Chapter 9
Goku stomped his taloned foot down on the last of the Tsubas. With the yellow skinned, blue eyed alien with wings bled purple blood on the red soil of the planet Tuski. Goku looked around to find that the winged species’ corpses littered the ground, their violet blood dying the ground the same color. As he scanned the surroundings of broken buildings and limp bodies, the Trampled Innocence cheered him on.
Tsubas…The Trampled Innocence said. Playing innocent when their ancestors’ killed us Tuskans…
Goku nodded in agreement. Millenia ago, the Tuskans were raided by the Tsubas’ large space fleet and unprovoked. While the Tuskans were stronger, the Tsubas had technology that overcame that disadvantage and allowed them to slaughter the entire planet. The original inhabitants of Tuski were wiped out due to the fact that the Tsubas had invented one of the earliest blasters the Tuskans had no protection against.
The present-day Tsubas were actually peaceful and had little evil flowing from it in comparison to the other planets Goku had visited. However, that could not control the rage the Tuskans within the Trampled Innocence felt. Their rage boiled within Goku’s soul just as passionately as the Namekians did. The Tuskans were enraged that they had to go through soul cleansing in Otherworld as the Tsubas they killed in battle to defend their planet.
What an atrocity. Goku said to them as took his foot off the dead Tsubas. No matter what the modern Tsubas moral state is, they must pay for their forefathers’ sin. This planet does not belong to them. And then the idiot Kais forced the slain to be treated the same as their murderers. As if they were both deserving of salvation.
Yes. The Trampled Innocence replied. You have done well, Goku. You are the only one who understands.
This planet was the 40,258th the Super Saiyan had rid of sentient life. Every planet he had genocided beforehand was done in a matter of seconds, save Planet Cold. Goku either killed them himself with speed that was beyond preposterous or qi blasts that reached all across the planet’s latitude or allowed the ghosts of said planets’ former inhabitants destroy them. The number of those he killed was beyond Freeza at this point.
But Freeza didn’t do anything for a good reason. The Trampled Innocence said. He merely wanted to expand his empire. You, on the other hand…you have realized the price of war and violence in the universe and wish for the living to pay the consequences. This galaxy…it deserves to be obliterated for a new one to take its place.
Goku flapped his wings as he sped into the air, the Trampled Innocence showing him his next target.
A new galaxy, devoid of pain and suffering…He thought. You think it could really happen?
Yes…The Trampled Innocence said. If only we can delete all evil that currently exists.
“Why would you want Goku to die?!” Krillin shouted. “That’s crazy!”
“And you trained Goku so he could take out both Vegeta and Goku?!” Piccolo asked.
“But-But-King Kai!” Teinshinhan said. “I thought you said Goku took out Nappa rather easily…how could you want him and Vegeta to kill each other if Goku was so strong?”
“Yeah!” Yamcha said. “You trained us, right? You didn’t set out to have our strength limited, did you?”
“Of course not,” King Kai said. “My plan almost worked, in that Vegeta and Goku barely survived their encounter with one another. You saw how powerful you were when you took on the Ginyu Force on my planet, right? Why do you think Goku wasn’t that strong when he left for Earth but you were?”
“You guys fought the Ginyu Force?” Krillin asked.
“The who?” Piccolo asked.
“Yeah,” Teinshinhan said. “They creeps were from Freeza’s army and thought they could push around those of us in the afterlife. They arrived on King Kai’s planet sometime after you were resurrected, Piccolo.”
“It's a bit scary to be fighting guys stronger than Vegeta,” Yamcha said. “But we did win.”
“And why do you think you won?” King Kai asked. “When Goku couldn’t even defeat Vegeta after training with me?”
This caused everyone to go silent, that bit of evidence convincing everyone. And when they realized how serious King Kai was, Krillin could sense fear rise in all of them. He shook his head in disbelief.
“So you wanted Goku to die on Earth before he could become a Super Saiyan?” Krillin asked.
“Yes,” King Kai said. “I did. I trained him just enough so that he could stand up to Vegeta. I was almost right considering how the two nearly died killing each other.”
“That-!” Krillin shouted. “That does make sense considering how close that battle was.”
“With Goku dead and with Piccolo dead from the Saiyan invasion,” he explained. “I thought there would be little chance another Saiyan could ascend. However…Goku spared Vegeta and Vegeta ended up not killing his Saiyan rival. After that…I was unsure if Goku could be killed and so…so I planned to let him live while still keeping him from becoming a Super Saiyan.”
“But-” Krillin said. “You-You told us how to get to Namek! Didn’t you?!”
“Yes…” King Kai said. “I did. Something…something I now regret. As a Kai, I take pity on the noble of heart and merciful souls. I felt guilty for wishing Goku to die and so…I gave you earthlings a chance to return to your normal lives.”
“Huh,” Piccolo grunted in anger. “Some chance. We barely made it off Namek without Freeza ending our lives.”
“I am not omnipotent and my attention can be diverted!” King Kai shouted. “Had I known Freeza had been eavesdropping on Vegeta and Nappa’s conversation I would have never given you the coordinates. But I didn’t think to look to Freeza’s army’s movements before sending you the coordinates to Namek. I thought that Goku would never face an opponent that would drive him to the edge of despair like Freeza did. Oh…oh if I had known what would happen…I would have taken more drastic measures.”
“Like destroying the Earth?” Krillin asked. “Did you ever think about doing that?!”
“Of course I thought about it,” King Kai said. “But I, along with all other Kais, strive to preserve life as much as possible. If I killed all the inhabitants of Earth just to kill Goku, then I would do the same thing the Trampled Innocence is guilty of. So I tried finding other ways of nipping the possibility of a Super Saiyan in the bud.”
“But then how do you expect us to believe you wanted Goku to die?” Piccolo said. “Are you good, or are you evil?”
“My morality is not determined by whose side I am,” King Kai said. “As a Kai, I’m supposed to preserve life while interfering as little as possible in mortal matters. You see…I liked Goku. I liked him quite a bit. It is pure hearted men and women like him with strong power levels that end up becoming the servants of us Kais. They often act as our emissaries so we can attend to other duties, such as cleansing mortal souls of sin or judging those who have been led morally astray.”
“So you wanted to keep Goku as your lapdog?” Yamcha asked. “And that’s why you gave him such special treatment?”
“Lapdog is not the right word for what us Kais call our servants,” King Kai answered, clearly offended. “We have to choose which mortals we place our trust in and those we abhor very carefully. I would not have told you how to get to Namek had I known Freeza’s army would arrive on the planet around the same time. I should have paid closer attention to Freeza’s movements. Once I found the Trampled Innocence was too good at keeping their champion alive…I thought I could maneuver Goku in ways for him to still do good and-”
“Wait…?” Krillin said. “The Trampled Innocence kept Goku alive?”
“Yeah,” Piccolo said. “I thought…I thought you said…they only-”
“I did not say “they only” anything,” King Kai answered. “The Trampled Innocence goes beyond just providing Super Saiyans their power…their influence in the galaxy rivals even that of a Kai.”
“What?” Teinshinhan asked.
“Yes,” King Kai said. “The accumulation of so many souls killed unjustly is so great they have their own means of manipulating reality. They sometimes whisper thoughts into a person’s mind, change the climate of a planet and can even create the personality of a person who is born. Also, once Yamoshi, the original Super Saiyan, became one with the Trampled Innocence, they were able to look at any part of reality.”
“I find that hard to believe as well,” Tein said. “If they can know everything and do anything, why don’t they just get their revenge without taking control of Goku?”
“Because they are incorporeal souls,” King Kai said. “They need a body to more directly exert their will over reality. Without a Super Saiyan currently alive, they can only manipulate and influence but not directly destroy. However, they can produce their own champion’s nature. That…”
The Kai let out a long sigh before continuing to answer.
“Was how they manipulated Goku,” he said. “I didn’t want entire planets to die, so I trained Goku just enough to kill the most likely other candidate to become a Super Saiyan…Vegeta.”
“There was no way Vegeta could become a Super Saiyan!” Krillin shouted. “His heart was as evil as Freeza’s! He murdered innocent people left and right and was selfish to the end!”
King Kai’s silence was ominous, the vague impression he knew more than he was letting on settle in.
“Let us just say…” he said slowly. “Vegeta was not always so…bitter. And leave it at that. If I say anymore about Vegeta…you wouldn’t believe me. Or…or be angered.”
The pause was odd, almost cold. It was as if King Kai wished to tell them but couldn’t. So they moved on.
“Couldn’t you send the Trampled Innocence to Hell?” Piccolo asked. “I mean, as a kai don’t you have that authority?”
“Not over the Trampled Innocence,” King Kai said. “Not anymore. They became so strong that the individuals in the afterlife that form the Trampled Innocence in the Soul Realm are not affected by my presence. Only Yamoshi, the Super Saiyan before Goku who currently rules the Realm of Souls, can control them. And he’s so warped by their collective anger and despair he would not call them off.”
“I think there was more you could have done,” Teinshinhan said. “You were just incompetent.”
“Believe me,” King Kai said. “I used every method available without drawing the Trampled Innocence’s attention. If they suspected I was trying to eliminate the possibility of a Super Saiyan, it would raise the difficulty of my task. I wanted to kill Goku in his infant state but through indirect means, less the Trampled Innocence found out my hand was against them.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“And what does that mean?” Yamcha asked.
King Kai sighed.
“It means I had to take drastic measures,” he answered. “And had to convince Freeza to destroy the Saiyans.”
“What?!” they all asked.
A stunned silence followed as King Kai refused to speak, allowing the gravity of his statement to kick in.
“But I thought you said you were against destroying planets?!” Yamcha shouted.
“I know,” Piccolo said. “You…Your morality is certainly drawn into question here.”
“And you said you were working with Freeza…” Krillin said. “Shouldn’t that also be off the table?”
“Trust me,” King Kai said. “I was no fan of doing it. Even amongst the most evil races, I am willing to give leniency for their civilizations to learn their lesson. I actually expected the Saiyans’ oppression under Freeza to make them see reason and soften up.”
“I don’t see that happening,” Master Roshi said.
“It’s happened before,” he answered. “Species learning from their rotten ways and turning over a new leaf has occurred before. However…I noticed that more and more Saiyans were being born with a pure heart. Vegeta was only the first of many in that generation that showed remarkable kindness.”
“There were?” Yamcha asked. “What happened to them?”
“Culled by the Saiyans,” King Kai answered. “And as tragic as their death was, I was more scared of Vegeta’s stony heart being pierced by kind people and him reawakening his purity.”
“You mean…?” Krillin asked. “Like…like on Namek?”
“Yes,” King Kai said. “While only a little…you did change Vegeta for the better.”
“But then why didn’t you convince Freeza to kill Vegeta?” Yamcha asked. “That could have saved us a lot of trouble here on Earth.”
“I wish I could have,” King Kai said. “But I barely convinced Freeza to destroy Planet Vegeta. In reality, I talked with all of Freeza’s family about it. Telepathically. Freeza’s father, King Cold and Freeza’s brother, Cooler. They were reluctant to accept my warning about the Saiyan’s power, especially King Cold. They didn’t want to get rid of their most powerful soldiers. I also had to force them to speak to me non-audibly so the Trampled Innocence would not hear.”
“Then why did Freeza agree to do it?” Krillin asked.
“For any other reason a tyrant does something,” King Kai said. “They’re afraid of losing their power. I had to convince Freeza it was plausible, which took a long time. Finally, Freeza destroyed the planet and I thought the chance of another Super Saiyan was gone, considering how wicked Vegeta was.”
“But what about Goku?” Krillin asked. “Did you not have the gall to kill an infant?”
“Not at all,” King Kai said. “I had no compunction with eliminating the chance of a new Super Saiyan. I thought Cooler would have killed him as I’d convinced him that the Saiyans were a possible threat to his race. However, Cooler spared Goku as the infant Saiyan traveled within his territory.”
“Why?” Teinshinhan asked. “Why would a tyrant related to Freeza let a possible threat to his power live? Was he too arrogant? Was he not as bad as Freeza?”
“I don’t know,” King Kaid said. “I thought I’d convinced Cooler of the danger of the Saiyans…but I suppose that once he saw the destruction of Planet Vegeta and the only survivor being a baby with a power level of two…he thought it was beneath him to kill Goku.”
Krillin felt like he was about to throw up. Goku, the savior of the Earth, was a bloodthirsty monster was too revolting. And the idea that one of Goku’s mentors was willing to kill him along with no chance to revive him…it was too much. Krillin bowed his head in defeat as the hollowness ate him up.
“So…” Master Roshi said. “That’s it then, eh? Goku has become this super warrior or whatever that seeks to destroy all life in the galaxy? Do you think the Earth is in danger?”
“It’s possible,” King Kai said. “As powerful as the Trampled Innocence has grown with all the souls collected over the millenia, Goku might reach this corner of the galaxy before he burns up.”
“Burn up?” Krillin asked. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that the Super Saiyan transformation drains your body the more you use it,” he explained. “If the Trampled Innocence attached to a Saiyan is like fire, the host they’re implanted in is the fuel.”
“What?” Yamcha asked. “You mean, Goku will eventually die?!”
“Of course,” King Kai said. “The trillions of souls are consuming his body and life force like nobody’s business. It won’t be long before they use him up and he’s gone. If that didn’t happen, then the original Super Saiyan, Yamoshi, would have destroyed all life in the universe.”
“So-So-” Teinshinhan said. “We need to do something before this happens! Piccolo, Krillin…we need to get the dragon balls ready! We need to unwish this so that-!”
“Nope,” King Kai said. “Not happening.”
“No?!” Krillin asked. “But why not?!”
“The Trampled Innocence is far more powerful than Shenron,” he said. “The gap between the two’s strength is wider than between Goku and Piccolo when they fought Radtiz and Freeza’s. Absolutely gargantuan.”
“But what about after he dies?” Yamcha asked. “Could we resurrect him once his body is burned up?”
“I’m afraid that’s also an impossibility,” King Kai said. “When a Super Saiyan burns up their energy, they go directly to the Realm of Souls. They skip past Otherworld and become lord of the Soul Room. No one can remove them from the Realm of Souls and so they stay there until the next Super Saiyan who dies replaces them. Yamoshi, the original Super Saiyan, currently resides as the ruler of the Realm of Souls and is waiting for Goku to replace him.”
“That-” Yamcha said. “That’s horrible!”
“Yes,” King Kai said. “It is. In fact, it's the reason I felt the need to explain this all to you. I wanted you to know why you’d never see Goku again, even in death. I’m sorry. I…I wish I could have done more.”
A solemn silence fell over them all. No one spoke, the air growing uncomfortably tense. Finally, it was Roshi who broke the silence.
“Goku…” Master Roshi said. “If I had known this would happen to you…I’d never have trained you. I never wanted you to suffer like this.”
“I know,” Teinshinhan said. “To think the Earth’s greatest hero won’t be around anymore. I’m not gonna miss him as a protector…I’m gonna miss him as a friend that drove me to try harder.”
“I agree,” Piccolo said. “If I knew this was going to happen…I would have not tried so hard to kill him.”
“G-Goku,” Krillin said as tears welled up in his eyes.
He fell to the ground, covering his head in shame. His tears wet the sand of the beach as he fit his head between his knees. All this was too much for Krillin and he felt like someone was ripping his heart out.
Goku, Goku…He thought as tears stung his eyes. You can’t do this! You and I…we were too close for it to all be torn away like this! We’ve been through too much! I…I loved you like a brother.
“Come on, buddy,” Yamcha said.
He could feel Yamcha pat him on the back as the short man cried.
“Look,” Yamcha said as his voice quivered. “I know it’s hard…it’s hard for all of us but…”
It was obvious that the former desert bandit was trying hard not to cry himself.
“But we need to get you a lady friend,” he said. “Like you always wanted! That way…that way you can have someone to…to be there for you. I mean I have Bulma…and she’s safe, right?”
“Yes,” King Kai said. “Bulma fixed the spaceship she used to travel to Namek and is headed to Earth as we speak. With enough food and water on board, she should land safely pretty soon.”
Krillin picked himself up, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“Yeah…” he said. “I-I guess you’re right, Yamcha. I guess…I guess I could have a girlfriend. Maybe that…that’d fix things.”
“Yeah,” Yamcha said. “I bet we’ll get you a really nice looking girl that’s sweet! There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”
Krillin stood up, still sniveling as Tein turned to Piccolo.
“What are you going to do, Piccolo?” he asked.
The Namekian shrugged.
“Honestly…” he said. “I don’t know. Honestly, I think I’ll have to think about it. But now that you mention it…”
He glanced at Krillin before sighing.
“I guess I’ll take care of Gohan in his father’s absence,” Piccolo answered.
“What?” Krillin asked. “Really?”
“Of course,” he said. “Gohan…he taught me something during our training
together. Something…something I can’t really explain. Honestly…whatever remaining purpose I have on this Earth for as long as a Namekian can live…I think it can be found in the same boy who taught me the meaning of kindness.”
Krillin smiled at that, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“Wow, Piccolo,” he said. “That…that gives me hope.”
Piccolo grunted, clearly embarrassed.
“Don’t rub it in,” the Namekian said. “I don’t like feelings anymore then I do thorns in my side.”
“No,” Krillin said. “Really, I mean it. It makes me think that…that if someone as cold as you can find a new purpose to live for in someone they love…”
He shook his head.
“Maybe I can too!” he said. “I…I just hope I can find someone out there who likes short guys!”
That elicited a laugh from everyone save Piccolo who just rolled his eyes. It gave them a bit of relief from the stress of King Kai’s explanation. That was, until King Kai began panicking.
“Oh no,” he said.
“What?” Yamcha asked.
“This…” King Kai said. “This can’t be real! It…it’s happening far too early!”
“What is it, King Kai?!” Piccolo asked.
“He is arising,” King Kai replied.
“Who is he?” Master Roshi asked.
“He…” King Kai said. “He is…do you remember how I told you the Trampled Innocence manipulates everything to its whim, without physically interacting with it?”
“Yeah,” Yamcha said. “Is…is it doing that again?”
“No but…” King Kai said. “Something worse than the Trampled Innocence has arisen!”
“Worse?!” they all shouted.
“Yes…” King Kai said. “Did…did any of you grow curious about why the Trampled Innocence has to covertly manipulate its pawns against the forces of evil?”
“No,” Teinshinhan said.
“I did but it was too vague a notion for me to ask,” Piccolo answered.
“Well…” King Kai said. “If there’s a reason you ever asked why evil exists for the Trampled Innocence to be angry at…it has arisen.”
“What has?” Krillin asked. “What is it?”
“It’s similar to the Trampled Innocence in a way,” King Kai said. “It rests in a plane of existence that normally can’t be accessed by any sentient being. That place is called the Womb of Evil, where every evil action and thought is connected to and accumulates. While resting in the Womb of Evil for millenia, it subtly manipulates the hearts of sentient creatures to gather more evil for its plans to manifest. It draws strength from malice as hatred and naughtiness are what compose this creature.”
“But what is it?” Krillin asked. “What’s its name?”
Majin Buu broke the dark cocoon that surrounded him. After placing his foot onto the black web that composed the Womb of Evil, he found he was in his kid state. He was displeased he had not reached his super form.
Hmm…He thought. I hate to think I can’t get out of this fully manifested.
Buu looked around his surroundings. Besides the gray cocoon he had laid dormant in for an untold time period that had been busted through, the Womb of Evil was just as he remembered it. In front of him spread a pitch black, sprawling spider web whose individual strings pulsed like a heartbeat.
Various creatures crawled along the web, all of them hideous in shape and color. They varied from walking skeletons that roared furiously as they balanced their bony feet on the web to spiders that crawled along the individual strings. Things with bat wings flew overhead screeching loud enough to hurt Kid Buu’s ears. And all of them had the “M” on their head to signify their status as beings created from primordial evil qi.
Kid Buu looked up at the featureless dark dome above him and willed it to open. He floated upward as he levitated into pitch black space. However, this space was interspersed with stars in the distance and metal remains drifting around him. As the portal to the Womb of Evil closed beneath him, Buu looked upon his enemy.
The Super Saiyan had just finished blowing up an artificial planet, a space station large enough to be mistaken for a celestial body. Wings stretched across his back and his hands and feet were that of a bird’s. His shiny, golden skin was metallic looking, almost smooth appearing. The only thing that kept Buu from believing it was smooth was the horrifying faces that stretched from the surface of his body, all growling in pain and anger. Upon witnessing Kid Buu arrive, he glared him down.
“Who are you?” the Saiyan asked.
Kid Buu glared back, pink aura surrounding him as his anger reached a boiling point.
“I,” Buu said. “Am the one whose meal you are stealing.”