchange for asylum and nothing more. His three colleagues were chosen for their ties to the planet. Lord Argon had been the former ruler of Goldwall, and Calgon had been a key leader of the rebellion against him, while Kami was a minor deity charged with defending the planet as a whole. Kandai was an outsider, but he was the second strongest person on the planet. A very distant second, true, but he assumed the Shockmaster wanted him as an instrument of power projection. Today, he had Kandai touring the work-site of the Aughtriver Project, probably just to keep the workers motivated.

"As you can see, sir," the foreman told him from the inside of the trailer that served as his office, "we should be able to transport more soil once the latest requisitions are approved, which would put us comfortably ahead of schedule..."

Kandai hated all of this. He was a Saiyan warrior, or at least he had been until he betrayed his wife and went into hiding to escape her wrath. All he really understood was combat, and she was too powerful to fight. His only hope had been the fabled might of the Shockmaster, but he had no way of knowing whether it was enough to protect him. Indeed, the Shockmaster seemed completely disinterested in his end of the bargain. Perhaps this was confidence, but it felt more like the Shockmaster knew Kandai had nowhere else to turn.

But that was the life of a desperate fugitive. Kandai had shaved his head and cut off his tail to make himself less Saiyan in appearance, to better cover his tracks. He had committed heinous crimes and other acts of cowardice to keep a low profile. Now he was playing the role of a bureaucrat, while the Shockmaster intentionally provoked a war that would only draw his wife's attention. It was intolerable, but he had to tolerate it, because it was the only way to stay alive.

More and more, he felt like one of those damned Dorluns he and his wife had once been contracted to protect. The blue-skinned, red-haired creatures were obsessed with staying alive at any cost. To them, fighting and surrendering were just two more options on the table. He found their flexibility revolting, but he had to admit their philosophy brought results.

"Now this is especially interesting here," the foreman said as he guided Kandai to a chart of mineralogical surveys. Kandai was reasonably certain that it was not interesting at all. He wished the diagram would take his mind of the Dorluns, but it just wasn't captivating enough. He remembered one of them always looked a little too long at his wife's backside when she thought no one was paying attention. What was her name? It started with--

Suddenly, he sensed it. An enormous power seemingly flashed into existence on the Planet Wist, thousands of miles away. For a brief moment, he wondered if it was the Shockmaster. The magnitude of it was about the same, but ki signatures were like fingerprints, and this one felt like someone completely different.

"Mr. Kandai?" the foreman asked, gently touching his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

The civilians on this planet had no sensitivity to ki energy whatsoever. To them, Kandai just looked like he had seen a ghost, or suddenly remembered something urgent. They had no idea that a tremendous power had manifested on their planet... where? No. It was right over Goldwall Fortress! It was an attack, it had to be!

Finally, he realized that the power felt familiar to him. It was so great that he almost didn't recognize it as Saiyan, for he had never sensed a Saiyan with this kind of strength. And then he realized exactly which Saiyan it was.

"She's here," he whispered.

In the next instant he felt Luffa open fire. It was a Galick Gun, he was reasonably certain. Luffa was terrible at the Galick Gun. She never could hold her hands in the right position. But with the immense power at her command, proper technique didn't really matter. Did she think he was inside the fortress? Was she trying to flush him out of hiding? What if she questioned survivors? What if they told her he was here?

"Who's here?" the foreman asked. "What's the matter wi--URK!"

He snapped the foreman's neck, then ran out of the trailer, nearly shearing the door of its hinges as he burst out onto the construction site. He then ran directly for the treeline to the west. He didn't dare fly, or even use his own ki to increase his speed. If Luffa sensed his energy, even for a moment, it would be all over. His only hope was to get as far from civilization as possible, to suppress his powers and wait for an opportunity to escape. The workers would surely report his disappearance, but by the time Luffa found out he could be deep in the surrounding forests.

*******

Goldwall Fortress had been the ancestral home of House Argon for centuries. When the Shockmaster seized power, he adopted the stronghold as the center of his own regime. It had withstood thousands of sieges and attacks, and its thick stone walls had borne silent witness to many more conspiracies and betrayals.

Now, half of it was gone, and the other half was on the verge of collapse. From high above, the Super Saiyan floated in the air, and raised her arms to ready a second attack.

"What are you doing?!" M’ranga asked as she floated beside her.

"It’s called the Galick Gun," Luffa said. You must have heard me shouting it at the top of my lungs a second ago. It’s a common Saiyan technique."

M’ranga was a self-styled revolutionary, who fought tyranny under the nom de guerre of "Ensign Liberty". Though powerful in her own right, she couldn’t begin to compare to the Super Saiyan’s strength. She was used to being the underdog, to sneaking around, using the enemy’s overconfidence against them. Not too long ago Ensign Liberty had infiltrated Goldwall Fortress with considerable difficulty. Now, she was watching her ally Luffa demolish it like a sandcastle, practically daring anyone below to do something about it.

"I meant," M’ranga said, "do you have to do it this way?"

Luffa glanced at her and then looked at the position of her hands. "Look, I’ll admit it, I suck at Galick Guns. My mother used to fuss that I never held my hands just right. She thought it was because I’m a lefty. But when you’re as strong as I am, you get a wider margin of error on these things. Besides, I’m not putting all my power into this. I’d blow up the whole planet if I did."

M’ranga’s eyes widened. "But... this is--"

"Too easy?" Luffa snorted. "Yeah, welcome to my world, Ensign. This is just a diversion so the Extraligans can get get down to the surface in one piece. All I gotta do is make a big enough mess that the Wistians can’t worry about anything else but me. Otherwise, I’d be happy wrecking this whole city in a single shot, them move on to the next one."

"The entire city?!" M’ranga gasped.

Luffa looked at her and smiled. "I didn’t start this war, Ensign. The Wistians liked it just fine while they were winning. Well now the fighting’s on their doorstep."

"But the people! They’re innocent!" M’ranga protested.

"Get lost," Luffa muttered. "You tagged along because you had comrades down there, right? You better find ’em fast."

The glow in her hands had become an intense magenta, so great that it nearly drowned out the yellow aura that raged across Luffa’s body. M’ranga watched in horror, then she took one last look at what remained of the castle.

"Please don’t do this." she said.

"I said blow," Luffa growled.

M’ranga drifted around Luffa until she was positioned directly in her line of fire. "I won’t stand by and let you slaughter them all," she said. "You’ll have to kill me first."

"What makes you think I have a problem with that?" Luffa said with a harsh laugh.

In spite of the intense light, M’ranga refused to look away. "The airship we used to get here," she said. "You could have flown here under your own power, but you didn’t, because it would have been fatal to Phenylal and her people. You showed restraint before, even when wholesale slaughter would have been easier."

Luffa bared her teeth. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally powered down her attack. "You know what, fine," she said. "I’m making a day of this, so I might as well make this interesting."

"Thank you," M’ranga said. She sighed with relief and lowered her arms, and then suddenly she doubled over. In a split second, Luffa had punched her in the abdomen, just hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

"What you just did took guts. I respect that. But from here on, you stay out of my way, Ensign," Luffa said coldly. "That’s your only warning."

She rocketed down to the wrecked castle, leaving M’ranga to catch her breath.

*******

"And where is the Shockmaster while all of this is going on?" Calgon asked.

She had been inspecting Fort Whitecliff when the invasion began. The base had gone on high alert when communications were disrupted in the initial attack, but Calgon had seen fit to lounge in the officers' club and help herself to a bottle of spirits. If the situation bothered her at all, she didn't show it.

"Still in the Reverie," the Kami said with a sigh. I came here as soon as I could. Kandai was last seen fleeing into the woods--"

"Now there's a surprise," Calgon said with a chuckle.

"Nonetheless, it seems his assessment of the situation was correct. Luffa has liberated Extraliga, conquered the F-Tunnel Wormhole, and now she's used it to stage a counterattack. We can safely assume Argon is either dead or incapacitated, which leaves you and I in command of the planet."

"Really, Kami," Calgon said as she poured herself another glass. "For a god, you certainly love to state the obvious. Do you have any useful insights to offer, or did you just come here because my pretty face brightens your day?"

He took a slow deep breath as he tried to contain his frustration. "I came here," he said slowly, "because our very world is under threat of annihilation. I would think you would have a vested interest in its preservation."

"No, you came here because you have no idea what to do next," Calgon said with a triumphant smile. "Be honest, Kami, you only aligned with the Shockmaster because you had no idea how else to placate someone that powerful. Now you're a god who's stuck in the messy world of mortal governance, and you don't have Kandai or our 'Partner' to enforce the new world order. You probably don't think much of me. I'm a schemer and a prostitute and I've stabbed a lot of people in the back to get this far in life, and I bet you don't approve of me drinking this early in the day. But you're here, looking to me for help, which means divine insight must not have gotten you very far, hm?"

"And I suppose you've come up with some brilliant plan, mortal?" Kami asked pointedly. "One that somehow involves you debauching yourself in the midst of a crisis?"

"I'm just enjoying my downtime, Kami," Calgon said. She picked up a second glass from the bar and filled it. "Why don't you join me? You've got nothing better to do."

He stared at the glass like it gave off an offensive odor. Eventually, Calgon shrugged and drank it herself. "At least sit down," she said. "You're so tense you look like you'll snap in half."

This was more agreeable to him, and when he was seated in the barstool next to her, she explained herself. "All the reports coming in show Luffa attacking various military installations and spaceports across the planet," she began.

"A sound strategy to eliminate resistance," Kami said.

"You don't get it, do you?" Calgon said. "If our conventional forces could have stopped her, she never would have made it off Extraliga. The only thing that might be able to stop her is the Shockmaster, and that remains to be seen. Bases like this one are no threat to a Super Saiyan. Hell, I'm not so sure a normal Saiyan like Kandai would waste time on them."

"Then what is she doing?" Kami asked.

"I'm thinking she doesn't know much about our defenses, so she's testing us to see what we'll throw at her," Calgon said. "That's why I've ordered the troops to defend themselves, but not to counterattack. No sense tipping our hand, even if it's a bad one."

"But if we don't resist, she'll go on demolishing everything on the planet!" Kami protested.

"So she smashes up a bunch of Wist-style architecture," Calgon said with a wave of her hand. "That doesn't break my heart, and you're the guardian of the whole planet, not the infrastructure. Our beloved Partner might have a bone to pick with that, but he's welcome to step in any time he pleases."

"Then what--?" Kami began to ask.

"The spaceports are the key," Calgon went on. "They serve no immediate tactical purpose. Oh, we'll need them to rebuild when this is over, but she's not destroying them to cripple our war effort. She's doing it as quickly as she can, because she's trying to cut off his escape."

"Kandai," Kami muttered. "You think she knows he's here."

"Argon probably told her he was on the planet," Calgon said, "But she must not know exactly where, or she wouldn't be bothering to cut off his only means of escape. Once she's made sure no one can leave the planet, she can hunt him down at her leisure. But we can speed up that process."

"You'd actually sacrifice your own lover?" Kami said.

"Oh, don't be naive, Kami," Calgon said. "He'd do the same to me if he thought it would save his skin. Besides, he's doomed anyway. I just want to get it over with so she'll leave the planet. We might even get a few concessions in exchange. Shockmaster or no, I stand to come out of this in a much more favorable position, and so will you, if you help me."

Kami considered her plan for a moment, as though chewing a morsel of food and deciding whether or not he could stomach it. "How do we proceed?" he finally asked.

Calgon smiled and poured them another round.

*******

It didn’t take long for M’ranga to locate her comrades. Explaining her plan was a more complicated endeavor. As she spoke with them in their hideout at the bottom of a remote swamp, she could tell they were skeptical.

"You already tried assassinating the bloke, love," Scotch Woodcock growled after a long swig from a half-empty bottle of liquor. There was a look of concern in his three eyes, which he tried to conceal in the shadow of his wide-brimmed black hat. "Got you a one-way ticket to the bloody tunnel, didn’t it?"

"A rrrrrouund triiiiip, it would seeeeeeem," said Tobiko. He claimed to be thousands of years old, a living relic of the ancient civilization the Shockmaster sought to recreate. He looked like some manner of sea creature, and his magics gave him the ability to teleport to any body of water on the planet. This alone had made him instrumental to their little resistance cell, as he could whisk them away to his secret lair at the first sign of trouble.

"Yeah, and she brought along some friends on the way back," Woodcock muttered. He stroked the thick handlebar mustache that connected with his sideburns. "Y’ask me, this Super Saiyan bird’s doing just fine without any help from us. Be lucky if she doesn’t tear the whole planet apart."

"That’s my point, Mr. Woodcock," M’ranga said desperately. "The Shockmaster won’t let her rampage across the planet like this for much longer, and when he does confront her, the battle may doom millions of innocent people, no matter who wins! But we can stop him before it even comes to that. And with him out of the picture, Wist can surrender!"

"It coulllld worrrrrk," Tobiko said. "The Shockmaaaaaster is of the ancient waaaaayys, as I aaaaaaam. If he iiiiis in the Reverie, then he would be vuulllnerable..."

"We just have to find him before he snaps out of it," M’ranga said.

"Gotta find the wanker first," Woodcock muttered. "Whatever he’s on about, he’s keepin’ his battle power suppressed so well we can’t sense him."

"Leave that to me," M’ranga said. "While I was stuck in that prison dimension, I met magical beings who were just as fed up with the Shockmaster's tyranny as we are. While Luffa was planning this invasion, I made some preparations of my own."

She reached behind her back and withdrew a nugget of copper from one of the pouches on her belt. She held it tightly and the lump of metal began to glow.

"It’s a talisman," M’ranga explained. "All I have to do is think about that tyrant, and it shows me the way to him, whether he’s powered up or not."

"Impressive," Tobiko said, regarding the nugget with fascination. "Suuuch ancient enchantments, even byyyyy the standards of my ooooown forgotten arts..."

"That’s yer trouble, girl. Gotta have a bloody answer to everything, don’t ya?" Woodcock groaned. He took another swig from his bottle, then tossed it over his shoulder. Then he stood up and adjusted the large metal belt buckle on his black leather pants.

"There’s always an answer to tyrants, Mr. Woodcock," M’ranga said. "It’s just a matter of knowing where to look. So are we in, or out?"

Tobiko nodded sagely, and Woodcock rolled all three of his eyes. "What the hell?" he said. "Came here lookin’ for a ruckus, might as well enjoy it."

********

There was nothing left of Oldcourt Station. The entire facility was in flames. It's defenders were dead, its weapons lay broken and useless.

Luffa stood in the center of the landing field and laughed as she admired her handiwork. She picked up a crate of rations and ripped open the metal frame like the rind of a ripe fruit. Soon, she began ripping open the packages and dumping their contents into her mouth.

"Real nice planet you have here, Kandai," she said to herself as she ate. "Enjoy it while you can..."

NEXT: Aggressive Negotiations

#dragon ball #fanfiction #super saiyan #luffa #kandai #m'ranga: ensign liberty #calgon #kami #scotch woodcock #tobiko #wist #lssjluffafic

1 note · View note