Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaioshin Saga: Story 2: A Truth Untold ❯ Chapter 1: Nightmares and Meetings ( Chapter 1 )

A Truth Untold

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the Dragon Ball Z characters. They are owned by those that own them. I do, however, own the original characters (if any) and the fic all of this is in. That is all.

Chapter One: Nightmares and Meetings

Two Months Later

The day was different in a sense, not bringing the warmth that had been felt so many times before. It started like it had done so many times before but it was like there was nothing in those rays of light. It was like the sun had been taken away from the blue sky and placed into a black hole that offered no comfort to anyone. As the day would drag on, the shining star above still held nothing in it's wake as it threw it's light towards whatever meadow that was in it's path. The night was no different then the day break with more coldness to offer then ever before as it twisted the colors of the sky together, from blue to pink, from purple to red, as the darkness took over. There would be no more light until the fateful morning, the stars and moon taking the place of the sun, the moon itself laughing down at the poor souls that lingered on the planets below.

Shin ignored the almost full moon, his gaze fixed on the stars instead. He once had a fondness of those same stars as they reflected from his ebony eyes and back up into the heavens. Each had a story to tell in their own certain way, becoming alive in words of those that told those stories. Sometimes the stars told the stories themselves to those that wanted to listen. Now those orbs of pure energy were lifeless as death itself, giving no more comfort to the child then the sun could offer. Keelin had once said that stars were the souls of those that could not enter Other World or hell, doomed forever to look down at those still alive from their alter in a infinite blackness. Maybe Keelin and mother are up there, watching me suffer. Perhaps they are suffering more then I am, Shin thought to himself, placing his hands into his lap as he sat on the grass, moving his gaze from the stars to the ground in front of him. He no longer wanted to look at something that once gave him so much joy.

He had gotten somewhat used to the planet he now lived on. Everything was different from what he was used to, from the moment he woke to the time he fell asleep. There were no others his age to talk to, if there was anyone else to talk to besides Kibito. The other had told him that there were four beings that also dwelled there besides the two of them, and he called these beings Kaioshins. He did not explain any more to the wondering boy, who had shown the first bit of interest in something other than his own depressing emotions. That had changed the moment he did not get the things he wanted to know, going back into his own world and ignoring everything else. Shin had not met those 'Kaioshins' since had come to the planet and there was no curiosity to really want to.

"Shin," Kibito's voice said from behind the small boy, breaking him from his thoughts and back into reality. Shin moved his head up to stare forwards yet he did not turn his gaze around to see the one that was behind him. "You have been out here for long enough. It is time to go inside."

"Just a few more minutes. That's all," The boy said, sighing. Kibito made his way to his side, and sat down next to him in silence. Both remained that way for several moments as the other turned his head towards the heavens to look upon the stars that looked right back.

"The stars are shining brightly tonight. I wonder what kind of stories are waiting to be told from them," Kibito mused, a light smile forming upon his lips. "What to do you see in the stars?"

"Nothing. I have no more use for the stars," Shin mumbled, still keeping his gaze away from the other. "It is just a waste of space."

"Everyone has use for the stars, Shin. No, it is not a waste of space. Half of them are planets that people, like you, on them."

"Mine is not a part of it anymore. You should have left me there."

"If I had, you would have died. If you had tried to help your sister, nothing would be left of that galaxy right now."

"I don't care about the galaxy. At least, on those planets, people have their families."

"Not for long, Shin," Kibito said sternly, taking his gaze away from the night sky and placing it onto the young boy. "Bibidi isn't a force to be reckoned with. He is a powerful wizard that will stop at nothing to take control of the universe we live in if he doesn't destroy it in the process. Many people will lose their sisters and mothers if something is not done now." He stopped speaking for a moment to look on Shin's face to see if the expression on it had changes. It had not and he knew it would take time for the boy to get over what had happened. "Bibidi was there to control your planet. To take what he could from it. Eventually, he would have destroyed your home once he had no more use for it. His kind is like that, ruthless and out to kill."

"I should have been one of those people that should have died and not one of those that lived," Shin snapped out, raising his gaze to the other as he gave him a glare. He then stood up, without word, turning on his heels and calmly walking towards the palace that loomed behind him and Kibito

Kibito himself did not watch the young boy go as he moved his eyes back up towards the stars, his eyes moving along them. He had spent many nights, in the years that had passed, watching those same stars and waiting for one to disappear from his view. He hardly noticed some that had vanished from his sight, not even knowing since there were billions and billions of stars to pick from. Now, he felt the loss of one as the sound of Shin's footsteps went out of his hearing range.

"The stars are shining brightly," A hearty voice said from next to the other. Kibito turned his eyes to the right to see a rounded figure standing next to him, his fat face tilted towards the heavens. "Beautiful, they are."

"Yes, Dai Kaioshin," Kibito muttered, returning his gaze as it was.

"The boy does not seem like he has left any room to heal his wounds. But that will be done with time. I can sense it."

"I still worry about the boy."

"How so?"

"Even if he comes back to a normal state, I fear that he will not totally get over the loss of losing his sister. Perhaps he will also stay in the depressing mood that he is in. He may not care about anything, like he does now, in the future."

"He will care eventually. The loss of his sister is affecting his thoughts right now, clouding his words as well. Things will fall into place in time."

"But how can a young boy change so much that the older ones can not?" Kibito questioned without thought. The Kaioshin sighed, clasping his pudgy hands behind his back.

"A small child holds wonders we can not know of. Shin is a child that has more abilities then we can understand. He will do what we can not."

"I hope you are right."

"As do I," The Dai Kaioshin whispered, a small expression of hope appearing onto his face. In an instant, it vanished in a wisp of the wind as it floated away into the whispers of the night. Kibito nor the Kaioshin said any more as the other stood up from his seat on the ground, giving a small sight. Kibito turned towards the palace, taking the same path that Shin had taken just a few moments ago, not giving any more thought to the one that stared up at the stars.

****

Dreams never came gentle anymore in the last few weeks. They had slowly faded away until they became a mere memory in time. The void of those things of long past had stayed there for a while before the nightmares crept into the nothingness. Nightmares of things that one would wish would never happened Nightmares about things no one could describe with words. Nightmares of the things that had happened. All of it swirled together around and around in the mind of a child, never ending and never really beginning. All he knew was that there was no more peaceful dreams to be had in the dark of night.

Shin dreaded sleep now. There was no more comfort in the dreams, like there had been in the sun that rose in the morning and set in the night and like the stars that burned above. No, it was all gone now. Ripped away like it had been a part of his body, his soul, his being. The torments of the night still reached him, even in the endless wake of sleep. Could there possibly be a way to find some comfort in the satin sheets? Probably not, as he thought the question and answer many times through.

The boy sighed as he looked at the bed he had spent many nights crying and sobbing to himself in; crying for his mother, sobbing for his sister. His ebony gaze went over the outline of the bed, from the lump that was the single pillow that rested at the top of the bed to the gentle slope that curved to the end. the satin sheets that garnished the mattress were pleasing enough to people that had never felt the softness of the fabric yet the child knew better. It was a trap of sleep that he did not allow himself to get caught in.

Shin sighed again as he tilted his light purple head to the side. He remembered the nights that his mother would tuck him into his bed, give him a kiss goodnight, and perhaps sing him a song to soothe him into slumber. His sister would give him a hug, and sometimes that late night tale, before she skipped to her room in a joyous way. Those nights were over now, resting on nothing but old wished and torn dreams, which was something that he would never see again.

"Shin," A familiar voice said from the doorway. The child did not immediately answer the voice, knowing who it was and what that person wanted. Instead, he stood there, still in his trance as he gazed at the bed with sad eyes. It was when a hand was placed upon his small shoulder that he awoke from the trance and shook his head.

"I know," He grumbled, his eyes moving up towards the pink face of Kibito. "It's bed time, right?"

"Perhaps. Things will be changing tomorrow, Shin. Changes that you will have to accept."

"Accept what? The loneliness?"

"You are not alone. You have me and the Kaioshins."

"I have never met a Kaioshin and I don't want to either."

"That will change tomorrow. You will be meeting the highest Kaioshin in the morning so I suggest you get enough rest tonight," The other said dryly as he removed his hand from the boy's shoulder. Shin's eyes went wide as he watched him turn around and move silently towards the door.

"I'll be meeting a Kaioshin tomorrow?!" He cried out, spinning around to stare at the only person he knew on the planet. Kibito stopped at the opened door, placing a hand upon the doorframe that allowed him to exit.

"Yes, you will. I expect you to act properly in front of the Dai Kaioshin. Very few people have gotten the opportunity to meet the Kaioshins much less the God of the Gods. Good night," With those words, the other took his hand off the doorframe and walked out, not giving the boy a second glance and without another word.

****

Kibito walked along the hallway that took him from the boy's chambers and into the main corridor. He had his hands clasped behind his back, his face serious as it normally was. He hardly gave a smile to those that were around him, allowing very few to see if he had any emotions at all. That's the way he was, he figured. Not allowing anyone to see beyond the expressionless face that all knew too well.

The other probably was like Shin in some ways, hating the daybreak and dreading the night at times. But he had learned to cope with such depressing ways, having no other person to talk to other then what the Kaioshins had to offer. But even they didn't always find the time to talk to someone out of their order unless they had some command to give and that was a rare thing towards him at these times.

Kibito sighed, lowering his gaze down to towards the floor as he walked on. The boy had a lot of anger in him as well as the grief of losing someone that was close to him. He knew how Shin felt but it probably wasn't the same thing he had been through. He had lost only his parents to the wars that had racked his planet for eons, with most of his home destroyed in an instant. All that he knew was gone in that moment, forever changing the way that he looked upon life. Even his own was in danger as he tried to save those that were around him in a attempt that had taken away from the boy. It was a failed attempt that nearly cost him his life but he was pulled back into the living world by a single Kaioshin.

He was grateful for the chance to live again, forever in debt to the one that had saved him from the same fate as his people. The sadness of the loss of his family, and those that had been around him, still were there, taking him months to find the strength to get over what ha happened. In the years following the tragedy, Kibito served under the one that he owned his life to, becoming the guardian of a Kaioshin that few had a chance to be. That was in the past now, the freedom of his choice to leave or stay was in his hands. Yet, he choose to stay for he had grown up on the same planet as Shin was on now, it becoming his home.

Kibito shook his head to get the memories of his past out of his mind, raising his gaze back p to see where he was going. He knew it would be a long day for the two that stayed inside the palace they called home.

****

Nothing was the same anymore. Time seemed to stand still for them, holding them against their will. they knew nothing of the outside universe as it had been taken away from them in a instant, their lives no longer what they knew it to be. The nights above had no effect on their souls, daybreak no longer seen by their weary eyes, the sun not felt upon their skin. The stars did not shine down on them, each mourning the loss of something that was even greater then themselves.

They knew nothing and that was the way it was now. For their cells in a water-like substance, they floated, suspended in a place that had no time to it. Time was nothing to them, already held from their beings for all eternity. Every so often they would hear a mumbling from outside, opening their eyes to see what was in front of them. Blurry images of a creature stood there, perhaps smirking at their plight or what they had become. Or, perhaps, cackling at what they didn't have. They didn't know what had happened, or how it came to be. All they knew was that they were inside, looking out at a world that they could not live in anymore.

Or die in.

****

He felt like he was running with no where to really go to. A wind went across his small body as it came from a unknown source to force him back. There was no where to go, a blackness surrounded him from all sides to hinder his vision. There was no light to shroud him in the seeing sense, allowing him to guess as to where he was going and coming from. There was also a coldness to what was around him, like he was in Death itself.

Suddenly, a blind force ordered his short legs to slow down to a halt. Nothingness kept it's veil around him, holding him in its blackness. There was a cold feeling that still tingled over his young body no matter how much he tried to push it away. The wind had stopped moving to leave the hollow shell of the void to do what it wanted to do. In it's wake, the sound of footsteps echoed in the darkness. He turned around several times to listen to the distant echo, hoping to find what specter casted it's sound upon him.

As his spinning came to a halt, the footsteps faded into the silence. There was nothing now; only the void of dark to keep his mind pondering on what was actually out there. The seed of fear had been planted, the roots growing throughout his body before spreading into his mind. His hear began to beat faster in his chest, his eyes widening in the mists of the sweat that dripped down his face. He sensed that there was something there, not showing it's presence to the one that wanted to know.

"Why did you leave me?" A soft voice whistled through the nothingness and into his pointed ears. He tried to utter the words he wanted to say but none were emitted from his soft lips. No matter how hard he tried, nothing came from within his throat.

"Why did you leave me?" The voice repeated, closer then it had been before. After that, the darkness slowly faded to a light gray color, giving him the comfort of being able to see what little was around him. It was only then that he noticed a figure standing before him, it's head bowed down towards the ground. It's white hair shadowed it's features in a hood-like mystery as it's clothes hung off it's bony body. He reached out to touch this things hair to see if the tangles would come out with a single touch. Instead, the figures head began to move it's gaze from the ground, causing him to withdrawal his touch.

Shin woke up at that moment, his breath quick with the beating of his heart as he sat up in the sheets that surrounded his body. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping into his coal eyes. He did not remove it from his vision as he looked around the room, taking in what he saw. There was no dark void that encased him as light pored in from the two windows that sat behind the canopy bed. The white walls gleamed with the light, the shadow of the bed stretched out along the wooden floor and onto the far front wall of the room. There was no wind, for the windows were closed and not a single wisp of air moved from under the door.

He blinked his eyes, the nightmare coming back to him all at once. The child had the nightmare before, each with more force then the last and with more darkness then the darkest night. Everything came louder or softer, none really in the middle or silent in the way he wanted the sounds to become. And the face. His mind would never let him see the face of that lost soul he stood in front of, whose hair was tangled beyond repair and body was a walking skeleton. He would always wake before it showed it's true identity, the revelation pushed back into the farthest reaches of his mind. This disturbed him in a way, creating a curiosity that the boy wanted to abandon. He didn't want his child-like behavior to surface, the innocence of life already gone from his.

A knock came at the door, which probably would've awaken him from the hell of the nightmare realm. Shin did not say anything as he moved his eyes to the left, watching the door knob turn as he held his breath. The wooden slab of the door slowly opened, and the pink face of the other poked in.

"I see that you are awake," Kibito mused in a dry tone, not moving any more into the room.

"Are we still going to see a Kaioshin today?" Inquired the child, speaking like they were searching for a rare bird instead of a actual person.

"Yes, we are. And I wouldn't speak lightly of him at the least. The Dai Kaioshin is a being that is stronger then the strongest fighter in the universe."

"Whatever," Shin shrugged, not really caring. He had learned to surprises the joy of meeting new people a long time ago, having seen very few of them even when he was inside the market place of his home. And this was nothing different then it was then. "When are we going?"

"As soon as you get dressed."

****

It had taken enough time for the child to move his body off the soft mattress that he had slept on so that he could do what he had to do. The rest of the time was spent to slowly take a shower and the other things that needed to be done to get ready for the day. By that time, Kibito was wearing thin on his patience with the boy and was ready to pull him out of the bathroom even if he was not ready at all. It is one thing for the child to be half awake at this time and taking his time. It is another to keep the Dai Kaioshin waiting. He may be a kind, gentle, and patient man but everyone has their limits, the other thought bitterly as he stood outside the boy's room, his back leaning up against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest.

The door finally opened and Shin stepped out, looking more depressed then he had the day before. He wore a pair of gray pants, with gray boots, and a long sleeved sweater. The other sighed, shaking his head. Even if he was going to meet Death himself, he'd never get much dresser then that. Yet, there is nothing I can really do about this boy.

"Can we go now?" Shin asked irritably, probably wanting to get this over with so that he could sulk around the palace grounds for another day.

"Well, I'd tell you to change into something different but there is nothing I can do right now," Kibito said, pushing his body from the wall. "Your clothes will change in time. I'm not worried about that. I'm concerned on the image that you will set for the Kaioshin."

"You've never met this guy before, have you?"

"How in the hell do you think I know he wants to see you?"

"I dunno," The boy shrugged, starting his decent from his room, towards whatever path he had to take. "How long will it take to get there? A half of a day? Two days? Perhaps more."

"About thirty seconds," Kibito said, moving to catch up with the boy. Before Shin could get his usual reply out, the other uncrossed his arms and placed a hand upon the child's shoulder. With a flutter of a thought, the two went up into a yellow aura, disappearing into the daylight.

****

Shin didn't know what the Kaioshins were since Kibito had never really spoken of them much. Just in a few sentences that explained who they were and the reason why the boy couldn't see them. At the moment, he was confused as to why the highest of them all wanted to see a meager little boy like himself who was hardly worth meeting. He had no abilities that he was proud of or was he in a mood to be around the ones that had created the planet itself. There was no reason for the child to know anything outside his own grief.

He was also surprised at the rate of speed it took for the two to move from one side of the round sphere to the other. He figured Kibito's estimate of time was a little off despite their landing seemed like it hadn't even taken a minute or two for their feet to touch the soft ground again. There was no room for question as he was pulled into the arch of a doorway that was taller then the tallest person alive. From the glimpse he saw of the outside of the palace the Dai Kaioshin lived inside, Shin figured he/she had taken years to build what was there. Two statues, probably of two Dai's of past, stood guard at the entrance, keeping a vigil over the marble archway.

"Now, I want you to act like you are not depressed," Kibito was saying to the child as he continued to pull upon the clothing that he wore. Shin barely paid any heed to those words the other spoke of as he looked around in awe of the grand palace main entrance room. The floor was made of small, square blocks of marble, each with it's own pattern moving across the way into the reaches unknown. Pillars of pure stone rose up to meet the ceiling, which had been masterly painted centuries ago. A single set of stairs went up at the end, going to who knows where.

"So, where's this Kaioshin you've been talking about? Doesn't seem to be home," Shin said boredly, already ready to get back to the sulking he had to make up. "Or have much stuff for that matter."

"Don't reflect on what you see at the entrance. Things are not what they seem when you first see it," A voice called out before the other could mutter a warning towards the boy. Kibito went to his knees as a pudgy, robed figure descended the stairs in front of them, a small smile on his thin lips. Shin didn't do anything as he watched this person stop in front of him, Kibito standing straight up. "I see this is the boy that you have talked about."

"Yes, it is," The other said, giving a glance down at the child.

"Where's the Dai Kaioshin? When are we going to meet him?" Shin asked, looking past the rounded figure in front of him. Kibito looked like he was about to smack the child when the figure laughed loudly and placed his hands behind his back.

"I am the Dai Kaioshin," He said, giving Shin a tiny bow. "Remember, things are not what they seem at first. You have to understand what is going on before you can go onto the next level."

"Huh?" Shin blinked in confusion.

"I see this child is going to need the proper training."

"Huh?"

"Shin, the reason why I asked for you is because I've been watching you closely," The Dai Kaioshins lips went into a thin line as his face became serious. "Not since you have come here but since you were born. I have seen the things that you have done and the things that have happened to you. You have seen what Bibidi can do. Your sister was one who did not see the power that he held. I feel the loss of her through you, as do the other Kaioshins."

"Please don't remind me," Shin pleaded, a sting of pain going through his body.

"Yes, I will have to remind you. Every day for the rest of your training. Your sister's death wasn't the first and won't be the last."

"I don't care about the universe. It can go to HFIL for all I care!" He cried out, a single tear going down his cheek. "I lost her forever. Don't you understand that?"

"You will lose her forever if you do not get over it. As harsh as it sounds, grieving any longer will only prolong what Bibidi can do. Your sister's death will be in vain if you do not control the flawless emotions that course through your veins," The Dai Kaioshin went on as the boy fell to his knees with a pained expression on his face. Kibito did nothing but watch, his help not needed at the moment.

"Why are you reminding me of what I lost? I don't want to remember," Shin sobbed.

"You have to remember. Other sisters will die if you do not help. I have to remind you of what you lost so that you can work to get it back."

"I can never get it back. It was lost."

"And it shall remain that way until you can find the courage to search for it," The Kaioshin narrowed his eyes. "Shin, I am not about to let you be absorbed by the feelings of pain and guilt that you are using to put that barrier around you. What would your sister say if she saw you like this? What would she do so that you would understand?"

"She'd punch me in the shoulder and tell me that it is not worth the effort. She'd tell me that there is nothing that I can not understand."

"Good."

"But she's gone. I still can not get her back," Shin protested, wiping several tears away.

"Is she really gone?" Kibito asked gently. "Has she really died?"

The child did not answer the two questions that he was asked. Instead, he got back upon his feet with his head bowed down towards the ground, sniffing and sobbing. He hung his arms at his sides, the stares of the two upon him. He felt them watch him, waiting for the answers that they wanted to hear. Keelin, I need you. Where are you when I need you? He asked to himself, wiping yet another tear from his cheek.

"She is right next to you, even if you can not see her," The Kaioshin said lightly. Shin snapped his head up, his eyes wide.

"How....how did you know?"

"All the Kaios and Kaioshins have the ability to read minds. They also have the tendency to have telepathic conversations with those that are around them, like Kibito and I have done in the past."

"He has that ability as well?"

"He has more then you can ever know."

"Can....can she hear me?"

"Only if you want her to hear you," The Kaioshin softly said, smiling once again. "You can continue to miss and care for her as time moves on and as the seasons change. There is no gain in grieving for someone that does not wish for you to grieve." He looked around, snorting just a bit. "Well, since you are here, I guess it is time to get started."

"Started on what?"

"Your Kaioshin training. Didn't Kibito tell you anything?"

"No," Shin pouted, looking up at the serious face of the other before his eyes fell back upon the one that was in front of him. "But there are four Kaioshins. Why do you need a fifth?"

"Listen well, child. I'll give you the explanation," The Dai said, giving a slight nod. "I am the Dai Kaioshin, the highest of the Gods. There is no one above me. There should be four other Kaioshins, one for each quadrant, which is the North, South, East, and West, which is the four Gods that are under the Dai. Those quadrants each have five lesser Gods, called the Kaios. It is the same order as the Kaioshins but only the Kaios do not have the same powers. They look over the quadrant with the Kaioshins.

"Since I can not take the place of a lesser Kaioshin then me, I need a fourth one, a East Kaioshin if you will, to fill the void that has been left there. His death left us with no choice but to take in the remaining heir of the East Kaioshin throne."

"Who was the former East Kaioshin?" Shin asked innocently.

"Did you wonder why your father had so little time to be with his family?" The Dai Kaioshin asked. The child blinked his eyes, not understanding what had been spoken. It took several moments for it to click upon his mind and the lights in the ebony eyes lit up with understanding.

"My father was a Kaioshin!?!"

"Yes, he was. Your mother knew that she was marring a God even before you were born. Despite rules that Kaioshins can not fall in love, your father did so. I was about to provoke his title but your mother stopped me and, in turn for an explanation, I allowed him to keep his powers up to the day he died," His face returned to the seriousness it once was. "Your heritage is now known. Your training must get under way or all hope will be lost. Kibito will be your guardian, acting more as a protector then anything, and he will give you the training that you need."

"What kind of training?"

"You will see."

To Be Continued.......