Dancing With the Devil in the Pale Moon's Light

The Light of the Moon

Medium Quest

Requirement: Must be a Saiyan.

Reward: 2,000 zeni and you are able to learn the ability Fake Moon.

Every Saiyan is born with the ability to transform into an Oozaru. But, the transformation requires Blutz Waves, which are only prevalent during a full moon. Being that Oozaru is a form of great power, a group of Saiyan warriors have found a way to replicate a full moon. But, it is a highly guarded technique, because of how many would abuse it. Earn the trust of these Saiyans and master the route to being able to transform at will.

“It’s so much larger than I remember,” Gohan commented as he ran the bar of soap across his tail. “I wonder why I have one again. It must have been the same thing that brought back my arm.” Gohan continued to wash his tail with piqued interest. He hadn’t had one since his first days training with the Future Piccolo, it was kind of cool.

Gohan was able to take his first bath since he arrived on the planet by using a large geyser. At first, the water was incredibly hot, but Gohan made due and his body quickly adjusted to the heat. He had been watching the geyser for quite some time, making mental notes of when it peaks. He had about twelve minutes to take his bath, which was more than enough time. When you’re fighting off a demon invasion, you don’t really slouch around when washing up.

“Oh oh,” Gohan felt the water temperature rise dramatically, “Time to go.” Gohan jumped out of the geyser only a moment before the water exploded. Steam shot out from the sides, which hissed and moaned until the magma underneath passed by only a few seconds later.

“Almost managed to singe my new tail,” Gohan started to put his clothes back on.

For some strange reason, the time travel had managed to restore both his arm and tail, but scars still covered his body. There weren’t nearly as many as before, but they haven’t all vanished. The one he received in his first confrontation with Seventeen and Eighteen still adorned his chest. The scar across his left eye he received when Seventeen used his own sword against him, had not faded away. All the wounds he received after that however, seemed to have completely disappeared.

Gohan wrapped his tail around his waist, having seen many Saiyans do the same, and tucked it underneath his orange gi. The gi reminded him of his father, and outside from his sword, was the only thing he was fond of. It also breathed far better and allowed a broader range of movements than the the Saiyan body armor the rest of the population enjoyed wearing. To not where the standard issue Saiyan armor was in and of itself, a violation of Saiyan pride. Most Saiyans simply ignored Gohan’s existence, which was fine by him as he hated their foul smelling bodies and their overconfident attitudes. Some however, wanted to punish him for his outlandish ways, constantly drawing him into needless fist fights.

(WC: 417)

Gohan sat at the bar, beer in hand. He was half way through his last round when he overheard a man at the other end of the bar talk about something that piqued his interest.

“Have you heard?” The man was talking to three other patrons and was pretty loud. He had been drinking quite a bit and had a problem controlling the volume of his voice. “The O.S.F. was seen re-entering the atmosphere earlier today.”

“Isn’t that the squad that takes orders only from King Vegeta himself?” One of the other men asked.

“Yeah, and they are the only ones that can transform to Oozaru at will!”

“Oh yeah!”

Gohan chugged the rest of his beer before slamming it on the counter top. The sound was so loud that everyone turned to stare for a moment. Gohan wiped the froth from his lips with his arm and stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some loose change. He threw it on the counter telling the bartender to keep the change.

“Oozaru by will huh?” Gohan said to himself under his breath. He shoved the bar stool out of the way and headed for the door. He could feel the stares of several eyes watching him move through the room. “That would be a useful skill.”

It was still mid-day, and the sun was shining brightly over head. Gohan raised his hand to shade his eyes from the intense change in light. The sweltering temperatures of Vegeta made his senses blurry, but with a little concentration there was not much he couldn’t do.

Gohan concentrated hard and could feel his ki flowing wildly through his mind. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly; the ki slowed and kept a steady rhythm. Slowly, thin ethereal strands started to appear. Like countless threads, these strands were linked with the ki of every single organism on the planet and floated high into the air, controlled only by their past and present locations. Several threads would fly high into the sky if the ki signature remained stationary, but if the signature was on the move then the threads would follow the path as a brightly colored tail.

Gohan increased his concentration; his eyes darted around watching the multi-colored strings carefully. The thinnest of the threads began dissipating into the air. These vanishing threads were the weakest ki signatures, belonging mostly to the wildlife and non-combat oriented denizens of the city. The threads for the more powerful ki signatures were thicker and more pronounced. Gohan thought it a safe assumption that the members of the Oozaru Special Forces who only reported to the King himself, would be part of the few thicker strands left floating in the air.

Though there were several strong ki signatures in the area, there was only one place several of them massed together; the King’s castle.

(WC: 480)

Gohan touched down on the grass just outside the main gates. He could sense at least eight high power levels from inside; one with a gold aura, most likely the King himself, one with a bronze aura and five with a silver aura. The five must be part of the squad as their ki signatures seem to coincide with one another rather well. The bronze one was mixed inside the gold, hinting that he or she never left the King’s side, if the gold one was Vegeta’s at all.

Gohan had once tried to sense Kraut’s aura, but he had hid it well, whether or not the Elite Lieutenant General was inside was unknown. It had been a while since he had seen the man and he wondered when he would get his way home like the Saiyan had promised.

“Halt,” One of the two guards shouted. “State your name and rank!” The guard pulled a sword from his side and pointed it at Gohan’s throat. The tip of the blade just barely touched the underside of the Half-Saiyan’s chin.

Gohan didn’t take to kindly to having a sword pressed against his throat. His first reaction was to take his own blade and bring it down upon the man’s skull, crushing every bone as the blade passed through his body like a stick of butter, but he had not. He had to find the secret behind the Oozaru transformation and busting heads would not be the most efficient way to get what he needed. He had to abide by the rules for now.

“My name is Gohan,” The half breed announced as he pulled out his third class commendation. “Third Class Warrior.”

Both guards looked at one another and laughed. “Third Class? Bah, you need to be first class to even get beyond these walls or at least be of noble blood and what’s with that outfit?”

Gohan ignored the comment and eyed the Saiyan carefully. By the tone of his voice and movement of his facial tics, he seemed to be telling the truth. He wouldn’t He heard it was difficult to rank up in the military.

In the Saiyan army, rookies are considered third class, the lowest of the low. They do most of the grunt work and are usually on the front line, mostly used as cannon fodder to tire the enemy for the second wave to come in and wipe them out. Second class is that second wave. They are sent in to take eliminate any remaining hostiles and are the backbone of the army, usually it takes five to seven years to get accepted as a Second class soldier. First class is the rank reserved for distinguished veteran soldiers, often military heroes. First class soldiers make up the leaders of the squads as well as other various public positions of the military. The final class, the fabled Saiyan Elite, are made up of a very few number of living warriors. The class is in a realm of its own. Each member has proven themselves countless times, in and out of combat, through both raw strength and military tactics. It is said that every member of the Saiyan Elite has the power to destroy an entire planet with a single attack.

The idea behind the Saiyan army intrigued the warrior. He would need to spend countless hours training and running missions to gather up his own prestige to rise In the ranks. What if he had become an Elite? Would he then be invited into the King’s circle?

Gohan knew about King Vegeta’s involvement in the Planet Trade Organization from listening to the banter of the soldiers. It was a wicked thing the P.T.O. was. It was an organization the dealt in the takeovers and eradications of planets and selling them to the highest bidder. It was a regular intergalactic black market. Gohan had unknowingly run a mission for them once already on the request of Lieutenant General Kraut. He had assisted with the annihilation of the peoples of Tranex not long ago. The very idea of a market of planets sickened him and what if Earth ever became one of those planets? The humans would have no chance to survive a full invasion of Saiyan forces, no matter how many heroes reside on it. Gohan felt that he alone was the only person able to stop such a thing.

If Gohan would reach the Elite ranks, he was sure he would be able to get some time with King Vegeta where he can restore the balance to the universe. It did occur to him that in his timeline the planet Vegeta was destroyed and Earth was a free planet. Perhaps the void of Vegeta prevented the P.T.O. from reaching Earth or perhaps it had not. Gohan was only certain of one thing and that was that he would protect Earth with his life, but to do so he needed the knowledge of the Oozaru transformation.

“I need to speak with the captain of the Oozaru Special Forces.”

(WC: 842)

The half breed stood only a few meters away from the captain of the five man squad known as the Oozaru Special Forces. Each of the warriors had unique body armor with a circular insignia on the left shoulder. The emblem was a pale blue with a battle ready Oozaru in the center with the words Oozaru Special Forces arched around the bottom.

“You said your name is Gohan?”

“It is,” Gohan replied without hesitatation.

“My name is Gonzo,” The man introduced himself. He was a clean shaven man unlike most Saiyans and held himself well. By the way he presented himself; it was obvious he was knowledgeable in the formal arts. It was such a strange sight. “As you are aware I am the captain of the O.S.F. and first class warrior in the King’s army. I hear you are only third class. What makes you think you have the right to request an audience with us?”

Gonzo’s mannerisms were both polite, yet harsh. He spoke with an authoritative tone, but in such a way that was different from other authority figures. His words pierced through your mind like a spear through a trout. It was certainly an aggressive trait.

“I may only be of the third class, but I am far more powerful than you may realize. “

“You think so?” Gonzo lifted up a brow, somewhat weary of Gohan’s confidence. He reached under his armor and pulled out a scouter and then proceeded to place it on his right ear. The red screen fell into place in front of his right eye and he clicked the button on the side to turn the scouter on. It beeped a few times as it scanned Gohan. “If you think you are strong with only a ten thousand power level, then you’re even dumber than you look.”

“Tsch, You have no idea what I am capable of.” Gohan shifted the ki within his body to release the suppression he held on his power. The ki rushed through his body in a torrent of energy raising his noticeable power level dramatically.

“What’s this?” Gonzo took two steps back as his scouter started to beep uncontrollably. “Thirty, no fourty, fifty, over sixty thousand!” Gonzo was genuinely surprised at the new turn of events. Gohan was stronger than most second class Saiyans and rivaled that of many in the first class. “Incredible, to be able to hide your power so well, it’s certainly a useful technique.”

“As is changing to Oozaru at will.” Gohan replied with a small smirk on his face.

“So that’s how it is.” Gonzo looked back at his comrades and gave a nod. Three of the members took a step back while one of them took a step forward. Gonzo turned his gaze back to Gohan. “This is Ringo, he will be testing your battle skills. Defeat him and we will accept you into the O.S.F. It is only after joining us that you will learn of our technique, not to mention you will hold the title of the only third class Saiyan in history to join the O.S.F.”

(WC: 520)

Gourd wasted no time. The moment Gonzo stepped away, he attacked. Rushing forward, Gourd launched a physical assault upon the Half Saiyan with a flurry of punches. Gohan was surprised at Gourd’s speed; after all he was a very round man. All Gohan could do was raise his arms up to block, knocking away each blow as they collided with his arms.

Gohan tried to look for an opening, but with such ferocious attacks, he couldn’t find one that he could be certain would connect. Fist after fist, Gohan absorbed the punches as they flew at him each one seemingly stronger than the last.

“Gourd is known for his ability to build up momentum in his attacks,” Gonzo shouted from across the field. “You better find a way to fight back before he pummels you to death.”

Gohan knew that his words held truth, he could feel the punches sting more and more. He had to find a way out. Gohan grabbed his sleeve and ripped it off his arm. He threw it in Gourd’s face, blocking his line of sight.

In the instant Gourd was blinded, Gohan slipped out of his range and fell in line behind him. Gohan drew his hand back, charged ki into his fist, and with a forceful punch, hammered his fist into Gourd’s spine exploding the ki upon contact. The sheer force of the punch was enough for Gourd to spit blood.

“Good job,” Gonzo shouted “but you’re just going to piss him off. He’s not too fond of bleeding.”

“You made me bleed…” Gourd huffed as he wiped away the blood from his mouth with his forearm. “You will pay with life.” His speech was slow and his sentences incomplete. He wasn’t the brightest of the group, probably due to the immense amount of punishment he could take, after all Gohan put all his strength into that attack and hit a critical point, but the man still stood.

Gourd turned to look at Gohan, bearing his fangs and growling under his breath. A bright white light was emitting from behind his mouth. He opened his mouth slowly to reveal a ball of energy with an intensity that fluctuated.

“Gourd, don’t be stupid!” Gonzo commanded his subordinate. “You use that here and the planet will be destroyed by Oozaru!”

Oozaru? Was this the fabled technique that he had heard so much about? Gohan was interested in seeing just how it worked, but the notion of a planet full of giant rampaging apes didn’t excite him.

“You stupid oaf. You always get lost in battle.” Gonzo sighed. Apparently this isn’t Gourd’s first time doing something like this. “Just keep the damn thing low enough so that only we are affected by it.”

Gourd only nodded as the ball of energy flew from his mouth and stopped a few meters away over a small grassy knoll. It just hovered there until suddenly a pulse of silent and harmless energy radiated from it. That’s when Gohan felt it; the beast within.

Gohan’s back lurched back as his spine jutted out from his back. His arms pulsated with intense heat as they quickly grew. His orange gi ripped and tore as his body bulged, the flesh tearing at the fabric of his Earth made clothes. His hair grew quickly, not only from the top of his head and his face, but his entire body. It was a painful process, his body never knowing such intense transformation. It not only transformed him physically, but his heart felt heavy and his mind wandered as well. He began thinking less and less about battle and more and more about things that angered him: the death of his father, the androids destroying his home, the constant struggle to survive. He was no longer himself; he was filled with unbridled rage with no self control.

Everything looked like small insects to him, like things that needed to be squished beneath his massive feet. He hadn’t noticed it before, but Gourd had also transformed, however the other O.S.F. members had not. Being filled with rage, he cared little about the mechanics and his only thoughts were those of destruction.

Gohan took a furry fist to the face, knocking him back a few steps. The attack drew his attention away from the little people he wanted to squish so badly to the threat that stood before him. Gohan swung his arm down in an attempt to crush Gourd’s monkey skull, but in a blur he vanished. The momentum of his swing caused Gohan to stumble forward.

Gourd appeared behind Gohan with his feral arms at his side. In each palm a bright yellow orb sat twirling.

“This why O.S.F. is the strongest.” Gourd growled in his ape like voice. He threw his arms forward bringing both hands together in order to fuse the two balls of energy. The energy shot forth from his hands in a spiral beam of yellow light.

Gohan, in his infinite monkey wisdom, attempted to catch the beam with his hands. Unfortunately the beam tore right through the palm of his hand, sending streaks of pain through his arm. This was a wake-up call for the warrior. Whether it be his human blood or his strong will, it was at that moment that his consciousness emerged.

Gohan raised both his arms above his head as a faint ki ball sparked inside his palms. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, in his Oozaru form, it was incredibly difficult to control his ki. He concentrated harder and tried to forcefully extract the ki from the deepest parts of his stomach. Slowly the ball grew, though erratic it may have been, it was the form of his signature attack.

With a definite roar, Gohan threw his arms forward, launching his Masenko at Gourd. The opposing Oozaru had not been expecting such an attack as was obvious by the expression on his face. Flying through the air, the beam of energy nearly collided with Gourd, but was stopped short by another beast.

“Job well done,” It was Gonzo’s voice, though with a bit more apeness. “You are still weak, but just being able to launch such an attack proves that you have what it takes to master the Oozaru form and join our ranks. What say you?”

“Yes.”

(WC: 1055)
(TWC: 3314)