Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Retro Ranter fanfiction (incomplete): The Great Escape

OC belongs to Retro Ranter. DragonBall originally owned by Akira Toriyama. No copyright intended. 




https://www.youtube.com/user/FanboiUK

https://twitter.com/RetroRanter




I
A loud chorus of cheers rang out in the distance on the barren land. The sun had recently risen up against the dark pink sky, revealing the ruins of a once mighty civilization. Partial buildings stood weakly beside the remains of other buildings that had been blasted apart. Solar paneled roads were split in half and various vehicles had been overturned. The corpses of the human-like beings that littered the ground was the most disturbing sight to be seen. Nearby the fallen were guns, broken eyepieces called scouters, and various pieces of machinery. The only sounds that were heard were the chatter and holler of another group of beings.

The celebrating individuals were none other than the Saiyans, proud, strong warriors with brown tails but human-like in appearance. All of them had black eyes and thick, black, spiky hair. Many of them were wearing brown loincloths held in place with rope and furry brown boots on their feet. The ones with more experience in battle wore white armor with tan pads that protected their shoulders, waists, and knees. A man with a black beard and mustache bent down to pick up a gun. He examined the object and noticed that it only had four bullets left. In addition, the larger barrel at the top had been bent. “Worthless,” he muttered before tossing it aside.
“Tato, look what I found,” called his companion, a smaller Saiyan with a lankier build. He held up a brown wallet full of gold coins and a green-tinted scouter. “Very nice,” Tato mentioned in approval. “Those could come in handy.” In one swift movement, Tato pushed the Saiyan aside and swiped up the wallet from his hands. “That was mine, first, Tato,” he growled. “You snooze you lose,” Tato grinned. The man held out his hand and formed a yellow ball of energy. He released it with a yell, only to have it swatted away by the larger warrior. “How juvenile,” Tato said. “To think I would be that stupid to not sense an attack like that coming. Your dirty trick won’t work on me, Celeri.” “I told you I hate that name,” he scowled, crossing his arms. “I think that name is fitting for my younger brother,” teased a woman Saiyan. “Shut up, Peppa,” Celri spat.
“That’s enough of you all,” spoke a gruff voice of an older Saiyan. He wore Saiyan armor with dark green plates and dark pants. “We should not waste time squabbling and spend more time on gathering as much resources as we can.” “Yes sir,” said Tato, saluting the warrior. “Good. Carry on.” He wondered off to discuss building plans for new houses and landmarks.

Thanks to the leftover technology that the Tuffles left behind, the Saiyans were able to build a kingdom and claim the land for themselves. For obvious reasons, palaces and magnificent mansions were built for the elite and upper class Saiyans first. For the builders who had no experience constructing the more complex architecture of several futuristic white buildings, blueprints and instructions were conveniently stored in a small shed underneath a trapdoor. The space was soon ransacked and wiped clean by the warriors, though it was tempting for many of them to blow it to bits. Not much else was used by the Saiyans in terms of technology with the exception of the scouters, round white space pods, and the Tuffle’s weapons, which were upgraded to fit the Saiyans’ needs.

King Vegeta and the Saiyans who fought in the battle were hailed as heroes by the rest of the Saiyans. The Saiyan military were given medals of honor and treated to a large feast at the palace which had recently been completed. King Vegeta’s closest advisors gave him a salute as he entered the spacious dining hall room: a fist over the heart followed by a bow. After addressing his army, the king sat down at the head of the table. King Vegeta’s wife smiled with pride at her husband as she sat down to his left. Their sons, Vegeta and Tarble sat to their father’s right.   Black banners with a curved red trident symbol decorated the walls, the symbol of the royal family.
With no other enemies to stand in their way, their civilization and population expanded over the years. It wasn’t long before their desire for possession of land extended to beyond their current planet, which they had renamed Planet Vegeta after their king.

In one instance, some of the Saiyans traveled in pods throughout space, in search of a new planet to conquer. The warriors landed on a planet that was dry and lifeless as a desert.  There was nothing around that indicated signs of life except for tall white buildings that had been cracked and damaged. “Nothing much here,” mentioned one of the Saiyans in disgust.
“This place doesn’t seem to have anyone living on it,” a woman added.
“Do you think we can destroy this place soon,” asked a third warrior. “It looks like it’s ready to be put out of its misery.”
“Not yet,” replied the first member. “Let’s look around to see if there are any valuables here. But keep your guard up.”
The warriors nodded and began their journey forward. The sun beat hard and hot against the light green sky. The Saiyans looked around the old white buildings and under gray rocks nearby.
“No valuables here,” the leader said. “Let’s go back and report to King Vegeta. When you speak, mention that there was a weak race that we easily defeated so he won’t get mad when we return empty handed.”
“What if he doesn’t believe us?” asked the woman. “You know how he relates small mistakes of his people as possible threats.”
“Which is why we must be convincing,” the male Saiyan replied.
The woman touched her scouter and it sensed movement not too far up ahead, movement that was heading their way.
“I don’t think we need to convince him,” she replied.
The group of five Saiyans got into battle stances, their eyes and ears alert. Stepping out from the shadow of a ruined building was a strange being. The alien wore a long white cloak and their face was obscured by a dark skull-like mask. The alien had three cloaked companions close behind him, along with a green mask wearing alien sitting nearby against a broken wall.
“Who are you and why have you come?” asked the alien through his mask.
The Saiyan leader replied, “You don’t need to know who we are. You only need to know that we seek technology and resources to expand our race to greater heights. Don’t bother trying to stop us. You are outmatched.”

“We have no reason to stop you,” he replied. “We figured that we would meet our end soon enough.”

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“If it is money and technology you seek,” said the alien, “then my race, the Acrosians, have what you desire.”
“We are the Saiyans,” added the woman warrior. “We are the mightiest race on our planet and soon, we will be the strongest in the galaxy. Now where is this treasure you speak of?”
“Not so fast,” he replied. “I can’t just let you take what we have and let you be on your way. You have to give us something in return.”
“And what might that be?” asked another Saiyan man, clenching his fists. His companion gripped his shoulder, telling him to hold back.
“A more habitable world,” the alien replied. “Money and technology can’t feed us nor quench our thirst. We are nearly depleted of our frozen food and what’s left of the water ever since the drought that has lasted for months. Without vegetation, water, and wildlife to sustain us, we will soon die with the extinct species.”
“In that case,” said the Saiyan. “Why not travel someplace else?”
“We have technology to get us to other planets but we do not have any way to defend ourselves from others who live on other worlds.”
“Fighting is in our blood, our very nature,” the Saiyan replied.  “We traveled to our planet and defeated the people who had previously lived there.” The Saiyans looked to each other and grinned. “We’d be more than happy to experience the thrill of battle once more.”
The Acrosian stood, satisfied. “In that case, you should have no problem conquering other planets for us.”
The Saiyans wagged their brown tails in anticipation. “Not a problem at all,” said the Saiyan. “Now where is that bounty?”
The alien mentioned to one of his companions, who brought a gray briefcase over. Two other briefcases were positioned on the ground by the alien’s cloaks. The alien opened the briefcase and the Saiyan’s eyes grew wide. Inside was a heap of shiny gold coins in addition to small square pieces of strange technology. The Acrosian reached out a dark blue clawed hand, a gold bracelet hanging from his wrist. The Saiyan grinned and shook the alien’s hand.
When the Saiyans arrived back to Planet Vegeta, the king was pleased by the unexpected turn of events. Seizing the opportunity to expand his kingdom and the influence of the mighty Saiyan race, Vegeta sent his men to work on missions right away. These missions served to fuel the greedy nature of the Saiyans further.
The advanced fighters with higher power levels flew to other planets and destroyed other alien races that lived on them. Meanwhile Saiyan babies of the lower class were sent to other planets with so called weaker species that they could fight when they arrived. One look at a hologram of the full moon would be enough for the babies to unlock their Great Ape forms and wipe out civilizations in a single day.

It wasn’t long before a new threat arrived to Planet Vegeta. The galactic emperor Lord Frieza soon reigned supreme over the Saiyan race, even forcing King Vegeta to submit to him. Frieza formed an army of the greatest alien warriors, some of them looking like regular humans. The high-level Saiyans were employed as mercenaries, tasks with conquering planets for Frieza to expand his empire. The missions were very different, now that the Saiyans could not enjoy the same destructive freedom they had enjoyed before. Instead of keeping resources for themselves, most of the money and wealth had been given to Frieza and his closest supporters.
The white lizard-like emperor appreciated the Saiyans’ power and violent traits. Their intelligence, skill, and efficiency made them the perfect warriors to do his bidding. At the same time, he grew more and more mistrustful as time went on. Whenever a Saiyan would prove to be overpowered or disobedient, Frieza would order said Saiyan to be executed without a second thought. In many ways he was similar to King Vegeta; both were powerful rulers who would stop at nothing to ensure that they were in complete control of the universe and their subjects. However, the king did show enough concern to send his younger son, Tarble away to a distant planet…but only because he was seen as a weakling and a disgrace to the royal family.
Prince Vegeta, on the other hand, stayed on Planet Vegeta with his family. It was mentioned that the young prince was more powerful than his father. Seizing an opportunity, Freiza made him his underling, sending him on countless missions to expand his galactic empire and install fear into his enemies. This was a situation that King Vegeta did not take kindly to, despite his usual ignorance of the lives of other individuals. The king and a group of Saiyan elites stormed into Freiza’s chamber after blasting some of Frieza’s men with their power. King Vegeta charged at Frieza, attacking with all his might. With a single punch to the jaw by the higher-powered emperor, the king fell dead at Frieza’s feet. A bright blast of light from Freiza’s hand eliminated the rest of the Saiyan elite in seconds.

= = = = < O  O > = = = =
Age 720
It was the beginning of the Saiyan-Tuffle war on Planet Plant. Prior to the event, the Saiyans had arrived from their home planet, Planet Salada, after a conflict with their own members destroyed their world. The greedy Saiyans soon wanted to conquer the new land for themselves. However, there was another race that had already inhabited the land. They were small in appearance and weak compared to the Saiyans. However, they made up for their lack of strength by their advanced technology and intelligence. These people were known as the Tuffles. The Tuffles being docile by nature, welcomed the Saiyans with open arms into their growing industrial city. However, the peace between them did not last long. The Saiyans caused destruction and havoc anywhere they went, giving into their natural desires for war. Not long after, the Tuffles began treating the Saiyans like second-class citizens, or in some cases, as slaves. The unlucky Saiyans worked at menial service jobs while the really unlucky ones were sent to work at labor camps. Still the majority of the Saiyans were banished to the harsh badlands in the desert to fend for themselves. For those Saiyans living outside the borders, being free but vulnerable to the elements was better than being restrained within walls. 

Age 722 

A broad shouldered Saiyan with long black hair stretched his arms and legs under the magenta sky. He sat down with both legs straight in front of him. With a mighty grunt, he reached forward and grabbed his brown furry boots on his feet. He held his arms in position for several minutes and then let go. He briefly scratched his black beard, then stood up. At once, he flew into a nearby pinnacle of gray rock and blasted it to bits with a single punch. The warrior shot a beam of light from his fingers and destroyed more pillars of rock like they were merely dominoes for him to knock over.

“Onyin, could you keep it down out there?” called his wife from inside a nearby rock cave. “Our baby is trying to sleep.” Moments later, the sound of a baby’s cries could be heard. “Coming, Brussal,” Onyin muttered.
The warrior dusted off his brown cloth which was tied around his waist with white rope. He crept into the large opening of their home to find his wife bouncing the baby up and down gently. “It’s okay, my son,” she reassured the infant. Brussal was wearing a brown dress that had gotten slightly tattered at the bottom helm. She rocked the baby back and forth while sitting on a woven mat made from grass and colored strings. Hanging from the left stone wall were two dark brown wooden clubs, one over the other in an X shape. Toward the back, there were piles of hay and tan sacks of feathers that served as beds and pillows.
Brussal pushed her dark brown spiky hair from her face. “I was able to gather some berries and catch several birds for dinner, this morning. Go help yourself.”
Onyin nodded in thanks and walked over to a slab of flat rock that served as a table. Sure enough, there were piles of juicy red and black berries toward the end of the table. In the center were several blue and green-feathered birds, all lying still. Onyin made a face. “Couldn’t you have picked something with more meat to it? Those birds aren’t going to fill me up for my mission tonight.”
“You’ve been going on and on about your mission,” Brussals replied. “Yet you seem to be forgetting something, or someone important.”
“Obviously I haven’t because His Majesty Vegeta told me to meet my comrades up at the hill tonight…”
“It’s me, that’s who!” she interrupted. “Maybe if someone had comforted me when I was having those contractions, I may have been able to shoot down that deer I saw earlier.”
“Why didn’t you?” he asked.
“Oh I don’t know…because I was having a baby and I couldn’t get myself out of this cave!” Her voice was full of sarcasm and anger. Even Onyin found himself flinching away from her.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said putting up his large hands. “I was just busy preparing myself for tonight.”
“Preparing as in sparring with your buddies and bullying the newbee warriors?”
Onyin grinned. “Something like that.”
Brussals rolled her eyes. “I swear if I were at full strength, I could punch you in your thick head right now.”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he chuckled.
“Just eat the food that I got, or go get your own!”
“Very well,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. His brown tail moved back and forth as he picked up one of the birds and carried it over to a pile of logs in a circle. With a flick of his finger, he shot a small blast of energy at the logs and golden flames soon sprang to life. Onyin took the metal rod and tied the dead bird to it. He carefully put the rod back in place and slowly turned it.
“This should be done in a little while,” he mentioned, almost to himself. Brussal sighed as her stomach growled. In Saiyan culture, lie many other primal cultures, it was customary to have the strongest males get the largest helpings. Children would be second, and the women would be last. Brussals was almost always the second to last to get her meal at the occasional clan gatherings outside, even falling behind the stronger women, who would get more helpings of meat and vegetables. After all, the men needed tons of energy in order to hunt for food and fight neighboring Saiyan tribes…or sometimes each other.
Brussals knew that women still were needed in the Saiyan tribe. With their numbers diminishing the more they fought each other, more mothers were needed to take care of the children, gather and make food, and help raise them until they were old enough to fight by themselves…which wasn’t a very long time to wait. Many of the stronger women participated in missions and raids with the men, bringing along clubs, daggers, and extra weapons.
Other than the roles of mother, gatherer, caretaker, and occasional fighter, Brussals felt that Saiyan women and herself were just…there. Powerful forces doing their jobs outside the battlefield where most of the men met. Even her so called marriage with Onyin wasn’t much of anything. Like all Saiyans, she and Onyin did not have a concept of “true love” or “lifelong commitment.” They procreated, had a baby, looked after each other and did their own jobs during the day. They were more like siblings or sparring peers than actual lovers. However, they still cared about each other. In particular, Brussals soon developed a strong attachment to her newborn son.
With Onyin and family bonding…not so much.

“Will you please shut him up?” asked Onyin, annoyed that the baby was still crying.
“Our son’s name is Rayyko, for your information,” she spat. “And I’m doing the best I can here.”
“Why can’t I name him?!” Onyin asked.
“You’re not the one who had him,” she remarked.
“But he’s my son! He needs to be trained as soon as possible!”
“Our son,” she corrected. “You can’t just use him as some special tool for battle. He needs the proper amount of care.”
“And food!” Onyin added, mentioning to the piles of berries. “Rayyko can’t eat all that. He needs protein and a lot more food.”
“I know,” Brussals said. “So get your butt outside and go find some more meat!”
“That’s your job, woman!” he argued.
“You think too much with your fists and not enough with your brain,” she said.
“Well your hormones and laziness is keeping you from toughening it out and doing your job!” he fired.
Brussals gently put the baby on the mat and abruptly stood up. “You take that back, meathead.”
Onyin smirked. “Oh sorry, it’s too late to do that.”
“It’s not too late to do this!” Brussals yelled, giving him a hard shove.
Onyin growled and shoved her hard to the floor. She yelped in pain and picked herself up. Both partners formed red ki blasts in their right hands in anger. They screamed a series of insults but a loud roar stopped them in their tracks. The ki energies faded back into their hands.
“Did you hear that?” they asked each other at the same time.
Immediately, the cave went quiet. Even little Rayyko went silent as if he too could sense a dangerous presence. “Stay here,” ordered Onyin. “I’m going out.”
Onyin took one of the wooden clubs from the wall and tested its weight. He stomped over to the bird on the spit, which was now almost black. He picked up the rod and put the charred creature into his mouth. Wasting no time, he made his way outside, not stopping to turn back.
In front of him, a group of warriors stood their ground, some holding spears and clubs, others posing with only their fists to defend themselves. The ground shook with a rumbling that gradually grew louder. Onyin looked ahead…and was stunned at what he saw.
Up ahead was a large furry creature, walking on all fours. It had the brown fur and the body shape of a grizzly bear, except the ears were large and round like a monkey’s. Strangely enough, the bear sprouted a long brown tail that was almost as long as the Sayian’s tails.
“What kind of bear is that?” asked one of the Saiyans.
“There are lots of strange animals that roam around in the forest to the east,” added a Saiyan woman. “Occasionally they come here, but not very often.”
“This is perfect!” called a big fat man by the name of Plum. “A bear wonders into our village, just waiting to be killed and eaten. This should be fun!”
The bear opened its mouth, revealing a row of long sharp teeth. Instead of attacking the Saiyan with its teeth, a white blast of energy shot from the bear’s mouth, knocking the screaming warrior backwards. Another Saiyan ran over to the fallen man. His skin and clothing were charred from the blast. “Hey! Can you hear me, man? Plum-san!” The warrior did not answer. “I think he’s unconscious,” said the Saiyan companion, hoping that he was right.
“That’s no ordinary monster,” called a woman, her tail moving side to side.
Onyin noticed a black outline of a gear that showed on one of the bear’s front legs.
“It’s them!”
Another blast flew in Onyin’s direction, missing his face by inches.
“Everyone spread out!” called another Saiyan. “Lead the monster to the outside!”
A slender Saiyan man fired a series of blasts at the bear’s legs, which appeared to have no effect. The Saiyan barely dodged a swipe from the bear’s claws. A woman ran to the man and pulled him out of the way before the bear could crush him. The beast opened it’s mouth, getting ready to fire another blast. Onyin then rushed forward and swung his club at the beast’s mouth. The impact knocked several of the bear’s teeth out. The bear let out a roar and knocked the Saiyan back with its head. Onyin quickly regained his composure and went over to the Saiyan who had ordered everyone to spread out.
“Zuchini, let’s move out!” He pointed to a space of dry open dessert. Zuchini yelled out a battle cry and the rest of the tribe followed.
As the bear charged forward, the Saiyans shot a series of ki blasts at the beast. The bear roared in frustration but kept moving closer.
“It’s slowing him down, but I can’t keep this up forever!” said Zuchini.
“You call yourself a Saiyan who gives up that easily?” asked Onyin. “Keep firing!”
The blasts kept hitting the bear, smoke from the blasts swirling in the air. The bear raised its paw to attack, but not before a spear rushed past and hit the monster square in the eye.
“Nice one,” said Zuchini to Aspargus.
“Thanks” the woman warrior replied.
The Saiyans fired more until smoke and dust from the ground obscured their vision of the area in front of them.
“I…I think we did it,” said Pepar.
The smoke cleared and revealed the bear, looking very different without the brown fur. In place of skin were a series of bronze wires and gears ledged toward the back. Onyin looked closer and could see that the bear’s eyes were actually small round cameras.
The mechanical monster let out a metallic roar that managed to knock the Saiyans backward. The Saiyans quickly got up and ran around the bear, attacking it with all their might. To the Saiyan’s horror, the monster started firing blasts back at the village. Onyin prayed that the caves that got hit was not the one that his family was in. One by one, the warriors fired more attacks, only to have them blocked by a green energy shield that formed around the bear. Onyin let out a series of curses.
“Gather round!” called Zuchini. “We have to stop that thing before it destroys us all.”
“How do we fight it now that it’s protected by that shield?” asked Aspargus.
“We find a way to break it!” Zuchini answered. “And I know just what we should do.”
“Are you thinking…that move that you are thinking?” asked Onyin.
“Yes, but we have to do it quick and do it right. Get in position!”
The warriors stood in a straight line, Zuchini and Onyin in the center.
The bear fired another blast, only to have Zuchini run in to block the blast. His hands started shaking and smoking. He pushed the light back, straining from the effort. The beam of energy inched closer to the struggling Saiyan. He yelled with all his might, to no avail.
 “Now, Onyin!” he called. He soon fell to the side and yelled in pain as his left foot got caught in the blast.
“Great Ape Fist!” Onyin shouted.
All the Saiyans raised their fists up at the same time. Ribbins of golden energy slithered from their hands and formed together in a white ball of light above them. The planet shook with the force of their power as the energy ball grew bigger and bigger. The sphere then shot into the air and transformed into a red projection of a great ape. The energy ape flew down and landed a large fist into the enemy. With a final roar and a clanking of machinery, the mechanical beast reared back…and then exploded with a bang.
The Saiyans covered their eyes and faces at the blinding light. Soon the dust cleared and all that was left was burned pieces of metal and tuffs of fur.
The Saiyans opened their eyes. “That was close!” said Aparagus, panting and catching her breath. A pair of two Saiyans helped Zuchini up from the ground. He was badly burned and had lost a part of his leg, but otherwise, he was still alive.
“Take him to the herbalist and meditation cave chamber,” said Onyin. The Saiyans complied, despite Onyin not being an official leader. “Do…not…tell King Vegeta about…this…” Zuchini said through his pain. “The mission tonight…”
Onyin beat his right fist against his heart. “I won’t. I promise.” Zuchini was taken to the healing area and Onyin took some satisfying deep breaths. He was thankful that Zuchini had not been sent on a mission this time around. King Vegeta did not tolerate any form of weaknesses or hesitancy in his warriors. Onyin grew concerned about the fact that Zuchini may not be able to fight, due to his lost foot.
Then again, he was mostly thankful that he had survived the encounter. As if his thoughts alone were attracting good luck, a brown buck was grazing at a patch of brown grass, still faintly green. The forest was not too far away and the deer could easily run safely into the trees to hide. Unless of course, he tried to escape from a Saiyan. Before the deer knew what hit him, he was struck dead in the chest by a blast from Onyin. He lifted up the deer’s body on his shoulders and headed for home, a smirk on his face. “Now this is what I call a hearty dinner!”

“You’re back!” said Brussals as her husband came in with the deer behind him. “How was the fight?” She asked it casually as if it was an ordinary event in a day, which for the Saiyans, it was. Still, she was thankful that he was alive and appeared unhurt, save for some cuts and a few bruises. “There was this strange mechanical beast that came out of nowhere and attacked our village! It destroyed several cave dwellings and some of our warriors got hurt. But no matter. It is defeated and we are safe now.”
“Thank goodness,” said Brussals, giving him an affectionate squeeze on his shoulder. “Rayyko is sound asleep on that small stack of hay,” she added. Sure enough, the infant was curled up on a brown blanket on top of a stack of hay, facing the wall.
“I can’t believe he slept through all that commotion,” said Onyin, smiling.
“Believe me, it took a long time to get him there,” she said.
“You know how kids are,” said Onyin. “Come, let’s make some dinner.”
Soon enough, the small family were enjoying slabs of cooked deer meet in addition to the rest of the berries. “Yummy, that was good,” said Brussals, licking her juicy lips clean.
“It doesn’t feel like enough,” complained Onyin. “I’m still quite hungry.”
“You’re always hungry,” Brussals remarked.
“I know. It seems like I…or we…can’t get enough food to satisfy ourselves. Only enough to stay alive at the very least.”
“What is there to complain about?” asked Brussals. “Sure it’s hard for all of us, but we’re still here aren’t we?”
“Yes,” Onyin deadpanned.
Brussals sighed and finished her meal in silence. She was annoyed at her husband for always finding something to complain about. One day, there would not be enough food, and another day, there wouldn’t be enough people for him to fight, and yet another day, there would not be enough days to begin with. Brussals wasn’t sure if she was proud of herself for dealing with Onyin’s stubborn attitude, or if she regretted it.
“I’m going for a walk,” Onyin announced. He picked up his club and walked out of the entrance hole. Brussals picked up her baby and followed him close behind. Aspargus and several other Saiyans walked beside them. “When is your mission?” Brussals asked.
“In a few hours after sunset,” Onyin replied. “We were ordered to scout the enemy wall and find any weak spots. And of course, to kill any enemy we see.”
“You know, they will push you back,” Brussals mentioned.
“So what?” he asked. “I’ll be satisfied enough if I get a chance to bash several heads in at least.”
The group of Saiyans walked up the brown desert hill. The first blows of a cool breeze hit their bodies, a welcome relief from the hot winds during the day. The sun slowly set, mixing the sky with magenta, orange, and gold. Onyin stopped at the edge of the hill and looked out into the distance.

Against the setting sun and under the two crescent moons lay a vast city. Tall, steel buildings reflected the golden light of the setting sun off the glass windows. The city was hustling and bustling with people, moving cars, robots, and larger than life advertisements on screens.
“Tuffles,” muttered Onyin, the very word leaving an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
“They must have built that bear machine to attack us,” deduced Aspargus.
“Did you see the cameras for the eyes?” asked Onyin. “They must have been spying on us to study our movements!”
“Wouldn’t be surprised,” said Brussals. “I’m sure that wasn’t the first trick they had up their sleeve.”
“Nor will it be the last,” said Onyin.
The Saiyans stared at the utopian-like city some more. Even Rayyko had woken up and was staring at it with large eyes. Along with disgust for the technologically advanced race, the Saiyans harbored another feeling for their rival culture: envy. They could only imagine how much wealth the Tuffle king possessed or how powerful and complex, their weaponry could be. These people had air conditioning, running water, electricity, quality food and water…everything. The Saiyans had fled from their home planet Salada after an intense battle had destroyed their homeland. Why should they be left with nothing?
Rayyko summarized everyone’s current thoughts by sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at the city. Brussals and Onyin both laughed.  “Hey maybe, our son does have potential in him after all,” Onyin said.
“I know he does,” Brussals stated. “You just have to give him a chance as he grows up.”
“Fine,” he said.  “Still though, let’s keep him away from the war against the Tuffles. It’s dangerous and he’s far too young.”
“I wholeheartedly agree,” said Brussals.
“Three years into the war, and it’s still going on,” mentioned Onyin.
Another Saiyan crossed his beefy arms and scoffed. “They cast us out and treated us like dirt not long after they invited some of us in! Still to this day. And they call us the ‘primitive species’.”
“Someday, you Tuffles will get what’s coming to you, spoiled little midgets,” spat Aspargus.
“Let’s go, Onyin,” said Brussals, holding Rayyko close. “You don’t want to be late.”
Onyin nodded and followed the rest of the Saiyans back to the caves.


Age 730

The Saiyan-Tuffle war had come to an abrupt end after ten enduring years. On one fateful night, an event occurred that allowed the Saiyans to emerge victorious. It was a full moon, an occurrence that had not happened in a hundred years. When Saiyans cast their eyes on the large white orb, they transformed into monstrous Great Apes, with no control over what they were doing. Their fighting instincts overtook any form of logic they previously possessed. The result was catastrophic for the Tuffle race. Even with their advanced technology and greater numbers, the Tuffles stood no chance against the crushing blows of the Great Apes’ feet and fists, nor the powerful energy blasts that the Apes fired from their mouths. The Tuffles and their city were wiped out by morning. Once the Saiyans reverted to their regular forms, they immediately began celebrating and searching the ruins for any valuable resources. They found nothing particularly useful, save for the scouters, some left over food, and of course, weapons. Thanks to the leftover technology, the Saiyans were able to create their own kingdom in a matter of weeks.

The Saiyans who had lived in the rock caves in the badlands now enjoyed a life of comfort and prosperity. Their brown loincloths were replaced with Saiyan armor, complete with tan shoulder and chest pads to provide additional protection from blasts and sharp blades. Their armor was flexible and durable in nearly any condition and adapted to the warrior’s movements in battle. They were even strong enough to endure a Great Ape transformation. With an ever-increasing population, more experienced fighters, and efficient technology, the Saiyan’s goal to conquer the galaxy drew ever closer.

Age 730
In the meantime, Rayyko, who had been a baby many years ago, was now eight years old. His hair was spiky and brown and a green scouter was positioned over his left eye. His eyes were green, a stark contrast to the typical black eyes of the other Saiyans. He often wore dark gray Saiyan armor, in addition to a black hat on his head.

Rayyko had been sound asleep with his mother relaxing on the ground during the fateful night of the Saiyan-Tuffle war. Brussals had told him that they needed to stay in the cave until morning.

“But why, mother?” asked Rayyko after he had woken up and asked if he could join his father.  His mother had declined. “I want to join the fight, just like father!” He demonstrated by punching a hole in the nearby stone wall.

“Because,” said Brussals, “Your father doesn’t want to put us in any danger in case anything goes wrong.”
“But he knows that both of us can fight!” said Rayyko. “It would be good to practice on those Tuffle people over there. Father said that I need to keep training.”
Brussals put a hand on his shoulder. “I know, my son. But in serious times like this, fighting is no laughing matter. It is not merely playful combat like that you and our peers perform. It is a matter of life or death.”

“Saiyans should not be afraid of death,” Rayyko mentioned. “Father told me that dozens of times. Being cowardly makes one weak.”
“Which is one thing I do not agree with,” said Brussals in a more critical tone. “For a warrior to not be afraid would mean putting him or herself in danger. True courage lies in overcoming your greatest fears.”
“But I don’t have any fears!” Rayyko stated.
Brussals put her hand on his shoulder. “Everyone has fears of some kind. Sometimes our most daunting battles come from within, not from outside.”
Rayyko stared at his mother in confusion and a little bit of impatience. “Why are you telling me this?”
Brussals sighed and continued. “You may find this hard to believe, but Onyin also has his worries to deal with, as stubborn as he may be.”
“I heard a group of people talking about a special event tonight. They claim that it will help us win the war. What is it?”
“Tonight is the night of the full moon. It has not been seen for many years. When our people look at it, it triggers a transformation so powerful that no one can stand in our way.”
“Cool!” Rayyko yelled. “I want to try it out!”
He ran toward the larger hole, but his mom grabbed his arm firmly. “No, Rayyko. The event is not as pleasant as you think. Once a warrior has transformed into the mighty ape, they have no sense of control. Their heads only fill with primal rage, causing them to destroy everything, or everyone in sight.”
“Is that why, father wanted us to stay inside?”
“Yes. It is not enemy tribes nor the Tuffles that he is concerned about. He is concerned of losing control in his form.”
“But we are Saiyans too! We can look at the full moon and transform. Why not do just that?” asked Rayyko.
“When our people look at it, it triggers a transformation so powerful that no one can stand in our way.”
“Cool!” Rayyko yelled. “I want to try it out!”
He ran toward the larger hole, but his mom grabbed his arm firmly. “No, Rayyko. The event is not as pleasant as you think. Once a warrior has transformed into the mighty ape, they have no sense of control. Their heads only fill with primal rage, causing them to destroy everything, or everyone in sight.”
“Is that why, father wanted us to stay inside?”
“Yes. It is not enemy tribes nor the Tuffles that he is concerned about. He is concerned of losing control in his form.”
“But we are Saiyans too! We can look at the full moon and transform. Why not do just that?” asked Rayyko.
“To tell you the truth, he did not believe that you were ready to experience the transformation. You are still a growing boy and your power is still in the average range, according to him.”
“So he thinks I’m not good enough!” Rayyko said in frustration.
“No, he just doesn’t want you or me to get hurt,” explained Brussals. “Frankly after working hard and sparring with my peers all day, I’m happy to have a chance to live a bit longer.”
Rayyko stomped his foot on the ground, so hard that cracks formed near his bare foot. “That’s not fair!” he yelled. “He won’t let me get a chance to prove myself.” The young boy then straightened himself up and puffed out his chest. “I’ll show him how strong I can be!”
Before Brussals could react, Rayyko raced out the hole and stared at the sky. He could see bright stars against the dark blue sky. He looked slightly to the left and his eyes met the giant white moon. He thought he heard his mother call behind him, but that thought soon vanished. For a moment, his mind went blank, his only focus was on the bumpy moon’s surface and the light it reflected.
Instantly his irises turned red and sharp pains flooded his body. Hot, boiling adrenaline raced through his head, his muscles, and his very core. His heart started beating fast and his tail swished back and forth. Sharp teeth protruded from where his regular teeth used to be. His eyes were now glowing devilishly red. The prickling of dark fur spread across his entire body. Most noticeable of all, Rayyko could painfully feel himself growing larger by the second. Though he was one of the smaller Apes, he was still large enough to see the tops of the forest trees slightly below him.
The young warrior let out a mighty roar and pounded his furry chest. Behind him, he saw another Great Ape who was sniffing the air…his mother. No longer protesting against his wishes, Brussals looked in the direction of the Tuffle city. With a nod, Rayyko bounded after her.
By the time they reached the city, it was already heavily damaged by the Saiyan Great Apes. Buildings once pristine with glass and steel now stood in flames. Far down below, the Tuffles were running as fast as their legs could carry them, careful to avoid the large feet of the Apes. Letting out his frustration, Rayyko picked up a water tower with his hands and threw it into the air. It landed with a watery crash against another building. The unlucky Tuffles hiding in the front lobby soon disappeared underneath the falling rubble.
The cracks of gunshots came from other Tuffles who were positioned on the ground. The bullets hit the Saiyan’s but had no effect. Tired of the annoying creatures, Brussals swept all of the Tuffles aside with a swipe of her hand. The Tuffle’s screams were drowned out by the loud roars of the Saiyans. King Vegeta himself had also transformed into a Great Ape, his long spiky hair distinguishing him from everyone else. He fired a bright blast from his mouth and the center of the city blew up in a flash of orange light.
Rayyko saw the remains of a smaller building come hurling at him. Even worse, it was engulfed in flames. Rayyko swatted it aside and stomped hard on the ground. He looked into the red eyes of his Great Ape father, Onyin. Rayyko roared with rage in response and charged forward. He landed a punch to Onyin’s gut, which caused him to briefly stumble backwards. Onyin recovered and punched Rayyko hard in the face. At the same time, both Apes shot energy blasts from their mouths. The energy clashed and the force knocked both of them backwards. They stood up and charged at each other again. Then Rayyko felt himself being held back by a foot on his tail. He yelled in pain and turned around. A familiar Great Ape was shaking her head at him. She pointed toward the city with a grunt, indicating what needed to be done. Rayyko gave his father one last glare, then charged into the city.
Once the city was dead quiet, the Apes took a look at their handiwork. Not a soul nor a structure was left standing. The Saiyans had won. The Great Apes roared and pounded their chests in victory. Rayyko looked toward the horizon and saw the first rays of the oncoming sun. Suddenly tired, Rayyko lay his large body onto the dirt. Sharp pains flooded his body again and this time, he felt the world slowly grow larger around him. Soon enough, regular Rayyko was resting on the ground, in his regular gray armor. After a few moments, he stared at his hands which were now bare.
“What happened?” he asked.
“We won!” cried Onyin. “That’s what happened!”
Rayyko found himself being crushed in a brief hug by his father, something he rarely did. “Wait, Rayyko? How did you get down here? Brussals, you too?”
“Yes,” she replied, walking over and shaking her head. “I tried to stop Rayyon from going out, but it was too late. Apparently, he did well all by himself…as I knew he would.”
“It’s hard for me to remember much,” said Onyin. “Though I did remember briefly fighting an enemy Ape that bore a resemblance to you.”
Brussals and Rayyko stared in silence.
“If it was you, then I’m sorry,” Onyin quickly interjected. “I had no idea what I was doing.”
“None of us did,” admitted Brussals. “But the important thing is that we won and we’re safe.”
“Indeed!” said Onyin. “Let’s go search the ruins for anything that appears to be useful.”
“Yay, I love treasure hunts!” exclaimed Rayyko, who then flew off toward the ruins.
“You know,” said Onyin. “I think Rayyko might have some potential in him after all.”
“You think?” scowled Brussals, hands on her hips. “How would you know, considering you are never with him half the time.”
“I know a change in demeanor when I see it,” he replied. “The fact that he was willing to disobey family rules and undergo the transformation says a lot.”
“I thought he was just curious,” Brussals replied.
“More than that,” Onyin said. “He is a great warrior after all. Nowhere close to my level but still…”
Onyin was met with a hard punch to his back. “We’ll see who has the last laugh when he grows up some more and defeats you.”
“Like that’ll ever happen,” Onyin smirked. “Now come. Let’s go snatch some valuables.” He ran off toward his son and Brussals followed.
“Look what I found!” said Rayyko with excitement. He help up a bent scouter that had a cracked green lens.
“Nice work, son!” said Onyin. “I heard that device can be used to measure power levels. We won’t have to guess where anyone is at anymore. That will surely come in handy.” Onyin took the scouter and gently placed it in a wooden cart filled with other scraps and pieces of technology. The cart was guarded by several of King Vegeta’s men.
“Well, I think that’s the last of it,” said Brussals, wiping her forehead. “We scraped this place clean.”
“Now it’s time to follow His Majesty and make plans to rebuild our civilization!” said Onyin.
Onyin turned and found an older Saiyan resting on the ground. He had messy white hair and his face was caked with dirt. He was groaning with pain and sweating. His legs were stuck underneath a large metal beam. Rayyko lifted the large beam and tossed it aside. To his horror, only the top half of his legs appeared to be intact. One of his hands was bent at an awkward angle.
“Let’s go, Rayyko,” said Onyin.
“Wait, we have to help him!” said Rayyko. Brussals agreed and immediately picked up the aged man.
“He will only slow us down,” said Onyin. “You know we don’t tolerate weakness in our clan.”
“This man can’t walk, and he fought just as hard as the rest of us!” Brussals argued.  
Rayyko looked fearfully at his two arguing parents.
“What good is a Saiyan if he can’t fight?” asked Onyin.
“What good is a warrior who leaves his fellow comrades behind?” Brussals countered. “The answer: there is no good, only selfishness and a cowardly nature.”
“You dare call me a coward, woman!” yelled Onyin.
“Coward. Butthole. A monkey’s stupid uncle. You’re choice.”
Without warning, Onyin rushed forward and slapped Brussals hard in the face. “Mother!” cried Rayyko as she fell to the ground, along with the old man.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she growled, hoisting herself back up. With wide eyes, she saw Onyin point his closed fingers together at the old man, who was coughing up blood.
“Onyin, stop!” she yelled. The blast hit the old man right in the heart. He crumpled to the ground and his body lay still. Rayyko stared in horror at what he just witnessed. Tears fell from his eyes.
“Stop crying,” Onyin mentioned. “Saiyans never cry. This is what happens when you aren’t deemed fit to be a warrior. Especially one who steals your food almost every night.”
“That’s what you’re mad about?! That the old man can’t fight and that he stole your food several nights ago?”
“I put that fool out of his misery. What can I say?” Onyin shrugged.
“Say that you’re a monster who shouldn’t be showing things like that to our son!”
“Rayyko has to learn what war is like soon enough!” Onyin explained. “That’s how it is. Now hurry up and let’s catch up to the others.”
Onyin quickly made his way just behind the guards, who were helping to push the cart full of goods. Rayyko sobbed into his other’s arms and she picked him up.
“It’s alright, my son,” she said as they followed Onyin and the rest. “Try not to think about it. Remember we have special plans ahead and a big feast later to celebrate!”
The red faced Rayyko perked up at the thought of food. “Really?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t we have one? We Saiyans need our energy after all.”

Age 738
Rayyko was now sixteen years old, and in great physical shape. Though compared to the Saiyans of higher status, he still looked like a runt to them. To his allies, he was nicknamed the “Galactic Star Killer” due to his pleasure in blowing up stars during his missions. His hair was now long and brown. There was a new seriousness in his face ever since Frieza took over his home planet.
His father became stricter than ever, pushing Rayyko to fight harder and harder. To make matters worse, his mother was falling ill to a mysterious disease. In Saiyan culture, especially under Frieza’s rule, weakness in any form was never tolerated.
Rayyko did enjoy going on the missions and conquering planets to sell for other races. Though he was not one of the elite, his fighting had improved over the years. However, he was cautious and wary around Freiza and his lackeys for obvious reasons. He knew that one wrong move could be the end of him and his family.
Frieza’s bodyguards, Dodorida and Zarbon were indeed, intimidating. Dodorida was a large pink alien with purple spikes, a heavy-set build and cruel eyes. Zarbon was light blue-skinned with green braided hair. Unlike Dodorida who found pleasure in killing and violence, Zarbon took more pleasure in his appearance. Both of them still made an intimidating force in their Saiyan armor and scouters positioned over their left eyes. The two villains would eventually wipe out Bardock’s warriors and assist Frieza in his grand plan to end the threat against him.
Below Dodorida and Zarbon was another warrior and general by the name of Glacin. He was equally cruel, though of lower status. He looked similar to Frieza, except slightly blue-skinned, smaller and far less powerful. He had a long tail, skin and armor that was nearly indestructible, and the intelligence of a cruel strategist. His armor looked the same as the ones that the other members of the Frieza force wore, save for a belt around his waist where he kept extra weapons. While Frieza and his lackeys were causing trouble and observing their subjects, Glacin was sent on separate missions by order of Frieza. In particular, he was casting his murderous icy blue eyes on a young warrior and his peers.

Rayyko could sense that something was not quite right. Over the years, he learned from his father how to sense for danger in the air, to tell when the enemy would make the next move. 



Retro/Rakkyo fights as a teen on Planet Vegeta as Frieza’s army approaches. He escapes to Earth and later meets Orack, Halusa, Majin etc.

Born to a good hearted Saiyan mother Brussal near her end, battles with his battle-crazed Saiyan father, Onyin.
Rakkyo born age 722.
Eight years old in age 730.
738- destruction of Planet Vegeta (between anime 737 and manga 739) Rayyo is 16.

No comments:

Post a Comment