There was a bright flash of yellow light nearly ten thousand meters above Earth's sea level…

"Kami… Oh thank heavens you're back.." stammered the ever present genie and servant atop the guardian's lookout. His eyes were wide with relief and joy. Tears stung their edges.

The aforementioned Namekian took in a deep breath and looked down at himself. He flexed hsi right hand while holding his staff with his left. He truly felt powerful. Unfortunately he knew it would not be nearly enough. He turned to address his oldest and most dearest friend. "I must have made it back to the living world then?" He asked rhetorically.

Popo nodded rapidly, flinging tears from his eyes. Kami smiled at the man. "Very good. It is good to see you my friend and good to be home at last. Unfortunately our time is precious. Come, Mr. Popo. There is work to be done." He said, turning swiftly and marching into the lone building of the lookout.

The two had began their search for the dragonballs immediately. Naturally, the first thing the duo did was go to Gero and ask for a dragon radar…

*flashback*

"A dragon radar you say?" The old man asked with a raised eyebrow. Kami nodded but said nothing. "I see. I wondered why you would be coming here personally. And now I can only assume that the situation must have become quite dire indeed out there in space for our boy." The old man paused as he was suddenly racked with a wave of coughs.

his knees trembled and it looked like he would collapse on the spot. Now that the Namekian was truly looking at the man, he was decidedly more frail and slow than usual.

kami gasped rushing foward, intending on helping the man, but the proud doctor waved him away.

"Don't bother. *cough* *cough* I'm getting old, the doctor dismissed. Not even you can fix that Kami. Not by any natural means anyways and I want to be remembered as the man I was to dear Goku."

Kami stood silently for a moment before nodding. He understood.

" Now as for your question.." Gero continued. "Of course I will build you one. It will take not but half an hour. Please stay and fill me in on the details about Namek while I create the device, won't you?" He asked. "Perhaps if there is time I can also show you a few toys I've been working on." The doctor chuckled cheerfully. He crossed his arms behind his back and the duo made their way into his expansive laboratory in the mountains…

*Flashback end*

With his newly upgraded powers and a dragon radar in hand, Kami and his servant managed to gather five of the seven dragonballs with ease on the very first day. However on the second day, troubles began to arise. The final two dragonballs were grouped together and Kami had a terrible gut feeling he just couldn't shake. Once they'd arrived at their destination it was immediately clear something was wrong.

Their chase led them to a city by the name of Copper town, wherein whole swaths of citizens seemed to be rioting and causing chaos. After spreading out his senses he realized with rising dread that this was not an isolated incident..

"Dear heavens!" Kami gasped. "What is going on?" He wondered out loud.

"Ahahaaa! That would be my doing!" An evil voice rant out through the air. Kami and Popo gasped, turning to locate the source of the voice. It didn't take long to see a short and ominous figure drifting down towards them through the air.

The small figure wore a cloak so his features were impossible to distinguish but Kami would recognize that voice and the feeling of this Aura anywhere…

"Garlic Jr." Kami said through gritted teeth. He gripped his staff so tight his knuckles whitened. The villain in question removed his hood so that his evil, smiling face would be visible. "Oh I'm so glad you remember me! I was afraid you might forget about me!" Suddenly his cheerful and happy demeanor turned sour and an angry glare crossed his features.

"After all it was you who sent me to be imprisoned for all of eternity in the dead zone to be forgotten about! Wasn't it Kami!?! You and your blasted pets!" He yelled rhetorically.

Kami scoffed and placed one foot forward. "You had to be stopped, Garlic. Just like your father your evil knows no bounds, and as I will always do my duty to protect my home and its people."

"Ahh but this isn't your home, or your people, is it Katas?" Garlic asked either a knowing smirk. Kami's eyes widened and he was visibly shaken. "How did you..?" He gasped. Garlic merely laughed and shrugged.

"I learned much during my time imprisoned in that hell. Things that would blow your feeble, puny mind Kami. Perhaps instead of killing you ill send you to the dead zone so you can see for yourself. My father would so love to say hello.." He chuckled driely. There was a not-so-subtle danger to his friendly tone.

"I've beaten you before." Kami said matter of factly. "Yes!" Garlic chuckled evil in response. "But as you can see things are a little different now hahahaaa!" He yelled, throwing out his arms. "Your friends are all gone. And I've brought along a little present from the dead zone!" Garlic threw his head back and laughed maniacally.

Kami's face showed his confusion until he noticed something he hadn't before. It was almost imperceptible but ever so slightly it seemed as if a red hue was coating the planet.

That would make sense if it were close to sunrise or sunset but given that it was barely afternoon… It seemed highly unusual. Eyes widening in stark realization, Kami looked up into the sky only to see his vision slowly being blotted out by what could only be described as a massive red moon equal in size to the Earth's own.

"What have you done..?" Kami mumbled in growing horror.

"Ahahaha! Allow me to introduce you to the Makyo star! It was hidden deep within the depths of the dead zone and when you cast me there it chose me to be its vessel so that we may both at last be free!" He elaborated in an exaggerated manner.

"Now do you understand? The closer it gets the more powerful I will become and the more energy will be released onto your planet until it slowly becomes consumed by the star and is added to my infinite energy!" The evil villain floated closer to the man until they were a stone's throw from one another.

"Your only solace is that you won't be around to see your planet be devoured. You will die here and now by my hands, knowing you failed them." He cruelly chuckled. You may be a God kami.. but I am a demon! Ahahaha!"

Kami stared sternly ahead. Beside him his assistant was shuddering. "Kami what should we do?" He asked fearfully. The aged Namekian turned slightly over his shoulder and smiled at his lifelong friend. "Fear not, Mr Popo. Have faith in me, as I have faith in you." He instructed. "Of course sir.." the loyal servant said.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I need you to fetch the sacred water. I trust you know what to do with it?" Kami asked curtly. Popo nodded with unsure eyes. "Goodspeed then." The aged green man said, dismissing his servant.

Garlic watched the genie fly off with disinterest as he didn't pose any threat to Garlic, and everyone but he would be dead soon anyways so it was a moot point. Kami turned to face Garlic once more and took in a deep breath. "What you say may have some substance to it, Garlic, but it would only be a partial truth at best. I may very well die here today.. But I will never fail this planet and it's people."

Kami closed his eyes and thought of the first time he had ever laid eyes on Goku. The boy was wild and undisciplined. There was a dangerousness to him and every instinct in the guardian's body told him to get rid of the boy. His DNA contained an unquenchable lust for violence and power. And yet…

Memories flashed behind his lidded eyes. "Take care, my son." The Namekian's eyes snapped open, fixing Garlic with a merciless scrutiny. He raised his staff and pointed it forward slightly. "Hn!"

Garlic's eyes widened. Caught off guard by the semi-transparent Aura bursting from his opponent and the subsequent power up that came with it. There was no way for the short, heinous villain to defend himself as he was suddenly smashed away by a blast of telekinetic force from Kami's staff.

His back slammed into an abandoned store with bone shattering force, causing the structure to collapse on top of him and bury him under the rubble. Kami smirked as he admired his handiwork but he knew better than to let his guard down. He could sense how much more powerful Garlic had gotten since bonding with the Makyo star, and his power was only increasing.

"What's worse is he hasn't even transformed yet.." Kami observed with a shudder. "I'll have to play this one very carefully if I'm to buy time for Mr Popo to complete his task." Fortunately for Kami, it seemed his opponent could not sense Ki, as evidenced by how easy it was for the aged Namekian to get the drop on him. He would use that to his advantage when the time came..

Just then a muffled shout was heard and Garlic exploded forth from the debris he'd been buried under. He hovered on the air, huffing and clearly angry. He sported a few minor cuts and bruises showing that Kami's attack was at least a little effective. That's what the guardian of Earth was lead to believe anyways, until Garlic smirked and his wounds began to heal right before Kami's very eyes.

Kami's mouth dropped open in shock. "What!? B-but how?" He stammered. Garlic's expression was one of pure evil and superiority as a smile stretched across his face.

"What's wrong, old friend?" He asked mockingly. "Did I not mention that as long as I'm bonded with the Makyo star that I'm immortal as well!? Ahahahaaa! It's too perfect! Literally cannot be beaten!"

"Immortality only means that you have that much longer to suffer, Garlic." Kami sighed.

In response to this Garlic growled and cut a hand through the air. "What was that? Gah it doesn't matter!" He said in exasperation. "Soon you and everyone You know will be dead. Haaaa!" Placing his hands in front of him Garlic flew through the air like a speeding bullet. His power and speed were mighty, but his technique left a lot to be desired..

Kami on the other hand not only had power, but the skill and strength of will to back it up. As Garlic got in closer Kami side stepped him at the last second, kneeling the wide eyed Garlic in the gut before delivering a painful overhead chop with his staff to the short man's back.

"Gah!" Garlic cried, being driven into the solid concrete beneath their feet. Cracks spiderwebbed out in several directions and Kami leapt away to maintain a safe distance.

"I really should take this fight out of the city but.. I need to conserve my strength." The man thought with regret. "Besides.. Most of the people have already fled the area and the rest will be sure to follow when the fighting really picks up." He reasoned.

He was wrestled from his thoughts when an explosion rocked the ground, causing him to stumble.

When the dust cleared the terrifying sight of the grotesque, transformed Garlic Jr stood before him. His voice had undergone a radical change becoming both deeper and more sinister and he was easily over ten feet tall. His skin was amseveral shades darker than the blue it was before.

"Ahaha! Impressive! You truly are worthy to be called guardian, I see why father lost to you." He admitted. This caused Kami who had been retreating in horror to falter and raise his eyebrow.

He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him or if Garlic really just praised Kami? Garlic had always held a grudge about the past but now he was going so far as to even place the Namekian in higher respects than his father.

And that was when he felt the power of the creature before him and it all made complete sense. Garlic had cast aside all petty grievances that held him back before. He was a true monster now and nobody could stop him, so why should he care about the past?

"What am I going to do?.." Kami mumbled in despair. He sighed, as he so often seemed to be doing lately. "I really am getting too old for this shit. But… For one last time.." He reaffirmed his grip on his staff and leveled it at Garlic. "I shall do my duty as guardian of the Earth! Because I love this planet and all it's precious life forms! Kaio-Ken!"

10 minutes later…

Kami fell to his knees, gasping for breath and struggling to maintain consciousness. His Ki was spent and his will was broken, as was his body. He was covered in blood and battle wounds. The man had given the fight everything he had but the foe before him was simply too powerful for him to stop.

Perhaps if he were fifty years younger he may yet have the strength of will to continue…

Garlic stood over his defeated opponent with a smug smile stretched across his face. The few minor scrapes and bruises he sported were quickly healing, driving home the futility of it all.

Kami winced and looked away as Garlic laughed mercilessly. It was a grating bark of a noise that filled the Namekian with sickness and dread. He wanted to be angry bit truthfully all he felt at this point was an unshakable shame and a tiredness deep in his bones.

He hung his head as the massive monster before him spoke. "Come now, Kami. Don't be like that. Truly you put up a good fight for your age! Alas your time in this realm is over and I, Garlic Jr, shall finally be the one to rule as guardian of the Earth! The way it should have been all those many decades ago." He laughed cruelly.

He raised one arm and in his outstretched arm a putrid, red and black energy formed. The air bubbled and hissed as it became superheated by the ball of plasma that was likely capable of reducing the entire planet to ash.

"Any last words, old friend?" Garlic smiled sweetly. Kami looked up at the beast with contempt and loathing. "You know nothing, invalid…" The Namekian insisted.

For a moment Garlic's fave registered his shock before it gave way to fury. "Why you-!.." He began, but was cut off as the Earth's lone remaining hero continued. "You will never be the true guardian of the Earth, Garlic, and do you know why that is?" He asked rhetorically with a victorious smirk.

Garlic tried to hide his confusion as he lowered his arm slightly and his ki blast shrank down to half its previous size. Something within him couldn't resist hearing what this pitiful creature had to say, pertaining to his alleged weakness. He, who had become perfect in every way. He, who had merged with the Makyo star, becoming immortal and all powerful.

"Its simple really. You will never truly be this planet's guardian because the spirit of mother Earth would never sing its song to you. You think that becoming the Earth's guardian means that it, and the dragonballs, belong to you, and that you are its undisputed king. That's not what it means at all. In order to hear the spirit of the Earth you must cherish and protect her children, as if they were your own. That is what it means to be a guardian!" He cried out.

"Do you understand Garlic? You will never be chosen to become this planet's protector and you will never know inner peace." He seethed with finality.

Garlic looked like an overgrown, lost child. The concept of the Earth, or any other planet being sentient in some way was too complex for the simple-minded creature to wrap his head around. He believed in only what he saw with his own eyes.

"What utter nonsense!" The blue skinned beast spat. "You never change, weakling. Constantly prattling on about how all life in the universe is precious and how even the smallest blade of grass is connected to the life-stream. You would have me believe that peace and love are the only true means of victory is that it?!"

At this point the man seemed to be getting unreasonably angry, and it was clear Kami had struck the final nerve.

"Well things must be pretty great up there in your tower living in fantasy land but news flash, Kami! This is reality!" He roared, rearing his fist back. The energy blast in his palm swelled to critical mass once more as Garlic prepared to unleash his devastating attack.

Yet even as Garlic said these things Kami couldn't help but smile softly. 'The life-stream? Now there's a term I haven't heard since my early days of training to become guardian.' He thought fondly, as he remembered he and his best friend walking through the threshold of the lookout together for the first time.

Flashback

"I really can't thank you enough katas.." a tall, lanky man said. It was hard to truly distinguish any of the figure's attributes as he and his companion, Katas, were cloaked in robes.

Due to the voice the figure was undeniably male, and his skin was a light blue, almost turquoise as evidenced by his interlaced hands sticking out of his arm sleeves. "You were destined to save your people.." The mysterious man continued. "And instead you chose to run away from your destiny to be with me.. Heh. Maybe I really am evil. I seduced the hero of this story and now there's no one in the universe who can stop the prophecy." The man chuckled.

"Stop this at once. We've discussed this in length a hundred times. You are not evil. Just misunderstood, mi querido. And besides its not our responsibility to save the universe. Why can't we just be happy together?" Knowing that the other man was stewing in his depressive thoughts and not liekly to answer, Katas stopped just short of the threshold to the lookout that would one day belong to his descendant, Kami.

Katas reached out quickly, grabbing the other figures arm and turning him to face the Namekian.

The urgency of the movement caused both of their hoods to fall away revealing a Namekian who looked remarkably like Piccolo and another bald headed man who closely resembled Garlic Jr only taller and more muscular. Where Garlic's face was rounded like a baby's, this man had a chisled jawline and mature features.

"Garlic, listen to me." Katas demanded. An aggrieved expression fixed itself across Garlic's slender face, but he begrudgingly stopped and crossed his arms as if to say, "I'm listening?"

"I know what the life-stream said to you. That indirectly, because of the actions of you and your descendants, the universe will be plunged into darkness and despair, but this.." He said, reaching out and grabbing Garlic's hand to place it on his own heart. ".. How can this.. this pure and simple love bring anything but good and joy upon this universe? We will prove that the universe and the kais were wrong. Together." He said with unwavering resolve and conviction.

Garlic looked at the man with teary eyes and they turned to face their destiny. "In this world or the next." Garlic said. "I will find you.""

Flashback end

End of chapter 55