The forest wasn't much, but it was something. Thin, scraggly trees twisted upward, their leaves pale and drooping like they were carrying too much weight. The ground was covered in that washed-out grass I'd seen earlier, crunchy under my boots, brittle as if the life had already been wrung out of it. Even so, it was quiet here, and quiet wasn't bad.
Out of habit, I went to shove my hands into my pockets, except my hands slipped past nothing but fabric. I blinked, glanced down, and frowned. "…Oh. Right. Majin 21's outfit doesn't have pockets." I muttered, tugging at the cloth a bit. what? Cut me some slack, I was literally born a good 6 hours ago... or maybe longer, depending on how long I slept. I had more important problems than thinking about clothes... such as possession.
I sighed and shrugged. "Well, now that I think about it... I have no problems anymore. I've got all the time in the world, don't I?"
Actually, shouldn't I be able to use Piccolo's clothes beam? I mean, turning things or people into food should be harder than clothes, right?
"I should be able to do that, too, right?" I said, pointing lazily at myself.
No build-up or struggle needed. The moment I thought about it, a pink beam not unlike a candy beam shot out and fabric shimmered into being around me. It was effortless, like it had always been there waiting. Shorts stretched down to my knees, sturdy but flexible, paired with a top fitted enough not to get in the way, covered my whole chest and abdomen, but left my arms free. Comfortable and practical.
I looked myself over and gave a sharp nod. "Perfect... I'm such a genius. Now, let's a go!" Shoving my hands into my new pockets, I started walking.
The forest around me wasn't exactly thriving, but it wasn't empty either. Pale leaves rustled overhead, hanging limp on thin branches. The undergrowth was sparse, just scraggly grass that snapped and crunched underfoot. Still, the place had life. A fat beetle the size of my fist crawled across a tree trunk, its shell patterned with dull stripes. I leaned in, watching as it gnawed at the bark, only to pause and slump like even chewing was too much effort.
Another insect buzzed past, wings beating hard to stay airborne. It landed on a flower, drained of nearly all its colour, and probed at it with its long, penetrating mouth. I crouched down, fascinated, following its slow, tired movements. "Is it just me, or do they all feel lethargic? Is that normal?"
A little further along, a beetle the size of my hand crawled clumsily across the grass. Its shell was dull and cracked, and it had a long, pointed snout instead of regular mandibles. It scuttled a few steps before wobbling, tipping over onto its back, and just... stopping.
I reached down and scooped it up. "Hello, Mr. Beetle-thingy! Are you alive?" I asked in the sing-song voice of a child pretending with a toy, finding joy in my role-play.
The beetle twitched, legs flailing weakly as it tried to escape my grasp. I grinned and let it drop back to the ground. It scrambled frantically, making it halfway into a bush before its legs gave out. It slumped sideways, defeated by gravity.
I scratched my cheek, frowning. "Huh... so it didn't die but... just stopped... hmmm... maybe life's just extremely weird here? Biology evolved to... screw it over?" I tried to reason with logic that didn't make sense before moving along.
I shrugged, shoved my hands back into my pockets, and kept walking.
The trees thinned, giving way to rock and open ground. The hill ahead wasn't tall, but it gave a clear view over the land below, so I made for the top. Crunchy grass broke under my boots as I climbed.
At the crest, I stopped and looked out. A sprawling forest stretched below, patchy and uneven. Some areas still clung to life, while others sagged and wilted, colours drained away as if something had taken a sip.
But my eyes weren't on the forest for long. Far off, tiny shapes moved together. A group. People. Life.
I smiled with joys, "Oooh! Life! I'm gonna go watch 'em." Without hesitation, I hopped down the slope, landing with a soft thud. Then I slipped into the trees again, weaving through the trunks, with stealth in mind, heading straight toward the strangers.
---
The group trudged through the withering forest, their boots crunching over brittle leaves and pale grass. Most of them carried futuristic rifles slung across their backs, while others kept blades with strangely thick bases at their sides. Their movements were tense, cautious, like they expected an ambush at any moment.
Whispers drifted up and down the line.
"Commander said the base sensors picked up some energy," one soldier muttered under his breath. "It was a hard spike, falling low and keeping stationary, before moving this way."
Another hissed back, voice shaky. "Forget the readings. You saw what they did. They tore through half a battalion like it was nothing."
"They weren't even using guns, or anything..." a third whispered, eyes darting to the trees. "Just… energy, raw energy, raw power. nothing else."
Some faces in the group hardened with grim resolve. "Maybe whatever fell this time isn't with them. Maybe it's something different. Maybe it's… help?" Others shook their heads, lips pressed tight. Hope and fear tangled their every step.
Toward the rear, a pair of soldiers wasn't whispering at all. A dog soldier sneered, glaring at the cat beside him. "Figures we'd get dragged into this mess. Gotta clean up after you flea bags."
The cat soldier's tail lashed, her ears flat, hissed out, "Funny, I was about to say the same thing about your slobbering pack of mutts."
"Say that again, you-"
"Enough." The cat captain's voice cut sharply through the tension, her gaze snapping back with a glare cold enough to silence both. "Keep your mouths shut. Morons who waste their breath bickering are the first to fall."
The two soldiers stiffened, muttering something under their breath, but they didn't push it further. The line kept moving.
From the bushes a short distance away, I lay down as I peered through the leaves. My grin widened. "Ooooh… and here we have them in their natural habitat," I whispered in my best serious-narrator tone. "Look at them. Nervous. Twitchy. Whispering about monsters in the dark."
I shifted my weight, lowering my voice dramatically. "Some cling to hope. Others are ready to break apart at the seams. And a few in the back fall into their natural routes of racism... hehe..." my lips curled "2 truly fascinating species..." but then my smile faded, "...what am I doing? Why am I stalking a cat and dog alien species, in the bushes as they go to war?"
I paused, "Actually... maybe I should talk to them... considering what they said..." I thought back, "You saw what they did. They tore through half a battalion like it was nothing."
Who were they? They probably are Ki users, considering what they said, I have a feeling like these 2 races were recently put together, to fight a common enemy, so... did another race start a war with them? Or maybe a lone separated group that wanted revenge? That makes sense... hmmmm...
I look over to them now moving along, now further away, I wonder if I help them, I could get some new food...
I quietly hopped out of the bush when they went out of sight. "Alright! I got an idea!"
A/N I kinda ran out of motivation. sorry? I kinda feel bad for how bad it is... uh...
I hope you enjoyed, next one will be better. well i hope.
see ya!