Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdoms ❯ The Dragon Unleashed ( Chapter 1 )

Kingdoms

By Mr. Pink and Lannon the Wizard

Chapter 1: The Dragon Unleashed

Far over the Earth, towering above the greatest mountains and higher than the highest clouds, hung the Sanctuary of Kami. The Sanctuary was the most important place to ever exist upon the planet. It was on that lofty palace that endless generations of Kamis had looked out over the Earth to watch and protect and maintain the cosmic laws of the Universe in that small, blue-green planet. For untold years the Earth had remained in balance upon the cosmic scale, but only two weeks ago the last Kami to oversee the world died, and a new watcher had been appointed. This watcher was far different than the others. He was not of this world, though he had dwelt here long, but he had no knowledge of where he came from. In truth, he was a Namekian, and his name was only…Kami.

The Sun began to rise over the far distant horizon below the Sanctuary, and, like clockwork, a lone figure emerged from the palace to tend to the holy spire. This being had dwelt upon the Sanctuary far longer than any of the Kamis, and he alone could truly call it home. His name was Mr. Popo, caretaker of Earth's Heaven. He had seen many of the world's overseers come and go, had mourned when each one eventually died, and cheerfully greeted the newest god, instructing the young and eager Kami on how to watch over the planet. Mr. Popo was still sad that his last old friend had died. Every once in a while a tear would roll down his large, black cheek at some memory of the old times he had spent with the last Kami as he walked along the edge of the soft, white stone floor of the Sanctuary watering the grass, trees and flowers. But he was not bitter, nor truly sad, for he had a new companion to speak to, and learn from, for the next few hundred years. He could already tell that this one would be a very nice friend as well as a worthy Kami.

As though he had been summoned by Mr. Popo's thoughts, the latest overseer of Earth emerged from the small palace set near the back of the lookout. He was a tall creature with dark green skin, a smooth face, with young, eager eyes that seemed to hold wisdom contrary to their relative youth. There was an almost magical quality about him with his pointed ears and slanted eyes, though the antennas protruding from his forehead testified to his otherworldly origins. A white robe with no sleeves hung on his body, ending just above his ankles, and his own symbol was woven in red upon the chest. He wore a long blue cape over his shoulders, and in his hand was an ancient, gnarled wooden staff.

Mr. Popo turned from watering the flowers, a smile curving up his red lips as he called out, "Good morning, Kami-sama! I hope you slept well?"

Kami turned to his right and waved at his new friend, striding purposefully toward the genie-like caretaker. "I did, indeed. The air up here seems nice and restful, somehow." The young Namekian breathed in, enjoying the cool breeze above the earth and the warm, rising sun joyfully warming his back.

"I am glad, Kami-sama. No other Kami has ever been uncomfortable up here."

The gentle, sincere tone of the Sanctuary's keeper made Kami's smile broaden. "Mr. Popo, under your care no one could be uncomfortable!"

Patting his friend on the back, Kami began his work, walking to the edge of the heavenly sanctorium - as was quickly becoming his custom every morning. The Sanctuary was huge, considering it was resting solely on a thin red pole no bigger around than a staff. The majority of the surface was simply an expanse of white stone tiles that shone brightly in the sunlight. On the edges there were little bits of soil where grass, flowers, and some bushy trees grew, and in the middle there were two rows of palm trees, acting as a hallway that lead to the small palace in the back of the Sanctuary. It was where all the guardians had lived, and would live forever more.

Kami looked down from the edge and immediately the entire world opened up before him. The magic he possessed as the new god of Earth was to be able to gaze upon all the happenings of the world as though he were right there, watching from no more than a few feet away. His eyes swept over the planet, seeing conflict and peace, hate and love, danger and safety. When he had finished and was satisfied that he had seen everything, he turned to Popo.

"My friend…do you think they will be able to handle the gift I am about to bestow upon them?"

"What do you mean, Kami-sama?" Mr. Popo asked, his turbaned head raising from a pale flower.

"Some of them are good, and I know they would use my gift to help the world. But so many of them care only about themselves. Is it safe to confer such a magnificent power to them?" The concern showed in Kami's face as he turned to look in his friend's eyes.

Mr. Popo's blank, serene look was not at all comforting to the Namekian, but the genie's words seemed to hold wisdom that made up for his apparent lack of emotion. "Kami-sama, Mr. Popo knows only that evil will never be able to rule as long as people like you are around. There will always be someone to make sure that good will live, and they may need your gift to do that."

"Mr. Popo," Kami replied with a warm grin, "Somehow, I think no one will ever understand how much there is to you. Is your sculpture done yet?"

"Yes, Kami-sama, I finished it last night."

"Good," Kami stated, determination set upon his brow. "It's time to make the dragon balls."

Kami waited on the sunny expanse of the Sanctuary as Mr. Popo went to fetch the dragon sculpture and the seven stones that would soon become the dragon balls. He paced nervously, still unsure about his decision to create these magical artifacts for the people of Earth. Doubts flew in the Namekian's mind. Could this be a mistake? Was he dooming the world to pillage and tyranny? He was still so new at being the Earth's overseer, and at times he didn't feel as though he had earned the position. When he first went to see the Old Kami, he was rejected, told that his heart was not pure enough to entertain the thought of becoming god. So he began training his mind, his body, and his very soul so that he could banish the evil from within himself. Many times during the following years, Kami had dreamt of using his powers of sorcery to magically purge the evil from himself, to somehow split into two beings, one of them pure good so that he could become Kami immediately. But he exiled the thought, focusing on hunting down each and every selfish or deceitful part of his being, slowly studying it and withering it away. When he finally returned to the Old Kami, he no longer desired to be the Earth's overseer because he longed for fame or power or glory - which were his original reasons. This time when he ascended the tower, he only wished to help the world. After examining the young man, the Old Kami began the boy's training.

But, within weeks the Old Kami passed into the afterlife, and the Namekian became Earth's new Kami. He sighed in the glare of his resurfaced doubts. Had he only become Kami because his predecessor had no one else to turn to? Had he truly eliminated all the evil within his soul? There was no way to find out now. He could only do his best, he decided, and hope the world would turn out all right.

Just then, Mr. Popo came trotting out of the palace, seven small stones in one arm and a glass display in the other. He set the display on the ground, the intricate sculpture of a slithering dragon the central figure underneath the curved glass lid. The humble gardener began to space the spheres around the encasing. When the last one was placed, he stood back, proudly admiring his work and anticipating what his master was about to conjure.

"Thank you, Mr. Popo," said Kami with a nod of his head.

Mr. Popo only smiled a response and Kami turned his attention to the task at hand. At first, he only stared at the sculpture and the stones surrounding it, giving his doubts one last chance to dissuade him from what he was about to do. But in the end, he knew that it had to happen. With a deep breath, he began.

Kami had never performed this spell before. He had thought long about it, pondering how he could summon forth a being, a dragon more specifically, that could grant nearly any wish that one could possibly imagine. He didn't know where the idea came from, but once he began thinking about it, he couldn't stop. When he finally believed he had figured it out, he immediately set Mr. Popo to the task of molding the dragon sculpture needed for the ritual.

The green-skinned deity locked his sight upon the statuette, his entire mind bent upon its form and power. He was silent for a moment, and not even the incessant wind seemed to make a sound. Kami raised his hand and extended a clawed finger to point straight up before him. Then, deep in his throat, the god of Earth began to chant.

The words were low and guttural, and so quiet that Mr. Popo didn't even notice them at first. But slowly they built in volume and power. The wind picked up and became a small gust instead of a soft breeze. A dark lining began to show on the horizon, yet all was still peaceful. Kami's voice deepened again and grew sharper. In the distance, the haunting darkness began to advance, like an endless flock of black birds was approaching the lookout from all sides. Almost unnoticeably, the light seemed to dim. The young Namekian's voice was no longer a whisper, but now a firm chant in a language unknown to the people of Earth.

Racing across the countryside, the shadowy bulk approached beneath the white halls of the Sanctuary, though it was still very far away. But now, the ebony mass could easily be identified as fell clouds, approaching faster than any storm to yet ravage the face of the planet. The Sun drastically darkened, and the shadows crept from beneath the trees to cast long stretches of inky river over the white tiles. The voice rose to a shout…harsh, deep, and ancient. The strong, cold wind began to billow around Popo and Kami. The clouds rose up like a dark tide to the very edges of the Sanctuary, rolling and seething in their fury. The Sun blinked out and utter darkness descended upon the Earth, though from nowhere a pale, yellow light surrounded the two beings who were the sole witnesses to the magic being performed.

Kami began screaming the words, now. His cape thrashed wildly about him in the gale, the clouds rolling and boiling like an ocean of pure anger. Suddenly, bolts of lightning splintered chaotically through the raging sea of gloom.

With one last magical word of command, Kami thrust his finger down to point at the round glass case holding the dragon. A beam of pure, sizzling yellow light shot from Kami's outstretched claw, striking the display with a brilliant flash of magic. The light dimmed and inside, glowing as bright as white-hot steel, was the dragon sculpture. Without warning the light leapt from the dragon and shot up into the black sky, shattering into seven curving strands of energy that fell straight onto the seven round stones on the ground. The spheres glowed for a moment, and the light faded, leaving seven orange gems with sparkling stars inside of each one.

At the height of its activity, all of nature instantly slammed to a halt. Through heavy, gasped breaths, the green skinned god turned to glance at the ever-silent Mr. Popo, who was staring in open-mouthed wonder at the spectacle. The magic seemed to have ended, and all that could be heard was the howling of the wind. It was done; the dragon balls were finished.

After a moment Kami took a tentative step forward. The dragon balls just sat there, blinking with little points of light like bits of the stars of heaven had been trapped in their confines, but the foreboding blackness and the fierce clouds remained. Hesitantly, Kami stepped toward the gems. He wanted to summon the Dragon and see the creation that his magic had brought about.

Without Kami saying a word a blinding explosion of light and power shot like a wave from the newly created dragon balls, nearly knocking he and Mr. Popo from their feet. The duo quickly looked up to witness a gigantic, living bolt of electric energy, slowly rising to snake its way up from the dragon balls. As it rose it gathered form, taking shape unto itself. It grew short clawed limbs, horns crackled up from its elongated head, and scales took visible form before the two awed onlookers. As it coiled itself into the air the being of pure energy coalesced into its ever more frightening physical form. Towering before them, green scales glistening brightly in the flashes of lightning, pupil-less eyes devoid of emotion, was the Dragon.

Before Kami could say anything, the Dragon raised its head toward the sky, and roared. The sound elevated like a crescendo of rage, building into a fury that had been held in check for an eternity. Kami and Mr. Popo slapped their hands over their ears as the Sanctuary shuddered under the noise of the bellow, the very stone beneath their feet groaning, sending spidery cracks across the Sanctuary.

The Dragon lowered its head from the sky, ending its vehemence. Kami shivered, wondering what he had done to anger the beast so. Mr. Popo's astonishment had turned to horror. Shenlong's head turned down and eyes immediately rested on the god, springing into yellow fire. "Who has dared to summon me from the highest realm of eternity?"

Kami took a step back from the pure malice emanating from the gargantuan beast before him. The god's voice sounded small and shaky as he said, "Shenlong, we have brought you into being to fulfill the wishes of - "

"I fulfill the wishes of no one!" snapped the behemoth. The low growl from deep within the beast rolled over the clouds. "And you did not bring me into being…" The ridges over the Dragon's eyes lowered so that it appeared to Kami that he was most displeased over the Namekian's sheer ignorance.

Sweat began to bead on Kami's forehead and he had to force down the fear that was steadily rising in his chest. Something had gone terribly wrong. For some reason, he had no control over the Dragon - it was impossible. Without him, the Dragon couldn't have existed. "But great Shenlong, Mr. Popo sculpted a figure of stone to give you form, I brought forth the magic to give you life, I - "

Once again the Dragon's impatience flared. "You are nothing but a fool who has meddled in the affairs of immortals," intoned the Dragon, "and summoned a force you could not begin to control." Although he understood nothing of what was going on, Kami was certain that the Dragon's words were the utter truth. Mr. Popo shuddered, never having witnessed something of such great power and fear.

After a dark moment of silence, the Dragon continued. "I have waited for a near eternity for this moment to come, Kami of Earth. I demand that you release me." The words were firm, but sure and expectant.

"B…but I don't understand…release you…?" Just then Kami cried out in pain, stumbling backwards to fall on the floor. He had felt a tug, like there was a cord inside of his breast that had suddenly been violently yanked. He gripped his chest, breathing hard.

"The chain that binds me to you can only be broken by the summoner," growled the Dragon, "as you felt, I cannot break it so long as you hold me. Now release me!" The last words were so harsh they struck like a fist.

Realization was beginning to dawn upon Kami-sama. Whatever he had summoned or created, it was not under his control as it should have been - it wielded far greater power than was possible, and its intentions were not those of good. Popo helped Kami to his feet, and the Namekian glared into the Dragon's eyes. "I will not release you, creature. I will send you back to where you came from." Kami raised his hand in preparation for the spell that would shatter the sculpture and return the dragon balls to normal, when a sudden wailing began to drift up from the land below. At first Kami did not pay it any heed, but then he gasped when he realized what it was he was hearing.

Glancing at the Dragon, he immediately noticed that the reptile's eyes were glowing intensely, almost blindingly yellow. He rushed from the center of the Sanctuary and peered down the edge. The piercing howls he heard were cries and screams of fear and sorrow from the planet he had been sworn to watch over. Even through the clouds he could see flashes of fire and brimstone, and could smell the sulfur and death that wafted up to the heaven of Earth. It was as though the entire planet was slowly being consumed in a fiery inferno.

From behind Kami the Dragon began speaking, "My patience wears thin, and I yearn for release. If you love the world you watch over so carefully, rid me of my chains. It is nothing for me to destroy a single speck of dust in the cosmic desert of the Universe." The Dragon rotated his pity-less eyes toward the god. "But for you it means everything."

Kami turned his attention back to the slowly spreading ember far beneath his feet. Tears streamed down his face as he heard their screams. Shrieks of pain and wails of horror, from men consumed by the flame, from children as their skin dried and blackened, from women as they watched their children burn.

The tears continued to run down the Namekian's face. He gritted his teeth, his face contorting in consummate despair. Guilt welled up within Kami's soul, knowing that he alone had caused this. Closing his eyes and uttering a silent prayer to the Kaioshin he wasn't even sure were there, the god waved his arm behind him toward the Dragon…and the creature was undone.

They both felt the cord of the spell snap, and with a growl and a roar of victory that chilled the blood in Kami's veins, the Dragon rocketed into the air, spiraling toward the blackened sky. Mr. Popo cried out, realizing what his master had done. The wind picked up again, swirling more intensely than it had before. Kami stumbled down to his knee, shielding his eyes from the rushing air so he could watch the Dragon ascend. It stopped, for a moment, its eyes blazing for the last time that day, before flying in a long stream of green scales out of sight. There was a single flash of light like a distant star flaring for a moment, and he was gone.

The clouds, which had thus far surrounded the Sanctuary like a sea, slowly turned to mist and vanished. The wind calmed, and the sky returned to its familiar shade of blue, the Sun finally penetrating the uttermost darkness that had consumed the dome of the heavens.

The Sun brought Kami no joy, and though the clouds withered, his sorrow did not. He turned about, preparing himself to look down at the charred, ruined sphere that had once been called Earth. Kami gasped at what he saw. As ever it had been, the Earth sparkled in the mid-morning sunlight, blue, white, and green like the most beautiful marble ever made.

"He must have repaired it when he stopped in the sky," said Mr. Popo, walking up behind his master. "He didn't really want to hurt the Earth." Tears of sorrow had been running down the genie's cheeks, but now they were of joy at the sight below him.

"I…would not have guessed he would fix it, though I am thankful he did. But what was his purpose?" asked Kami gravely. Mr. Popo just shook his head.

They stood there for several minutes in silence, contemplating that question. The biggest thought on both of their minds was that whatever the Dragon's purpose was, it was not for the sake of good. When no answers were forthcoming, Kami started to walk back to the palace of the Sanctuary.

Just before he stepped onto the balconied porch into the palace, two figures emerged from the dark room inside. Kami's eyes widened in shock, for nobody should have been able to enter the palace without Mr. Popo or himself noticing. The one on the left was a short, fat, odd-looking creature. He couldn't have been more than two and a half feet tall, with his pale green skin and cat-fish looking feelers hanging to his knees. He had bulbous eyes that were barely open as though he was looking down at Kami in utter arrogance. He had a shirt of shiny blue material and a cap of the same fabric with a curved "M" marking the front. A strange, orange sweater-cloak covered the creature's back and half of his head. The second person was a towering hulk with red skin, cascading white hair, and a stern face. Both of them eyed Kami warily, both fear and anger showing in their demeanors.

"Are you Kami?" the smaller one asked, his voice a high-pitched, scratchy squeal.

"Yes," replied the Namekian, standing tall and firm.

"Good," the creature said, "you need to come with us."

And in a flash of blue light, they disappeared.