The Tale of Monster and Phantom (Gaff)

He sensed the thing long before it approached, and yet still it unnerved him. It took a lot to scare a Saiyan, but Gaff came quite close to evoking a cautionary step back. Instead, the prince kept his cool— he was good at that— and gave the ghostly thing a once-over. To describe the man as unique would be a sore understatement.

Gaff was definitely one of the more intriguing denizens Vocado had run into, though perhaps his looks covered for a dull personality. With spindly arms and razor-sharp teeth, the apparition looked more like a funhouse reflection than a real living being. Then again, he supposed not many down here were of the living variety.

”What are you supposed to be,” Vocado inquired, a skeptical brow raised. ”One of those witches perhaps? Here to cast a spell in exchange for a favor? Forgive me for being a bit suspicious if you offer a cure-all to my woes. We’re both corpses, after all; whatever spell you whipped up is sure to have been... Ineffective.”

In truth, Vocado didn’t much mind the company. For a little while, at least. Maybe this thing would help answer the lapse in consciousness. Had it been the cause? Maybe. Only one way to find out.

Continuing up the trail, the Saiyan gave his follower a dismissive wave. ”I’ve killed plenty of fools. Perhaps you were one of them in a past life.” Stopping for a brief moment, he raised his hand to shake Gaff’s. ”The name’s Vocado, of House Bonemoon.” It felt good to use his family name again. He’d shunned it for so long.

”So, how long‘ve you taken up residence in this wondrous place?”

"Tch."

Great. A wack-job. He could've guessed just by appearance, but this guy's personality was weirder than his looks. One of those whimsical monster types. In another timeline, somewhere far away and murky, Vocado was much the same. All it took was one less pint of sanity and Gaff wouldn't be the only one giggling right now. In some ways, he was glad he hadn't stooped so very low, and in others, he couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't a bit more fun on that end of the insane spectrum.

Gaff's device was interesting. Images flashed, most of tragedy, as Gaff expressed his adoration. Seeing his past failures gave the Saiyan pause, though not for long. He'd already made peace with some of them.

"It's over for now," Vocado interjected, "but I'm sure both of us are well aware that there's always a second chance. More than a fair share of monsters have slithered their way out of this eternal prison, and I intend to do much the same."

This thing sure was interesting. Was he an ally in waiting? Perhaps. Then again, lugging a fanboy around might be more trouble than he was worth. Only one way to find out, he supposed.

"You wouldn't happen to have any clues on that front, have you? I know a friend who crossed the veil and turned out... Incomplete. I'm hoping to stay in one piece on the return trip."

The trek up the mountain was certainly boring, but if Gaff had any clues to reviving ones self, maybe the conversation wouldn't be. Speaking of the mountain, however, it felt like they'd been walking around this ridge for ages without any end in sight. Was the top really so far off? Why'd he have to choose this mountain of all places to lose his memories? How annoying.

Was it strange that Vocado became more interested in his new friend with each sentence? Maybe so. In all honesty, whatever lied at the top of the mountain seemed so inconsequential now. Maybe this ghastly thing was his prize. A new advisor to conduct battle with. A new lackey to boss around. A new... Was that Kalabas in the crystal ball? Vocado scrunched his face while he stared into the glass, and 'hmm'd at the visual. "So that's how the fight ended..."

Leaning back, he continued his trek as he explained. "Yes, that's the one. He's a bit messier than I'd like to end up. See, I'm trying to ensure I'm strong enough to actually fulfill my goals before I return, and I worry that his particular method of escape weakened him in some way. He'd become a serious powerhouse before his death, but after his return? He was middling."

It sounded a bit more dismissive than he'd of liked to be of his childhood friend, but there was a bitterness in Vocado now that it'd be hard to shake. Dying would do that to some, he supposed, and learning that the warriors you'd recruited to aid you failed in their first outing was one more nail in his proverbial spite coffin. Maybe his return trip would involve splitting Kalabas' head open too.

Gaff explained some of the ideas he'd come up with, glossing over the one that sounded most interesting. His plan for war seemed solid enough, but the endgoal was far too risky. Shaking his head, Vocado stopped in his tracks. "It's a good idea in practice," he explained, "but the execution is a death sentence. War is a fine addition to the plan, whatever it ends up being, but the Dragon Balls need to stay out of the equation."

For a moment, he turned to the infinite expanse behind him as he listened to his maniacal friend rant. He was ecstatic about the idea, but it was something that was doomed to fail.

"They're too dangerous," he continued. "It's the reason I died, after all. Getting them without running into heaps of opposition is like winning the lottery before it even gets announced. You did bring up something else interesting, however."

Turning back to Gaff, he arched a brow inquisitively. "This... Recycling machine. What does it do precisely? Perhaps its hiding something we could use to free us both."

Recycling a soul could mean a myriad of things. The same soul in a new body, the same Ki in a new soul... Who knows what it could really be. As of right now, though, it was his only shot at figuring this all out.

"You wouldn't mind being the guinea pig, would you? If you're not entirely mortal, maybe that'll help us determine just how dangerous the machine is for a normal soul. The only problem is finding a way to keep in touch. I suppose at best you'd be able to kill someone and tell them a message to give to me, but I'd be stuck without a word to send back..."

He wracked his brain to find the answer. What otherworldy idea could he whip up to solve this problem?

Well, this was interesting. Vocado seemed on board with the whole war aspect of Gaff's plan, but was against using the Dragon Balls. He made a good point of it. They attracted a lot of attention, and even if he could incite a galaxy wide conflict, that would just focus attention on them even more. No, Vocado was right. The balls were far too risky.

Now the Soul Recycling Machine, that got his attention. Perhaps that was a way around it. "The Soul Recycling Machine separates the darkness and memories from a soul. Basically factory resetting it before sending it on it's way to reincarnation." Gaff explained. "Though, theoretically it's possible to send a soul back through it, with all the good bits attached." Gaff giggled before sighing. "I've yet to test it out properly though. Gemma's put the machine on lockdown. I can't get near it without swarms of ogres coming down on me."

He paused, before a grin spread across his face, "Though with someone like you, it might make getting to the machine easier." Indeed, the saiyan's strength could get him to the machine. Then it was a hop, skip and jump to the living world. Gaff was positively giddy for it!

Then there was the issue of keeping in communication with him. It wasn't like there were phones to the afterlife. "Hmm," he looked at the ball in his hands. "Perhaps this is the ticket to it. This ball allows me to see events both past and present. Perhaps it can be used to send messages back and forth as well. With a little practice of course."