[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (81/?)
Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.
Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.
Previous chapters conveniently available here.
[7 May 234 Before Age. Planet Saiya.]
Zatte sat on a chair that was basically a boulder that had been hewn into the vague shape of a chair. She suspected that this was a typical example of Saiyan craftsmanship. Even the weakest Saiyans had incredible strength, enough to chisel stone with their bare hands, albeit without much regard to aesthetics. The rest of the furniture in Arracash's home looked the same, aside from some appliances and tools she had clearly obtained from alien manufacturers.
Arracash herself was pacing around in a tight circle in the middle of her living room. Luffa stood by the wall and watched her. It was eerie how similar the two of them looked. Arracash was the same height and build, with the same short shocks of black hair on her scalp. The only real differences between them were a few slivers of grey in Arracash's hair, and their skin color. Luffa was a dark beige, while Arracash had a pale pink complexion.
Of course, their clothes were also different. Luffa wore her customary black sleeveless shirt and baggy yellow pants. Arracash was dressed much more provocatively, wearing what could almost be described as an armored bathing suit with high-heeled, over-the-knee boots. The fabric of all of these items was lavender, and the armor plating on her chest and torso was dull grey.
"Let me get this straight," Arracash said. "I'm your grandmother."
"Apparently," Luffa said.
"Orij had a brat of his own, huh?" Arracash said, mostly to herself.
"That's me," Luffa said.
"What's my son been up to these days?"
"He's dead," Luffa said.
"Good. How did he die?"
"I killed him," Luffa said.
"Betting he deserved it," Arracash said.
"Absolutely," Luffa said.
"And you're this ‘Super Saiyan’ everyone's been pissing and moaning about."
"That's right," Luffa said.
"Then you're not an alien with glowing yellow hair," Arracash said. "You're at least half-Saiyan if you're really Orij's brat."
"Full-blooded, for your information," Luffa said testily.
"Okay, okay," Arracash said. "Didn't mean to imply anything. I'm sure your mother's a fine warrior."
"She's dead too," Luffa said. "Orij killed her."
"Right," Arracash said. "Any brothers or sisters I should know about?"
"No."
Arracash pointed to Zatte. "Who's she?"
"My wife."
"You're gay?"
"I'm bisexual."
Arracash suddenly looked at Zatte, which startled her.
"Blue skin, red hair, green eyes... Where's she from?" Arracash asked.
"I can't tell you," Luffa said.
"Is she checking me out?" Arracash.
Luffa shrugged. "Why shouldn't she? You're an attractive lady for your age."
Zatte spoke up, mostly to change the subject. "Look, I'll just come out and say it. You two look exactly alike."
"Yeah, so?" Arracash said.
"A lot of Saiyans resemble one another," Luffa said. "Even Saiyans that aren't related."
"There's another one in the next town," Arracash said, waving her arm towards the northeast. "Looks just like us. Runs a general store. She's kind of a jerk."
"There you go," Luffa said.
"But... but the records we found said Arracash is seventy-five years old!" Zatte protested.
"Yeah," Luffa said. "Saiyans stay in their prime for a long time, Zatte. She probably won't really start to age until she hits eighty or so."
"Lucky you," Arracash said to Zatte. She gestured to herself and added: "Like looking into the future, huh?"
Zatte swallowed hard.
"You couldn't find a Saiyan to marry?" Arracash asked Luffa.
"I did, but he's dead, too." Luffa pointed at Zatte. "She killed him."
Arracash looked genuinely impressed. "Then what brings you two here?"
Luffa rolled her eyes. "It's my first time on Planet Saiya, and she thought I should look up any relatives I had here. You were the only one we could find."
"Hmmph! Well isn't that cute? Am I supposed to tear up and hug you two now?"
"Hah!" Luffa scoffed. "Don't worry about me, old timer. I just thought I'd take a look at you before you keeled over."
"Well, I suppose I might as well let you two spend the night here," Arracash grumbled. "At least with you being married, I only need to set up one bed."
She looked back at Zatte. "You do use beds, don't you? You don't hang from the ceiling by your toenails or anything weird like that?"
"N-no," Zatte said. "Really, it isn't necessary, ma'am. We're staying on our ship, so--"
Arracash turned her head and spat on the floor. "Hell no. You'll stay here. Least I can do to thank you for killing my son for me." She looked at Luffa. "Unless this place isn't fancy enough for a Super Saiyan and her delicate alien friend."
"It'll do," Luffa said. "Unless you expect us to cook dinner. If that's the case, we might as well sleep on the street!"
"What do you take me for?" Arracash muttered. "Of course I'll cook. But you're damned fools if you think I'm peeling vegetables for three people all by myself!"
"Quit whining!" Luffa said. "We'll help you, if it's so blasted important."
Arracash made a loud harrumph and headed for the other room to prepare a bed, and Zatte leaped out of the chair to rush to Luffa's side. Only she still wasn't used to the higher gravity of Planet Saiya, and so she nearly ran into her. Luffa had to catch her before she fell down.
"Let's get out of here," Zatte whispered.
"This was your idea, remember?" Luffa said. "What's wrong?"
"Isn't it obvious? I think she hates me," Zatte said.
"She doesn't hate you," Luffa said. "Probably. I think you just give her the creeps."
"I creep her out?" Zatte hissed. "She looks like a copy of you, and she hasn't aged in over fifty years!"
"Well how do Dorluns age?" Luffa asked.
"Our hair turns pink and... Oh, what difference does it make?"
Neither of them noticed Arracash returning to the living room.
"Are you two doing it?!" she shouted.
"No!" Luffa shouted back.
Arracash averted her eyes. "At least wait until I've put linens on the bed! You can play you alien love games there!"
"She tripped and I caught her!" Luffa insisted. "We're not even undressed!"
"Tell her not to get her spores on my good rug!" Arracash cried. "The linens are fine! I can burn those. But the rug's a keepsake!"
"Spores?" Zatte asked.
"Spores, pollen, whatever it is you use," Arracash said.
Luffa was about to speak up, when a shrill chime sounded from her pants. She reached into her pocket and took out her portable communicator, which was tied into the subspace radio on her ship.
"It's from Rehval," she said as she read a transcript of his message. "Wants me back at the palace."
"Fine," Zatte said. "Let's go."
"King Rehval?" Arracash gasped. "What have you done?"
"I broke his dinner table and read his mind," Luffa said absently.
"I knew it!" Arracash said. "You're as rotten as Orij! Vandalizing His Majesty's palace, cavorting around with alien women, shaking down your own grandmother for free food!"
"Let's gooooo," Zatte pleaded under her breath.
Luffa adjusted her grip on Zatte to carry her for the flight back to the palace. Then she paused, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"Nah, I think you should stay here," Luffa said.
"What?" Zatte asked.
"Rehval only called for me," Luffa said. "You should stay put and keep Arracash company."
"But--!"
"You can help her fix dinner," Luffa said, "and it'll be good training for you to spend some time working under the higher gravity."
"But I--! You--!"
Luffa released her gently and turned to leave. "This shouldn't take long. Try not to fall for her while I'm gone. I know she's your type, but try to be strong for our marriage."
Zatte wanted to grab Luffa's tail and pull her back, but she was out the door and airborne before she could move. Then she looked at Arracash, who was tapping her toe on the floor impatiently.
"Your kind does know how to work a peeler, right?" Arracash demanded. "I mean, you aren't a savage, I hope."
Zatte sighed and resigned herself to her fate.
*******
There was an expansive balcony on one of the upper levels of the citadel. Luffa found Rehval there, along with a small gathering of visiting dignitaries and aides. Rehval's Saiyan entourage tensed up when they saw her, but she ignored them completely, and walked towards Rehval, fully prepared to shove aside anyone who got in her way.
"Let her pass," Rehval said, instantly defusing the situation. "I summoned her."
The guards stepped aside, and gave Rehval some room to speak with his guest. As Luffa approached him, he started walking as well, and fell alongside her.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Luffa," he said.
"I'm not your lapdog, Rehval," Luffa said. "Let's get that clear right up front. The next time you 'summon' me, I might not show up at all."
"I understand perfectly," Rehval said. "You're a guest on Planet Saiya, free to do as you please. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
"Nothing worth discussing," Luffa said. "Your message said it was about that Saiyan-killer you told me about before."
"I'm afraid so," he said in a low voice. He had already led her away from the others and they had nearly left the balcony altogether, but he still seemed concerned about being overheard. "He's claimed a new victim."
"What planet was it this time?" Luffa asked.
Rehval sighed and shook his head. "It would be better if I showed you. Besides, I'd rather discuss this somewhere more private."
"What's the matter, Rehval?" Luffa asked. "Worried about what your subjects might think of you putting up with my sass?"
He smiled in spite of his grave mood. "I wish that were all," he said. "I like your sass, Luffa. It's comforting in a way."
"Oh yeah?" Luffa asked.
"It gets lonely at the top," he admitted. They reached an elevator and he pressed the button to summon the car. "Even other kings and heads of state make poor company, since I'm so much stronger than them physically. It's refreshing to meet someone who feels completely free to speak her mind around me."
"We could just fly down," Luffa said. Just as she was growing impatient, the door opened and he gestured to the empty car.
"We could," he said. "And we could smash through the walls between ourselves and where we're going. But I enjoy elevators, and you don't know where we're going, so for once I have the advantage of you."
"I could always read your mind again," Luffa said as she stepped inside the car.
"Ah. I already forgot you can do that," Rehval said. He clicked his tongue as he entered the car and pressed the button for their floor. "Well, thank you for letting me at least pretend to have a momentary advantage."
Luffa snorted in amusement.
"Is it ever like that for you?" he asked.
"Like what?" Luffa asked.
"Lonely," he said. "As powerful as you are, I'd think it'd be worse for you than it is for me."
"I manage," Luffa said. "My wife thinks I'm some kind of holy crusader, but she still makes me pick up after myself. My friends are all so much weaker than I am that they probably don't see me any differently from a normal Saiyan. If I was going to hurt them, I would have already done it."
"Hmmm, but you can't really fight with any of them, can you?"
"Zatte and I spar," Luffa said. "But yeah, it's not exactly satisfying."
"There was the Shockmaster, but he's gone now," Rehval said. "A shame Chanisp is long dead. Maybe he could have given you a good fight."
"I like to think so," Luffa said. "He was a Super Saiyan, too."
"Really?" Rehval said.
"I'm pretty sure Old Darbock was, too."
"It sounds tragic," Rehval said. "A thousand years from now, there may be another Super Saiyan, longing for someone like you to challenge them."
"That guy'll just have to make due," Luffa said. "Same as me."
"Well, I'm no Chanisp," Rehval said, but I was hoping you and I might go a round."
"You?" Luffa asked.
"I probably wouldn't be any more of a challenge than your wife, but I was the strongest Saiyan on this planet," he said, "until you showed up."
Luffa considered it briefly. "You're on," she said. "Just make sure you don't hold back. It'll be more fun if you're fighting like you want to kill me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said.
"So why do you like elevators so much?" Luffa asked.
He opened his mouth to answer, but then the car abruptly slowed its descent and came to a stop. There was a pleasant ding as the doors slid open, and Rehval held out his hand to invite her to go first.
"I'll tell you later," he said.
The floor they had arrived on was set aside for office space. Luffa had begun to question the stories her mother had told her of life on Planet Saiya, but at least some of it was true after all. The Saiyan Kingdom relied on a bureaucracy as much any other, and without any suitable clerical staff among their own people, the regime had brought in aliens to handle all the paperwork. None of them were actually present in the hallways or cubicles at the moment, but Luffa could see photographs of various staffers on organization charts, and these depicted at least half a dozen alien species.
"Where is everybody?" Luffa asked.
"I ordered this floor to be sealed off," Rehval said. "At least until the investigation could be completed."
"What investigation?" Luffa asked. "What does any of this have to do with that Saiyan-hunter anyw--?"
While she was speaking, Rehval had led her into an office containing a dead body. She recognized the corpse as Gnurlian, although his skin was unusually green for their complexion. He was slumped over his desk, as if he had simply died while he was working.
"The latest victim was here," Rehval said. "On Planet Saiya."
Luffa approached the body carefully and took a closer look. "How do you know this isn't a completely unrelated murder?" she asked. "For that matter, how can you be sure he was murdered? I don't see any sign of injuries."
"A sensor scan detected an unknown toxin in his bloodstream," Rehval said. "It matches similar scans of the other victims. As for how it was administered, I can't say."
"Blast it, Rehval!" Luffa growled. "What do you expect me to do about this?"
"I need your help to find the killer," Rehval said. "He's here, on Saiya. If the people find out, it could cause a panic."
"Do I look like a detective?" Luffa shouted. "You seem to be a lot further along on this than I am. Bring in a professional investigator and have him figure this out."
"I already hired a detective," Rehval said.
"Well, where the hell is he?" Luffa demanded.
"You're looking at him," Rehval said, pointing at the body. "Twenty years of experience with homicides, specializing in mass murders and serial killers. Highly recommended. Apparently our enemy felt he was too much of a threat, so he eliminated him."
"He's... toying with us," Luffa said. She balled up her fist and raised it in front of her chest. "He thinks we're helpless without this guy."
"I don't dare send for any other detectives," Rehval said. "They'll just be picked off as soon as they arrive."
"Fine, I get it," Luffa said. "But I still don't see how I can help catch this guy. If he made it into this room without anyone noticing--!"
"I know you can do it, Luffa," Rehval said.
"Hah! And why's that? Oh, I can beat this creep to a pulp whenever we do find him, but none of my powers will help with that. What makes you think I'm cut out for a job like this?"
“Because I grew up with the stories of Chanisp just as you did,” he said He was strong, yes, but he also never gave up, and that was what made him great. That's what I need now."
She was taken aback by his words, and then he impulsively took her hands in his own.
"If you're truly the heir to Chanisp's power, then this killer doesn't stand a chance against you, Luffa. I'm sure of it."
"You... you think so?" Luffa said. She looked back at the dead Gnurlian and pressed her lips together with newfound resolve. "All right," she said. "Where do we start?"
*******
“What’s the matter with you?!” Arracash yelled.
“What is it now?” Zatte asked.
“You’re peeling them all wrong!”
Zatte sighed. The last half hour had been reasonably peaceful, once Arracash stopped barking orders and allowed Zatte to settle down and concentrate on peeling vegetables by herself. She hadn’t counted on Arracash checking her work.
Arracash reached for a pile of peelings Zatte had left on the kitchen counter. She held one up and pointed at the thin layer of flesh on the interior surface. “Look at all this!” she screeched. “This is perfectly good food, and you’re wasting it. Who taught you how to peel, anyway?”
“Why are we peeling these anyway?” Zatte demanded. “The best nutrients are in the skins. If you’re so worried about waste, you shouldn’t be throwing any of that away in the first place!”
“Um, it’s a little thing called compost,” Arracash growled. “I suppose you wouldn’t know about that from your years gallivanting around in a space yacht!”
Arracash launched into an extensive lecture on the importance of fertilizer, but Zatte found she couldn’t pay attention, even if she had wanted to. There were just too many things going wrong here all at once.
First and foremost, she still wasn’t used to the idea of Luffa’s grandmother being so damned sexy. If she looked a little more like an elderly person, she would have found the heeled boots and armored leotard endearing, maybe even reassuring in a way. If she wasn’t Luffa’s grandmother, it wouldn’t be an issue. As it was, Zatte felt guilty and awkward just looking at her. But if she looked away, Arracash thought she was ignoring her, so that wasn’t a solution.
Beyond this, the whole visit served to remind Zatte just how alien the Saiyans truly were. Luffa was an outsider to her own people, but nothing about this planet seemed to surprise her. Luffa resented Saiya, but more in the way a person might resent their hometown. For Zatte, it was a bizarre madhouse. It never seemed to occur to Arracash that Zatte wasn’t used to the gravity, and this was probably interfering with her ability to handle the peeler.
She had never really thought about growing old with Luffa, perhaps because on some level she expected them to die in some horrible battle. The Tikosi had nearly killed them years ago, so in a sense it was like everything they had done since then was on borrowed time. Luffa probably hadn’t considered growing old with Zatte, because apparently Saiyans didn’t grow old, at least not for a very long time. The whole idea suddenly loomed large in Zatte’s mind. Even now, they spent half their marriage arguing over pointless little things. What if Zatte’s aging tipped the scales? Luffa never seemed to care about such things, but maybe that was because it just hadn’t come up. Hair growth was deeply unsettling to Luffa, so surely ageing would be as well...
And she wasn’t sure what Luffa would do now that she had made peace with King Rehval. They had come to this planet for answers, and gotten them. The search for Luffa’s grandparents had been a quick diversion, but Luffa didn’t seem too interested in it, and now that they had found Arracash, what would they do next?
But underneath all of these issues, Zatte had to admit that she was frustrated that Planet Saiya hadn’t lived up to her hopes. Her own people, the Dorluns, were lost to her. One day she might find one of their communities and reconnect with them, but until that time she would be alone. She had hoped that Luffa’s home planet might help to ease that sense of isolation, not just for Luffa, but for herself. Instead, Planet Saiya only seemed to reinforce their isolation.
She didn’t know what to do. She was alive and safe, and by Dorlun standards that was enough, but it wasn’t enough for her. It was frustrating, and listening to this crazy, old, stupid, sexy woman babbling about compost wasn’t helping. It wasn’t helping at all!
“Why do her hands tremble, anyway?” Arracash asked.
“What?” Zatte said, as though snapping out of a trance.
“Luffa’s hands,” Arracash said. She held up her own hands and wiggled them slightly to illustrate. Then she crossed her arms, tucking her hands under her shoulders. “She kept trying to hide it, but I could tell. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn to pick up on any weaknesses you can find.”
Zatte sighed. “She... well, it’s a long story, and she doesn’t like to talk about it. Maybe I shouldn’t say.”
“She’s not sick or anything, is she?” Arracash asked.
“No,” Zatte said. “It’s just... she lost a terrible battle and was captured. She was pregnant and they...”
Arracash held up her hand to stop her. “I think I get the picture. She made those bastards pay for it, I hope.”
“Yes,” Zatte said. “Look, please don’t tell her I told you. She’s been recovering from it for years, and she’s still very sensitive about it.”
“Yeah, I know how it goes,” Arracash said. “I was just worried.”
“Why?” Zatte asked. “You hardly know her.”
“She’s still my granddaughter,” Arracash said. “My son was a rat bastard, but she seems okay. I guess you’d know more about that than I would.”
“She’s wonderful,” Zatte said firmly. “She’s saved billions of people all over the galaxy, fighting battles I can’t even describe.”
“How about that?” Arracash said. “It’s funny. I didn’t think I had any family left. Figured Orij would cross the wrong person one of these days, and I guess I was right. You get to be my age, you start to worry about the life you lived, and whether any of it mattered. Kind of nice to hear I’ve got a legacy.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Zatte held out her hands. “Why are you telling me this? Before, you acted like you didn’t even care about Luffa.”
“Hmmph. I didn’t want to get all mushy in front of her, that’s all,” Arracash said. “Just because she’s a Super Saiyan doesn’t mean I’m going to start blubbering like a baby.”
She patted Zatte on the cheek. “But you, you’re an alien. Mushy or not, it’s all the same to you. And you seem pretty loyal to her. Just don’t put a bunch of parasites in her brain, okay?”
“Parasites?” Zatte asked.
“Well, whatever alien stuff you do,” Arracash said. “Just keep taking good care of her for me, will you? In case I don’t get to see her again.”
“I... yeah, sure,” Zatte groaned.
“And, uh, thanks for looking me up and bringing her down here,” Arracash added. “It really means a lot to--”
At that moment, they both sensed Luffa’s ki approaching the house, and they realized she had returned.
“I’m back,” she called out as she entered the house. “Took longer than I thought it would. Something’s come up, but we can talk about it after we eat--”
She entered the kitchen and gasped with horror. “Where’s dinner?” she asked.
Arracash grabbed a ladle and brandished it at her. “We were waiting for you to get back here and help us make it!” she growled. “Or did you think the two of us would do it all for you while you ran around all afternoon?”
Luffa made an indignant snort. “I was just giving you a head start!” she said. “If I’d known it’d take this long, I would have just done it myself!”
“Then why don’t you?!” Arracash roared. “Acting like you’re better than everyone else...”
“I might as well!” Luffa shouted. “I cooked for that no-count son of yours enough times! Now I see where he got his work ethic!”
“I peeled some vegetables,” Zatte said, holding one of them up to show her.
“Thanks,” Luffa said. “At least I can count on someone around here. Save the peelings. We’ll use ‘em for hash.”
“Hash?!” Arracash cried.
“Damn straight,” Luffa said. “What, have you got a better idea?”
Arracash did, and as she began to deliver the same lecture to Luffa that she had given to Zatte, the Dorlun picked up another vegetable and started peeling it with a smile.
******
It wasn’t too difficult to get around on Planet Saiya. She killed the Gnurlian and made it back to her hideout without any trouble at all. The Saiyans relied too much on their ki senses. They viewed the universe in terms of power levels and brute force, and the potency of one’s life energy. She had sidestepped all of those principles, and so they had no idea how to begin searching for her.
It was a paradise, this planet of Saiyans. She felt like a scavenger surrounded by fresh carrion, or a wolf in a livestock pen. Killing them filled her with such joy, and here she was on a world filled with thousands of potential targets, and none of them could stop her.
She missed the entertainment system on Yarrow’s ship, so she had gone to the trouble of sneaking aboard another ship docked at one of the spaceports. It had a similar recreational program, and the ship’s owners wouldn’t be back for a while, so she amused herself watching video clips on the subspace radio.
Her favorite was a compilation of various footage recorded of Luffa. Most of it was amateurish footage obtained by eyewitnesses to her various battles. Each clip was only a few seconds apiece, but with some creative editing, it was all spliced together in such a way that it resembled a decent little three minute video. She would watch it over and over again.
She admired Luffa. For a Saiyan-hunter, Luffa was the ultimate challenge, obviously, but it was more than that. On some level, she hoped that Luffa might appreciate what she was doing. Saiyans excelled at killing one another, after all, so it seemed to her that Luffa might admire someone like her, albeit begrudgingly.
And she was fun to watch. Ki was highly overrated, in her opinion, but at least Luffa made good use of it. She was always glowing or shooting fireballs or lasers from her hands. It was loud and garish, but it looked cool. Not that it would save her.
As she watched the video a twelfth time, she felt the urge to kill again, and decided that she would find someone at the spaceport to save time. Then she would head back to the citadel, or perhaps a different spaceport, and do it all over again. The key was to keep moving. As long as she didn’t spend too much time in one place, they would never be able to find her. Not even Luffa would find her, which made her feel very powerful. She couldn't destroy planets or level mountains, but she could end the lives of those who could do those kinds of things, and that was arguably more impressive.
One day she would meet Luffa face to face, and she would either bask in Luffa’s admiration or kill her. Or both! Perhaps it would be both. But that would have to wait. For now, she just needed to kill a Saiyan. Any Saiyan would do.
But before that, she decided she would re-watch her video just one more time...
NEXT: Apex Predator
