Chapter Text
DBSSS Episode 1
Aboard!
A New Saga Begins! Dragon Souls?!
The West city was enjoying its busiest Saturday of the year. The nations worldwide were celebrating Hercule’s defeat of the wicked Cell for an entire week, each day growing bigger and hammier in its activities. It meant that no one had to work that week – people either stayed home or went outside to celebrate. Parades, giant floating balloons, and crowds of people filled the streets with cheers and music. It was a sight to behold… yet my duty was above it all.
I ignored the busy streets, choosing a smaller alleyway instead. Passing by many buildings either quiet or booming with voices and ignoring the bright and enticing signs, I marched on to my destination. My eyes kept focused on the true goal: a small, niche sweets and bakery shop by an old, vintage lamppost. When I pushed the door open, a whiff of vanilla, chocolate, and other mouth-watering aromas hit my nose and made me wish I could simply stay and enjoy the sweets.
Waving a polite hello at the owners, I went straight to the cashier.
“Hello, Jeff,” I smiled at the young man writing down an order.
“Hello, Y/N, the usual?” he nodded without looking.
“Yeah, please,” I took out my wallet and paid in Zeni. “Could I also give me some of the special Hercule day sweets, too?”
“No problem!” he chuckled, taking the money and giving me a small box of sweets. “Your lil nephews sure love these sweets, don’t they?”
“W-what? Oh, yeah, my… nephews,” my lips twitched and I looked away, nervously sweating. “They sure do.”
“Anyway, any other plans for the day?” Jeff asked, oblivious or uncaring of my anxious laughter. “Quite a day to relax, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, after I get my babysitting duty done, I’m planning on doing nothing but relaxing all day long and watching some dumb anime,” I put the box into my bag. “A perfect way to spend a day.”
“Sounds like it, well, till next month!” he waved at me as I exited the shop.
With a tired sigh, I looked up and saw a silhouette of a giant balloon floating far away, in the central street. It was a balloon figure of Hercule, the Savior, defeating the blasted and evil Cell. Even after all these years they still thought it was a good idea. My lips twitched again, not hiding a frown anymore. Looking away from the hauntingly familiar image of a green mutant I once knew, I looked down at my watch. The absolutely normal wristwatch’s screen turned into a purple and blue smiley face, staring at me with unblinking, beady eyes.
“It’s almost the time,” it said in a child-like voice.
With another tired sigh, I walked away from the shops, hiding in dark and empty alleyways. My finger gently pressed against the watch, and a bright flash whisked me away.
***
The Omni Kings’ palace was a sight to behold. Existing outside any dimension, it was as old as time itself. An old-style building surrounded by nothing but a few floating rocks on top of some kind of eternal jellyfish.
I wish I still found this weird.
At this point weird was the norm. It’d be weirder if it was a typical apartment house with a parking lot and a perfectly cut lawn.
I checked my bag, making sure the goods didn’t get damaged, and with a slight smile walked towards the entrance. After I politely knocked on the door, it opened for me, but instead of any kind of butler or even owner, I were met with a sign of Beerus sweating profusely in front of the Grand Priest, his swinging tail giving away extremely stress he was under. An unusual sight, for sure. His brother… Chompa?.. His angel lady helper (whatever was her name), and Whis were standing nearby. While Whis and his sister were as usual polite, smiling, and doll-like, the chubby cat-brother didn’t even bother to hide his smug pudgy face.
“…It will not end well.”
“Shut it, Beerus,” his young brother interrupted him. “You pulled the shortest straw, it isn’t our fault you lost.”
“…and I’m certain I saw you replace your straw with a longer one, Champa,” the God of Destruction snapped his tail, narrowing his eyes at his dear brother.
“Are you saying I cheated?!” the other cat hissed.
The Grand Priest’s gentle voice quickly silenced both.
“The ways of the Omni-King might be mysterious, but it will all make sense when things conclude,” the ridiculously young-looking man replied in a saccharine, borderline patronizing way. “Do you have doubts in his decision-making?”
Maybe it was meant to be patronizing.
“I-I would never doubt his omnipotence’s wisdom!” it was kinda funny to see Beerus being so terrified of a small child-like God, but I had enough respect for the guy to not ever mock him for it.
At least, to his face.
“Not to mention, it is rather impolite to leave guests waiting, isn’t it?” the Grand Priest glanced at me.
“Um, hello, Mr. Grand Priest” I waved at the trio, bowing slightly. “Hello, Lord Beerus, Lord Whis… u-um, Lord Champa and… Lady Vadas?”
The latter two ignored me completely.
Rude.
“You know the way, don’t let our silly discussion stop you from attending to the duties.”
“I’m sure Lord Beerus has his reasons for concern,” I smiled politely. “Anyway, not gonna interrupt your talk anymore, happy Hercule day! This is the special delicacy they’re selling only this week, so… enjoy!”
I tossed Whis a small paper bag full of sweets. Whatever argument they were having, their full attention instantly went to a bunch of cookies. The handmade cookies shaped like his head, of course. His luxurious black hair and mustache were made of dark chocolate. Knowing how crazy some people were about him, I wouldn’t be surprised they’d prefer it to be actually his hair.
Blegh.
I passed by the literal Gods and Angels and went straight to the most important and distant room. A couple of tall, alien men were guarding it, and their eyes followed my every move without a single blink.
“Hi, guys, this is for you today,” I smiled and gave them a small box with donuts.
Why the ever-powerful Omni King(s) even needed bodyguards I weren’t sure. Then again, it was I who mistakenly took them in, thinking I was helping some lost alien children find their parents. I wouldn’t even have to do this if it wasn’t for my dumb sense of responsibility. So perhaps they should’ve been guarded even harder not to wander off all alone.
The guards nodded to me and opened the door. Did they have mouths, even? I never looked too close. They seemed to like the doughnuts all the same, anyway.
With a deep breath, I walked into the Omni Kings’ private room. All I needed to do was to be a babysitter for a few hours. It wasn’t so tough.
…Was it?
***
“Oh, this one’s ready,” Zeno chirped in his cute baby voice, opening his palms with a colorful, multicolored sphere lying between them.
A small star formed in the center.
“And this one,” Future Zeno smiled and showed his brother-slash-himself the same-looking sphere.
That one had four stars.
“This is going to be so much fun!” the present Zeno levitated the sphere on a table in the center of the room. “And we can watch it all here, on the big screen!”
“I can’t wait! It’s going to be just like Dragon Sphere: Adventures of Sun Hercule!” the future Zeno levitated his sphere on the table as well, not even looking as it landed dangerously close to the edge.
“Yay!” they clapped their hands together.
“A-ahem, Masters Zeno?” my voice interrupted their cheer.
“Oh? [Y/N]! Yay, auntie is here!” the Zenos smiled widely, jumping in place and paddling towards me.
“Do you have the cookie stars today?”
“Well, h m m, let me see…” I made a funny face, slapping my pockets, acting like I was trying to remember like I were trying to entertain actual kids and not literal creators of the universe. “Where could they be?..”
As both Zenos watched me holding their breath (did they even have breath???), I reached into my bag, trying to grasp the mini box. My blood went ice cold when it found nothing. With a rushing heart and mental screaming I barely kept from escaping my lips, I tried to keep my face straight, glancing around, trying to remember if I accidentally gave it to Whis or the guards…
Munch. Munch. Munch.
Both I and present Zeno looked at the future Zeno, who was holding the box of sweets and taking one cookie after another and shoving it into his mouth.
How did he-
“I was really hungry,” he apologized in a cutesy childlike voice, and offered some to his “brother”. “Here’s yours.”
“Yay!” the present Zeno took his portion and began nibbling a cookie.
P h e w.
“They’re really tasty,” the future Zeno smiled like an angel (of death and void), crumbs all over his face.
“They’re my favorite, too.”
My hands and legs were shaking, but I still kept my voice straight and smile present, even if I wanted to scream.
“I-I’m glad you like them, but it’s not good to take things from people before asking, you know?” I said in the kindest stealing-is-bad tone I could muster.
“But you always give them to us anyway.”
“Yeah, but still, it’s not a polite thing to do so,” I grabbed a handkerchief, rubbing the crumbs off their faces. “I’m glad you like them, though.”
“Are you mad?” I wondered if he actually felt sorry or was just curious.
“No, of course not. It is your cookies, after all.”
“What is this?” the other Zeno finally came across the Hercule face cookie.
“It’s a cookie they make only this time of year… I thought you might like it. It’s made with chocolate.”
“Chocolate?..”
While the God-kids were busy trying new sweets, I looked around the room, thinking of how to entertain them today.
The room I stayed in was a new addition to the building, even though it looked like it was always there. A small, cozy chamber designed like a kid’s room, it had everything a normal child would want: soft beds, a big TV with a console, a pair of bookshelves, and a bunch of toy boxes. A table was placed in the center that they usually used for make-believe tea parties. Somehow the imaginary tea still tasted real. The TV was surrounded by a dozen disks of their favorite cartoons and movies: mostly the Dragon Sphere: Adventures of Sun Hercule. The show ended on season 27 or something and hasn’t returned airing since. The disks had been worn down from Zenos watching them so much.
Something new caught my attention: eight crystal spheres lying on the table. They looked precious, gleaming with mysterious light and shifting their colors. Tiny stars were placed inside.
Crafting their own little Dragon Spheres? Awww, that’s kinda cute.
“Did you make that?” I asked the twins.
“Yes, it’s for our new game.”
“They look very pretty,” I smiled at the kids.
“Thank you.”
A sudden blast shook the building slightly. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I heard screams from the outside.
“W-what’s that?!” I grabbed onto the table.
Feral screams and hisses cleared up the confusion.
Champa and Beerus were fighting.
Probably over the damn cookies.
Another blast shook the building once again, a few books dropping down. My eyes darted to the Zenos, who were simply floating like nothing was even happening, and then to the table. A lone sphere rolled right at the edge and dropped down.
Out of all places in the multiverse, THIS is where gravity works like intended?!
I leaped down without thinking. My hand reached for the precious sphere, grabbing it before it would shatter into a million pieces against the hard floor.
A bright flash made I close my eyes and yelp. Everything disappeared, replaced by a pure, colorful void. A large, snake-like dragon with four glowing stars on its spiky head, was staring down at me. I found myself kneeling in this nothingness, trying to open my mouth and utter anything, a sound, a scream, a question. Anything.
Yet I could say nothing.
The dragon roared in a weird, alien language and rushed at me. I closed my eyes, clenching my fists, and preparing for an impact-
“[Y/N]? [Y/N]!” a familiar, cranky voice woke me up.
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling groggy. Beerus and Whis were looking down at me.
“U-ugh, what happened?..” I uttered, grabbing my head.
They didn’t answer, instead, helped me get up. Beerus even lent his hand. This was unusual. His expression was hard to read, but after once spending a whole week in his body, I could tell he wasn’t mad. He avoided my glance, his ears and tail tense and stiff.
“How are you feeling?” Whis asked ever so politely.
“Well, okay, just… I’m not sure what happened, I grabbed the sphere before it hit the ground, and then there was… a dragon?.. I think I had a dream,” I ran my fingers through my now messy hair.
Whis and Beerus exchanged glances.
“What even were those quakes?” I asked, as Champa was suspiciously missing.
“My fool of a brother threw a hissy fit over the last Earth cookie,” Beerus nearly spat at his brother’s mention. “Immature dipshit.”
“It was MINE, you stole it!” Champa’s muffled voice could be heard from the corridor, I wish I could see why it sounded like that.
I guess that’s why Beerus is so nice… guilt? It was his brother’s fault, though... and I’m fine…
I used my phone camera to see if I had a bump or scratch or something. Instead, I had four glowing star marks on my forehead.
W-wha-wha-wha- WHAT?!!!!!!
“Hmm, this surely complicates things a bit, yet also makes it more intriguing, doesn’t it?..” the Grand Priest was looking at me, despite his worrisome words he never stopped smiling. “Should we start early then, my omnipotence?”
“We wanted to have more, but it seems more fun this way,” Zenos nodded at the suggestion, ignoring my puzzled and growingly panicking expression.
“We can add more later,” the other Zeno added.
“Add what later?..” I asked, getting up and marching towards the Omni Kings and their right hand man. “What is going on?!”
I didn’t care anymore about pleasantries, grabbing the Grand Priest by his collar, and pointing at the four glowing marks on my forehead.
“WHAT was in that Dragon Ball?!”
“A dragon soul.”
***
The Hercule day was the favorite time of the year for many, Z Fighters no exception. While some, like Vegeta and Piccolo, scoffed at the idea of giving Hercule this much respect, others embraced his cover-up in the eyes of the public. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.
The group gathered together, having a large picnic on a faraway island. The Kame House had to be moved for the occasion, as the island was too small for the growing families anymore. Last year they celebrated it on the island where Master Roshi once trained young Goku and Krillin in the very beginning of their adventures. This year they stayed on a tropical island to enjoy the hot summer with a refreshing swim.
“Yee-haw!” the old martial artist jumped out of his house in a loose Hawaiian shirt and swimming trunks, holding a large beach umbrella. “Let’s all go for a swim, ladies! How about a free massage from an old hunk like m-“
WACK!
“Shut it, you old perv!” Blushing Bulma put down a beach ball she hit him with. “No one is going to take you on that.”
“Did someone say massage? I wouldn’t mind a professional massage,” Yamcha appeared behind them. “Helps me stay handsome, you know.”
“…on a second thought, I changed my mind,” Master Roshi muttered, walking away.
“Huh? Did I say something wrong?..” Yamcha scratched his head.
“He is never gonna change,” Bulma sighed.
While Chi-Chi and Krillin were making killer burgers, the rest was relaxing, playing a Ki version of sportsgame, or going for a swim. Even Future Trunks and Future Mai attended, which was rather bizarre as their younger selves were just a few meters away. The Ki-Ball consisted of everyone trying to keep a Ki ball without extinguishing it before anyone else could snatch it. So far it was 142:131:0 Goku-Vegeta-Everyone else.
“Ahhh, the sun is shining, the sea is singing, burgers smell delicious, and the ladies are all lovely. The day is absolutely delightful,” the old hermit jumped into a hammock.
“Don’t jinx it,” Oolong stared at him. “You know how it goes: the better a day, the more likely some horrible monster is gonna drop by and ruin it.”
“You’re too pessimistic, Oolong,” Puar nudged him, ice cream in his tiny cute kitty paw. “Let’s just enjoy today!”
A flash of light attracted everyone’s attention. The somewhat familiar figure stepped out of the light, holding something small. The human woman who joined the bunch only in the recent year or so looked rather shaken, her hair messy and expression troubled.
“…Told you,” the pigman sighed.
“[Y/N]?” Bulma approached her. “You are late, we already started, and… are you okay?”
“N-no, not really,” I grinned, my eye twitching. “You gotta see it.”
I gave the woman a small flat, round device.
“What’s this?.. A holotech?”
“Y-yeah, Zenos gave it to me… You all have to see this, on their word,” I sighed, passing by, grabbing Master Roshi’s soda-slash-probably-beer and chugging it down, ignoring his cries of protest.
I needed this more right now.
“Just watch the message,” I shook my head and slammed myself into a chair.
Everyone gathered together, waiting patiently for Bulma to put down the holotech and press the activation button. Once she did, a three-dimensional image of the Grand Priest appeared in front of everyone.
“Welcome, inhabitants of the Universe 7,” he greeted everyone. “I, Grand Priest, will represent the Omni Kings’ message for you all today. So listen carefully. The Omni-Kings wish for you to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. You might ignore this message, of course, but I would recommend hearing it out first… the prize is otherworldly.”
The prize? HAH!
“As some of you may know, the Dragon Balls are magical artifacts that can grant any wish. Your universe has quite a few and starting today, it is going to have… a few more.”
I groaned, trying to hide my glowing forehead with my hair.
“The Omni King sent eight Dragon Balls throughout your universe, but these ones are rather special. As you can imagine, a dragon ball set created by the Omni Kings themselves has the ability to grant a wish beyond any mortal imagination. This is why we’re informing the strongest fighters of this universe, the roughest rogues, and the most cunning magicians: get the eight Dragon Balls scattered across the planets, and a path to the ultimate prize will open up. Once they all gather there, the victor’s wish, any wish, will come true.”
The group stayed silent the whole time, exchanging worried and confused looks.
“Of course, to do so you’ll have to fight each other for the claim on those powerful, rare items… So you better start early. This device has a few hints at some of the Dragon Balls locations. Good luck, everyone, and don’t forget to do your best.”
The hologram vanished, and the device turned off.
The beach became silent, and then erupted into a roar of questions, exclaims, and shouts. I ignored it all. After all, I had been told this before. What they were experiencing right now was but a fraction of what I felt.
“Okay, okay, everyone, calm down,” Krillin raised his hands, trying to make everyone silent. “Let’s just think this through.”
“What’s there to think about?? It’s not our business,” Yajirobe’s grumpy face said between munching on the food. “Let the crazy aliens deal with this.”
“Yeah, the grand wish sounds cool and all, but our Dragons Balls are just as good,” Yamcha supported him. “I say we don’t get involved.”
“Yes, but just imagine how much we can do with this wish! We could become the richest people in the world! All the cool toys and games we could get!”
“Trunks, we’re already the richest family on the planet. Plus, you are too young for this, so sit down!”
“B-but!”
“Listen to your father,” the future Trunks added to Vegeta’s voice.
“How about it, Goku? Do you wanna take part in it?” Krillin asked his best friend and judging by his worried tone, I knew he didn’t want to get involved himself.
If only I had such an option.
“I’m always up for a good fight,” the Saiyan shrugged with a genuine smile. “And you, Vegeta?”
“I’d rather not miss on my training with Beerus, I don’t need some magical tricks to get stronger.”
“O h n o, no more leaving me and your family behind, you promised!” Chi-Chi was fuming at the very idea.
The arguments and shouts started again, but I ran out of patience.
“You’re kinda missing the point, aren’t you?!” I finally stood up and turned to my new acquaintances.
“What do you mean?”
“If anyone from this universe can get their hands on these Dragon Balls, and have a wish that outranks Beerus himself… do you understand what may happen if it gets into bad hands?!”
“Oh, yeah, t-that’s a scary thought,” Krillin shuddered. “Imagine someone like Red Ribbon Army, or Cell, or any other bad guy out there becoming stronger than the God of Destruction!”
“…or Frieza,” Piccolo was towering over me, yet somehow it was comforting rather than intimidating.
The name left everyone speechless. I could feel sweat dripping down my cheek.
“Especially Frieza,” Bulma’s deep scowl represented how everyone felt: the party was over. “That psychopath would lay waste to the entire universe if he could.”
“I guess then we have no choice but to get involved,” Gohan and Piccolo exchanged knowing looks.
“But how do we even start? And who will protect the Earth meanwhile?”
“I can update my Dragon Radar, but the universe is big, so it might not be as accurate as we need.”
“W-well, we kinda do have a head start there, actually,” I laughed nervously, looking at my friends with wide eyes.
Before anyone could ask, I moved the hair bangs from my foreheads, revealing four little shiny stars.
***
The Grand Minister’s word echoed everywhere, just as the eight dragon balls were scattered across the universe. Each of the last seven Dragon Balls scattered across various planets. Landing on a split and shattered homeworld of the Icejiin, peacefully existing New Namek, deep sea-covered moon, even Earth. Four were hidden deeply away from everyone’s reach, another three in plain yet suspicious sight.
The Grand Minister’s hologram spoke in a distant bar on a hot-red planet covered in erupting volcanoes. It spoke in the deepest caves and frozen tundras. On the edge of the universe where nothing but absolutely vilest creatures lurked and in the center, where only the ghost-like apparitions flew. It spoke wherever it could be heard by strong warriors capable of reaching stars. A dualistic pirate queen with long golden locks; a solitary warrior, the last of his species; a group of antique collectors; demonic prince that escaped the Otherworld.
No matter good or bad, as long as they were worthy of a fight, they got the message.
No matter how good, or bad.
Especially bad.
“Good luck, everyone, and don’t forget to do your best,” his polite, gentle smile ended the message once again.
An elegant, pale hand picked up the device, turning it around, and throwing to a small blueish alien woman. The hand then reached up, rubbing a smooth, scaley chin. A pair of red eyes flashes in the dark, and dark, purple lips twisted in a grin.
“Well-well, Lord Beerus, it seems your nuisance of a rule is coming to a close,” a menacing voice chuckled, looking at the universe map.