by Jamie L. Word
"A Cry For Help"
Shun's lookout.
An older-looking Namek in robes with a staff stood over the unconscious forms of the trio of heroes of planet Zodoria. He had a pouch on his belt. From that pouch, he pulled three senzu beans, and he gave one bean to each hero. Within a few moments, the heroes began to awaken from their viciously induced slumber. They sat up and looked around.
"Take it easy, young ones," the older Namek said comfortingly as he smiled pleasantly to put his disoriented guests at ease. "You're alright. The androids didn't kill you. Your at my lookout."
"Shun!" Kuang muttered as he looked towards the older Namek with a look of surprise on his face before the heroic trio got to their feet.
"Yes, Kuang," the older Namek said with a smile as he reassured his fellow Namek and the two Zodorian fighters. "It is me. I found you unconscious on the battlefield, so I took the liberty of bringing you back to the lookout for some senzu beans and a bit of rest."
"Even with our increased powers, we were still no match for the androids," Sumio muttered in shame and frustration as he lowered his head.
"Yeah," Sumie added, likewise lowering her head with a sense of shame accompanying her frustration. "They were still so much stronger than we were. We didn't stand a chance. We've failed our world. It's doomed."
"What can we do now?" Kuang inquired as he too lowered his head with a sense of shame in addition to his frustration. "We can't use the Chamber of Spirit and Time anymore. We've all used our two days in there. Even if I fused with you, I don't think it would be enough to get the job done."
"There may yet be another way," Shun replied, prompting the downhearted trio to perk up with pricked interest. "I have sent my assistant Jontu to gather the seven dragon balls. He is doing well. He has just finished gathering them all and is presently returning here with them. I plan to summon the dragon and wish for help for our planet. I believe that would be the best course of action for us now."
"Why not wish for us to be stronger than the androids?" Sumio asked as if to suggest just that notion to the old Namek.
"It's not that simple, Sumio," Shun answered. "Eternal dragons are linked to the guardians who create them. Their power is likewise limited to the power of their creators. It is beyond the dragon's power to increase your power beyond its present level. Even if he could, your power increase would be insignificant when pitted against the monumental task of defeating Dr. Dreg's androids. Such a miniscule power increase would be a wasted wish. We would be better served with an increase in manpower at this time."
"Yes," Kuang nodded in agreement at Shun's decision. "I agree. The dragon couldn't grant us enough power to defeat the androids, but he might be able to bring us help who could hold the key to our planet's salvation. I say we make the wish exactly as Shun has suggested. We're out of options."
Suddenly, a Mister Popo-like individual arrived at Shun's lookout, riding a flying carpet and carrying a bag in his hands. The planet's heroes looked at the incoming individual with hopeful expressions.
"Jontu!" Shun exclaimed in great enthusiasm and excitement as he beheld the arriving assistant. "Do you still have them?"
"Yes, Shun," the loyal assistant replied as he hopped off of the flying carpet and emptied the bag out onto the lookout floor at everyone's feet, revealing seven softball-sized dragon balls with spheres on them instead of stars. "I have them right here! We can now summon the dragon!"
"Then, let us begin!" Shun declared as he raised himself to full height dramatically, prompting everyone to give him their full attention. "Having gathered all seven dragon balls, we call upon the power of the eternal dragon to grant our wish! We summon the dragon of Zodoria! Come and grant us our wish, eternal dragon Khifu!"
The dragon balls began to glow as the sky turned black above them. Radical lightning began flashing in the sky as the glowing dragon balls seemed to merge together into a quickly lengthening strand of energy. The energy strand quickly grew to its full length, a multi-mile-long display. The energy strand finally transformed into a giant dragon with wings. It was bulky like Porunga, but its limbs were more like Shenron's in design while being bulky like Porunga's. The heroes were awed by the sight.
"Ye who have awakened me from my slumber shall be granted a single wish," the dragon began in his gutteral growl of a voice. "If the wish is within my power to grant, it shall be granted. If it is not within my power to grant the wish, ye shall reform the wish into one which I can grant. Speak now. What is the wish?"
"Great Khifu, we wish for you to bring more fighters to Zodoria to help us in our war against the androids!" Shun answered the great dragon. "Can you grant us this wish?"
"It shall be done," the dragon replied as his eyes glowed red for a few moments and then returned to normal. "Your wish has been granted. Assistance has been drawn to this planet, and they will be arriving soon. I bid ye farewell!"
With that matter cleared up, Khifu transformed into a glowing ball of light, and that glowing ball of light then splintered into seven shooting bolts as the dragon balls once more distributed themselves across the planet. The sky gradually returned to normal as the radical lightning gradually ceased. The heroes turned to each other with looks of hope on their faces.
"Now, we wait," Kuang stated as they all looked to the sky where the dragon Khifu had been mere moments before.
Moments later, a large, modified Saiyan space pod entered the planet's atmosphere. Inside the space pod, Koji, Yuko, Yoshio, and a young child stood together. Each of them seemed happy.
Koji was wearing a Saiyan armored chest protector and Saiyan boots and gloves over a skintight blue bodysuit. He seemed a bit more muscular than before, and his frame was far more chisled. Yuko and Yoshio wore outfits exactly like the ones they wore when they first met Koji, and both human fighters appeared to be in much greater physical condition, leaner and more athletically inclined than before.
The boy was about eight-years-old. He had spikey black hair and black eyes, and he was well-muscled for his age. He wore a loose-fitting grey tunic with no sleeves, matching Karate-style pants, black boots like Yoshio's, black wristbands, and a black belt around his waist.
"So, are we really going to Earth, Dad?" the boy inquired as he looked up at Koji with interest.
"Yes, Kato," Koji replied with a slight smile on his face as he addressed his young son. "Your mother and I have decided to go back to her planet since mine was destroyed. I thought it would be interesting if we took a little trip to Earth to see the sites."
"I'm homesick, son," Yuko added as she slinked her arms around Koji's neck after moving closer to him, a prelude to a kiss. "My loving husband finally gave in to my powers of persuassion."
After a few moments of a passionate kiss between Koji and Yuko, the couple finally brought their open display of affection to an end, and Koji said, "Well, your powers of persuassion were quite formidable, I must admit."
"You two are really something else," Yoshio muttered as he blushed at their display of affection.
"Hey, Uncle Yoshio!" Kato called out to the blushing Earthling. "What will you do when we get to Earth?"
"Probably kiss the ground," Yoshio chuckled, prompting Kato to join him in a momentary burst of laughter. "I'm kind o' homesick too."
Suddenly, the space pod shuddered as it entered Zodoria's atmosphere, and the all took notice of this.
"We're landing," Koji said with a hint of interest and concern in his voice and his demeanor.
"Yeah," Yuko replied with a hint of concern upon her face and in her voice. "I didn't think we'd reach Earth this soon."
Outside, at Shun's lookout, the heroes watched as the modified Saiyan space pod landed on the lookout with them. Moments later, the pod door opened up, and the four occupants exited the space pod and examined their surroundings in bewilderment.
"So, is this Earth?" Koji inquired as he looked around, seeing the devastated landscape over the side of the lookout.
"I certainly hope not, or things have really gotten bad since we've been away!" Yoshio muttered in horror.
"Oh, how horrible!" Yuko muttered as she beheld the horrible sight while putting her hands to her face in horror. "What happened down there?"
"What is this place?" Kato inquired as he began looking around the lookout platform. "And who are those people over there?"
Koji and his family all turned to face the heroes of Zodoria, and the Zodorian heroes eyed them warily. Koji looked grim and determined, Yoshio and Yuko looked a bit frightened and worried, and Kato just looked curious. The Zodorian heroes looked at Koji and crew with a mixture of concern and hope on their faces. Koji smiled when he noticed the Nameks.
"They can't be all that bad," Koji declared as he and the Nameks made eye contact. "They're keeping good company."
"You're familiar with the Namek people?" Kuang inquired as he and Shun looked amazed at Koji's recognition of their heritage.
"My best friend during my youth was a Namek," Koji replied as he remembered Chih with fondness and somber regret. "He died on planet Ferella battling the Changeling Tarboz. I've sorely missed him. I also met a Namek on planet Veloria eight years ago when I defeated Tarboz's father Xarlok, but enough about that. Who are you, and where are we?"
"You are on the planet Zodoria," Shun explained as he garnered everyone's attention. "We used our dragon balls to wish you here to help us. Our situation is dire, and we desperately need your help. Our world is being terrorized and ravaged by powerful androids, and our power is insufficient to overcome them on our own."
"So, you just plucked us from our journey and had us brought here to help you with your dilemna, eh?" Koji asked rhetorically. "Well, it looks like we weren't the only ones you brought here."
Everyone looked up as a Namek space ship descended from the atmosphere and landed on the lookout near Koji's space pod. The door to the Namek space ship opened, and Kien stepped out to see them.
"Well, hello again," Koji said with a grin as he and Kien recognized each other and shared a grin. "Long time no see."
"Koji!" Kien called out with excitement as he recognized the Saiyan warrior. "Where are we? I was travelling the universe on a sight-seeing tour when suddenly the controls to my ship stopped responding. It was like some unseen force had commandeered my ship and brought me here."
"Well, pull up a seat. You haven't missed much," Koji replied as he turned his attention back to the Zodorian heroes. "This old Namek here was just explaining that this planet is under seige by androids who are terrorizing and destroying the planet. They wished us here with something called dragon balls. They want us to help them defeat the androids."
"That is right," Shun chimed in, getting everyone's attention once more. "I am Shun, the Kami of Zodoria. The young Namek warrior next to me is Kuang. The other two are native Zodorians. The male is Sumio, and the female is his sister Sumie. The remaining member of our little rag-tag team is Jontu, my faithful assistant."
"Well, I am Koji, a Saiyan warrior, the Super Saiyan who defeated Xarlok," Koji replied as he made the introduction for his side. "The beautiful woman at my side is my wife Yuko, an Earthling. The child is our son Kato, and the adult human fighter with us is Yuko's brother Yoshio. This Namek who has just joined us is Kien, and he is a powerful warrior in his own right. Now that we've gotten the introductions out of the way, let's see what we can do about your android problem!"
The Zodorian heroes smiled at Koji's decree, happy that their new acquaintances have decided to help them. Koji turned his attention to his family, getting their attention.
"You three should stay here," Koji told his family, pricking their curiosity. "I can sense the power of these three fighters who summoned us here, and they're all quite a lot stronger than you. If the androids are too powerful for them to defeat, then you wouldn't be safe out there with us. Kien and I will help these three fighters defeat the androids."
"You can sense our power?" Kuang inquired incredulously as he regarded Koji in surprise. "But I can sense your power, and you don't seem all that strong, my friend!"
"Oh, yes. We can sense power levels, and we can also hide our power from another," Koji explained. "I can sense that you are suppressing your power as well, but my power is much bigger than you can imagine. I'm concealing not only my power as a Saiyan, but I haven't even tapped my power as a Super Saiyan as of yet."
"He's right," Kien chimed in, declaring his confidence in Koji's power. "I've seen the power he's talking about. It's unbelievable!"