Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ RipTide ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Prologue

The streets of this metropolitan city were alive with people and business in the middle of the afternoon, even though the clouds, giving the city a gray and almost dismal atmosphere, were blocking the sun's life-giving rays. It didn't bother the folk as they went about their business, buying from the merchants and vendors who advertised their goods and protecting their pouches from poor and homeless pickpockets. There were tall golden gates stretching, perhaps, miles high, separating the planet's castle, it's center of power, from the city. In between the gate and the city was a podium used for addressing the public. Royal officials and spokesman used it once in a while to issue new laws and taxes to the public. City officials rarely used it.
"Hey! Come back here with that, ya brat!" a man yelled, running after some small, ice-blue skinned boy with fully dark green eyes dressed in rags. The boy giggled and continued to run until he grabbed by the back of his collar and lifted off of the ground. The boy flinched and looked to the person who had stopped his getaway. A short figure dressed in only a black hood and cloak, covering his entire body, the hood shadowing his face from the world. The only parts of his body visible were the tips of his white boots and his masculine hand grasping the little pickpocket. His skin was red.
"Tsk tsk tsk," the stranger said in a low tone and turned the boy around to face the man he just recently robbed, as he finally caught up with them.
"Now now, give the man back his money. You should know that's no honest way to make a livin'," the man said with an Irish lilt, placing the boy down. The boy was, for some odd reason, scared witless of the cloaked man and immediately gave the man back his pouch of money.
"Thank you sir," the man said, securing his pouch to his belt.
"No problem at all. Now scamper off lad," the hooded figure said and the boy ran like the wind. The cloaked man drifted past the people, walking smoothly, swiftly and silently like a thief in the dead of night. His destination was the podium in between the gates and marketplace. As he walked and brushed past people, they stopped to look at him. The man soon reached the steps and ascended them till he stood before the podium. A few people stopped to look at him while others paid him no mind.
"People of Shoukousei!" more people stopped in their tracks at the sound of the stranger's amplified voice on the podium.
"Are you tired? Are you weary? Do you live in the slums? Do you live in fear?" more and more people stopped to listen to him. While his words appealed to some, others just wanted to see if the palace guards would toss him off the podium on his ass.
"I hear your cry. But it's much bigger than that isn't it? You live in fear of some threat, some monstrosity. A race of evil. A race of...saiiyans!" many people in the crowd murmured their agreement while even more gathered, even the little pickpocket.
"The saiiyans are an evil race that go about purging planets and selling them to highest bidder!" more shouts of agreement were heard.
"Their soldiers pillage towns, killing the men and children and raping their women! And they live by their barbarian law, 'Might makes right'," more people nodded and voiced their agreement.
"True, they worked for Frieza, but with him out of the way, they're an even bigger threat than before! With no one to control them, they're an even bigger menace!" The crowd grew larger and more started yelling. Two guards at the golden gates watched the cloaked figure with narrowed eyes, yet interested ears.
"Your pitiful king sits atop his throne, promising peace and prosperity, when in truth: he is afraid and ignores your cries because of his monetary ties with the Saiiyan empire!" More villagers began to yell, even merchants stopped their selling to join the crowd or watch atop their carts and stands.
"I understand your feelings. I come from a planet where the saiiyans attacked and barely escaped with my life! I know how you feel and I can actually do something about it. If you join me!" shouts of "what?" and "yes" were heard. Slowly out of the crowd, more cloaked figures emerged and stood at the edges of the podium, blocking off the stairs.
"Join the Galactic Revolt and I promise you, we will do something about it!" the people all yelled in unison. The cloaked figures grabbed rocks and stones and began to hurl them at the guards at the gates.
"Hey!" one of the soldiers yelled and brought forth a laser rifle, only to have it knocked out of his hand by an arrow fired by another cloaked figure. The villagers soon caught on and started to hurl stones at the guards, others bringing out any weapon they had and attacked the guards. More cloaked figures ordered the villagers to bring down the gates and they complied. The man on the podium gave an evil smirk and slunk down the stairs and into the dark corner of an alley.

"I'd say that went pretty well. Congratulations, you've been promoted," a towering figure donning fighting armor stood at the end of the alley with his arms folded. Three other figures, two booming even taller than the speaker and the third shorter than the new arrival. The cloaked man gladly pulled off the hood of his cloak, letting his wild, ghost-white hair fall freely down his back and he smiled, his piercing blue eyes glistening.
"Thank you cap'n, it was my pleasure," the red-skinned Ginyu said, saluting the Ginyu captain.