DBZ: The Fallen Empire (Chapter 2: A Dream of Empire)

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Limitless you say...?" Panich repeated as her gaze drifted from the endless sea of stars to the side, as if to see the Dread saiyan. "And all I would have to do is abandon this physical being of mine."
The princess chuckled as she crossed her own arms. She pondered to herself for a moment before replying.
"You know this almost makes me feel conflicted. To have limitless potential and power... It sounds so impossible, But here you are asking me- no, rather telling me to join you in this... realm of possibilities. You are the most bizarre person I've ever met." Panich sighed, cocking her head to the side slightly. "I can't figure you out. But... an offer like that is too good to pass up, so there's no use trying to argue about the consequences with myself. Besides, making my own 'stars' sounds rather fun."
She smirked then looked up again at the destruction above as she said calmly, "So just tell me how I can shed myself of this weakness."

---------------------------------------------

Bage hesitated, clenching onto his shirt with one hand. 
"So... I'll be able to change all of this..."
The saiyan narrowed his eyes before looking up at the Dread saiyan. 
"Well, there doesn't seem to be any way out of this. I ... It's just so much... Can i really do this? even if I do accept? What if I'm too weak!?"
 
Solaris:

The Dread Saiyan shook his head once.

"The limits of power and expansion disappear once you transcend your mortal form. The ability will develop in the long term, but for now, you must learn to channel your energy in the proper method."

He nodded at the man.

"Close your eyes, imagine the energy burning strongly within you. Feel the source of your power for all that it is, and then remember you goal. You are no longer to use that energy to enhance your abilities...but instead...become one with it."


Kira:

The Dread Saiyan chuckled in response.

"The Jedi philosophy is a way of life. You cannot just pick and choose when you can have control and when you can not."

He crossed his arms behind his back.

"You criticize them for following their own path and spilling blood for goals you don't believe in, yet you do the same. Your methods may differ, but in the end, your results at the same..."

The Dread Saiyan gestured towards the ship wreckage above.

"You march forward on a bid to save all of existence, blinded in your duty to protect that you did not see what you were truly facing. Because of your arrogance, you alone are directly responsible for the deaths of all those Republic soldiers that believed in you. That sacrificed their lives for you to only squander it away, locked inside of a frozen tomb you can't possibly escape from without my help."

His smirk rose slightly.

"Your order speaks of detachment, yet you cling to the Republic and democracy in the face of a true and better society. Following your hypocritical ways will only guarantee you demise, save yourself."

Mioi:

The Dread Saiyan kept a smirk.

"Vitiate was the man who build the first Empire, what you saw as the Sith. Together, we ruled over his society as brothers while hiding in the Outer Rim from the Republic."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Vitiate, however, became more ambitious as the centuries ticked on. He eventually learned the ability to move from physical body to body as a means to prolong his life, while I simply choose to enhance my own for a time until I took on this form. When I discovered his plan to build the Sith into fighting the Republic, I decided to leave and create my own Empire. One that would not champion the same destructive values of the Sith that they call 'competition'."

He turned towards Mioi, his tone shifting back to the pragmatic voice he usually spoke with.

"Revan was the first step, having been a perfect mold for the Sith to take during his time. Before the invasion, Vitiate found a suitable pawn in the Jedi: a war hero that saved the galaxy from the oppression of a warrior faction against the direct wishes of the Jedi Council. He called to Revan, made him a slave of his will, and sent him back to the Republic as a true Sith Lord."

The man then shook his head lightly.

"I'm sure if you wish to learn more of Revan, the history lessons tell of his redemption and defeating his Sith apprentice. The main point you need to understand, however, is that Revan knew of Vitiate's existence after he was redeemed. He attempted to face him, but was imprisoned in stasis for 300 years before the Z-Fighters discovered him a few years ago."

He uncrossed his arms.

"By this time, Vitiate's physical forms had all been destroyed by the Jedi, leaving him in a weakened state where his essence attempted to recover on Ziost in his tomb. Revan, having been freed from stasis, sought to destroy the last remnants of the Emperor through a genocide of the Sith Empire itself. Vegetto and the other Sith sympathizers stopped him, only for him to recover and return a few years later to try again.

Xenest:

The Dread Saiyan lightly shrugged his shoulders.

"That is for you to decide. The transcendence teaches you the ability to move beyond the confines of this reality. Such as myself, who you watched die in a physical form yet am still able to enter your mind in the dream world."

He crossed his arms behind his back once more.

"What attachments you choose to keep and how you keep them is your own choice."

Brachi:

The Dread Saiyan nodded his head once.

"Yes, it is a petty squabble. You were presented multiple times to put an end to the argument, just as he was, and neither of you chose to move past it. You both clung to it, you out of honor and pride while he did it out of self righteousness. You are both arrogant and foolish, paying the price with billions of lives."

His smirk slightly in response, his arms still crossed behind his back.

"It is not my direct wish for you to ascend. I am here to help, but I cannot save you unless you want to be saved."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Without the others' example or the looming threat of death, I command you kneel at my feet. Bow your head as a servant to a master, and we shall see if you can truly learn what it is I offer."


Kire:

The Dread Saiyan chuckled in response, moving to stand in front of Kire after his revelation.

"Your bravado does you no good in this prison. Your fears, however, are more accurate than you realize..."

He crossed both arms behind his back, raising an eyebrow.

"Did she not tell you about her love for Mute? You seemed confident in your daughter's obedience so much, but she has had not just one, but two men find their way to her heart."

His smirk rose a bit, his form slowly changing. The dust continued to rise off his body like a burning smoke, completely covering him for a moment before disappating away to reveal a splitting image of Kire with the confidence of the Dread Saiyan's expression. His voice mimicked Kire's own identically in pitch, continuing to pace to his left.

"Perhaps she may be as obedient as you believe, and if so, then it is merely a small setback for my advancement. You were the closest to live on after death than any other I have seen...but not even you can mimic the power to transcend reality itself. To morph everything in existence to your will..."

The dust continued to billow away once more, masking him in its black flakey texture for a moment before revealing a younger Vegetto Jr. clad in a plain white t-shirt and jeans. His face was nearly identical to the older Dread Saiyan's, but the white flame was replaced by jet black hair.

"Even then, it matters little if I can reach her through you. My own doppelganger is one of the men that defies your hopes for your daughter, able to renounce her ties to you indefinitely."

His eyebrow raised.

"Or did you already know about her boyfriend?"

Jaz:

The Dread Saiyan's confident smirk only grew wider, his cape flowing gently with the chilly breeze that suddenly swept up to the two.

"To destroy them from reality would hinder you more than help. They wish to aid you in their misguided morality, but you must learn to use them for their power and nothing deeper."

He reached out once more with his right hand, his pointer finger lightly touching the middle of her chest directly above her heart. A rush of energy could be felt inside of her chest, the headache caused by the dream disappearing away while her blurry vision began to clear slightly.

"The ritual itself was interrupted, but now, you hold a piece of my energy inside of your heart. Not enough to challenge the warriors you allied with, but enough for you to see the universe in a way none have thought to experience it from before."

The Dread Saiyan pulled his arm back, the energy still radiating from insider her body while he spoke.

"Feel the power of the energy coursing through your veins, close your eyes and imagine the stream as it enhances every aspect of your physical form. Then, realize that this is what has failed you and your friends: you must see the energy for what it truly is. You must become one with it, give yourself to the power. Imagine your escape from this carbonite prison...and it will become so."

Oriko:

The Dread Saiyan kept his smirk.

"It is a deal you can't possibly refuse because you simply have no alternative. You either learn to harness the power I have given you, to use it to ascend beyond your physical restrictions. Or you remain trapped in this subconscious prison, forever trapped in the dream world."

His eyebrow raised slightly.

"Will you submit? Or enjoy your slumber?"

Panich:

The Dread Saiyan bowed his head slightly.

"You are apart of me that I wish to keep. You and your friends leave your mark upon the universe where ever you go. Without us, the multiverse would erupt into chaos and conflict."

He nodded to her.

"The journey begins inward, where you have always seen your inner power source as a means to enhance your physical body. Energy wielded as an extension of yourself, punching harder than a normal mortal is capable of and moving faster than the eye can see."

He dropped his arms.

"But you will never become what I am through the empowerment of your weakness. You must learn to see the energy within for what it truly is: timeless. Limitless, and unending..."

He gestured to the ground.

"Close your eyes, listen to the energy burning within you now. Feel it for what it is, and become one with the rushing river coursing through your body. Imagine your escape from the carbonite tomb...imagine your surroundings. And it will become so."

Bage:

The Dread Saiyan chuckled, shaking his head.

"Your body is the true manifestation of your weakness. Your spirit, your energy, these are all unending quantities that will live on for eternity. Listen to the energy burning within your heart now...and imagine the river washing over..."

He inhaled deeply, loudly exhaling the gust of wind as it shot towards the ground, blowing away chunks of the asteroid they stood on.

"Feel yourself drift closer to the waters of life; let them wash over you and remake you into more than just a mortal being. Then...imagine your escape...and imagine a new world in the image you choose."
 
Xenest nodded.

"I see. So what do you want me to do?" He then asked.

-------

Brachi blinked at this at first, as if she had reached an epiphany; Vegetto did show an intolerance of her behavior or opinion, perhaps due to pride on his own end, something which was likly the Vegeta side of him. She was more like the Bulma of the gang, just as stubborn as Vegeta is or has been, which ironically was fitting in a way. Then she thought of her family and friends, those whom she loved to hang out with, those whom still tried to avenge her after her own death by the hands of the Arcrosian named Siber... the very same friends whom went to save her after her brutal kidnapping and torturing by the Demon Lord Ruthas... there was no way she could let them down, not now, not ever! Out of impulse, whether it was through this realization or simply because she believed she had no other choice, evidently wanting to be saved, Brachi did as the Dread Saiyan commanded, not realizing a single tear slipped past her right eye...
 
The princess took a deep breath before doing as the Dread saiyan commanded. As she stood in the silence, she listened carefully for her own energy surging through her. Nothing.
Panish stood perfectly still until she started to hear a faint flow, similar to water racing down a... River! Until the burning feeling of her evergy began coarsing through her, slowly growing stronger with each soft breath. 

-----------------------

Bage's anxiety began to settle down as he heard the Dread saiyans words. He breath steadied itself. He then sighed, trying releasing the stress he had been holding, before he began listening... Feeling for his energy. Hoping to be swept away by the "river".
 
"If this succeeds, I will become your harbinger, bringer of your wrath." Solaris said closing his eyes. Focusing his ki, his plasma, and his Solarian magic all at once. Attempting to bond with it in the same way the Dread Saiyan described.

---

"Following you will only lead to more death and destruction then any Jedi could ever achieve." Kira replied. "I will never bow, again."
 
"I see now. You have already stated Vitiate was not of our concern for now, but something more than that. There is Arcann now. He killed you. Or, at least, the vessel you speak of." Mioi paused. "What now, if my body is unreachable?"

The alien looked at her hands, slowly hugging her arms with them. She only felt the heaviness in her head and the expansion of the space before them. "Will I be trapped here and left behind to be alone once more forever? I do not want that either. What am I to do now? I don't wish to remain here and be left with only my thoughts. I can't go through that again."

She recalled the memories of the people she knew and loved before she was relocated, feeling the sorrow well up within her again.

Aulilo.... The Princess... Mother and Father...

Then she remembered the people she had met after, and felt enjoyment of their company, even if they wouldn't consider her a comrade. 

Will I always be watching others from afar?... even now? No... I won't allow it.

Recalling Red Mist's words from before, she understood what it was that was missing now.

I have always been lost in this world after my home was wiped from existence. Lost as you were then, small one. I too, have to find my way again. I cannot allow that nightmare to plague me the rest of my lifetime.

"I still need the closure to move on from all of this. And that would only be to end the threat to the rest of the multiverse. Only you can hear my plea right now. I... too want to create my own purpose to live. Can I create it if I have nothing else to lose?" Mioi looked at the Dread Saiyan with a pleading eye, trying her best to kneel like she did before; even with free hands it was still difficult.
 
"T-Two..?" Kire's carefree mode quickly changed once he heard that Jaz had a lover in her life. For the first time, he actually looked nervous. "N-No... Jaz can't possibly have a boyfriend. No, that's impossible!" Kire shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, being very doubtful to the fact. He took a step back when the man turned into himself then into Junior. He listened to the man's words and knew Jaz would be a sucker for anyone she truly loved. For the first time in front of anyone, he was angry.

"Stay away from my daughter if you know what's good for you." His voice was deeper than anything the man heard. "My daughter may be a fool and she may not be strong but you never mess with her emotions." He glared at the Vegetto Jr. clone, his eyes scanning his figure from head to toe. "If you even touch my daughter... if you even think about using her for your sick pleasures, making me a grandfather at such a young age... hurting my precious daughter in any way, I swear I will have your entire empire fall in ruins before your eyes with the snap of my fingers..."


Kire's anger spiked up suddenly and he attempted to attack the figure before him. His arm lunged forward to attempt to hit the man in the face, regardless if he was impersonating someone or not. His anger was real and his hate only grew towards the man.

"Stay away from from my daughter!"

===================

Jaz felt the power through her body and she took a sharp breath. She was taken a little uneasy at first simply because of how she wasn't used to it. She listened to what the man had said to her and closed her eyes. She made sure to keep her thoughts on exactly what he said. Her mind only thought about her physical form and escaping the prison she was in but another image ran through her head and it was that of her father and Junior. She did care about them still but she had her doubts. She did keep her focus, as the man said. It was obvious that she listened to him and obeyed him but she was still somewhat hesitant.
 
"I guess you're right... I'll play along with your plan. What do I need to do?" Oriko asked the Dread Saiyan.
 
Xenest:

The Dread Saiyan pointed with his right index finger at Xenest's chest.

"Look inward. Your entire training regiment before has consisted of enhancing your physical body. To push past your limitations, strengthening yourself..."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"It is this physical body that is the root of your suffering, physical weakness being the symptom. Up until now, you've fought against the symptoms, improving your strength and power like medicine to a cancer."

The Dread Saiyan's arm dropped.

"I will show you how to cure the disease once and for all. Feel the energy coursing through your body, the godly power as it enhances your body's capabilities. Feel your muscles bulge from the empowerment, feel your confidence rise in your strength... "

He began to pace to the left, holding his arms behind his back.

"Now, instead of utilizing that power, look deeper to the energy itself. Focus only on the power...and tune out all other distractions. Listen only to the sound of my voice and the surging energy within your core...and detach your thoughts from the body you call 'home'."

Brachi:

The Dread Saiyan eyes narrowed at the sight before him, his arms crossed behind his back.

"We are in the depths of your immense sub conscious, Brachi. I can see your fears...your memories. The valuable spots of light within the darkness of your misery...and I see why you suddenly kneeled at my feet..."

He slowly uncrossed his arms, beginning to pace to his right.

"On and on, you find a new attachment. Something to fight for, someone to die for. You defend this ideology of support but you do not take into consideration what your role has been in its practice. You defend them avidly, but what if you awake one day to find they no longer exist in this universe? Like the billions of lives that have been lost fighting your pointless wars, what if your own family was the group of people to suddenly vanish from existence? I have the power to end them, all of them in a second and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

The Dread Saiyan came to a halt, his eyes still narrowed.

"But I do not threaten you because I want you to focus on saving them. I threaten them because I want you to save yourself."

His eyes remained sharp.

"Open your mind to the possibility of improving your own existence first, and their salvation comes next. Let your primary drive be in your desire to push beyond your limits, and drown them out from your mind. Once you have done that, then you will be ready to break free of these chains that bind you."

Solaris, Jaz, Panich and Bage:

The sound of the Dread Saiyan's satisfied exhale rung out, his voice still ominous.

"Good...feel the energy coursing through you. See all of the muscles and senses enhance under its power..."

His voice continued, his tone slightly dropping.

"But realize this is where you must change. Your physical form is weak, do not waste your efforts on strengthening it. Focus your mind towards the energy itself instead; discard the thoughts on your muscles, your senses, your attachments. Focus on the power of the energy itself...let it cleanse you of your weakness." 

Kira:

The Dread Saiyan chuckled darkly in response, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Are you sure, young Jedi? What have I done to earn such distrust?"

He nodded to the wreckage above.

"This...is the result of your action, not mine. You led them to the edge of the universe looking for a fight, for revenge. To hold me accountable for their destruction would be just as unfair as if I were to blame you for all of the corrupt politicians in the Republic that have buried the masses with their greed simply because you are leaders of your faction."

He continued to pace slightly back and forth, his arms still crossed.

"The only thing you know of me is that I killed Darth Marr, the second most wanted man in the Republic aside from the False Emperor himself. Regardless of my reasons, I did your Republic a greater service than you can imagine in killing him and imprisoning the Emperor."

The Dread Saiyan then dropped his arms.

"Instead of thanking me, however, you keep me at a distance, fearful of my true intentions. You see the darkness I display...and your mind races to discover the hidden meaning behind my words and purpose."

He gestured with his right hand toward her for a moment, before dropping both arms to his side.

"That is why I chose to use a dark voice, to ooze terror and foreboding words, and to give this menacing appearance; all to bring out your own anger and fear. It is how you have rationalized keeping me at bay from the start, yet you do not realize your strategy is that of the Sith: listening to your emotions."

The Dread Saiyan's eyes narrowed.

"A true Jedi would clear their mind of such thoughts, and look to uncover the information they need without the emotions blinding them. I haven't spoken a lie to you since you came here, and I have given you answers when you sought them. Trust in your Code, Jedi, and it will offer you the salvation you need to save what you care about most. And that salvation is from yourself."

Mioi:

The Dread Saiyan nodded his head once.

"Yes, it is when you have lost everything that you truly have the chance to build something new..."

His right hand extended out, pointing towards Mioi's chest.

"Before Arcann killed my body, you received a fraction of my energy. Instead of weaponizing as the other warriors have done, you have the ability to see it as a different source of power..."

He dropped his arm back to his side, his eyes narrowing.

"Focus on it. Look into your heart...and visualize the energy within. But instead of using it to enhance your weak and fragile body, look to become one with the energy itself. Discard the thoughts and memories of your fallen...discard your physical aches and pains...and let the energy overtake your mind completely..."

Oriko:

The Dread Saiyan's right hand extended out, pointing towards the middle of Oriko's chest.

"Before Arcann killed my body, you received a fraction of my energy. Instead of weaponizing as the other warriors have done, you have the ability to see it as a different source of power..."

He dropped his arm back to his side, his eyes narrowing.

"Focus on it. Look into your heart...and visualize the energy within. But instead of using it to enhance your weak and fragile body, look to become one with the energy itself. Discard the thoughts and memories of your fallen...discard your physical aches and pains...and let the energy overtake your mind completely..."

Kire:

The fist tore into Jr.'s face with ease, particles of dust coating Kire's arm as the body began to disintegrate as before. However, the younger Junior soon reappeared at Kire's left, having completely re materialized outside of his senses and instantly seized his punching arm. The young adult kept a confident smirk, specifically having crawled his grip up to Kire's fingers, using his own fingers to force Kire's into a loud, audible snap.

"A snap. Yet, the Eternal Throne still stands..."

The younger man lightly pushed Kire back, remaining still with his arms at his side after the action.

"In this realm, you are merely a prisoner to my will. I can be as strong, as fast, or as manipulating as I'd like to be. As long as you are trapped in this frozen tomb, I can do whatever I wish to your mind..."

His smirk rose, letting out a loud exhalation of air.

"Mmm, you know what the most ironic thing about your memory of her is? It's how you and Junior both share the same warm feeling you get when you embrace her. Only, there's another warm feeling Junior experiences when he holds her like you do. A warmer and...tighter...experience."

Junior chuckled at his own stabbing joke, waving Kire on to strike at him once again.
 
Both Xenest and Brachi began to look deeper into their respective energies themselves, moving to listen to the energy surging within their very cores...

(OOC: Hey, Vegetto, do you mind if I add my own twist to this part?)
 
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