EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

(A/N: These events take place after Chapter 2176 of EPIC.)
With the meeting coming to an end after a short discussion regarding potential allies, Vahn left the conference room to find Sarina sitting out in the hallway.
Plopping down next to her, Vahn gently nudged her shoulder with his own, asking, "What's up? Did you get in an argument with someone...?"
Exhaling a sigh, Sarina shook her head before resting it against Vahn's shoulder and answering, "I tried sparring with Mash and Lotte..."
"Ah..."
Understanding what the issue was, Vahn grasped Sarina's left hand with his right before planting a kiss atop her head and saying, "You're not weak, Sarina. You just need time. Mash might appear to be around the same age as you but she has been training ever since she was a very young girl. As for Lotte, she is several thousand years older..."
Though she nodded her head in understanding, Sarina's mood hadn't improved as much as Vahn would have liked. The core issue wasn't that she was weak, it was the fact she was weak in spite of being the Vice Leader of the Sage Dragon's Hearth.
"Hmm..."
Sensing the internal conflict in Sarina's mind, Vahn's immediately kicked into overdrive. There were actually a number of solutions to the problems currently plaguing her. One was a prize that others competed for, so, after a moment of deliberation, he asked, "Would you like to try spending some time in an Actualized World? We can go together and I can support you while you assist others in saving the world..."
Perking up the moment she heard Vahn's words, a radiant smile developed across Sarina's face as she exclaimed, "I want to go to Dragon Ball! If I learn how to control and manipulate Ki, I can easily become stronger...!"
Resisting the urge to point out more than half the members of his harem could teach her how to control and manipulate Ki, Vahn just nodded his head, saying, "Sure thing. Is there a specific point in the timeline you wanted to start from?"
Understanding this was her opportunity to spend a lot of alone time with Vahn, a mischievous smile developed across Sarina's face as she answered, "I want to start from the very beginning. Back when Bulma and Goku had first met."
Though he didn't actually mind, Vahn couldn't help furrowing his brows, asking, "Are you sure? At your current level, you could easily defeat most opponents prior to the Z timeline. If we arrive near the beginning of the series timeline, it'll take upwards of thirty years to reach the events in Super..."
With an even bigger grin on her face, Sarina replied, "I know. To close the gap between me and the others, I need at least that much time. Besides, I'd rather start early so that we can change a few of the things I didn't like about the original series. Like, how did Bulma end up with Vegeta? He wasn't that bad by Super but the guy was a complete nutjob throughout the Android, Cell, and Majin Buu Sagas...!"
Resisting the urge to point out there was a Vegeta among his Templates, Vahn just issued a light chuckle before squeezing Sarina's hand and saying, "Well, if that's what you want..."
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Opening her eyes with a start, waves of surprise washed over Sarina's mind as he found herself lying beneath the canopy of an abnormally colorful tree. Its leaves were slightly bluish-green, and, despite resembling normal leaves, they were far more vibrant than normal. The same could be said for her surroundings, almost as if the entire world had been covered in some kind of filter.&nbsp; Rising to a seated position, the first thing Sarina noticed were the richly colored hills, mountains, and plateaus that seemed to stretch infinitely in the distance. The second thing she noticed was the fact that her body was much, much smaller than she remembered.
"No...I haven't really gotten smaller. It's like my proportions have changed..."
("That's due to the influence of the System Template. It allows you to bypass the Law of Normalcy and perceive Actualized Worlds from the perspective of an outsider. If you want to experience what it's like to be a true native, you can turn it on whenever you want.")
Having become accustomed to telepathy, Sarina wasn't surprised to hear Vahn's voice in her head. Her only concern was whether this was the voice of the actual Vahn or the System he had given her prior to her 'transmigration' into the Actualized World of Dragon Ball.
Appearing next to her, Vahn helped Sarina to her feet as he said, "In the end, the decision is yours to make. I don't mind journeying alongside you but we both know how that will end. The question is, do you want to try and resolve things on your own or do you just want to have fun exploring this world together...?"
Though she knew exactly what he meant, Sarina just giggled as she linked her arms around Vahn's neck and said, "I'm not going to complain about sharing when you've basically agreed to spend the next 30 years with me. So long as you don't go building a massive harem, I don't mind if you entice a few key figures along the way..."
Understanding the futility of trying to deal with Vahn on her own, Sarina had already formed a list of potential scapegoats. Bulma was a dead given, but, depending on how things progressed, she wouldn't mind adding people like Kale, Caulifla, or even Cheelai into the mix. She had seen a spin-off series with Broly as the main character, and, while the inordinately kind Saiyan treated Cheelai exceptionally well, the green-skinned alien ended up becoming a cripple shortly after giving birth.
Sensing Sarina's thoughts through their mental link, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he said, "If you want to fly across the Universe saving people, you'll need to increase your strength. We didn't come here so I could 'fix' things. I'll definitely step in if something happens but you'll need to handle most situations on your own..."
Resisting the urge to chortle in amusement, Sarina was about to call Vahn out on his inability to ignore people in need when two sounds, one high-pitched and one abrasive reached her ears. Tracing the sounds to their origin, she noticed a remarkably short youth with wild black hair running in their direction with a fish more than ten times in size in tow. At the same time, further up the dirt road, a compact, bluish-white car with the words turbo written on the sides could be seen barreling towards the little kid without slowing down.
"Oh, wow. I almost forgot that the vehicles at the start of the series actually traveled on wheels..."
Though it hadn't been that long since Sarina watched Dragon Ball, it was easy to forget details from the earlier episodes when there were literally hundreds of them.
Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn resisted the almost instinctual urge to step in and pull Goku out of the way as he explained, "Bulma, her father, and Dr. Gero are nearly as intelligent as Android 21. They just need a little push and they're able to develop technologies that can revolutionize, not just their world, but the galaxy beyond. Earth really is the lynchpin of this reality..."
As those words left his mouth, Vahn watched as Goku, somewhat surprisingly, evaded the car that Bulma was driving. The Actualized World he had entered was chosen at random so even he didn't know the exact course of events that would take place. He could easily find out by taking a sneak peek into the future but where was the fun in that?
Though she was the one that had nearly run someone over, it was the young, blue-haired woman behind the wheel that leaned out her window to shout, "Hey! What's the big idea you little brat!? Get off the road...!"
In response to the remarkably shrill voice, the inordinately petite youth adopted a fierce yet heroic expression on his face as he adopted a wild stance and shouted, "This is my fish! get your own...!"
Without further discussion, the youth charged toward the bluish-white car before planting his foot in the metal bonnet covering the engine. To the shock and horror of the blue-haired girl sitting in the driver's seat, the engine was completely totaled as the car was sent skidding backward for tens of meters before ultimately flipping onto its side. It was fortunate she was wearing her seatbelt, as, without it, she may have been flung from the car.
Fearing for her life, the blue-haired woman emerged from the passenger-side window of her car with what appeared to be a Walther PPK-L Pistol in hand. Then, with surprising accuracy, she began to unleash the entire clip into the black-haired youth while screaming her lungs out.
Having never encountered a firearm before, the inordinately petite youth was quite surprised when the slugs impacted his skin. He was durable enough to jump from cliffs and resist the biting force of massive dinosaurs, yet, in spite of this, the fly-like projectiles were able to leave painful indentations against his face, neck, and chest.
Though he did his best to cover his face and eyes using his arms, the youth still received a number of bruises to the more sensitive areas of his skin. There was even a trail of blood running from just above his left brow, so, the moment the woman's clip had emptied, the youth lowered his guard to reveal a remarkably incensed expression on his face.
"You're gonna pay for that...!"
Screaming even louder the moment she heard the youth's words, the blue-haired girl continued to fire futilely as he leaped towards her like a wolf pouncing on its prey. Fortunately, just as his fist was about to impact her face, a hand wrapped around the youth's wrist as a soft voice declared, "That's enough."
Surprised by the sudden appearance of a third party, the blue-haired woman was about to scream even louder when she noticed who, or, more specifically, what her would-be savior looked like. The fear on her face immediately morphed into an expression of zealous glee. Then, as if she hadn't just experienced a life or death situation, the ponytailed blunette declared, "Holy cow! You're, like, super handsome! Want to be my boyfriend!?"
Though he offered a polite smile, Vahn didn't immediately reply to the woman's words. Instead, he flung the struggling youth in his grasp away before saying, "Calm down, kid. This woman isn't your enemy."
While others might be more difficult to convince, especially after having an entire clip unloaded in their face, the wild-haired youth immediately relaxed when he heard Vahn's words. Then, much to the surprise of the blue-haired woman, he scratched the back of his head and asked, "Really? Then I guess I should apologize, huh?"
Without waiting for Vahn's affirmation, the black-haired youth politely cupped his hands towards the befuddled blunette and said, "Sorry for attacking you. My name's Goku. What's yours?"
Recovering from her shock, the blunette's first instinct was to complain about the state of her car. The presence of Vahn, however, caused her to think twice, as, no matter how she tried to events in her favor, the incident was clearly her fault.
"Uh...don't mention it. As for my name...well..."
Pointing towards the words imprinted across her chest, the blunette blushed ever so slightly when she noticed Vahn's eyes following her movement.
"My name's Bulma. Bulma...Briefs..."
As the name Briefs was among the most famous in the entire world, Bulma was relieved to see that neither Vahn nor Goku had an obvious reaction to her name. She hated people treating her as if she were special due to her heritage, so, seeing the informal and authentic expressions on their faces, a smile developed across her own. Unfortunately, the moment she was about to ask Vahn's name, the presence of a fourth party promptly made itself known...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I'm not jealous...','I swear I'm not jealous...','Okay...maybe just a little...')

"Hello there. My name is Sarina. It's nice to meet you."Amused by the pouty look on Bulma's face, a mischievous smile developed across Sarina's during her introduction. Her stay in the Game Board put her around the same age as Bulma, so, while she dared not compare herself to mature beauties such as Da Vinci and Artoria, she felt pretty confident in front of girls her own age.Seeing Sarina fold her arms under her rather sizeable breasts, a tick mark appeared on Bulma's exposed forehead as she asked, "Sarina, huh? What's your relationship with...um...?"Having yet to hear Vahn's introduction, a faint blush spread through Bulma's cheeks as she looked toward him and asked, "What was your name again? I don't recall you introducing yourself."Returning a carefree smile, Vahn placed his hand over his chest, answering, "My name is Vahn. Vahn Aldrnari Mason. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Briefs."Seemingly forgetting about the existence of Sarina, Bulma cupped her cheeks in a bashful manner as she said, "Oh, wow. Ms. Briefs, huh? I don't think anyone has ever called me that before. You're so polite, Vahn."Maintaining a casual smile, Vahn decided to guide things forward a bit, asking, "What brings you to the mountains, Ms. Briefs? I don't mean this as an insult but you don't exactly strike me as the type of woman to venture outside the city limits..."Though there was quite a bit of equipment in her car, Bulma's outfit consisted of little more than a short purple dress, a dark purple scarf, and an oversized red ribbon typing up her hair. She also had a turquoise pouch attached to a leather belt around her waist, but, while the former might contain a number of useful capsules, she was pretty much helpless the moment she lost them.Had she heard the same thing a few minutes ago, Bulma would have turned her nose up at Vahn's words. She was confident in her aim, and, so long as she didn't encounter any dinosaurs, her guns were enough to deal with most threats.Now that she knew there were bulletproof children capable of sending cars flying with a kick, Bulma realized she still had a lot to learn. Fortunately, she was the undisputed most intelligent girl on the entire planet, so, when it came to learning and applying knowledge, there were none more qualified than her."You're not wrong. Though I traveled around with my parents when I was younger, this is my first time leaving West City on my own. I guess I should have done a bit more research before heading out. As for why I'm here...well...it's complicated..."As much as she could appreciate Vahn's appearance, Bulma wasn't too sure about his character. If he knew she was on a quest to assemble magical, wish-granting balls, there was a good chance he would either laugh at or rob her. There had been no less than sixteen attempts to kidnap her ever since her father developed the prototype for Capsules."Since we're on the subject, what are the three of you doing here on Mount Paozu? There have been reports of Giant Apes wreaking havoc in the region. Even the local dinosaur population has been chased off."Now that she was thinking about it, meeting Vahn, Sarina, and Goku just as she was setting out on her journey was pretty suspicious. They didn't strike her as criminals or kidnappers, but, when your father was the richest person in the world, it was better to be safe than sorry.Realizing the purpose of Bulma's words, the corners of Vahn's smile curled upward as he said, "I'm escorting my apprentice on a training journey. She may look like a normal, albeit attractive young woman at a glance but Sarina is a remarkably powerful young lady..."Taking advantage of the opportunity, Vahn gently ruffled Sarina's silky smooth, remarkably glossy hair. They had discussed their cover story prior to descending into the world, so, while they were also lovers, the purpose of their journey was as described. He would be accompanying her around the world and helping her train, as, even if there were Masters of Ki in this world, they would need to be on the level of Whis to even have a hope of contending against him."Apprentice? Are you trying to tell me this girl is a martial artist...?"Acknowledging Sarina for the first time since her introduction, Bulma's brows furrowed as her sapphire eyes scanned her 'competition' from head to toe. At a glance, Sarina's figure wasn't much better than hers, so, unless she was hiding some kind of secret, Bulma found it hard to believe the former was a martial artist.Fortunately, Bulma would quickly learn the truth as Goku, surprised and excited by the revelation, adopted an enthusiastic smile as he exclaimed, "Wow! I knew you were strong! Let's fight...!"Without waiting for a response, Goku immediately launched himself toward Vahn like a bullet. He was only around 98cm tall, remarkably short for a twelve-year-old, but he was able to easily vault through the air in an attempt to kick at the former's face. Before the blow could land, however, his foot was intercepted by Sarina, who, faster than Bulma could see, flickered in front of Vahn's body.With a smile not all that dissimilar from Goku's, Sarina sent the youth flipping through the air with a relatively casual wave of her hand. Then, in a manner reminiscent of Tione and Tiona, she launched herself forward while staying low to the ground. The movement caused literal cracks in the ground where she had been standing, so, while Bulma was squealing like a frightened schoolgirl, Goku was sweating bullets as Sarina's foot impacted his crossed arms and sent him crashing through the tree she had been resting under minutes prior."Owie! That really hurts...!"Despite leaving a toddler-size imprint in the tree's trunk, Goku managed to climb to his feet before blowing on his swelling arms. There were a number of microfractures in both arms, but, with a few days of rest, his Saiyan Biology would allow him to make a full recovery. In fact, it would also make him stronger...Appearing at Goku's side like a phantom, Vahn bent down to ruffle the young man's remarkably bristly hair as he said, "You're also quite powerful. How about becoming my student...?"Unsurprisingly, Goku didn't even hesitate to swat Vahn's hand away, answering, "No, thank you. My Master was my Grandpa. He told me that true strength is something you could only obtain through self-mastery and protecting the people you care about. I want to see how strong I can get using the methods he taught me."Since he would actually prefer to train Goku after his apprenticeship with Master Roshi, Vahn didn't mind the young Saiyan's refusal. He hadn't come to the Actualized World of Dragon Ball to train the Z-Fighters and resolve all their problems for them. Would he train them? Most likely. Was he going to go out of his way to train them? There was, simply put, no need. After all, even Grand Zeno, the High Priest, and Dragon God Zalama would be hard-pressed to match him."Understood. If you ever change your mind, let me know. I'm quite fond of training exceptional and talented youths. With that tail of yours, I would argue you're both."Now that Vahn had mentioned it, Goku noticed that neither he nor Bulma and Sarina had tails. This confused the young Saiyan, who, despite being taught by his Grandpa that most people didn't have tails, asked, "Where's your tail, Vahn? Did you tuck it into your pants?"Chuckling in response to the rather peculiar question, Vahn surprised even Sarina by manifesting a tail and answering, "Good guess."Beaming the moment he saw Vahn's tail, Goku practically leaped into the air as he shouted, "Wow! You're just like me...!" in an overly excited tone.Catching the youth before he could return to the ground, Vahn situated the young Goku on his shoulders before teasing, "Who knows, perhaps we're distantly related to one another? I've never met anyone else with a tail like mine. How about you call me Big Brother or Uncle Vahn from now on? I might not be able to teach you but I can still look after you for a bit."Captivated by the notion he and Vahn might be related to one another, Goku happily leaned over the former's head, exclaiming, "That's great! You and your friend can come and stay at Grandpa's house! It's kind of small but I'm sure you'll like it!"Poking the center of Goku's head so the youth would stop obstructing his vision, Vahn answered, "I would certainly like to take a look. Before that, however, there is another matter to attend...""Huh? What matter...?"Pointing towards Bulma, Vahn surprised the blunette by saying, "Our friend may have deflected the question our way, but, when you think about her warning, it's pretty obvious she must have come here for a reason. My instincts tell me it may have something to do with you, or, more specifically, something that is hidden away in your Grandpa's house..."As the dirt path was something that had been created by Goku dragging fish and other spoils through the mountains, there was really only one place Bulma could have been heading. This was something Bulma herself was well aware of, so, after remaining statuesque for several seconds, she ultimately released a sigh before pulling out a circular device that vaguely resembled a large watch with a dark green, digital display screen."Fine. You got me, okay? I'm tracking down these large, marble-like spheres known as dragon balls. This radar allows me to track their unique energy signal within a hundred kilometers. I can't say for certain if there's one located at Goku's Grandpa's place but I'd like to check and make sure."Deciding to play the part of a wisened yet deceptively young-looking old master, a knowing look flashed across Vahn's face as he repeated, "Dragon balls...as in the ancient, wish-granting orbs said to have been produced by the Guardian God of this world..?"Tensing the moment she heard Vahn's words, Bulma was tempted to try and play it off as some kind of urban legend. Unfortunately, she was literally risking life and limb in their search, so, unless Vahn was a complete idiot, she doubted he would buy such an excuse.Before Bulma could get her thoughts in order, Vahn surprised her quite a bit by extending his hand and asking, "May I see that radar? If it's as unique as you say, I'd like to take a closer look."Offering a wry smile, Bulma instinctually slipped the radar into her cleavage before answering, "I'd rather not. This is the only radar I have right now. As much as I'd like to trust you, Vahn, I'd prefer to not spend the rest of my Summer Vacation building a replacement."Without losing his smile, Vahn held up his hand to inspect the radar he had snitched the moment Bulma attempted to stow it away. The pupils of her sapphirine blue eyes immediately contracted to points, but, before she could even think to protest, he handed it back to her, saying, "It's quite the ingenious design. You said you created it yourself...?"Though she practically snatched the radar back from him, Bulma quickly calmed down the moment she heard Vahn's words. A lot of people assumed that she simply borrowed her father's inventions, so, hearing someone compliment her work, a somewhat narcissistic smile developed across Bulma's face until Vahn suddenly turned away from her and remarked, "There is, indeed, a dragon ball at my nephew's place. I can also sense two more hidden away in that little pouch of yours..."Demonstrating his impressive sleight of hand(teleportation) capabilities, Vahn promptly produced Bulma's two and five star dragon balls before holding them up to Goku and asking, "Ever seen one of these, kiddo...?"......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn activated Charm. It was unnecessary...!','Uncle Vahn (O w O)...','Bulma is not prepared for how much her life is about to change xD...')

Chapter 1: Short Break