Dragon Ball Z 1. Interlude

**Time Distorted, part II of the Bibidi, Babidi, Buu Chronicles**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

****

**Interlude**

Gohan and Mie were walking down the street, having long ago abandoned the tournament grounds. Mie was silent, waiting for her companion to respond. He had not spoken since dawn, still contemplating all she had said. She understood; he had much to sort out.

A few hours ago Mie had asked Gohan to come with him to the past, a very dangerous and unstable past in which he might not survive. In which he would probably not survive at all, and would likely fail to do what needed to be done. What was he thinking? It irked Mie that he had been so quiet and inwardly focused. She needed to know what he was thinking, what he was going to do. But Mie respected his privacy; she did not delve into his mind. Finally, he spoke.

"I admit I am very scared, but who wouldn't be? I was just brought back to life, and I don't want to lose it. On the other hand, I'm needed. As frightened as I am I can't let that hold me back. You said Buu has an awesome power, and I believe you, even when you say it is a hundred times again that of a Super Saiyjin. I know I cannot stand against that."

"You will not have to face him, if everything goes well."

"That is not what scared me. It's the wizard, Bibidi. You say he can take over a person's heart."

"He can't take over your heart, you're pure."

"As I am now, yes. But there are times in battle when I am a monster. My Saiyjin side takes total control and I live for the bloodshed, the breaking bones, the pain my enemies feel. I want them to hurt so badly… and that scares me. What if Bibidi finds the darkness in me? What will I do then? What would you do?"

"I would heal you."

"And if you couldn't?"

"I would."

"You didn't answer me."

"I don't know."

They had wandered into the park now; there was peace all around them. Gohan jumped up on a bench, turned and grabbed Mie by the shoulders. "Promise me you would kill me."

"What?!" Mie jerked out of Gohan's grasp. "No!"

"Mie, you would have to. If I become a monster, I must be stopped. I know you can do it Mie! You have to! Promise me."

"Fine, but it's a not one I'll have to keep. I'll have no cause for such an action in the first place."

"That isn't enough. You need to go into battle, hoping for the best, yes, but _also_ planning for the worst."

Mie was silent, searching her heart to see if she could honestly do as Gohan asked. To save the universe, she would have to. Mie nodded and whispered softly, "I promise, though it would kill my soul to do it."

Gohan closed his eyes in acknowledgment and lowered his head in humble thanks. "Then let's go."

"We need to make a pit stop, first."

Kami's Lookout

Mie and Gohan landed softly on the tiled floor. Kami and Popo were waiting.

"You were listening?"

"Yes. When Gohan first came here we were startled. He seemed to know us, but we didn't know him and so we watched him. Now of course, we understand. What is it you need us to do?"

"Simply set the memories of the fight's participants and spectators to the way they were meant to be."

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"Babidi is a wizard. We don't need him reading those peoples minds to know I was there. He might recognize me, or know of me from our fight with Bibidi."

"This is confusing. We haven't even fought Bibidi yet, and it's already happened. But wasn't Babidi at the fight? Wouldn't he have seen you?"

"No. He would not attend personally because he is too alien. He would stand out greatly. There are no shadows to hide in. He watched from a distance, via technology, and only saw our power level, not our faces, not even our Kis. **(1) "**

"Oh."

"We would like to use your Room of Spirit and Time. **(2)**"

"May I ask why?" Kami inquired.

"Time is already distorted there from the normal flow. It will be easier to go to the past from there. Were this but a training exercise, I would try the more challenging route, but lives are riding on this."

"I see," Kami nodded in agreement.

Gohan made a small noise of confusion. There was something Kami wanted to know but He wasn't asking. Kami looked at him. "What is it, son?"

"What is it You want to ask me?"

Kami blinked in astonishment. This boy was very astute to be able to read His face. "I was wondering about Piccillo…" **(3)**

Gohan grinned in understanding. "He doesn't always stay evil. He trains me to fight some invaders and saves my life."

"I see," Kami said yet again, but with relief. _So that's why he could read Me so well. Compared to Piccillo, I wear My heart on My sleeve, even if humans can't normally recognize My expressions and their meanings. _"Thank you very much. You just relieved Me of a great burden."

"You're welcome."

The Room of Spirit and Time

Gohan and Mie entered the while room, stepping onto an oasis. Beyond that was white: Pure, unadulterated white. The room stretched forever, never ending, never ceasing. Its vastness swallowed them up as though they were air. They were nothing next to this room. Gohan couldn't help but gasp.

"A little overwhelming, isn't it?" Gohan said.

"Yes, even for one used to the span of Heaven and Otherworld. Let's get going."

Mie sat down and crossed her legs before entering a trance. Gohan did likewise.

Suddenly he was floating in a white mist. He felt himself being jerked around, similar to the sensation he experienced when first entering the past, only there was no added weight: He had mass to begin with this time.

Just as suddenly, he was alone. Mie had been there, and now was gone. Gohan didn't panic. Surely everything would work out fine. The mist seemed to clear, and he could see his family and friends, at Roshi's island. They were becoming clearer now, more distinct. Now Gohan was confused. He was supposed to go further into the past. His mother was the first one to see him. She turned and reached out towards him. Her hand was right there and at the same time so far away. His father reached out as well, then Gohan felt himself being yanked away. He was back in the mist then came crashing down with a shattering force out of it. Noise was so loud it was silent. He looked around and found himself in a grassy clearing. No one else was in sight. What had gone wrong?

"That's the trouble with transporting mortals through Time. Time was trying to right itself at its first opportunity by sending you back to 762. That's why you saw your parents, and why I yanked you back so suddenly. I'm sorry if it hurt you, but you were being sucked back into your own time, and we're not ready for that. Time always tries to do that when it's distorted." **(4)**

"So are we in the past?"

"Yes. The year is 686."

**(1)** Power level and Ki are different. Ki is a feeling, a person's actual life force and power level is a measurement of that life force. So while Babidi sees their power, there is no Ki to recognize. It's as if you are told there are a certain number of pies, but you only know the number. You are not there to see or smell it, so you can't tell what kind of pie it is. In the same way, Babidi can't tell whose Ki it is, just the amount of it.

**(2)** The Room of Spirit and Time is called the (gag) Hyperbolic Time Chamber in the dub.

**(3)** If anyone is wondering how Kami could hear their earlier conversation, but not about Piccillo it was because Mie didn't want him to learn too much so she warded against it.

**(4)** The reason Trunks could go through Time easily and not Mie is that Trunks and Bulma are not gods, so they cannot truly affect Time. By going through time, with their own power (or inventiveness), their very presence in the past creates an alternate reality. Anything they do in that reality to shape its future will have no effect on their own. If it did, the people they are would not come to exist as their world would be replaced with a different future, and the potential for paradox is huge. But Mie's a goddess, so the rules don't apply to her.


	2. Ch 01

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

****

**Chapter 1**

A Random Meadow

Year 686

"What are we going to do?" Gohan asked as they walked through the meadow.

"We are going to help your grandfathers."

"Oh."

They walked a moment in silence, save for the birds' song.

"Wait a minute.

"Wait a sec, how can my dad be born then?" Gohan panicked. "And you killed my grandpa!?!"

"He was already dead, for your information!"

"But if he was already dead, how can I be alive?"

"If you'll shut up I'll explain!" Mie sighed. "A long time ago your grandpa died when he was eighteen, and he was sent to, well, not exactly Heaven and not exactly Hell. I guess you would call it Purgatory. Anyway, I was learning how to teleport. I was trying to move a cup from the Halls of Purgatory and I was supposed to teleport it to right in front of me. Unfortunately, Bardock was standing right next to i"Wait a sec, how can my dad be born then?" Gohan panicked. "And you killed my grandpa!?!"

"He was already dead, for your information!"

"But if he was already dead, how can I be alive?"

"If you'll shut up I'll explain!" Mie sighed. "A long time ago your grandpa died when he was eighteen, and he was sent to, well, not exactly Heaven and not exactly Hell. I guess you would call it Purgatory. Anyway, I was learning how to teleport. I was trying to move a cup from the Halls of Purgatory and I was supposed to teleport it to right in front of me. Unfortunately, Bardock was standing right next to it, and since I was aiming for a small, inanimate object, and because Bardock had much more mass and was, well, not as dead as that cup, he landed far from where I had intended. He ended up in the Corridor of Time.

"I tried to correct my mistake by sending him back to Purgatory, but I sent him through the wall instead, and it was different than when the dragon revived you, Gohan. Shenlong knew what he was doing. I didn't."

Gohan winced in sympathy with his grandfather. It had been bad enough when he crossed the barrier – not awful, but not pleasant either.

"Was it very painful?" Gohan asked in a worried voice.

"Oh, no! It wasn't painful at all, just the unpleasant feeling I'm sure you remember. I meant that by going through the wall the way he did, Time is somewhat imprinted on his memory. He'll have visions from now until the day he dies… again."

"Oh. But that doesn't explain how my dad is born. Bardock is too far into the past."

"We'll worry about that after we defeat Bibidi, k?"

"Okay."

Forest Trail

Year 686

A young man in his late twenties was hiking along a forest trail in the early afternoon. He wore a dirt-stained knapsack and well-worn hiking boots, signifying he'd been on the move for quite sometime. He walked at a reasonable pace, as though he had come quite a distance, and had quite a distance yet to go. A white bandana graced his forehead, keeping hair and sweat out of his eyes. His clothes were all brown, and could use a washing. Heck, the man himself could use one, which is probably what the man himself was thinking as he wandered by a stream. He passed, then on second thought turned back. He stripped and jumped in for a nice, cool swim. A lard of soap was removed from his knapsack and the hiker scrubbed dirt and grime off his body before floating around, allowing his aching muscles some respite.

Then it was time to walk again, and off he went after cleaning his clothes as best he could. It was then that he met the strangers. These were no ordinary strangers; it was as though they were expecting him.

The hiker stopped and loosened his sack a little on his back, prepared to go into fighting stance while making sure his own pose was relaxed. He didn't want to start trouble, just be prepared for it.

"Greetings," the girl spoke.

"Hello," Gohan replied in kind.

The other, a boy, inclined his head in greeting. He seemed very aloof, and very wary. Gohan walked past them and kept on going. Suddenly a warning sounded in his head. He ducked, just in time, for the boy had attacked him. Energy flew over Gohan's head as he was tackled to the ground. He quickly rolled so that he faced the boy. Green eyes glowed bright, and the skin had turned sharply blue, whereas before there had been but a hint of it. Fangs protruded now and the demon tried to bite Gohan. Moving quickly he freed his arm and pushed the monster away, giving him enough time to regain his feet.

The woman chose that time to attack. Her skin was now green, and her eyes red. She had fangs to match the boy. She jumped on Gohan's back so quickly his knapsack went flying, and then bit him in the shoulder. Gohan didn't panic – he knew he could defeat these two, but not without energy. While they were weaker than he, they had the numerical advantage and surprise on their side.

Just as suddenly as she was there, the woman's weight was gone form his back. Gohan heard her slam into a tree, which splintered from the impact and hung lopsidedly over. He went to kick the man but before he could raise his leg the being was already ten feet out in front of him, skid marks from here to there. The monster sat on his rump, very stunned. A massive bruise was forming on its chest. Neither fighter would get up anytime soon. Gohan heard wind moving behind him and whirled around quickly to face this potential threat. There stood a boy, hands raised in a gesture of peace. Gohan relaxed his stance but stood prepared.

"Don't worry; I mean you know harm."

"You defeated those two?" Gohan asked, pointing to the two stunned demons.

The boy nodded. "They were hurting you."

"And how did you become so strong? You seem only five years old."

The boy grinned. He knew Gohan would question him, and he knew he had to answer honestly. Gohan could read hearts the way Roshi read minds. "I'm six. And I had a tough teacher, a demon for a sensei."

Gohan stepped back, arms partway raised to defend himself. "So you just defeated your own team?" He asked, voice rough.

"No. I don't side with evil."

"And yet you were trained by a demon," Gohan said sarcastically.

"He felt guilty for killing my father dishonorably. He was evil, but had a sense of honor. The two had allied themselves temporarily to defeat a greater evil. My dad did it to protect me. My sensei wanted to beat the guy for having been defeated by him earlier. They teamed up knowing they wouldn't win on their own. As it turned out, the only way to beat him was for Dad to hold him and sensei to shoot him both. My dad died smiling, glad he was able to protect me. Sensei was not proud to kill Father. He had wanted to beat him in a one-on-one all out match so all would know he was the greater warrior. That's why he trained me – to try and make up only a little for killing my dad," the boy said, trying to soothe Gohan's worry. "Not all demons are truly evil; it's just all they know. My sensei is – was, a great man. He died protecting me later on, in battle. I'll always be grateful and I'll never forget all he has taught me."

Gohan apparently believed the story and relaxed. "Perhaps your sensei was not a demon at all. Perhaps he was possessed, as my village once was."

"Perhaps."

"What is your name, boy, and why did you help me?"

"You are fighting the same person I am. Or, you would, if you knew just who the enemy was. It was that evil being that possessed my sensei. It was as you said. I had heard of you and thought we could join forces. When I saw you were attacked, I rushed to help."

"And your name?"

"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't trust you, but I'd rather not give my real name. You can call me Kakorott if you like."

"Kakorott?"

"My father's name."

"And why not yours." The boy, Kakorott, looked uncomfortable.

"I don't want my family to be destroyed." _Or erased_, Gohan added silently to himself.

"Then why give your dad's name if you are trying to hide yourself?"

Kakorott started walking down the path. "It was his birth name, and no one else knows it. They only know his adopted name – he was orphaned, and he only learned his birth-name when my uncle came looking for him."

Gohan nodded. "Alright, I'll buy that for know but I don't know if I can trust you yet, young as you are."

"I wouldn't expect you too. I'm sure you've met many seemingly harmless folk on your journey. Hell, that boy and girl seemed normal enough at first, physically at least."

"What other way is there?"

"Their Ki was off. You know what Ki is, don't you?"

Gohan nodded. "Of course. I'm surprised you've heard of it. Not many have."

"I was trained by a demon, remember."

"Right. Why haven't you asked me my name yet? Or anything about me?"

"I know your name, it's Gohan. I came looking especially for you when I heard about you from the village at Mt. Frying Pan. And I've heard the stories; your experience mirrors mine."

"You speak very well for a five year old."

"Six. And my mother was big on learning. She wanted me to be a scholar. I only learned how to fight when Dad died, when I was four. But I've studied my whole life."

_So,_ Gohan thought. _If he's lying he's very good at it. He remembered his age and his training when spewing back answers to my questions. And everything _is_ possible, but still highly unusual…_

"What are you thinking, Kakorott?"

"I'm thinking I wish you could trust me, but only time will take care of that."

"You give out a lot of information for someone who's trying to be secretive."

Gohan shook his head. "I want to tell you what I can without risk, because there is so much I cannot." He gestured down the path. "My friend, Mie, is over this way. If you don't mind, we'll travel with her."

Gohan became suspicious. "Why wasn't she there when you showed up?"

"She didn't approve of my helping you; she wanted to see how you fight. Besides, wouldn't it be awfully coincidental if you were attacked by a boy and girl, and then saved by another?"

"Isn't it 'awfully coincidental' now?"

"No. I gave you time to get to know me and judge how much of a threat I am, if you have judged me to be a threat, and gave warning about Mie. So there are no surprises from my side."

"Yet."

"Ever. At least, no bad ones," Kakorott grinned as though laughing at a private joke.

Gohan looked at him curiously, but said nothing. Eventually they caught up with Mie. She said nothing; spoke no words of introduction or even acknowledgment. Kakorott knew she was very serious about what they were doing here and upset he had interfered with Gohan's fight. She spoke up, "We shall have to meet up with Bardock, soon. Convince him to join us."

"Why?" Kakorott asked, anxious. "He's a Saiyjin; they're violent!"

"He's your blood."

"Even so. I doubt he'll help us, anyway. Saiyjins look out for themselves."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. Ever since they encountered Frieza and became his private army-"

"Bardock has never met Frieza, remember. He is from before then."

"Even so, selfishness is in _his_ blood. It's why Frieza recruited them in the first place."

"I have reason to believe he will help." At that, Kakorott looked curiously her way. "And this way we can keep an eye on him, keep him safe before sending him to where he's supposed to be."

"As if we'll be able to do that anyway," Kakorott muttered under his breath. Mie ignored him; Gohan was very confused. Who was Bardock? Why did they need him?

"Furthermore," Mie went on, "He has military experience that could be very valuable to us. Unless you think Bibidi has no guards or defenses on an alien world about which we know very little?"

"I suppose so, but I don't really like it. What if he recognizes me, or that I'm part Saiyjin?"

"We'll deal with that if that comes. Right now we need to concentrate on defeating Bibidi before he can release the ultimate terror."

"Fine, but I'll need a new name then. He'd certainly recognize 'Kakorott' as a Saiyjin name."

"Keep it. That would be a good thing. Besides, why should he be the only Saiyjin around? Things could have changed for all he knows since his day."

"But they haven't."

"He doesn't have to know that."

Gohan could keep silent no longer. They were talking of things he knew nothing about. He had trusted them this far, it was time they trusted him! "Just who is this 'Bibidi', and what is the ultimate terror?

"You're right. We need to share information," she said. "Bibidi is a powerful wizard that can control the evil inside anyone. The terror I speak of is his creation, Majin Buu. Buu has destroyed countless homes and people, including my own family. He must be stopped, but the few who know he even exists also know his power and thus are too afraid to step up. That's why I'm here, as is Kakorott. Someone has to stop being a coward, might as well be me."

"He can control the evil in people? That's very… disconcerting."

"Yes," Kakorott spoke up for the first time since his complaint.

Gohan stopped in his tracks, curious at the dejected tone in his voice. He was about to ask, but Mie sent him a pleading look, asking him not to.

Instead, Mie made the first comforting gesture Gohan had seen. She draped her arm around Kakorott's shoulders and gave him a hug. "Don't worry. I won't let him get to you."

Kakorott still seemed tense, but not as much. He must have faith in this girl. "Thanks."

"Anytime, little bro."

Kakorott looked up, slightly shocked at such terms of endearment.

"I'm… I'm honored you consider me family," he said with quiet sincerity. "It means a lot, coming from you."

Mie blushed before straightening and letting go of Kakorott's shoulder. She walked briskly. "Let's get going. We have much ground I want to cover before twilight."

Gohan almost blanched. They meant to walk until midnight? Kakorott looked shocked but didn't seem to mind. But Gohan, he'd been up since dawn, and he wanted a meal before bedtime. As though she could read his thoughts (which she could), Mie spoke up. "Don't worry. We won't push this pace for long, but I want to catch up to Bardock before he moves on again. He's just wandering from village to village, and I don't want to go too far out of our way to find him."

Kakorott nodded; it made sense to him. But he worried about his grandfather. Sure, he knew all these martial arts techniques but he may not have acquired the stamina he would later in life. In fact, Kakorott knew he hadn't by judging Gohan's Ki. Quickly, Kakorott checked to make sure his own Ki was firmly suppressed. He didn't want to frighten Gohan, after all. Or let on how powerful he was to the foes they would surely face.


	3. Ch 02

**A/N: Warning: slight cursing**

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 2**

Campfire

Year 686

Mie watched Gohan – _Kakorott__, now_, she reminded herself – dozing off by the fire. _He's changed so much since we came back in time. He's not so serious all the time, much more lighthearted. Joking, even. But why? He should be afraid. Is this his way of whistling in the dark?_

She shifted her position so as to be lying on her back, hands resting under her head. _Is it because he is meeting his namesake? And why was he worried about Bardock? I'm sure the Saiyjin already knows something about us. Did Goh- Kakorott forget what I told him about Time being imprinted on his memory?_

She turned her gaze to the stars and studied their orbits, reaching out with her mind to feel the caress of Creation that existed in all things. It comforted her, strengthened her. This is what she was fighting for. Maybe that was why Kakorott was so at ease. He _had_ seen his family again, however briefly, when Mie brought him to the past.

They had to fight, because there was no one else. Despite what she had told Kakorott about this mission being given to her to make up for the mistake with Bardock, that was only half of the truth. If Shin Kai were to become involved, things would not go well. He had told her that his presence alone might awaken Buu, since he was the only Kai Buu failed to kill so long ago. Buu's destructive nature would drive him out.

There were other reasons, of course.

Kaio-sei

where time does not exist

Mie ran to greet her elder, Shin Kai, laughing at his expression when he spied the dandelion wreath in her hands. She gave him a hug and draped them on his head. She was so happy there, on the world of the Kais. It seemed whenever she left she got into trouble. Mischief, Shin liked to call her. He often teased her that 'Mie' was a shortened parody of 'Oh, my, what has she done now?'

She looked into his face. The smile was there, but no teasing glint graced his eye.

"Elder Kai, what troubles you?"

"Well, for one, I'm not that old," he replied, attempting to disarm her with charm.

She didn't laugh. His eyes were still empty.

"Please. What's wrong?"

"I have to set you a task, my darling grandchild. A mission I myself cannot accomplish."

"What?" she had laughed. "That's not a very funny joke… You're not laughing. You're being completely serious, aren't you?"

He could only nod.

"What do I need to do?"

"Do you remember the stories I would tell you, about Bibidi and his monster Majin Buu?"

"Yes, you would threaten me with absorption if I didn't get to bed on time. It was always a funny story."

"It wasn't," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"What?"

"It wasn't a story," he said more clearly this time.

Mie drew back out of his embrace, before burying her head in his shoulder. "Oh my stars. I'm so sorry, Elder. I'm so sorry."

"Bibidi has freed himself and attempts to revive Majin Buu. I need you to stop him. I would do it myself, were I able."

"Why aren't you?"

"You see me as an omniscient being, as all the Kais before me were. But I am not. Mie, I was never fully trained before Bibidi showed up. And I have developed all the abilities I am going to and it is not enough."

Mie nodded. Abilities were gained throughout childhood and adolescence. Everything else had to be taught.

"And there is nowhere I can go to learn everything else. You know the risk of trying to learn without Intuition."

She did indeed. Were they lesser beings, the risk would not be so great and they could explore to their hearts content. But the Universe rode on their well-being. And if they should make the most miniscule of mistakes, it would have to affect somewhere. Matter could never be truly destroyed, nor Time, nor anything else the Kais must learn to control. Yet, with Intuition, the gift that resides within all beings great and small, the Kais can explore where that gut-feeling takes them, knowing with learning what it is they need to do. It has always been through Intuition that the greatest discoveries had been made, as well as the most devastating.

"Was Buu created through Intuition?"

"Yes. Bibidi is lacking in many ways, so his Intuition balanced this. Thus he grew bitter, and used his gift to punish. Unfortunately, he is also an idiot. He does not realize the repercussions to himself and his desires. He does not want to hear them. We have tried to show him, by dreams and nightmares, yet they only make his hatred burn stronger. He feels that if he must lack something, everyone must lack everything. Including the gift of Existence."

"But Mie. Your Intuition can balance his. Intuition can respond to Need, and you are young. You can defeat him, Mie. Just trust your Instincts."

* * *

And instincts were why she had dragged Kakorott into this. For all he was a mortal, he was so much like her. His Gifts and Intuition balanced his losses in life. Eventually Need would bring out even more of his abilities, of this Mie was certain.

A Sleepy Inn

Year 686

Several towns away from where Mie drifted off to sleep, a young man awoke with a start. He had a dream again, a dream that he knew wasn't a dream. It was of a young girl at a campfire, that he sensed – in his dream – wasn't too far from where he was. Of course, that was silly. It _was_ just a dream, he reminded himself.

And that was where the dream got interesting. It had flashed to a white room, where time seemed to lag behind. Or rather, ahead, of what was normal. And there was a man, and a flash of gold, and a voice. _The power responds to a Need, not a Desire_. And then the room burst into gold, into fire, and he woke up.

_What was that anyway? I'd say I was dreaming of Super Saiyjins, except you have to be an Oozaru to transform. I guess I just miss my family. I searched for them… when I was dead. But of course, I wasn't really dead, was I? Because if I were, how could I be alive today?_

Another vision sparked at the corner of is eye, but Bardock studiously ignored it. He refused to go crazy. His Saiyjin pride would not bend to insanity. _But if only I could figure out what happened, where I am, how do I get home, and most important of all, where is my family?_

He sighed. This was one battle he knew he could not win. Because, despite all the evidence otherwise, he knew he had been dead, before he was whisked to wherever here was. Here, with its lack of technology; here with its lack of familiar stars. Here, with its strange peace and lack of fighting that was so refreshing to the Saiyjin warrior. And that was why he had to keep moving. He could not afford to relax, not ever, because if you relaxed, you let your guard down. And when that happens, you die. No, a Saiyjin warrior must never grow soft. Perhaps, despite all the strange happenings he would somehow be summoned home again. And he would need to fight.

And so while on this strange and strangely peaceful planet, he searched out all the trouble he could find, fighting the strongest of warriors, the worst of villains. Villains were better than heroes, Bardock had decided. They'll use anything and everything against you. Heroes are held back by their blasted honor. As if there's ever honor in bloodshed. At least, not honor of the sort that heroes believe in.

He sat back down on the mattress and gave up thinking. Before long, he rolled over and was back to sleep.

Campfire

Year 686

Dawn whistled over the horizon, waking Kakorott with its golden light. Birds sang of the morning dew. The boy sat up, feeling refreshed. Stretching his muscles he roused himself out of his nest of tall grass and ambled over to the pond. Kakorott reached his hands in the water and scooped some out, drinking some and washing his face before finding a bush. On the way back he passed Gohan, who was just now making his way to the pond. Mie was starting up a new Ki-induced fire, which had gone out during the night.

"Go get some more firewood. We'll eat first, then continue on," Mie instructed. Kakorott nodded and went to do as told.

After they had breakfasted on tea and rice balls the scuffed out the flames before looking expectantly at Mie. Somehow or other, she seemed to be the one in charge. Gohan was a little irked, but she somehow demanded obedience. He didn't question the instinct; he just knew it was right.

"Bardock has not yet begun to move," she said. Kakorott nodded. This was nothing new; he had already searched out his grandfather's Ki. It was relaxed, as though he were sleeping.

"He's an hours walk away, if he stays still, which I doubt. We'll have to put on a heavy pace," she continued.

Telepathically, so Gohan wouldn't hear, Kakorott sent Mie a question. _Why don't we just fly there or something?_

_Gohan is probably being watched. We don't want to give anything away. I made sure this morning to take out a scouter, so Bibidi would not know we could sense Ki. We'll not use abilities unless they are commonly found in the Universe. Ki weaponry is alright, and Ki-enhanced speed, but that's about it._

_Can he hear us?_

Unlikely. If he knew about Bardock he would have tried to use him already, and we would have sensed that. When Bibidi controls a mind, they have a great increase of power. So don't worry.

Gohan eyed them through his peripheral vision, but neither noticed, or if they did thought nothing of it. After all, why should he not be wary? He had no cause to trust them.

Although Gohan's mental abilities did not rival the others', he had picked up on some of their conversation. They had not thought to cloak it outside of a three-foot radius. Gohan didn't understand. How could people fly? And what else could they do? They spoke of Ki attacks as though they were easy to create, not as exhausting as Gohan knew them to be. And while Gohan had always been able to somehow estimate how strong his opponents were in battle, how could they tell from so many miles away? How could they put energy into their speed? What was a scouter? Just whom had he allied himself with?

He shook his head. He would find no answers to his questions that way. The only answers were with these people, and to learn about them he had to observe.

A Bustling Inn

Year 686

Bardock roused a little after dawn, as he slept in a south-facing room. He stretched and dressed, placing all his belongings back in his pack, and then capsulated it. These capsules were strange devices, and apparently were not common either. As he went down to breakfast he mulled over the event that left him with yet another strange tale, and an equally strange parting gift.

Forest Trail

a year ago

Bardock had been rambling down a path. There was no need to hurry, there never was. He almost missed the excitement of his youth, but he certainly did not miss the pain that accompanied it. No, he'd take slow and secure over that, any day.

It was on was such aimless walk to find a challenge that Bardock heard the strangest noise from about two miles away. Curious, he levitated over the trees and shot off to find this distraction. Perhaps whoever was making this racket would be a worthy opponent.

It was only when he was ten feet away and once again on the ground that Bardock saw the environment… waver. There was no other way to describe it. There was a sphere with about four feet diameter, and all mass in it was affected. There were miniscule explosions that created a giant racket. He stepped closer and noticed a man standing behind it, moving nervously, obviously distressed at the situation. Suddenly the man pressed a… distortion… on the side of the sphere, and it vanished.

"Whew!" the man said, and sat down with a sign. It wasn't until the Saiyjin cleared his throat that the man noticed him. "Huh? Oh, hello there. My name is Gary Briefs. I didn't see you."

"Greetings. I am Bardock," he replied, and squatted so as to be eye level with this man, shifting his pack as he did so. He studied him silently, from his city shoes, to his once-white coat and lavender hair. "What was that thing?"

"That?" the man said, secretively. "Oh, that was one of my inventions. I hate having to come out here to the forest to work on them, it would be so much easier if I had a lab, but no one… no one will sponsor me."

He said it with a sigh, and his expression seemed to droop.

"No one, no one believes in science anymore! They all tell me its magic, light-years away, impossible and risky! They all think my formulas are caput, and my calculations inadequate. Ha! They can't even understand them, and they dare to tell me it's inadequate!"

"What is it?" Bardock asked.

"I am working on capsules that will expand with the press of a button to house many things. You know, like a carry-pack."

Bardock didn't know, but he kept silent.

"Here… surely you know the atom is mostly empty space, right?"

"Well…"

"And that if all the actual matter that you are composed of were brought together, you would be no bigger that the head of a needle?"

"Hey…"

"And thus, if we could extricate the space from the atom in a manner of inanimate objects, our loads would be much lighter."

"Uh-huh," Bardock nodded, pretending to understand.

"This was a newer model, a four-footer. I have managed to create a two-footer, though it's somewhat unstable."

"Unstable, how?"

"Oh, sometimes it will swallow things up. You'll put something in there and it will disappear. But I'm getting closer every time."

"Yes, well, I'd better be going," Bardock said, thoroughly bored. And here he had been hoping for a fight, not a brain jam!

"Thank you for listening!"

Bardock grunted in response and starting walking quickly in another direction.

>

It was later that night, and Bardock was camping in the woods, drifting off when a high pitch scream echoed off to his left, drawing him upright with a start. He was fully alert, searching quickly for any intruders. Someone ran out of the woods, screaming bloody murder. Two burly men with guns were chasing him.

Suddenly the first man tripped over a rock. The only rock, Bardock noticed, in the entire clearing. _He'll never make a warrior,_ Bardock thought with a snort. The man seemed too frightened to move.

Then he recognized the man. It was the scientist from earlier this day. He supposed he ought to help him. Besides, maybe those two would put up a decent fight. He charged in silently. The one on the right, who was two steps behind the other, never even saw him coming.

Bardock elbowed him quickly in the head, knocking him down and out. The other half-turned at the noise. "Huh?"

He turned to face Bardock and fired. Bardock easily dodged the bullet, reached out and grabbed the gun from the man's hand, slapping him with his free hand. The man went down with a thud and stayed there, dazed.

"You can get up now," Bardock told Briefs.

"Wha? Why, thank you! You saved my life!!"

"Hmp. Think nothing of it."

"Those men were after my works. They were hired by a woman, named Gero. That bitch, she dares to call herself a scientist! All she does is steal! And I heard she worked for pirates once, helped them steal then hide the treasure in some cave." Briefs let out something that resembled a growl.

"I… was just so scared, frozen stiff!" he said, still in slight shock over his near-death experience. "Frozen… that's it!"

Bardock was confused. "What is it?"

"That's why they're unstable! Despite their lack of space, they are still compelled to move and share electrons!"

"Who are?"

"The atoms, of course! If I were to cryogenically freeze them… I bet… the capsules would stabilize! Bardock, thank you. You have helped me in more ways than one. Please, come visit me in six months." He took out a business card with his address. "I'll have gift for you, one you should find interesting. I noticed earlier that your pack seemed quite heavy. How would you like it to be weightless AND compact?"

Bardock had been about to protest that his pack wasn't heavy, he wasn't weak like these humans. But then the scientist mentioned compact, and that piqued him. His pack could hold him back in a fight. If it were smaller… and hadn't this man said something about shrinking stuff? Maybe there was something to this science after all.

So six months had passed, and out of curiosity he visited the man. He was given a tiny capsule, and told to push a button on the end. He did so and jumped back in shock. It erupted into smoke. Apparently the device had malfunctioned. And then the smoke cleared, and there right before him was a six-by-four foot container.

"Put your pack in."

Bardock did as instructed. Briefs hit a button. And the container shrunk once more in a pile of smoke, and Briefs held a capsule in his hand.

"Your pack is still in there," he said, and tossed the capsule to Bardock. "It's my way of saying thanks."

Bardock was shocked. Why, he could fit all manner of things in there: Extra clothes, a sleep-roll, and most importantly, food. He hefted the capsule. It had none of the weight from his pack. He thanked Briefs and quickly left. It was the night of the full moon. He didn't want to repay this man's kindness by trampling his house.

* * *

He shook off his head to ward off the memory, and went down the stairs to eat a small meal. He would hunt for more food, later, of course. These small meals humans ate would never fill a Saiyjin. 


	4. Ch 03

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**_Beta'd__ by _Silence's Siren**

**Chapter 3**

Forest Trail

Year 686

Bardock headed steadily west, trekking across endless wood and undergrowth, alert for any danger. These woods hid him, yes, but they hid many threats as well. But they were hard-pressed to hold silence, as evidenced by that rustle not ten paces behind him. Bardock turned, warily. It could just as easily be a deer or some other animal. He sniffed the wind and picked out the distinctive scent of humans. He picked his way carefully and silently. If there was to be a confrontation it would be on his grounds, where from the shadows of the forest he could take out his foe on by one. As he suspected, the humans followed him.

He sniffed again. One smelled male. But the female, her scent, was strange. He would say it was more an absence of scent than anything else. Bardock frowned. He had thought there were three of them. One of which, was almost… Saiyjin. He almost laughed. He must have smelled himself! He supposed he could use a bath.

The two people made their way through the thick growth. Bardock smiled. He would have the drop on them for sure. Then the woman looked directly at him, almost startling him from his perch. No, not a woman… a young girl. But her scent had held such age… And why did she look familiar?

"If you're planning to attack them, may I suggest you don't?" a young boy said icily. Bardock looked behind him, and gasped. He had not smelled him because he was downwind, and he had not heard him at all. Bardock took a good look. He was so much like a Saiyjin! But that was impossible. This planet was littered with humans, a backwater with no space technology to speak of.

Bardock dropped his stance, but was no less ready to fight. "Who are you?"

It was the young man who answered. "My name is Gohan. These are my companions, Mie, and Kakorott."

Bardock turned to face the boy.

"Kakorott?" he demanded, wariness crept into his voice.

"I am named after a Kakorott, as I am of his line," he said carefully, managing to tell the truth and yet lie at the same time.

Bardock's eyes widened ever so slightly. "I…see…"

"I'm sure you do," Mie said evenly. "As I can see you too, are a Saiyjin."

Bardock fell back into a ready position that would allow him to attack in any direction, without actually entering a martial arts stance.

"My friends tell me you seek a challenge…" Gohan spoke, cautiously.

"And you would supply this challenge?"

"Yes. But not in the way you would think."

"Then what are you trying to say? I don't have all day."

"We are after a powerful being, a wizard. Interested?" Mie asked.

"Perhaps. What is it you want of me?"

"We would like you to join us, to fight with us."

"Against this wizard?"

"Yes."

Bardock eyed Kakorott carefully. He was a Saiyjin, and yet did not seem excited to see another, to say the least. He was a mystery. Why was he here, and reluctant to meet with another of his own kind? Had he run away, maybe? Scorn filled his heart. Saiyjins never ran, and Kakorott almost seemed to want to fight him. No, this boy would not run. This mystery intrigued Bardock, and he had nothing better to do. This wizard sounded like a good fight, at least. And he wanted to study Kakorott more, the boy who claimed to be of his brother's line.

"I will fight with you," he decided.

"Good," Mie nodded. "We must move north."

The others followed her without hesitation. It seemed she was the leader of the group. It made little sense, but few things did anymore. Bardock shrugged it off and played along. It would be easier to see their motivations if they were the ones in control.

"Since we are all here, with two Saiyjins, perhaps it would be safe to use the roads? We can handle any bandits that come our way, and make better time," Kakorott said.

"Alright, the road is this way." Mie led them in a slightly different direction. "And we will teach Gohan how to fly tomorrow, when his energy is at his peak after resting."

Gohan looked up, surprised, with a twinge of disbelief. But he did not question it. Bardock reasoned the human either he had great faith in the girl, as humans in general did not believe in such things, or was waiting until morning to find out whether it was possible or not.

By the time twilight had fallen they had pushed through several more miles until they reached an old, battered road that had seen little use these last centuries. It was barely distinguishable yet was poisoned with enough octane and burnt rubber so that wild life had yet to reclaim it.

"Let's not bother setting up a proper camp. I have canned food, and I doubt on a night so clear and warm as this that we will need to bother with firewood."

>

The next morning came quickly for the travelers, and true to her word, Mie started teaching Gohan to fly. He already knew how to manipulate Ki, and even Psi, so getting him to concentrate energy downward was not very difficult. But he would not be able to go very far or very fast until his energy reserves were built up. Mie intended to do just that. Because there was no sign of Bibidi after a week of aimless travel, it was decided that Mie and Gohan would stay in one place training Gohan to his potential, while Kakorott and Bardock would fly around searching for clues to Bibidi's whereabouts.

It was Bardock who realized that Bibidi would require strong fighters to do his bidding, and so the two Saiyjins sought out any and all rumors of terrifying warriors, occasionally coming back to check on Gohan's progress.

It was on one such trip back that Gohan asked Kakorott if this was how he had learned to fly.

"No," Kakorott said with a smile. "My sensei kept throwing me off cliffs, so learning to fly was a preservation technique more than anything else. I acted on instinct. Besides which, my father had taken me flying many times, even though I had never flown myself."

Gohan was improving. While it would take him too long to build endurance and gain enough inner-strength, he learned to draw on the life around him when he needed to, to replenish himself, and his energy. He hoped one day to put the energy directly into a Ki attack. Mie assured him this was possible, and had been done before, though with great difficulty and equally great consequences.

Two weeks into this routine, Bardock and Kakorott were out once more. They had heard of a warrior called Gendu, who was pillaging the local villages. They had arrived three days before but had found no trace of the warrior.

They set down in the remains of a town, the ruin at least a week old. Wind rustled the grass and laundry that still hung on the clothesline. Whatever happened here happened so quickly, there hadn't been any warning.

A noise from the trees pushed Kakorott into a fighting stance, but nothing attacked. Deciding to investigate, he headed carefully over to the bushes, extending his senses as he did so. He could tell someone was there, probably human, from their low energy. When he was six feet away, the bushes parted, and out ran a very scared man, of about thirty.

"Hold on, there!" the demi-Saiyjin called out. "We're not going to hurt you. Please, just tell us what's going on."

He flew out in front of the man, only succeeding in scaring him more.

"You – you're just like them! You can fly just like th- they can!" the man sputtered. He fell to the grass. Bardock flew up behind him and landed gently. The man quickly turned so he could keep an eye on both of them.

"Who are 'they'?" Bardock demanded.

"They came and took everyone away! Not a soul… if I hadn't been out of the house from visiting, I would have been caught too! Please, please don't take me. I'll do anything, anything you ask!"

"Who are they?" Kakorott repeated. "What did they look like?"

"Um… there was a group of them…they wore white, some sort of uniform. And they all had a mark on their forehead."

"What kind of mark?" Bardock wanted to know.

"I don't know. I was too far away."

"How long ago did this happen?" Bardock cocked his head to the side, just a fraction.

Kakorott looked at Bardock strangely. They could already tell from the clothes on the laundry line, and other telltale signs. Bardock ignored him.

"Yes- yesterday."

That was a lie. So how had Bardock known? Kakorott very carefully listened as intently as Bardock seemed to. If he strained his senses he could almost hear the man's heartbeat. It was irregular, as though he were nervous. _As though he were lying_, Kakorott thought to himself with a sigh.

"Then why are you still here?" Bardock took a menacing step forward. "If you do not give me the answers I desire, I will torture you until I do. And the answers I want, are the true ones."

The man quivered on the floor. Bardock took another step, hand raised as though to strike. Kakorott grabbed his arm while it was still in the air.

"No," he said firmly. "We do _not_ torture. Ever."

"You might not. But I can, and I will." But he couldn't break Kakorott's vise-like grip. The boy was impossibly strong. Finally, Bardock attacked with his first two fingers on his right hand, right at the root of where a Saiyjin's tail would be, jamming them into the highly sensitive area. Kakorott fell limp to the ground.

Bardock nodded. He had thought this kid not might really be a Saiyjin, as there shouldn't be any others on this backwater, but this confirmed the truth. The root was a sensitive spot in all Saiyjin children that would disappear around their tenth year. It was there so parents could control their children when they became too rambunctious, without the parents having to go into a time-consuming fight. Of course, parents passed their hands lightly over the root (by Saiyjin standards), and the child would only be paralyzed a moment.

He looked to the human cowering in front of him. The man's eyes widened in fear. He scurried away by a few feet. Bardock turned his attention back to Kakorott. It would take two hours for the boy to recover. He had struck him hard, and wondered if he should leave him there. Deciding that nothing would be able to hurt him, he planned on just abandoning him to find his own way back to camp.

He once more turned his attention to the human fodder. Kakorott's hand reached out slightly, but quickly returned to fetal position. Bardock didn't notice. He picked the human up by the lapel of his shirt and shook him, hard. "Who are you and who do you work for?"

The man said nothing, too afraid even to speak. Unfortunately, Bardock thought he was just being obstinate. He threw the man, very lightly, for a Saiyjin, at least. He didn't want to kill their only lead. He walked over to the crumpled heap, at a measured, stately pace, designed to increase fear and to loosen the tongue. He reached the man and arched an eyebrow. The man just quivered and huddled deeper into a ball. So Bardock kicked him, and he landed twenty yards away into a pool of water.

The shock seemed to jerk him from his fear and he ran as fast as he could, while Bardock maintained his careful gait. And even so, he was catching up when the man fell down and rebounded. In front of him stood a giant of a man. He wore a white robe, and an **M** was encrusted on his forehead.

The man crawled away from him as quickly as he had run from Bardock, who had stopped to watch the proceedings. _So_, he thought. _This must be Gendu_.

Gendu raised his palm, and after a few blips of energy as it gathered, a Ki ball shot out and hit the nameless human square in the chest. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

"Who are you?" Bardock was certain he knew the answer, but it was best to check. And it was best not to give a name, lest the man pretend to be Gendu while the real one skulked about somewhere.

"I am Gendu, weakling."

Bardock bristled at the comment but he could deal with his pride later. Information was important right now. "Where is your leader?"

"As a being so superior to yourself, you don't even have the right to know."

"And there is no way you would tell me?" he asked lightly, getting ready to position himself in a stance, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.

"If you defeat me, I can tell you the name and whereabouts of my superior."

"And is he the head of your organization?"

"How clever. He is not. But he can lead you to him."

"Fair enough. I'm done with chit-chatting," he said as he did a few stretches and scanned the battlefield. All hills. "How about you?"

"Alright." And without further ado, Gendu attacked.

>

Kakorott could feel Bardock's energy beginning to pale, while whomever he was fighting changed not one whit. He tried to move, but whatever his grandfather had done to him left him as good as paralyzed. Whenever he tried to move, pain would shoot through his muscles like electricity through a conduit. But his grandfather's life force was fading fast, and if it disappeared, there would be no hope for his own existence. For the Universe itself, even. Paradox and time travel did _not_ mix.

Kakorott groaned with the effort of pushing himself to his elbows, then to his knees. Waves of dizziness passed over him and it took all his effort not to pass out for good.

>

Bardock did all he could to block the onslaught of blows. At the beginning of the battle, they had been evenly matched, but where Gendu's punches did damage, Bardock's did not. He fought the dizziness that came over him, refusing to lose to a mere human, no matter how extraordinary that human might be. He stiffened his knees, and though he could barely see, he went in with a hard left. His vision cleared as he felt his fist strike flesh, and indeed, he had caught Gendu's cheek. The man turned back to him and smiled. There wasn't so much as a welt.

Gendu clasped his hands together for a sideswipe, that pushed Bardock into a hill, and he stayed there. He struggled to get to his feet, but his legs wouldn't obey his mind. Gendu readied energy in his hand again. He had had enough fun.

"Gendu Gun!" he yelled, and Bardock saw shining white energy race toward him. Despite himself, he closed his eyes and looked away, unable to look death in the face for a second time.

Death took a long time in coming. Bardock opened his eyes, and they widened in shock. Kakorott stood in front of him, arms crossed to block the attack. He had shielded Bardock with his own body! But he should still be out for another hour and forty-five minutes. Bardock was filled with a sense of guilt. Here he had attacked the boy, and despite the pain he had to be in, had risked his own life for the Saiyjin's. He owed this boy; he owed him a great deal.

Kakorott lowered his arms to his side and entered into a fighting stance. While waiting for the smoke to clear, Gendu relaxed his guard. The human had no warning, and Kakorott used that to his advantage by a quick attack.

Kakorott punched Gendu in the face, sending him flying, before phasing out behind him and leveling a kick at Gendu's lower backside, sending him in another direction and flipping him so his stomach was facing down. Kakorott once more phased out and in right under Gendu, delivering a heavy punch to the gut. Gendu bent double and fell to the ground.

Kakorott turned and jogged over to where Bardock lay.

"Still alive?" he asked, his voice cold.

"Yeah. Still kicking." Bardock's eyes widened, and that was all the warning Kakorott had as he whipped his head around in time to see that Gendu had somehow gotten up and was rushing him with a powerful right hook. Gendu punched Kakorott hard in the face, working the boy's jaw around.

Before he hit a hillside he righted himself and hit the ground feet first, skidding a few yards before his momentum bled out. _Idiot_, he thought to himself. _I should have sensed his energy rise_. He checked Gendu's Ki, and it was up to full strength, though his body still bore the fruits of Kakorott's attacks. _It must be Bibidi, replenishing his warriors with a great deal of energy. But that also means he's using energy meant for Majin Buu. He's banking on my losing and making up for the loss with the energy I expend on this battle. I need to end this, fast. If I keep this up, Gendu will become more wasteful than useful, and Bibidi will be forced to stop supplying him with energy._

Gendu attacked with a series of kicks, all of which Kakorott blocked with his left arm before trapping Gendu's left leg with both arms and twisting. Gendu used his Ki to orient himself with his leg, keeping it in its socket. He went to kick Kakorott's head with his free right leg, but Kakorott threw Gendu's still-trapped leg in the air and unbalanced him, allowing Kakorott to elbow Gendu on the side of his ribcage.

Gendu just managed to block, and while he held Kakorott's elbow with his left hand he punched with his right. It connected with Kakorott's face, but he countered with a kick to Gendu's legs, using Gendu's hold on him to pound the man's head into the hill.

The two separated for a quick breather. Kakorott would have glared at Bardock except it would have meant taking his eyes off Gendu. _If he hadn't attacked me like that, I'd be able to move about more freely, more quickly. Gendu would have been defeated within my first two attacks._ He shook off the thought. What ifs did no good and didn't change the situation.

They ran towards each other and traded blows once more, but Kakorott forced himself to gain the upper hand. Fighting evenly, Bibidi would see no reason to cut Gendu loose from his energy supply. As much as it hurt, Kakorott raised his Ki and dealt a series of powerful, Ki enhanced blows that left Gendu broken and bleeding. Kakorott readied a Ki attack, but there was no need. Gendu's energy was dropping.

"Where is your master?" Kakorott demanded. A groan escaped from Gendu's lips as he laid his head on the ground. Kakorott sensed an energy wash over Gendu, stealing the last of his life. It was almost identical to what he had felt at the Tenkai Boudakai. _If that was Babidi, this must be Bibidi_. Kakorott reached out to try to sense what direction the energy was coming from. It was a wide band, but he made out the general direction and fixed it in his mind. He felt his body slump to the ground now that the battle was over, but he forced himself up again just as quickly. He walked over to Bardock and spoke quietly.

"If you ever do that to me again, I will kill you." Never mind he was Kakorott's grandfather. After all, Bardock didn't need to know that, and threats were all that would work with a Saiyjin. Bardock nodded weakly.

"You have the right to kill me now, if you wish," he said, submitting himself to Kakorott's judgment. Kakorott raised a palm and gathered Ki. This time Bardock did not look away as a ball of energy crossed the distance between them. Imagine his surprise when he felt strength return to his limbs and found himself able to stand and even to fly.

"What did you do?" he asked, startled.

"I gave you some of my own energy. You're needed, or we would never have recruited you."

"Thank you."

Kakorott turned his head as though he couldn't stand the sight of the Saiyjin. _And_, Bardock thought, _perhaps he can't_. Bardock wouldn't blame him, certainly not after his own treachery. But then he glanced towards Gendu's swiftly cooling corpse and was filled with pride at Kakorott's strength and will. This boy was of his brother's line. And he had done that. He smiled as Kakorott rose in the air and headed back towards camp, and followed after.


	5. Ch 04

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 4**

Campfire

Year 686

Night was falling as Mie looked up to see Kakorott and Bardock flying towards her, battered. She had sensed them battle one of Bibidi's underlings two hours before, but had felt they could handle it. She had scanned their minds and even though Kakorott had been hurting from Bardock's attack, there were things they needed to work out between them. Mie's interfering in the battle would have interfered with that as well. Studying their faces she decided that they had made the first step in trust and acknowledging the other as an equal.

"Kakorott, come over here so I can heal you. You too, Bardock."

Kakorott approached and declined. His wounds were really minimal, and the pain from Bardock's attack had worn off. Bardock looked ready to follow Kakorott's lead when the boy spoke up. "Your wounds are far worse than mine, and though my energy helped a bit you should still have a proper healing."

Mie went to Bardock and healed him before he could move.

"And you shouldn't?" she asked.

A bit disgruntled, Kakorott hobbled over to Mie and she laid her hands on him. He felt a life giving energy wash over him; rejuvenate him. Mie smiled, inwardly. He was trying to be the dominant male. Those were his Saiyjin instincts. While they might cause a little friction now, they would be of great use later, in the serious battles. _Provided this little fissure is worn over_, Mie thought. _But I'll see to that myself if I have to_.

"I could sense Bibidi's general direction when he relinquished Gendu. I'm sure we'll hone in on him the closer we get to him."

"Do you know how far away he is?"

"No. The energy faded too quickly for my senses to follow. How is Gohan doing?"

"Very well. He has a knack for drawing on foreign energy."

"Will that make him susceptible to Bibidi?" he asked, a trifle alarmed.

"If anything, it will help him reject Bibidi. He'll be able to recognize it sooner and fight it off."

"Good," Kakorott nodded. "Perhaps we should learn how to do this as well."

Mie hesitated. "You Saiyjin's are too hotheaded, and I would have to think, due to your nature, it would only make you more vulnerable. But if you like, I will practice taking over your mind so you could make out an intruder and fend him off."

Kakorott had a feeling she wasn't telling him everything, but he didn't look into it. He wasn't about to question one of the gods. "I would like that. I'd feel better prepared."

"In the morning then, before breakfast."

"Alright. Bardock, will you be joining us?"

"It can't hurt," the Saiyjin agreed.

"Actually, it can, and it will. But you'll thank me for it, I'm sure. At any rate, if he wasn't before, Bibidi is surely aware of our presence by now. You three have worked hard today, so I'll take the first watch. Gohan will take the second, Kakorott third, Bardock fourth. Agreed?"

They all nodded their assent.

"Good. Now go to bed. I'm sure we'll see some fighting tomorrow."

>

The night passed without commotion. It was four thirty in the morning when Mie woke her young companion. She gestured to Bardock, who was on watch, and Kakorott to sit in front of her, cross-legged. They were silent so as not to wake Gohan, but he roused anyway and offered to set up breakfast. Mie nodded her thanks and she began to teach the others how to ward off a wizard. She started with Kakorott.

"I am going to invade your minds, one at a time. For the first time, I will warn you, but after that it's up to you to figure out whose mind I'm in. I won't try to take over at first, but just to get you used to recognizing someone else in your mind. The other part comes later."

They nodded.

"I'm ready," Kakorott said.

Without speaking Mie pressed into his mind, practically shouting her presence. She slipped past his natural barriers with practiced ease, selecting his memories and coating her essence on them, but not reading them. She respected the Saiyjin's privacy. As soon as she noticed a guarded corner of his mind, her way was blocked. She couldn't move towards it, only away. She slipped out and back in several times, trying to get close to that box, but Kakorott sensed her every time, and was getting better. Every entry she made he sensed more quickly. Every time she quieted her presence he seemed that much more alert. Satisfied, she slipped back out. Only fifteen minutes had passed.

She opened her eyes and found Kakorott to be covered in a fine sheen of sweat. She had worked him harder than she meant to, but not that hard. She had this niggling feeling it had to do with those shadows she couldn't get close to, but also felt if she tried to barge her way in she would be thrown violently out. Or unleashing something she didn't want to deal with. _Is that the darkness that he fears within himself? He keeps it locked tight inside, but he put so much power there too, and there was no need for that. I think if he were to use that power he would first have to go through everything dark inside himself. It's as though the power has been building up around, and inside of, that box for a long time. Guarding against all entrance. Even mine._

She shoved off the thought and turned to Bardock. He seemed slightly nervous, having seen how much effort Kakorott put into it. "Bardock, are you ready?"

"Yes," he said decisively. Even if he weren't ready, he'd force himself to be.

Mie closed her eyes once more, not noticing when Kakorott got up to help Gohan with breakfast. Bardock's mind was that of a soldier, far more disciplined than Kakorott's had been. In that sense it was easier for him to find Mie, but it was also easier for Bardock to evade her mental probes. It seemed as the lesson went on, he got a little bit worse. Mie couldn't figure it out and gave up, pulling out. When the practice was done he was panting ever so slightly.

Meanwhile, Gohan jumped back when Kakorott added a tree's worth of firewood to the small campfire he had been preparing the morning stew over.

"We're going to need a lot more food than that," the boy declared. He and Bardock hadn't had a decent Saiyjin meal since the start of this whole thing and Kakorott was determined to set that to rights. His stomach just couldn't take it any more.

"What are you doing? There's enough for four."

"That isn't even enough for one," he said. "I'll be right back."

In five minutes Kakorott brought back a dead deer, already skinned, and set about preparing a stew in which to cook it. He spotted Gohan's turtle shell, which the man had kept in homage to his master, and to continue to test himself, and flew off to a nearby river.

Gohan was mortified at the use to which the boy was putting his beloved shell, and aghast the amount of food he was making. Deciding to let Mie berate him, as women were far more skilled, he just watched in silent horror.

"Don't worry, old man," Kakorott said with a grin. "Everything will be just perfect, mark my words."

"Old man?" the woodsman sputtered, indignant. "Well, _runt_, you don't know anything about portions, do you? You went to all this work, and most of it will end up in a beast's belly. If you had tried to take the stored food I would've skinned you alive, but because you left our rations well enough alone, I'll ask Mie to go easy on you."

Kakorott grinned as though without a care in the world, and Gohan gave up trying to warn him. But it hurt seeing that much food about to go to waste.

He filled the shell and came back, placing it over the roaring furnace that once was their campfire. As the water boiled he gathered some seasoning herbs he had spied in the forest, and added them to make what he hoped would be a tasty sauce. In three minutes he had the meat off the bone, and added it to the shell. He flash cooked it by carefully putting out waves of heat, made with his Ki. By the time Bardock's lesson was over, the meal was done.

"Breakfast is ready," Kakorott called out. Bardock seemingly recovered in a flash, and was at the fire. Mie could have laughed. _Saiyjin's,_ she thought with a laugh, _will always recover at the promise of food. No wonder he was distracted, what with this wonderful aroma. Kakorott, I should choke you, except I know you didn't do that on purpose._ Her eyes narrowed into slits. _Or _did_ you?_

She noticed Gohan looking skeptical at the large amount of food Kakorott had insisted on preparing, and he glanced back at her. She only grinned and nodded, quietly telling him to just accept it and sit down. He seemed surprised that she would let it go, but thought that seeing all the food left over would be lesson enough for Kakorott. Man was he wrong!

Mie came to the eating area, but wouldn't let them start until she and Gohan had taken what they would want. Gohan was completely baffled by this, wondering why Bardock was being left out. If she were going to make Kakorott eat all the leftover until he burst, that would be punishment. But what had Bardock to do with this?

He found out when his and Mie's plates were full, and she nodded to the other two. "Dig in."

Dig in they did, gobbling food up so fast Gohan could only stare. Mie sat calmly, eating her breakfast, nudging Gohan to finish his up as well. He nodded and ate mechanically, still watching the spectacle before him. He didn't criticize Kakorott for overkill again.

When the meal was over, surprisingly quick as far as Gohan was concerned – there was a lot of food – Kakorott filled them in on what he had sensed, how Gendu's energy was being reinforced, and that any energy they lost in a fight would go directly to reviving the monster, Majin Buu.

They flew east, the direction Kakorott had said Bibidi was from. They agreed to stop in any villages they passed, both to narrow the region they had to search, and to fight any of Bibidi's men that might be there. It would be better to face them one at a time, instead of all at once when they attacked the stronghold. Besides which, the Saiyjin's would only get stronger with every battle.

Idib City

"Papa, papa!" a little girl said as she pulled on the sleeve of her father's plaid cotton shirt. He put down the box of fruits he was carrying to the store for sale.

"What it is, little one?" he asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"After we go to the food store, can we go to the park? They got a new ultra super cool swing set, and monkey bars."

"Alright, but you'll have to work extra hard on your chores when we get home."

"Okay!"

The father once more hefted up the box and slung it so it rested partly on his right shoulder, balanced by his hand. With his left hand he clasped his daughter's. She walked gaily along, skipping and singing a tune.

Then she felt her father's hand yank her down and she let go. She watched time slow down as the box of wares fell off her daddy's shoulder and tumbled to the ground. She put her hand up to her mouth as her father's blood spurted out of a wound in his chest, where a small cone impaled him. It was about two inches long, and an inch in diameter.

"Daddy," she cried out in distress, moving to sit by his side, not even noticing the other people on the street suffering from whatever had hit her dad, too.

"Run," he choked out. "Run, now!"

He shoved her away as a cone came in her direction. It hit him on the arm.

"Don't look back!"

Scared, she could only obey, her feet taking her far away from where she wanted to be. She ran to the park and hid in the branches of a tree Daddy had never let her climb. She watched as a slinky-looking man gathered the cones, crying silent tears all the while.

>

She had stayed in that tree a good long while, not even coming out when her stomach growled. Finally, the sun was going down when she climbed out of her perch. She had to go see her daddy.

She walked along the buildings, peeking behind corners before she would walk out on a new street. Bodies littered the pavement. She recognized her teacher and the principal of her elementary school. Both were motionless.

_But Daddy's okay. Daddy's strong; those stupid cones couldn't hurt him!_ But when she rounded the final bend she saw the fruit still laying where it had fallen, some of it trampled. Her eyes moved of their own will to the still form that had once been her dad. She paused, unable to look away, unable to move forward.

Out of the corner of her vision she saw four people flying down to land on the street. She ducked back behind the corner, afraid. The little girl watched from the shadows as they spoke. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she didn't dare move any closer.

>

Mie and Kakorott had been flying in front, followed by Bardock while Gohan took the rear, when the came across the city of Idib. They set down to figure out just what had happened.

Gohan looked around. The buildings were not devastated, the land untouched. Only the people were hurt.

"What could have done this?" he whispered out loud.

He walked over to the body of a fallen man, surrounded by fruit, and put his arm on the man's back.

"Get away from my daddy!"

They all looked up to see a little girl, about seven years old, step from around the corner. She was crying and ran over to her father, hitting Gohan on the hand until he stepped back.

"This man is your daddy?" he asked, gently.

The girl sniffled, and nodded yes. Gohan dug into his pack and took out a handkerchief. He bent down to his knee and dried her tears, putting the hanky over the girls nose, instructing her. "Blow."

He waited until she was all done before placing it back in his pocket. The girl sobbed suddenly, and threw her arms around Gohan's neck, weeping uncontrollably.

"There, there," he said, rocking and comforting her as best he could.

Mie walked over. "They're still alive."

"Huh?" he looked up at her, still rocking the child. She stopped sniffing, and hope came back into her eyes.

"They've been drained of much energy, but they are still alive. Perhaps there is still a chance to save them. If we can find the stolen energy, we may be able to reinsert it inside of them." She looked at the girl, and asked her, "Little one, what is your name?"

"Malan," she replied.

"Well, Malan. Can you tell us what happened?"

"My daddy fell and he was bleeding. There was a cone in his chest, and another hit his arm," she said, pointing to the spot. "Then a man came and collected all the cones. I ran and hid in a tree, like daddy said."

"Was he dressed in white, with an **M** emblazoned on his forehead?" Bardock asked. The girl burst into tears again at the sound of his rough voice. Gohan glared at him and he stepped back.

"Don't worry, he's a lot nicer than he sounds," Kakorott assured her. She stopped crying at this but remained silent.

Gohan repeated the question. "Was he dressed in white, with an **M** on his forehead?"

"Uh-huh. But he wore a weird green. It was dirty, though. There was gray and brown on it, too."

"But he had the **M**," Mie confirmed.

"Yes."

"Alright, let's go find him and get that energy back" As Mie started to organize them, Gohan stood up and released the little girl, prepared to take off in the direction he had been assigned. The little girl grasped his leg and wouldn't let go.

Gohan looked at Mie, pleading silently. He didn't want to leave the child alone. She was frightened, and very distraught. She nodded.

"Take her with you, but team up with Kakorott. You two search the north side of town; Bardock and I will take the south. We know he has to be here somewhere, or we'd have sensed him take flight."

"It will be dangerous for Malan if we have to battle. Maybe there's another way," Kakorott argued.

"What?"

Not answering, Kakorott cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Flying Nimbus!" he called out, but not too loudly. Within moments a puffy yellow cloud came into view, stopping in front of the boy. "Nimbus, will you let Malan ride you?"

The cloud went up and down, as if shaking its head yes. It then lowered itself so the girl could climb on without jumping. It held: she didn't fall through.

"Nimbus, hang back from Bardock and me, close enough so you're in sight, but far enough away of there's trouble so neither of you will get hurt, okay?"

Nimbus nodded again.

"Let's move out," Mie ordered, and move out they did.

They went slowly, stretching out their senses and straining their eyes for any sign of someone down below on the streets.


	6. Ch 05

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 5**

Idib City

Year 686

Mie and Bardock decided to split up, keeping their Kis low. If they detected an enemy they would raise it, thus signaling the other to come help. Mie veered off to the southwest while Bardock took a more eastern direction.

Mie stretched her senses to their fullest, searching in futility for anything that resembled Bibidi's taint. Her mind washed over the familiar sensations that were Gohan, Kakorott and Bardock. She directed her search downward. Her quary would not be flying unless he wanted to be seen.

But even as her sphere of awareness reached out, her mind could not help but turn inward, knowing anything out of the normal would rouse her from her musings.

* * *

Mie walked down a long stretch of endless road, whiteness surrounding her, though for one trained in Ki and Psi, it was easy enough to pierce the veil and see through to the visions beyond it. The Corridor of Time held many secrets to those who knew its workings. It was a thing, not truly of Time, but of the Kai's attempt to control Time, to Order it. They had been only halfway successful. But that was of no concern to her, now. Now, she needed its knowledge – she needed to know what happened many millennia hence, when her grandfather had been but a boy himself. 

Suddenly she stopped, at a place seemingly no different than any other in the eternal hallway, and yet she knew without learning that this was what she sought.

* * *

Bardock flew quickly, distancing himself from Mie, but slowed down just as soon as he realized it. He didn't want to miss the enemy, and going at the speeds he was going, with his limited mind sensing abilities, would not be a good thing at all. He fixed his incredible Saiyjin eyesight on the ground below, but it was not the ground he saw.

* * *

_Kakorott raced forward, Ki bomb at the ready. Gohan hung to the side and Bardock himself was to the left. They skulked down the hall towards their destination… a circular room wherein their enemy lay waiting._

_Smoke suddenly poured forth from the room, and the evil sense coming from it grew immensely. He wanted to run, but his honor wouldn't let him. He had to do this, he knew, more fiercely than he had ever known anything in his life, and faced the enemy with strong determination._

_But before he could move, death met him at the wayside. Gohan fell, life's blood pooling on the ground beside his still form, eyes still round in shock. Bardock reeled at the force of the blow, a powerful wind forced him back, and he couldn't resist for much longer. Then there was blackness, and agony, and then a blinding light…_

_

* * *

No, no, no, no, no! He shook the vision off with wild shaking of his head. It would not come true; he would not go crazy… he couldn't die again! If his death was the result of this quest, perhaps he should abandon it. Fear stilled the thought before it was even completed in his mind. He knew with certain dread that to run from this mission would be worse than anything. He had his pride, after all. It was only his pride that kept him from running. Nothing, nothing whatsoever to do with those- _

With a long sigh he pushed the errant thoughts away and focused solely on finding the latest servant of the wizard.

>

Gohan flew, albeit unsteadily, so as to be high enough to glimpse the vast region yet close enough to see the area clearly. Kakorott stayed at his side, giving advice.

"You need to stabilize your energy output," he said. "Make it so you exert Ki equally under yourself, but buffer your backside, too, against the winds."

"Birds make it look so easy," Gohan said with a grin.

Kakorott laughed. "Yeah, well, they have wings. We don't… unless there's something you're not telling me?"

"And they use air currents, too. Should we be doing that?"

"Nah. We move too fast; they make no difference to us. Hell, we _create_ wind currents."

"Think so?"

"Remember when we flew over the battle sight and there were some strange, long, shallow grooves in the ground?"

"That was from wind?"

"Yep. Power like we have is very destructive, even if we don't want it to be. But even so, it's still safe to fly in the cities. Building codes demand that the walls can withstand tornado-level winds. Ready to go faster?"

"Sure."

They sped up, Kakorott scanning the ground, but Gohan was having trouble seeing around the tears the harsh winds drew from his eyes.

"Ack." He veered off course to the right and slowed down, rubbing furiously at the moisture. "How can you stand it?"

"I keep a tight Ki shield just millimeters from my body, to protect my clothes and my eyes. Just expand your aura – you already had one up, or your gi would have been torn to shreds. Enlarge it to protect your face a little."

Gohan stilled and focused on his power, bringing it to the fore, but instead of concentrating it into an energy bomb, he distilled it around his person.

"That's better," Kakorott commented. "But you take too long. And you dull your other senses so you can focus. That could be deadly."

"It's the only way I know."

"Then you need to practice until it's as natural as breathing." Suddenly Kakorott's voice cut off. "See that?"

Gohan scanned the area when Kakorott stopped, the boy's eyes darting around, his Psi expanding as he searched for unnatural energies.

"No," the warrior replied.

"His energy's muted," the demi-Saiyjin mused. "It's bright out; there's nowhere to hide," he continued as they floated over the region. Then his eyes widened and he drew Gohan behind a building with blinding speed, not giving the man a chance to speak.

"What are you doing? I thought he was back there!"

"No, he's down there," Kakorott pointed to a round manhole in the street.

"The sewers?"

"Remember what Malan said about the man's clothes? I bet that green was grime from the waste. Besides, there's nowhere else to hide. You go down this entrance, I'll take the other. Nimbus, go high and keep Malan safe."

Gohan nodded and lifted the grate.

"Keep your Ki in check. They might have scouters or be able to sense you. Same for sounds; these things echo."

"And you know this how?" Gohan really wasn't sure he wanted an aswer.

"It's a round, hollow, metal tube. Of course it's going to echo. If you're in trouble, boost your Ki. I'll the same."

Kakorott left and Gohan quickly lowered himself into the sewer, gagging at the stench. Fortunately, whatever system of government took care of waste disposal kept lights running across the ceiling in case of emergencies. Gohan wouldn't have to fight in the dark.

He crept forward, wincing as the swoosh of water around his feet made him feel like he was all but announcing his presence. He could hover over it, of course, but he didn't want to raise his Ki. He made his way forward as quickly as he dared, keeping himself as close to the side of the pipe as possible. He knew echoes were most likely in the center of a hollow.

Eventually he came to a fork and had to make a decision: Right, left or straight? He stretched out with his senses as far as he could, hoping to pick up the faintest trace of an aura. What he found surprised him; the life force was warped – no surprise there – but it was powerful! How anyone could be that strong…

Gohan withheld a gasp. There, in the man's right hand, was the source of the warped, powerful energy he had felt! He realized it was the energy gathered from the people of the village; the man himself had little power compared to that. Not that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with, but he wasn't out of Gohan's league.

Before Gohan could attack, the man pulled out a communicator, and a voice spoke from it very quietly. The man held it purposely to the edge of the tunnel; apparently he too knew about the echo. Gohan couldn't hear a thing. For whatever reason, Gohan got the feeling it was important. Grimacing as he pulled himself into the muck so only his nose and ears were above water, he crawled closer to the stranger.

_"How many kilis of energy have you taken, Kirum?"_

"The _Kienst _reads about fifty kilis, M'Lord," Kirum read from the device in his right hand.

_"That's it? That isn't nearly enough! We need eight hundred more kilis for my project!"_

"It was a very small village, M'Lord. And a weak one, as well."

_"Very well.__ Report back when you have better news for me."_

"Yes, M'Lord."

_"And Kirum?"_

"Yes, M'Lord?"

_"You have an enemy in there."_ With that, the land shifted. It didn't change so much as a wit, but a wave of dark energy passed through it and the people in it; namely Kirum and Gohan. Kirum started looking around for signs of the intruder.

During the course of the conversation, Gohan had taken the chance to set up an attack. Ever so slightly, throughout the conversation, Gohan had been sending bits and blips of his energy to the other side of the man, about thirty yards down. It would be hard doing, but if he could gather the energy into an attack despite the distance, his enemy would turn in that direction, leaving his back exposed to Gohan.

That energy was ready. Quickly, Gohan focused all of the enrgy into a brilliant sphere and hurled it at the man. Kirum barely had time to dodge, and it glanced off his side. As hoped, however, he headed off in the direction the blast had come. Gohan wasted no time and leapt at him. The man went forward with an "oof" of displaced air, but quickly regained his balance.

Gohan's fist struck Kirum hard in the place where he'd been burned. Gohan knew he only had a temporaty advantage, however. This Kirum was stronger and more powerful than he was. If Gohan was to win, he had to use tactics and speed.

A blow out of nowhere made Gohan reedit that last thought. _Scratch that. I'll have to use tactics to win._ They traded hits for a few more rounds, pretty much equal in ability. Kirum had been poorly trained in the martial arts, though his speed and strength allowed him many mistakes, and he endured.

Gohan retreated from another attack, which sent metal flying in all directions and reached out with his mind to see how long it would take Kakorott to reach him. _Surely he can sense me by now._

But there was nothing outside his sphere of awareness. The very earth was dead to his mind. It was like they weren't in the sewers at all, just in a place that mirrored it. But that was impossible; no illusion could be so well created. Kirum picked up the _Kienst_ and stabbed himself with the cone-like end. Suddenly there was an influx of energy into Kirum's body, and Gohan could only wonder at how it was done.

Another fist came flying Gohan's way and he had no more time for introspection. He blocked it with his right arm and distinctly heard a crack. He felt it a heartbeat later as pain flared up in his abused appendage.

Gohan backed away quickly, holding his arm gingerly. _Just a fracture_, he reassured himself, forcing his arm into a fighting position. But Kirum left him no time to gather his wits, kicking him hard in the chest and following through with a strike to his hip. Gohan fell to the muck with a groan.

The abuse continued for a few minutes more, Gohan unable to mount a defense and Kirum carefully bleeding him of energy. At the edge of his consciousness, Gohan realized the energy he lost was going into the _Kienst_, which in turn was entering into Kirum as needed. Gohan closed his eyes in pain and submission.

_Malan__…_ She looked to lost and alone when they stumbled across them. So like another young face Gohan had once known. A blonde haired memory replaced the vision of the red-haired innocent of moments ago. Her village, too, had been haunted by strange and frightful events. Evil appearing where none had formerly been, friends becoming enemies, hatred became the norm. Paranoia and survival were the new rulers of men's heart; Darwin became their new God.

Gohan stirred. He couldn't let it end like this, He couldn't let Malan down, couldn't let himself down by giving up. He reached inside himself, to a place so deep in his heart he never knew it existed. Power came to him; it was so easy. It enveloped him, embraced him, caressed him, gave him strength. He stood, and did not waver despite the blood that poured forth from his injured body, and stared his enemy in the face. It was Kirum who looked away first.

Gohan could not kill this man. To do so would be to kill the villager's chance to be restored. But he could drain him. Gohan knew without learning what he had to do. He reached out to the earth around him, beyond him, though there was no life in this place. Gohan breached the barrier holding this dimension together and reached the life on the other side. He gathered that energy into himself, reflected it into the man, the monster whose life he sought. Gohan channeled the enrgy into Kirum, _purifying_ him of the stolen life he so wrongly took from so many.

Kirum fell gently to the ground. No life coursed through his veins.

Gohan fell, but was steadied by the enrgy that came back to him that Kirum had taken for his own use. The aura of darkness once again washed over him, but this time in retreat. He felt the illusion disappear and he was once more firmly in the world of men and life. He leaned into the cold metal behind him, only able to shiver. The damage that had been done in that false place did not exist here. Kirum's corpse lay a few feet away in a heap, and the remaining energy was once again drawn into that strange contraption.

Gohan knew he should get up, go find the others, but for the life of him he could not move. Fortunately, he didn't have to. The others were waiting for him. Without speaking, Mie rushed to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder. Life spread through him with a gentle touch, soothing his hurts, replacing adrenaline with a comforting weariness. Gohan wanted only to sleep.

Sleep he did, as Mie eased his mind from the waking world. Bardock picked him up and carried him out of the sewer. Mie and Kakorott followed quickly. Mie took the _Kienst_ and turned a few knobs. Within minutes the villagers were coming to, wondering what had happened and where the time had gone. Few seemed to remember having been attacked.

Kakorott directed Nimbus to land Malan beside her father. The red-haired girl immediately flung herself into her father's arms and cried in joy and relief. The faher looked askance in his confusion, but drew his daughter in even tighter.

The four landed at a small clearning on the outskirts of Idib. Kakorott lit a fire and Gohan was spread out next to it. The demi-Saiyjin then went to Mie, looking for answers.

"What happened in there?" he whispered softly, not wanting to rouse Gohan.

Mie sat in thought for a moment, wondering how she should explain. "Gohan channeled energy from the earth into himself and into his attack. It is related to the Spirit Bomb, only instead of destroying his opponent flat out, he used it to free the trapped Ki."

"Who taught him that?"

"No one taught him, youngling. To know without learning – it is called Intuition. All life forms have it, to a varying degree."

"Why did freeing the Ki cause that man die? And why wasn't I able to reach them?"

"The man relied too heavily on borrowed energy, so the shock of it leaving his system, of having to sustain his energy level with only his own power, was too much for his body to handle. That is why he died.

"As for not reaching them, they had been transported into another plane of existence. It was one very close to our own, and likely done to ensure that Gohan would have to face that man on his own, eliminating him. Bibidi must be frightened of what Gohan can do." Mie smiled in vicious glee, unnerving the six year old boy. "Bibidi is right to be afraid."


	7. Ch 06

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 6**

The fire's embers burned very slowly, and the burning wood lent a pleasant scent to the camp. Gohan had done nothing but stare at the flames since he awoke.

"What troubles you?" Mie sidled up next to him on the forest ground.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of how beautiful the fire is, how pure."

"Everything is beautiful in its purest state. It is also most dangerous in such times." Mie shifted her weight on the ground and continued, "The fire provides us with many services. It provides light for us to see, a way to cook our meals. At this distance it provides us with warmth. But too close, its heat will cease to be a comfort; we would be burned.

"Fire is also something that can never be completely controlled. There is always the chance of it slipping away from our command and destroying everything in its path."

Gohan nodded. He understood what Mie was saying, and what she was really saying. Ki was a dangerous concentration of energy. The way he had used it earlier had opened his eyes to the truth. Ki could be used to protect and secure, but it was so easy to forget to harness it completely. Once Ki slipped out of the user's mental grasp it went wild, and no telling what it would do once released. Harm was all but assured to the user and those around him.

"And yet," Mie continued softly, almost too softly for Gohan to hear. "Purity is where we choose to dwell. It is that sacred place inside our souls, where not even the gods gain entry without it being granted, that we can only access ourselves if trained in meditation. When we are there we look into our own hearts, and the truth may blind us forever if it is something we cannot bear inside ourselves."

Gohan didn't realize Mie's gaze had drifted to their youngest companion. "Yet without that self-discovery, it is impossible to be free of that horrible truth."

A few feet away, unnoticed by the other campers, Bardock lay in the shade of a tree, fast asleep. He twitched and moaned softly in his dreaming state, wincing every so often and turning away as though to hide from something.

Indeed, Bardock did dream if dark things. His mind filled with horrifying visions, of things so utterly _wrong_ and filled with taint.

(o)

Another blaze of dark emotion swept past the ever changing vista, which Bardock's mind interpreted as color. Deep purples, blues and blacks coated the bleak landscape of his dream. Fear, shame and hate ran rampant in Bardock's mind, but he could not convince himself to face these dreadful heartstrings.

Windows hovered in the clouds that made up this nightmarish reality, but Bardock refused to see them._ I won't go mad! _a voice yelled overhead, and belatedly, Bardock recognized it as his own. He wouldn't give in to it, would not even acknowledge it existed once he awoke.

_Why?_ the wind whispered in his ear, also speaking in Bardock's voice as he struggled to avoid all sensation in this land. _Why now? The visions never came upon me with such force. _A violent tremor ran through Bardock's being. _Illusions! _he yelled inside his own mind. _They aren't visions, they're illusions!_

(o)

When the sunlight finally creaped onto Bardock's face, he rose with relief. Rubbing a hand over his tired eyes, he wearily tried to rid himself of the sleepy sensation.

"Tired?" Kakorott asked him as he passed Bardock on his way to the lake.

Immediately, Bardock stifled a yawn and forced his back straight before replying. "No."

Kakorott nodded, not seeing the lie for what it was. A few minutes later, Bardock followed him for a quick dip to jumpstart his system. Feeling refreshed, he made his way to the camp, where Mie decapsulated breakfast.

"Where'd that come from?" Kakorott asked lightly.

"The village elder came by earlier and gave it to me as thanks for helping them. It's nothing grand, but I thought we could use the break from making our own."

The Saiy-jins sat down eagerly. Small meal or no, it looked wondrously delicious. Besides, they only needed huge meals to replenish their energy after a battle. A half hour later they were done, and Mie started to explain the situation.

"When Gohan fought Bibidi's man, I tried to get a lock on the wizard's whereabouts to no avail. Kirum replenished his own energy from what he had gathered; Bibidi had no need to send any aid, beyind that of locking them in another realm. So we can either continue on this course that Gohan sensed, and will probably find many traps littering the path, or we can try to find another way of locating Bibidi. Any suggestions?" she looked around the group during her speech, but for whatever reason her gaze settled on Bardock as she spoke the last. No one else noticed, and Bardock thought it strange. _It must have been my imagination_, he decided. Still, the unsettled feeling in his stomach would not go away. Were he ten years younger he would have fidgeted.

"None," Gohan stated firmly, and Kakorott echoed the sentiment.

"Bardock?" Mie asked gently.

"No," he replied, and wished his voice were as steady as Gohan's. Still, Mie didn't press the issue and left him alone.

Mie stood and set to leave. "Then we have no course but to investigate the next village we come to. I'm sure Bibidi will have left us a surprise."

The men followed quickly after, and Gohan spoke. "I think the next city we'll encounter is Amund Valley."

"How do you know?" Kakorott inquired.

"I saw a map of this region not too long ago. But it's in a more westerly position."

"All right, that's where we'll head. But we'll enter discreetly, landing a few miles outside the village and hiking it the rest of the way so Bibidi's men don't see us."

Three hours later they saw the outskirts of town and landed on the edge of the forest.

"Remember to keep your Ki down," Mie advised. "We don't want to forwarn anyone who might be waiting for us."

"I think we ought to stick together in there, after what happened last time," Gohan stated.

"You're right," Mie agreed. "We'll stay within sight of each other."

"Agreed," the others said simultaneously.

"So it's settled," Mie said. "Let's start walking."

It really wasn't that far a hike to town. It was a hill-filled region, so they'd been able to land pretty close. After a fifteen minutes walk they'd reached the valley. The isolation and topography of the area reminded Bardock strongly of home, though home had held far less green than this. The man could only scoff at the stupidy at whatever led man to build a town in such an undefendable place as this. Everyone knew to go for the high ground; if attacked here, the enemy would have the advantage, needing only to charge down, and airborne weapons would easily penetrate the village defenses – were there any to penetrate. Were these men fools?

Bardock shrugged off the thought; it wasn't his problem, and this wasn't home. After all this time on Earth, he had to some degree become accustomed to peace. Seeing such a likeness to his home reminded Bardock he was soldier, and brought back all the instincts that went with it. It had been so long since he thought of territorial and land-based warfare that he was caught off guard by how easily his mind once more took up the trappings of a military man.

They reached the town and gawked at the people who were going about on normal, everyday lives. _They haven't been attacked? Is Bibidi unaware of this village's existence? I thought we'd find clues here to lead us to Bibidi… Still, I'm glad these people are unharmed_, Mie thought silently.

Shrugging to each other they entered the town and found their way to the local inn. Upon entering, Gohan stepped up to the counter and leased two rooms: One for the kids, the other for the adults. Afterwards, they wandered around town for a while looking for anything unconscious but found no one. They returned to the inn at lunchtime and found only one other customer there, sititng in the corner at a table for one.

The four sat down at a booth and a server came over. She looked to have a mind for gossip, because as soon as she took their order she started talking about the inn's other guest. "Strange one, he is. Came here outta nowhere a few days ago and hasn't left. Doesn't do much but sit back there while the drink gets cold and never talks to us when we strike up a conversation. Pays well, though, so we don't mind so. What are you folk doing out in these parts?"

"Family vacation," Gohan replied as the 'head' of the family. "We like to camp and heard there were some good spots not far from here."

"How nice! Must be grand to get away from the city for a time."

"Yes, it is a relief."

"Oh, just look at me blabbering on so, you should have interrupted me! Best be getting back to my chores, now. Just call 'Marie' if you need anything, alright?"

After lunch they went on a walk, trying to sort things out. As soon as they were out of sight of the inn, Gohan spoke.

"That other guest had a strange aura," he whispered to the others.

"It seemed strangely familiar, as though I should know it," Kakorott told them.

"Is it reminiscent of Bibidi's men?"

Kakorott frowned. "I can't tell. It's alike, and yet so completely different. And it's foggy, too, not like he's hiding his energy level, but like he's hiding his energy signature…"

"We'll keep an eye on him," Mie said. "Perhaps he is waiting for us to leave so he can attack."

It was a cozy inn with spare rooms for all. Bardock tugged off his shirt and climbed gratefully into bed, wanting nothing more than to sleep away the tensions of the day. He closed his eyes, and sleep did come, but no peace came to his mind.

(o)

_A darkened hallway was the only entrance to the final confrontation. Their footsteps echoed off the stone walls, deluding their senses into believing themselves tracked. Gohan and the others moved forward in a steady pace, though Mie was frowning and biting at her lip, an awkward habit Bardock had never seen her do before. But now was not the time to dwell on such insignificant things, though it unnerved him to know the young immortal beside him was even in this small degree, afraid. _Immortal?_ the thought brushed through his mind from somewhere else he did not know, and he ignored it. Distractions were too deadly to afford._

_A few more paces and the sound of their footsteps changed to the steady clink of sole 'gainst marble flooring. Bardock quickly directed his gaze face front, and that was a mistake. Blinding white light emerged from too many places to pinpoint, burning his eyes and lacing his mind in agony with its suddenness. He was vaguely aware of the others falling back a few steps as well._

(o)

The dreamscape faded as a wisp of wind tickled Bardock from his fitful sleep. The window was open and banging against the wall. The Saiyjin stood up to investigate and found that the lock that had held it closed was old and rusted. _I'll have to get that fixed,_ he thought. He acted annoyed, lying to himself, but in truth he was glad he was awoken. But the lie kept him at peace with himself and so refused to acknowledge its existence. He lay down in bed but sleep was a long time coming, and with it unpleasant dreams that fading with the setting of the moon.

((o))

Bardock blearily roused his sleep-worn body from the bed and shuffled to the sink. He splashed cold water on his face to wake up fully and eventually made his way down for morning meal.

"Hello," Kakorott greeted him, wide awake and cheerful. Bardock grunted and moved to sit down. Kakorott went to sit next to him but a glare sent him to the far corner of the table. The waitress brought them breakfast of pancakes, piled high. Bardock plopped them in his plate and ate mechanically, not enjoying the delicious meal being served. When Mie and Gohan came down a few minutes later they noticed Bardock's tense attitude and wisely chose to sit by Kakorott instead. Bardock stared at them a few moments and resumed eating.

Gohan was scraping the last of the syrup off his plate with a final bite of pancake when Mie finally broke the silence.

"We should plan out our day," she said jovially enough, for the benefit of whoever might overhear. "What do you think you want to do?"

"I was thinking of going sight seeing today. Heard there're plenty of good, private places for a family to go." He meant, of course, they should look for any hideouts where Bibidi's men might be laying low.

Kakorott leaned back in his chair. "I thought we'd check out the regular hangouts. See what there is to do in this town. Meet the locals." He thought they might want to question people as to whether or not anything strange had been going on of late.

"Both sound good to me," Mie said. "Why don't we go exploring today and check out the town tomorrow?" If they didn't find anything on their own they'd question the locals. As strangers they'd be more apt to miss something subtle.

"Alright," the boys agreed.

"Bardock, you haven't said a word. You have any plans for the day?" Mie asked.

"Not really. Thought I'd just go with the flow."

"Fair enough."

Because of the numerous fishing holes and children playing around in the forest, the group had to stick to a casual pace. They heard about a large cave nearby, maze-like in its enormity and deceiving pathways.

"Sounds like a good place to check out," Gohan said, so they ambled on over as any good tourist would do.

It was a maze, all right, vast and sprawling yet claustrophobic at the same time. Walking in a few feet was a huge cavern that branched off in several different directions, half a dozen. Two were very small so that a child would barely be able to squeeze through. A lanky adult might make it going sideways.

"Should we split up?" Mie asked.

"On purpose? Then enemy's already managed to separate us once. We shouldn't run the risk," Gohan reminded them.

"Let's start on the right, then," Bardock suggested. It was the largest of the openings, at least at this part of it. "And work our way left."

"How will we find our way back?" Kakorott want to know.

"Oh, I can get us back here easily enough. I'll infuse the barest trace of my Ki into the rock and we'll follow it back like breadcrumbs," Mie assured him.

"You do know the breadcrumbs were eaten in that story, right?" Kakorott teased.

"Yeah, well, anyone who tries to eat these breadcrumbs is in for a nasty surprise."

So they went down, Gohan taking the lead and Bardock the rear. Mie kept her fingertips to the rocks, and where her hand had been was a trail of light that quickly faded. Kakorott watched as he walked behind her and scouted it with his minds eye, but the trail even faded from his Ki sense after a bit, except for the new part Mie was creating.

They went down several twists and turns that would have turned him around and worried him if not for Mie's Ki marks. They came again to another fork and Gohan went to make a right, but Bardock paused behind them, a look of confusion on his face.

"Huh?" the Saiyjin spoke softly, the curiosity in his voice hard to detect. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking away, to the left.

"Bardock, what is-" Gohan started to ask, but Mie's hand on his arm silenced him, and the offworlder ignored him anyway. Mie quickly followed him as the man increased his pact, taking her fingers from the wall.

"Hey, wait!" Kakorott yelled out but they sped ahead out of sight. He looked at Gohan and they nodded in unison. Kakorott created a small concentration of Ki that hovered at the fingertips of his left hand and aimed it downward, creating a small fissure in the rock to mark their path that no one would see unless they knew it was there. Then granddad and grandson raced after their comrades, wondering what in Hell could have made Bardock take off like that, and caused Mie to be as reckless as she was.

They managed to catch up with them in time to see them take another turn down the leftmost fork in path. Putting on another burst of speed, but careful to not create a wind tunnel, they managed to reach them. Bardock stopped suddenly and stared at a blank space on the wall. Gohan put a hand on Bardock's shoulder and pulled on it in annoyance. "Hey, what do you two…?"

Bardock shrugged off Gohan's grip and bent to study a part of the cave no different than any other, at least to Gohan's mind. But he knew his friend would not act this way without reason. He squatted next to the Saiyjin, trying to see what he was looking at, not bothering to ask. Bardock wouldn't answer him anyway.

"The floor's been scraped. See here…" Gohan was surprised that man was offering up information. He looked back down and saw indeed, the dirt was shuffled strangely, as though a door had swung open. Bardock's finger traced the rim of the scuff marks and ran up the wall where it met. Standing while keeping his hand to the rock, he applied the slightest bit of pressure. They all heard a faint click and the stone swung out just barely, revealing a room.

"How did you know?" Gohan looked at him in wonder. "We were all the way back there."

Bardock shrugged uncomfortably, hands back in his jacket pockets.

"Intuition," Mie supplied.

"Oh." They pushed open the door, expecting to see a trap, another shaft, the enemy, _any_thing but what they saw…


	8. Ch 07

**A/N: I have FINALLY outsmarted and figured out a way to mark off dream sequences and place changes, etc. (o) symbols a dream/vision/flashback, etc., while ((o)) is a change in place/POV/time, etc. Later I'll go back and reformat the previous chapters.**

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 7**

**"Gold…" they breathed as one, shocked at the vast amount of treasure littered across the floor and piled up all the way to the ceiling.**

**"What is this all _doing _here?" "Where did it all come from?"**

**They entered the room fully, taking in the glittering gold, the beautiful and surely very rare jewels.**

**"Must be pirates' treasure. It's the only explanation," Gohan said.**

**"Um-hmm," Kakorott nodded in agreement.**

**Mie sighed heavily as she forced down the feeling of euphoria all this wealth was giving her. Besides, she could conjure it up anytime she chose, or at least would be able to once she'd learned everything about being an immortal. "Well, this isn't what we're looking for. Best to move on, I think."**

**The others groaned mildly but they really had no arguments to give her. They shuffled out with a last look at the riches, two of them thinking how much food they could buy with all that, and the other dreaming of the giant martial arts arena that could be built… a place for fighters to come and test their mettle, the training grounds out back, a few dojos… One last sigh and the door sealed tightly behind them, invisible once more among the stone.**

**They wandered around a little bit more, aimless and their hearts really not in it, so they gave it up for the day. Mie managed to trace their paths back to the gold-laden room – she had once again fused her Ki into the wall – then smiled sheepishly. In her rush to not lose Bardock, she had forgotten to mark the route.**

**Kakorott pointed down and they saw a continuous, smooth fissure along the ground that could only be created by Ki. Mie grinned at him in embarrassed thanks and they continued their way. Reaching sunlight, they stepped out into the dusk, blinking at the contrast of light as they waited for their eyes to adjust.**

**When they had, they noticed the lateness of the day and headed back towards town. Gohan stretched and yawned, complaining of being sleepy. Kakorott griped of hunger, and Bardock's bottomless pit grumbled in response, giving them all a good laugh. Their good cheer, ended however, when they finally reached the inn.**

**That man was standing outside the door, arms crossed and leaning casually against the wall. He seemed to be waiting, and waiting for them.**

**"Howdy," Kakorott said, making light of the feeling the stranger was giving him… that of being in a cowboy showdown. He wasn't dressed in any part of the classic cowboy attire, yet his whole posture seemed to suggest one who was ready for a death match under the sun when the clock struck noon. Maybe it was just the way his wide-brimmed baseball cap covered his eyes.**

**He nodded greetings in return, the shadow dipping and rising on his face.**

**The four kept approaching the inn, Kakorott keeping up the act of a naïve little boy, and the conversation as well. Since he was young, rudeness was both understandable and forgivable. "What's your name?"**

**"Sam," the man grunted. He made no move to continue the exchange.**

**"Well, nice meeting you, Mr. Sam," he said as he shuffled past into the welcome shade of the inn.**

**They ate dinner in silence that night, still disturbed over that strange man's attitude, and quietly made their way to their rooms. Bardock was the last to leave, picking over the small remnants of his meal in utter silence, mind preoccupied with a most unnerving emotion. Finally he dropped his chopsticks on his plate and brought it to the sink where a waitress would take care of it. Still silent and pensive, he walked slowly up the stairs and into his room.**

**(o)**

_**…A few more paces and the sound of their footsteps changed to the steady clink of sole 'gainst marble flooring. Bardock quickly directed his gaze face front, and that was a mistake. Blinding white light emerged from too many places to pinpoint, burning his eyes and lacing his mind in agony with its suddenness. He was vaguely aware of the others falling back a few steps as well.**_

_**He rapidly blinked tears out of his eyes, trying to focus on the events surrounding him. From the corner of his vision he saw a streak of white slam Gohan full force, the man unable to defend as he had instinctively covered his eyes against the light. The man went down, hard, and stayed there. Bardock's vision finally adjusted and he saw Gohan lying as though in death, eyes clouded over and dim.**_

_**Another enemy darted his way and the world spun quickly, or so it seemed. Then he realized he was the one whirling at top speed. Bardock straightened himself and staggered forward, arms coming up in defensive position. Kakorott had reacted brilliantly and had already launched himself forward into the enemy. His eyes were tightly shut and Bardock didn't know how he could hope to fight, but he had no time to worry about the Saiyjin child as a thorn-covered arm threw a punch his way…**_

**(o)**

**Bardock sat up with a gasp, sweat-soaked and cold to the bone. He breathed deeply, steadying his racing heart. Deciding not to go back to sleep for fear of another hallucination, he got out of bed and started exercising. He might as well do something useful with his time.**

**He placed himself parallel to the floor and started with a hundred pushups, not wanting to make too much noise and rouse any neighbors.**

**((o))**

**Bardock exercised until dawn came, and he thought others must surely be up by then. He headed for the shower to wipe away his weariness and perspiration. By the time he was done, the others were already at the breakfast table. It was pancakes this morning, and Bardock's stomach grumbled loudly in desire.**

**"Hello," Kakorott bid him, but the Saiyjin paid him no mind. The boy frowned; that was two days in a row the man had been rude. Maybe he just wasn't a morning person.**

**They decided to return to the caves after breakfast. Or rather, Mie suggested it, and no one voted it down. Bardock's sour mood was spreading, Mie could tell, when everyone just grunted their consent.**

**At midday they'd had enough of dank and darkness. Admittedly, at first it had been fun, adventurous, but now it was just _old_ and mind-numbingly depressing to go tramping around in stale air and claustrophobic caves.**

**So they ventured out into sunlight and had a quiet picnic, each involved in their own thoughts to take much note of the others. After lunch they agreed to explore some other part of the town, settling on the lakes. They ambled over there and were surprised to see a whole sprawling field of lakes both large and small.**

**"How'd they all come to be here?" "Do you think they're all really independent?"**

**"No," Mie responded to that last one. "I'd bet they're somehow connected underground, almost like a swamp. But I'm curious to learn why they all developed separately instead of in one common lake."**

**"Wanna go swimming?" Kakorott asked.**

**"No," she replied. "We didn't come prepared. We don't have swimsuits."**

**The young half-Saiyjin blinked.**

**"So?" he asked, and began peeling of his shoes and socks, quickly followed by his shirts and pants. Bardock grinned, sat down and began doing the same, but he left his pants on. The young could get away with some things, but adults simply couldn't.**

**"Yeah, you're right. I think it's time we had a break," Gohan agreed and pulled his shirt over his head, discarding it on the ground. "Besides, there's no telling how long this will take or when our next chance to relax will be."**

**"Fine," Mie grumbled and sat down sulking, saying her next word almost like a curse. "Boys…"**

**"You aren't coming?" Kakorott asked as they set off to the nearest large lake.**

**"I'm not swimming around in my underwear, thank you."**

**He looked behind him and saw Gohan and Bardock walking away. Still, he leaned in close to whisper in Mie's ear. "But you're a goddess. Why don't you just conjure a bathing suit under your clothes?" And then he walked off himself.**

**Mie blinked at how sensible it sounded and had half a mind to be difficult just for the sake of it, but ultimately decided against it. Besides, the water looked _so_ inviting. She concentrated for a moment and created a simple blue and green one piece and rushed off to join the boys.**

**They splashed around for an hour and played chicken, Mie and Bardock on one team, Gohan and Kakorott on the other. The game ended in a tie, mainly because both parties had cheated and used Ki to maintain their balance. Then the kids were thrown off their elder's shoulders rather violently and emerged gasping to much laughing from their former compatriots.**

**Mie and Kakorott immediately tried to drown Gohan, who was too quick and swam away. Bardock, however, was too busy laughing, and so made an easy target. They pushed him down hard, and he sank at least twelve feet before he regained his equilibrium.**

**Deciding to stay under and play a little _Jaws_, Bardock waited for his eyes to adjust to the murky water and looked for the two rascals above him. Because of his weight he continued to sink, and just when he was about to take off for revenge he felt cool mud beneath his feet ands expected to sink a bit more under his weight. It didn't happen. _That's… unusual_, Bardock frowned and repositioned himself so that he could investigate better. He dug away a bit at the mud, and he didn't have to dig deep. Less than an inch below the false surface was an unmistakable slab of stone. Its artificiality was disturbing in a place as natural as this. A sense of foreboding overcame the Saiyjin and he abandoned his exploration for the surface. They had to get away from there, and he couldn't rightly say why.**

**He broke the surface of the water and started yelling. "Out, out! Get out of the lake!"**

**Not knowing what he was reacting to, the others scrambled out quickly, trusting their comrade. By the time they were all on the shore some feet from the lake, nothing had happened. They looked at Bardock curiously; Gohan asked, "What's wrong?"**

**"I don't know." He paused. "I landed on the bottom of the lake. Under the mud, there's concrete. It bothered me, and I felt like we had to get out of there. I can't explain."**

**"It's all right," Mie said. "We trust your instincts. Your subconscious mind must have figured it out somehow, without letting your conscious mind in on it. You don't need to understand, so long as you know."**

**(o)**

_**Kakorott and Mie were fighting gloriously. How they managed to hold their own against so many, Bardock could not begin to understand. The two seemed to glow with energy – was that really their strength? He knew the two were stronger than he, but by so much, he couldn't believe… **_

_**His own body was reacting poorly to his commands with each blow that rained upon him. He couldn't keep this up, couldn't call for help. Kakorott saw his predicament and made to come over and help, but as Kakorott took his first step, and iron hard fist punched through Bardock's torso and into his innards. Blood and guts spilled out and as the fist came out, the wooden thorns covering the hand tore even more of his life away. Bardock fell to the ground, bleeding away, dying fast. He was glad it would be quick. Already darkness enveloped him in sweet embrace. **_

_**But then those images came again, those blasted hallucinations, and they disturbed his peace. They pounded his mind with their truth and his brain could not comprehend all that it meant. He saw outside himself, saw himself, as he lay there, dying, dead. He saw the shifts and paradoxes it caused, the waver in Kakorott's existence, the strange undoing of the boy's presence, essence, self. It became too much for the mortal to bear and a scream tore from his throat. It pounded in his ears, loud enough to wake him from his nightmare-filled sleep… **_

**(o)**

**Bardock panted and gasped, waiting for a sense of calm, of peace, but his room was covered in darkness and omens, shifting shadows and uncertain futures. He was infused with the need to get away. Away!**

**Bardock fled, uncaring of his direction. In the recesses of his mind he recognized the path as the one leading to the artificial lakes. Finally he reached their many shores and collapsed along their banks, deep heaving breaths leaving his gasping for air. The balmy night air calmed his racing heart and brushed his hot face with pleasant coolness.**

**For an hour he sat there in peace and introspection, taking in the beautiful star-filled and moonless night. Finally, he was able to relax.**

**But it was not to be for a violent wave upset the dead of night and dragged Bardock into its depths in an attempt to see _him_ dead. Bardock came to enough to realize that was an arm about his neck in a stranglehold position as he was pulled beneath the surface into absolute darkness.**

**He scuffled and fought hard enough to distance himself from his attacker, catching a glimpse of a short, red fur covered arm and long nails. _Claws_, a part of his mind reminded him of their proper name. Then his enemy was in darkness again and Bardock desperately needed to get to the surface. He'd not had time to draw breath before he was dragged under.**

**He had barely reached the surface and gasped in a lungful before he was dragged down again. He readied and threw a Ki blast, which his enemy easily dodged, but the resulting light gave him his first good look at his enemy. It was a woman, slender and tall, covered in short red fur. Her deep blue eyes danced with amusement at his struggles, he ears were pointed atop her head and swiveled to capture each sound. She wore a light blue halter-top that left her arms unhindered for battle and blue pants the color of her eyes. She had no nose. Not being wholly of this realm, she had no need to breathe. A wicked looking tail completed the familiar depiction. _A demoness_, Bardock realized and wanted to groan. This wasn't going to be easy.**

**The light faded away and Bardock was left more blind than before, his eyes no longer even partially adjusted to the darkness. Before he could ready another blast for illumination, three claws struck across his face. Had he not flinched they would have gouged out his eyes. As it was hit just a hairsbreadth above them, the venom from the tips dripped down into them, the poison blinding his just as effectively. Any light he might conjure now would be useless.**

**From his mind's eye he imagined her movement, but he knew it was just his mind grasping at straws, trying to supply him with information it could not possibly posses. He tried to focus his ears and nose but was raked cruelly across the back before he could do so.**

**Bardock barely held in a gasp, almost letting his air escape. His hallucination… it had been dead on! What if they _weren't_ hallucinations, that what he'd been fighting hadn't been derangement but divination? Another blow hit him in the legs and he grimaced. He had no choice, really. He had to trust these images, no matter where they came from. Even if it meant embracing insanity.**

**Sensing movement to his left, he successfully blocked with his leg. A down swipe with his right arm also connected, and his confidence grew. He used the momentum of the strike to propel the demoness down and himself towards the surface. Bardock drew in a hasty breath and could see with his inner vision the monster coming up from below to attack him again. He quickly leveled a Ki blast at her, which she dodged, but it bought him time to finally draw in a proper breath that should allow him to hold at till the end of the battle, one way or another. (1)**

**This time he dived down into the water and attacked with a powerful right hook that hit her face. His joy distracted him, unfortunately, and he received a sharp blow to the ribs. Bardock nearly yelped; some ribs were definitely bruised, but he had no time to dwell on this new pain. He blocked a kick with his hands and attacked with one of his own. She grabbed his leg and used it to shift her feet towards him and slam him hard in the chest.**

**She still had hold of his leg and used the leverage to slam him into the side of the lake before yanking him back and kicking his torso exactly where she had before. He felt some ribs begin to crack and she continued to apply pressure. He managed to finally get her off balance and kicked at her head. It connected with a solid _thump_ and her Ki dimmed a bit, but then she came back with a vengeance.**

**For the third time she struck him in the chest, and he realized she was trying to puncture his lungs with his own ribs. The cracks turned to breaks, and he realized that on some level he was still fighting his visions, trying to see with the naked eye instead of the inner one. He forced himself to surrender to the insight, creating faith where before he had none.**

**The battle fell into a rhythm as Bardock easily struck again and again and again. He knew her every movement, every way she would dodge, every time she would attack. Power filled his every attack but he felt the beginnings of weakness in his limbs. His movements were fast becoming sluggish, so Bardock prepared himself to deal the final blow. Soon, Bardock planted a Ki-enhanced punch into her torso, creating a gaping wound through which spilled scarlet life. He allowed the Ki in his hand to form into an energy ball, and released it. A groan escaped her lips, the only sign of pain she'd made at all.**

**With the last of her strength, lent by Bibidi, she struck him hard in the head. Bardock's vision wavered on the edge of consciousness. Had he been more aware, he would have noticed someone ruthlessly going through his mind, hastily suppressing the memories Time had given him. The demoness sank to the bottom of the pool, lifeless, before disintegrating.**

**(1) – If anyone remembers those episodes where Krillian was courting Maron, they'll also remember that Krillian and Gohan held their breath for an incredibly long, Superman-like time, and at great depths.**


	9. Ch 08

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 8**

Bardock gasped as he flung an arm up to catch the shore and heave his tired body onto the welcoming bank. He took several shallow, ragged breaths and flipped over onto his back. Staring at the stars as his heartbeat slowly returned to something less than heart attack levels, he noticed the sky was getting strangely dark and narrow before he realized it was just his eyelids closing of their own accord. Sleep overtook him.

He came to some time later in the night to see Mie in her nightgown hovering over him, Kakorott and Gohan a little bit away. A warm glow pulsed from her hands and suffused over him with its healing power and sleepy energy. Bardock sighed in relief as the pounding in his skull faded away and his breath came easier as his ribs were repaired.

When the healing was over he felt himself being hover-lifted a few feet into the air and headed for the inn. He fell asleep again before they reached it.

He roused in the morning with a satisfied yawn, stretching his shoulders and arms as he sat up in bed. It was the best sleep he'd had in a long time, with no visions to trouble him. The Saiyjin went through his morning routine without rush or delay, but at a comfortable plodding pace that worked to wake his body fully before he dressed and headed down to eat. He was positively starving!

When he entered the dining hall he was greeted by the sight of his companions sitting around the table, having a drink and apparently waiting for him. But more important to Bardock was the feast that covered the table and the empty seat pulled up next to it.

At his ninety-sixth meal and counting, the stares of his friends finally penetrated the brick wall that was his stomach. He slowed his pace and nodded at them to speak what was on their mind.

Gohan didn't need to be asked twice. "Just what happened last night, Bardock?"

"Dem-ness," he managed behind a mouthful of beef.

"You've come to terms with your visions," Mie told him. It was not a question. Bardock nodded anyway; how she knew about them wasn't important at the moment. The gulf in his gut was.

"So the question is, what are we going to do now?" Gohan asked.

Bardock finally finished his gluttony and regarded the question. "I think we should leave."

"Why?" Kakorott asked.

"We know that funny guy, Sam, his name is? He's probably Bibidi's man and that he isn't gonna make a move on this town while we're here. He doesn't know what we are and are not capable of and probably doesn't want to jeopardize his mission to find out. So, he's biding his time. If we want clues to Bibidi's whereabouts, watch what he does and follow the energy to Bibidi."

"And we leave the people to his mercy?" Kakorott stood up in anger.

"This is war, boy, and it's time you started thinking like a soldier. There will be casualties, but at least the whole world will not fall. Besides," he added with a frown, "Something tells me their deaths won't be permanent, strange as that may be to believe. Something with… _stars_?" He seemed to be questioning himself.

Kakorott held back an intake of breath, knowing immediately what he was talking about, but the elder Saiyjin didn't notice.

Gohan laughed. "And how would that be possible?"

"I don't know. But _I_ was restored to life myself, so it _is _possible."

Gohan gaped.

Bardock's eyes narrowed and he glared at Mie. He spoke in a semi-accusing tone. "It was you! You brought me back. You… you're a goddess!"

Mie smiled half-heartedly. Her attempt to quell his memories had obviously been incomplete. "A goddess-in-training, anyway. I didn't _mean_ to bring you back to life, it just sort of happened."

"It's just as well," Kakorott said. The others nodded in accord.

Gohan scowled. "Any _more_ secrets I ought to know about?"

Kakorott winced. "Probably. But we can't tell you what they are. We're sorry."

"All right," he sighed, deciding if a goddess-in-training didn't want him to know something it wasn't his business to know. It was hard to take in, what Mie was; he didn't quite know how to treat her, so he just made up his mind to treat her as he had throughout the journey. She hadn't seemed to mind. "Let's get going out of town," Gohan said, reminding them of their earlier discussion.

They packed up their few supplies and met in the lobby a few minutes later. Gohan paid the clerk at the desk and they walked out the door to the outskirts where city met wood. They would hide in there and see if the stranger attacked and gather whatever information they could.

They waited there for two more days with no sign of change. It was the end of the second day, and the group set up camp about a mile into the forest – they changed location every night – and prepared for bed. Kakorott would take the first watch. At twilight, a vague and familiar sensation crept up along the spine of Mie's back during her turn as lookout. She looked around carefully for anything out of the ordinary. She saw nothing, but the prickly feeling increased. She decided to go with her instincts.

Mie walked a few circles around her fellows, tapping her cheeks as though to keep herself awake. Each time she circled she made a tighter loop around her friends until she was almost walking into them. She tapped Gohan's side surreptitiously until she saw him stir awake, but said nothing and moved on. Gohan lay still, thinking something must be up if Mie didn't relieve herself of watch. He waited and could hear her carefully rouse Kakorott behind him. She reached Bardock when they were attacked. The three men leapt up off the ground in defensive position, but Mie decided to attack. Within moments it was a blur of battles. They watched each other's backs and were overwhelmed by the number of men they were facing. Kakorott went to up his Ki, but Bardock screamed at him not to.

"We have to match them and just barely overwhelm them!" he hollered through the clamor of the battle. "They'll gather all the energy we expend; we don't want to give them more than we must!"

It was a hard battle, matching so many opponents without powering up. It degenerated into a frenzy of blocks and defense more than attack. They had no choice but to power up and accept the consequences.

Just as Kakorott was about to ignore Bardock's warning, the strange man from the inn came charging towards him. Kakorott braced himself for an attack, unprepared for such a power, but it never came. The stranger went behind Kakorott and knocked down an enemy who would have attacked the boy.

"What have I taught you about watching your back, kid?" a familiar, gruff voice emanated from a strange and unknown face.

"Mr. Piccillo?" Kakorott turned to see if it was truly his mentor. Before his very eyes, the disguise melted away to reveal none other than his sensei.

"Mr. Piccillo!" Kakorott shouted with joy. "How?"

"Questions later, fighting now!" the now green man berated him. "And feel free to raise your energy; I destroyed all their available _Kienst_."

Kakorott leapt into the fray with renewed vigor, and Bardock and Gohan knew him for a temporary ally. Within minutes, it was over. Bardock was surprised to see Kakorott run over and hug the green alien. It was the most lighthearted act he'd witnessed from the boy.

"Greetings," he said casually. "It would seem we owe you a debt."

Bardock stood carefully; he not quite ready to trust this man called Piccillo.

"Don't worry, Bardock, this is my teacher, Mr. Piccillo," Kakorott reassured him.

"Forget it, kid, I understand his kind," Piccillo stated.

"What do you mean, 'my kind'?" Bardock said, a hint of warning in his voice.

"You are from a race of conquerors and cannot bring yourself to trust anyone easily. The reason you don't like me is because we're so much alike. I don't care of we get along well, or not. That's not why I came. I'm here to protect Gohan and help fight Buu and Bibidi."

"What do you mean you're here to protect me?" Gohan stepped forward in confusion.

"I wasn't talking about you; I'm talking about the kid."

Mie sighed. She didn't think they'd have to find out about this at all; it would only breed confusion and possibly paradox, but there was no help for it now.

Kakorott – Gohan – took a step towards the others. "Actually, my real name is Gohan, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to tell you that. It isn't a common name and would have put us under suspicion." He looked towards Mie and she nodded wearily.

"Please understand," he continued. "We still can't tell you everything, but I will tell you this. Mie and I are from the future. Bibidi's son, Babidi, is also trying to take control. That's why we're here, to keep Bibidi from gaining power and passing it on to his son. As I'm sure you've figured out, I'm named for you, Gohan. I'm your grandson, I guess you could say."

Bardock sniffed the air to confirm his thoughts. "Impossible," he declared. "You don't smell of his line." A thoughtful look crossed his face, and he sniffed some more, discreetly. Mie sent Bardock a small cold so his olfactory senses would not be delicate enough to discern more clearly what he thought he'd just smelled.

Gohan II nodded. "I'm not. But he adopted and raised my father as though he were his own son." He turned to Gohan Sr. "You'll recognize him by his tail, I'm sure."

Gohan Sr.'s eyes were getting wider by the minute. But then he came to his senses; he had some questions to ask. "How is it you came through time?

"And how is Bardock alive?" Piccillo demanded gruffly.

Mie stepped in. "I was undergoing a training session involving the afterlife. I made a mistake and Bardock wound up in the Corridor of Time. I tried to correct this but ended up taking him through the walls itself to bring him back to life. So you could say Time is imprinted on his memory. He is the only mortal to get so great a look at the big picture. But even so, his mind can only handle so much, so he only discerns that which is relevant to the situation or to himself.

"Ka-, I mean, Gohan, died in a planetary explosion but mistakenly ended up at the Corridor as well, instead of the check-in line. How he came to life, I cannot disclose, but because he was in the Corridor, he was revived in the past. I was sent to retrieve him and determine if he would be of any help. Obviously I thought he could be and brought him here, or rather, now."

"Anyway, Bardock," the goddess-in-training turned to address him. "Why don't you try to force a vision? See if you can't get a lead."

"I've never tried it, but it can't hurt." He sat down and relaxed against a tree. His breathing evened and he slipped into a prophecy. He found himself inside a small room. There was a door in front and behind. Bardock went to open the door he faced, and it opened automatically. Beyond lay a dank and dreary corridor, with a small clearing to the side. Primal bedding lay there, among a few other things. Bardock realized this is where the demoness must have come from.

He walked the length of the hall only to arrive at a fork. There were four directions he could choose and so he randomly picked one. Unfortunately, it only lead to a dead end. He frowned as he looked at the wall ahead of him, as though he could see through it. This was obviously part of the cave they had explored earlier, but that didn't explain the feeling that he was looking at something backwards.

His spine stiffened as a strand of Ki triggered his senses. _Bibidi_ He raced to follow, but it fled far too quickly. But he didn't need to follow it; this was their lead. Somehow he managed to step sideways out of his corporeal self to scout the location, heading up and through the ceiling. He hovered over the place for a bit, blinking, but then his face settled into a smile. He'd been in the caves. Bardock roused himself to tell the others.


	10. Ch 09

**Time Distorted**

**BY MARA ROBERTS**

**Chapter 9**

The five stared into the mouth of the cave, hesitant. Yes, they'd been here before, but at the time they hadn't known with certainly their enemy was here. Watching. Waiting. All that time, and they hadn't even known. It gave them shivers to think how vulnerable they'd been.

They had wondered why they hadn't been attacked in great force while they were here, but Mie explained that Bibidi was the cautious sort, and had probably hoped they would move on so he could force a large-scale confrontation somewhere else, without revealing his strong hold. Once the location was known, it couldn't be taken back, so even though it was the most secure, wherein resided Bibidi's greatest chance of victory, it was also his last chance.

"Where to?" Gohan asked softly. Bardock stepped forward silently into the dim cave and the others followed. Each was super-aware of their surroundings, senses heightened by the eminent threat, alert to the tiniest sound, the barest hint of scent. It was their eyes that hampered them most. Although their vision was also heightened, the darkness of the cave and their strong natural reliance on sight made it a hindrance. They had discussed using Ki to create light but decided it would be impractical; come battle the light would go out and they'd be worse off than before. Bardock asked Mie to change physics and made the rocks glow instead, but Mie said she wasn't far enough along in her training and the rocks might turn to nuclear waste and poison them instead.

Bardock led them down a familiar route, to the gold-filled room. Entering it, he moved quickly past the piles of wealth carelessly discarded and long-lost. Two meters from the back of the room he stopped by the right wall. Placing his hand on an indiscriminate part of stone, he pushed. The rear wall slid open in utter silence. The unnaturalness of it, complete lack of grinding rock or other noise, unnerved them more than anything else they'd seen.

Mie swept past Bardock and they continued on. Very quickly they came to a junction.

"Which way?" Mie whispered.

Kakorott cocked his head. "Do you hear that? It's very faint, but…"

They fell silent and held their breaths. Bardock was the next to hear it, and nodded. "Yeah, but where is it coming from?"

"I think," Mie said and pivoted slowly as her gaze shifted from one path to the next, "It's coming from _that_ direction."

She pointed to the path second from the right. They agreed and went down it. Mie decided against marking the path with Ki. While Bibidi knew they were here, he didn't know exactly where. Mie shielded them from his magic sight; she didn't want to leave a trail. Instead, they opted for a less obvious trail marker. What Kakorott had done the other day when Bardock first found the gold room, was both simple and brilliant. For a class of people that had become so dependent on Ki-senses, physically marking the trail never occurred to them. Bardock made a small indentation in the stone at the right floor of each entrance, so small you wouldn't know it was there unless you knew to look for it.

Problem solved, they continued through the tunnels. The back way was even more of a labyrinth than the front. Finally they came to the source of the noise. It was directly overhead, and very loud, especially after having been so long in near-silence.

"We must be under the lakes," Mie said as they listened to the sound of water above.

"Bad feeling," Kakorott said. Those lakes had obviously been planned out in a specific design, and the layout for these rooms seemed awfully familiar. He had a suspicion they were about to find out why.

And find out they did as the cave roof collapsed atop of them, perhaps a meter thick, and water came tumbling down. The exits were sealed off – no doubt by whoever was running the show – and they'd soon drown unless they found a way out. But they soon spotted the lake's local wildlife, and drowning became the least of their worries.

There seemed a sea of tiny demons, not powerful enough to do harm on their own, but together served as an overwhelming force. The water continued to gush in, moving them quickly from one room to another with enough force that they had to be careful to make it through the entranceway so as not to be slammed into a wall, as well as fight off the monstrous horde.

The steam suddenly diverged into two rooms. They were forced right, but the room beyond was a dead end; the water would crush them. They were slammed hard into the wall, knocking their breath away, but the water soon emptied through the drains in the floor. They slumped against the wall, worn and relieved. Then Kakorott sat up, suddenly anxious.

"Mie," he said. "Where's Mie?"

Mie was forced left when the others went right, and was locked in a water filled room stuffed with demons. One dodged from the right and she gave a powerful uppercut. The demon disintegrated, but Mie was already kicking another from below. There were so many, and she was just one, but they couldn't all attack her at once. They fought amongst themselves to get to her, and this worked to Mie's advantage. She sent a powerful Ki blast through a crowd of them, but was painfully struck from behind. She turned and sliced at its torso, killing it, but had to quickly maneuver to avoid being hit from the side. The water slowed her movements and she took a glancing blow to her stomach. She formed a small Ki ball in her left hand and sent it towards the demon.

Pushing upward from the ground, she attacked a group of three demons. Punching the first in the gut, killing it, she used it as a shield while the second attacked. When it disintegrated she grabbed the second and threw it into the third's attack. Following its trajectory, she dealt the third a finishing blow.

Mie looked back into the arena. The whole bout had taken all of twenty seconds, and there were still so many more. She continued throwing Ki around, but the once-weak demons seemed to be absorbing strength. She thought Bibidi must be supplying them with energy – probably from the boys and partly herself – and redoubled her efforts. But the demons were becoming too strong too fast. There was no way the others could be losing this badly, this quickly, so as to give the demons so much energy to use. With a start she realized these were Shadow Demons, anathema to her kind. They absorbed the dark energy of their fallen comrades, becoming stronger and smarter with each fallen one.

They mobbed her and Mie was afraid.

She fought and slashed and killed, but it didn't seem to be enough. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, and soon she couldn't even defend herself. Blow after blow rained down on her, and as the demons gained energy, their darkness gained as well. No longer were the attacks upon merely her physical self. The darkness was destroying her holy self. Her mind and soul were numb from the pain. Nothingness resided in that dullness. Salt tears joined the water that would become her tomb.

Mie was afraid.

She was a child, damn it! For all her many years, she was but a child for one whom time so little affected. She shouldn't die like this, so young, so alone. It wasn't right, it wasn't her mission, it wasn't fair! It was so easy then, to tell Grandfather she would handle it, would be okay, but it wasn't, _she_ wasn't, and she wanted out, right now, she wanted _home!_

Light poured forth from her being, and wherever the light went, darkness died. The demons dissipated; their evil aura bending into light and purifying Mie's holiness. She felt stronger, lighter, freer, than she had ever felt before.

She smiled. Mie was no longer afraid.

Piccillo, Gohan and Bardock leapt to their feet.

"Didn't she come right with us?" Bardock asked.

"Agh! Bibidi was controlling the flow; he forced Mie left! She's fighting alone!" Piccillo said.

The men ran to the door and pounded it open. Surprisingly, it took some Ki to do it.

"Bibidi must have made these doors stronger… by increasing the intermolecular forces… between the stone of the door… and the stone of the cavern… to keep us from… reaching Mie," Kakorott wheezed between their struggles to open the door.

"To _try_… to keep us… from Mie," Bardock said. They redoubled their efforts, boosting themselves with Ki, and finally, they were able to drag the door up. They flew back to the room where they had been separated to find a locked door.

"Behind this door!" Gohan yelled.

Bardock went back a few paces so he could ram it, and the others followed suit. They ran to the door, but seconds before they reached it, the door flew at them in pieces, barely missing their heads. An outpouring of water followed.

"Not _again_!" Kakorott complained.

And again, they were washed to the room with the drains, slammed against the wall – but thankfully with less force than before – and slid to the floor in shock.

Mie was sitting in the middle of a puddle, laughing.

Kakorott blinked twice and looked at his friends. "So much for the damsel in distress."

It took them twenty minutes after they Ki dried themselves to find a path back to the caves. Mie seemed far more lighthearted and at ease.

"Seems like she faced some personal demons," Gohan whispered to Piccillo.

"Hmph," the Namek grunted.

"Or do you think she's possessed?"

Mie laughed. "Absolutely! And it feels great!" Gohan was taken aback at that.

"Oh," was all he could say.

"So which way?" Kakorott asked Bardock. But it was Mie who answered instead.

"This way," she said without hesitation. Kakorott gave Bardock a questioning look. The older Saiyjin merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

Mie swept past Bardock and continued on. Piccillo quickly followed, Kakorott hot on his heels, and Gohan next. Bardock hovered back for only a moment. Something about this seemed… The feeling would not come, and he could not wait any longer or risk separation. He quickened his pace and caught up.

"Bibidi must have been here a long time, to have such an intricate trap set," Bardock said.

Gohan shook his head. "The traps were probably set up by pirates – remember the treasure room – and Bibidi reinforced the traps to deal with people like us. That's all. If he'd been there _that _long, we, I mean, the people of Earth, we'd already be…"

His voice trailed off, unable to speak the words, and Bardock nodded, distracted.

The click-clack-click of foot on stone resounded like a pulse in Bardock's ears. Up ahead, behind Piccillo and Mie, Kakorott raced to catch up, Ki bomb at the ready. Mie was frowning and biting at her lip, an awkward habit Bardock had never seen her do before. But now was not the time to dwell on such insignificant things, though it unnerved him to know the young immortal was even in this small degree, afraid. Gohan and Bardock hurried their pace. Gohan hung back to the side and Bardock himself was to the left. Bardock's heartbeat quickened; he could hear it in his ears. Fear grew inside him, strong and unexpected. Something was going to happen, his memory itched… They skulked down the hall towards their destination… a circular room wherein their enemy lay waiting.

Bardock stopped and took in a breath to warn the others, but there was no time. He threw a hand over his eyes to shield his sight.

Light and smoke poured into the room, and the sense of evil surrounded him. Bardock wanted to run, but he knew now why he couldn't. Bibidi could not be allowed to win. He knew this beyond utter certainty. Instead Bardock took his hand from his face; it had kept him form being blinded and now allowed his eyes to adjust. He straightened his stanceand faced the enemy with strong determination.

Remembering more of his dream, Bardock dodged to the right and pushed Gohan out of the way. White-hot Ki passed right over Bardock's head as though to emphasize how close the call had been.

"Shield from the wind!" Bardock yelled, and though the others still could not see, the punched up their Kis to make a barrier. A strong Ki tried to force its way past and carry the poison that floated in the wind, but was unable to find a weakness. The five warriors gathered close and merged their walls, to strengthen them, creating a common defense.

The wind retreated, no doubt to allow more earthly enemies to attack. The five released the shield so they could fight – a battle was not won with defense. An enemy darted Bardock's way and the world spun quickly, or so it seemed. Then he realized he was the one whirling at top speed. Bardock straightened himself and staggered forward, arms coming up in defensive position. Kakorott had reacted brilliantly and had already launched himself forward into the enemy. His eyes were tightly shut, still blinded from the sudden light – Bardock's thoughts paused as he realized the whole confrontation had thus far lasted merely seconds. Unlike before, in his vision, Bardock knew Kakrott could fight using Ki senses, but he had no time to think about the Saiyjin child as a thorn-covered arm threw a punch his way.

Bardock dodged and retaliated with a powerful right hook that sent his enemy crashing into the cave wall. He slumped against the cave wall, defeated. Bardock spared a glance for his friends.

Kakorott and Mie were fighting gloriously, and Gohan was holding his own. The green man… Bardock shook his head in utter amazement – his fighting was flawless – and stepped forward to reenter the fray.

But then Bardock stumbled, and his vision doubled. A pounded ache resounded through his head, and every noise was a blow to his skull. Naguely he was aware he was being struck, and tried to mount a defense. He silently cursed himself, he knew better than to ignore even an injured enemy, he should have finished the job.

He tried to fight back, but could barely stand. His body was reacting poorly to his commands with each blow that rained upon him. He couldn't keep this up, couldn't call for help. Piccillo saw his predicament and made to come over and help. Bardock remembered his vision and dived to the side, but not quickly enough. As the Namek took his first step, an iron hard fist punched through Bardock's side – not his torso as he had forseen, thanks to his semi-dodge – but still did great damage. Blood spilled out and as the fist exited the wound, the wooden thorns covering the hand tore even more of his life away. Bardock fell to the ground, bleeding. He wanted to let go. He wanted it to be quick. Darkness hovered at the edge of his vision, just waiting for him to submit.

But then those images came again, and they disturbed his peace. They pounded his mind with their truth and his brain could not comprehend all that it meant. He saw outside himself, saw himself, as he lay there, dying, dead. He saw the shifts and paradoxes it caused, the waver in Kakorott's existence, the strange undoing of the boy's presence, essence, self. Somehow he had to hold on; there was no explanation, no reason that could explain why his death would effect Kakorott so, the boy was not of his line… But then he remembered a conversation: _Mie and I are from the future…_

_So, he IS my hier. _Bardock snorted softly to himself. And here he had though Kakorott was descended of his brother of the same name, had been so proud that the blood smell was so strong after so many millennia, when the truth was he must be only a generation or two from Bardock's loins.

Bardock gasped. He _had_ to live, had to give this child a chance to live. If Bardock died… A scream tore from his throat, a cry of rage. Ki erupted from his being; Bardck drew power from his blood, from each cell that lay lost on the floor, and turned it into energy, energy to kill. With sudden momentum, the ball of Ki passed right through his enemy's stomach, as the man had meant to do to Bardock. Blood pooled at the corner of the nameless man's mouth, surprise evident on his face. When he hit the ground, he was already dead.

The Namek reached him then and lay a hand over his wound, pouring some of his own energy into him for strength. Bardock nodded his thanks and looked around. All the enemy was dead, and of his group, Bardock was the worst off. Gohan sported a nasty gash from right shoulder to left hip, but it wasn't deep. The others had minor cuts and bruises and seemed out of breath, but that was it.

The other three moved towards Bardock, worry etched on their brow.

Kakorott stopped abruptly. A jolt of thought passed through his mind, full of dark energy and a compelling presence. _Come_, the voice said. _Join. Unleash. Bask in the blood, feel the life force flow over your hands, stain your soul. Let go, unleash…_

While the words horrified him, the tone of the seductive whisperings dulled his mind. He no longer knew what the words meant, only that they were good. The voice was no longer a voice, but a call to his most base instincts. It thrilled the blood in his veins, giving rise to a strange transformation.

His nose gathered in the new scents his permutation afforded. Before, he had thought it was a sensitive, discerning instrument, but now he knew true fragrant sensitivity. No longer could he distinguish a man only by his pheromones, but by his blood as it pulsed through his veins. His sweat was so strong to his nose that Kakorott could open his mouth and taste it on his tongue. Kakorott's tongue licked his canines at the thought, drawing blood from his tongue at the sharpness of his fangs.

A man's wounds saturated the air with the tang of pain, fear and death. Kakorott found it alluring. The blood called to him, sang to him. Injured prey was in his grasp. Kakorott took a step forward.

Mie frowned. "Kakorott, what's wrong?"

The demin-Saiyjin bared his teeth in answer.Mie's eyes widened when she saw his incisors had become fangs. Her gaze traveled to Kakorott's eyes. The irises, they were... red.

Bardock gasped, holding his hand over his still-gushing wound, and spoke. Each pause was a desperate grasp for breath. "He is like… a primitive… of our race. Before we… evolved into intelligent creatures."

Gohan thought back to what he knew of primordial, carnivorous beings. "He isn't alpha male… is he?"

"'Fraid so," Bardock said. With that, Kakorott charged. He had studied his prey sufficiently and his interaction with the pack. Bardock's blood was the strongest, so he must be the dominant male. The pack would be unlikely to defend an injured leader; the weak did not deserve to live, much less dominate. _Some **leader**, _the sane parts of Gohan's mind whispered as they battled for supremacy.

It surprised him.

It surprised him enough that when he was about to strike the Saiyjin, he hesitated just enough that Gohan was able to intercept. Piccillo charged him from behind, confident he could knock out his former pupil.

But Kakorott ducked and the kick went high. The boy went down, left knee bent, right leg outstretched and circled it to swipe at the Namek's leg, but the green alien had recovered his balance and jumped back.

"Go on!" Piccillo yelled to the others. "Keep going, I'll take care of Gohan!"

Mie nodded. Piccillo knew Gohan best – if anyone could break through to Gohan, it was his sensei. And if he couldn't, Gohan would eventually kill them all anyway. His strength was enormous, and without his usual uncertainty, they stood no chance in battle.

"Let's go," she said, and ushered the others out of the room.


	11. Ch 10

**Time Distorted**

**Chapter 10**

**By: Mara Roberts**

Piccillo stared at Gohan warily. The boy had settled back into a defensive position and seemed to be regarding him with a mix of feral anger and concern. Some part of Gohan recognized his sensei, saw him as the ultimate role model, saw him as impossible to beat. But the small hint of worry was swiftly crushed as Gohan bent low and changed stance to attack. Piccillo had only his reflexes to save him – Gohan moved so fast that Piccillo lacked the time to analyze, much less predict, Gohan's attack.

His arm stung with the first hit, and Gohan continued his ferocious assault. Having taught Gohan everything he knew, Piccillo was at last able to see a pattern and defend himself accordingly.

But no matter that he knew where Gohan would strike, Piccillo was no match for the raw power that coursed through Gohan's attack. He was wearing down, losing speed and power every time sensei and student exchanged blows.

Piccillo was thrown against the wall and slumped against it. Why fight the inevitable? Gohan – his student, his savior, his first friend – was going to kill him. Maybe if he let the kid make it quick, Gohan would feel less guilt when he was again himself. A feeling of shame swept over the Namek, that he had failed his student so; failed to teach him to protect his mind; failed to defeat him here, today; failed to break through to him, now.

He wallowed in despair.

Then fresh rage tore through his chest – why should he care! This brat had pestered and annoyed him, opened the door into his hear that had been closed for good reason – the irony was not lost on Piccillo that the very emotions Gohan had stirred in his heart made him lean towards defeat. Would the boy that saved his soul now destroy his mortal frame? It made him seethe.

Piccillo drew on the rage, harnessed it, ready now to attack, to kill his only friend. In that instant of fated decision, Bibidi struck.

"Argh!" Piccillo cried out in pain. His knees buckled and his hands clutched his head, screaming in agony as wave after wave of psi fire seared his mind. Piccillo had defenses in place – he was not ignorant of such abilities – but he never before thought himself an amateur. He realized then it was not his mind that could protect him, but his heart. The heart Gohan had opened and Piccillo just violently slammed shut. Although Gohan – _Kakorott_ – had condemned him to death with that unwitting act, he had saved him from worse. From this.

Piccillo released his guard, allowing waves of shame and hate to pass, coated by the darkness that was Bibidi. When he stopped fighting it, moreover, embraced it, the rage in him calmed, the shame dissipated and the coat of darkness had nothing more to hold onto, and no more of Piccillo's shields to keep it condensed and contained. The taint soon found itself completely washed from Piccillo's mind.

That's when he knew. Piccillo had found a way to break through to his student. Gohan, by locking his emotions up, making them fight his ever-strengthening mental shields, caused his dark emotions to grow stronger through deliberate neglect. By not acknowledging the anger and pain he felt, forcing himself to remain the happy-go-lucky innocent boy everyone expected him, needed him, to be, Gohan was unable to work through, much less release, his negative emotions.

Piccillo made a choice.

He dropped _all_ his mental shields and dove into Gohan's mind, trying to reach him telepathically, and unfortunately, leaving his physical self completely undefended.

_Sensei?_ a timid voice asked.

_Gohan! Listen to me – you have to let it go. _

_ Let what go?_

_ Your anger, your pain. Just look around, look at what you're doing… what they're causing you to do._

A feeling of shock swept through the boy's mind and he withdrew. Piccillo feared Gohan ahd retreated deep inside himself, afraid, thereby giving Bibidi firmer control. But then Gohan came back in a rage, pushing everything foreign away from him. Piccillo was slammed brutally back into his own mind and could only hope Bibidi suffered the same.

Piccillo reentered his body with a groan and winched his eyelids up. He was bruised and bloodied all over, but no one injury seemed too bad. Gohan lay on the floor, barely breathing, eyes shut tight in concentration. Piccillo tried to sit up to watch his friend, but blinding pain from naval to neck made him think better of it; he slumped back down.

Piccillo reached out with his ki-based senses and waited an agonizing ten minutes. Suddenly, a strong, oil-slicked psi rushed out of Gohan's mental system like Pilaf on the run from raging monkeys.

Gohan gasped, drawing air into his lungs in racking pants before his breathing evened out and he opened his eyes. He looked around for a bit before settling on his sense. "Hey, Mr. Piccillo."

"Kid," he spoke gruffly, not about to admit to his worry and relief. "What have I told you about relying on only the physical senses, especially sight? You should have sensed any Ki and noticed me right away when you woke up!

Gohan only let out a small laugh and listened to his friend rant as they patiently waited to recover enough energy to move a toe.

"And another thing! I _knew_ you had a higher ability than you'd demonstrated, and this proves it. When we get home I'm going to triple your amount of training time and go harder on you than ever before! Make Bulma build you a GR like Goku had en route to Namek…"

((o))

Mie took point as they entered a new room; a strange aura manifested from there. It was a large circular room, with a cocoon of sorts in the middle.

"My baby is in there." Mie and the others spun, wondering why they hadn't noticed the man before. Their question was answered when the person materialized out of air. He was tall, bald and green, but that was where his similarities to Piccillo ended. For one, he lacked ears, and his eyes were a harsh crimson shade. He wore a garment so flowing, that if he were not clearly wearing pants one would think he wore a dress. The haughty expression coupled with madness completed his attire. His height was actually atypical of his species, the Majins. It was a physical manifestation of his sorcerer's abilities. Furthermore, his Ki could not be sensed. Mie compiled the facts in her mind. That meant this was a mere underling, but…

"Bibidi." It was not a question.

"Yes. And that is my darling Buu, in the cocoon. Don't bother trying to destroy it; it won't work."

Bardock powered up, intent on proving him wrong, but a malicious glint in their enemy's eye warned Mie that would be disastrous. "Bardock, stop! That's what he wants us to do!"

Bardock paused, and though his gaze never moved from Bibidi or Buu, he somehow spoke with his eyes his unvoiced question.

"Any energy we throw at it will be absorbed, and will help re-energize Buu. That cocoon is a sort of healing pod, designed to absorb any Ki it's hit with; see the conduit?"

"Clever girl. But it is of no consequence. This facility is set up to absorb _all _energy given off within these walls, including that lost by Piccillo and my newest acquisition, Son Gohan."

Mie relaxed, and gave a smile. "We don't have enough energy, even combined, to reawaken that monster."

"I know. That's why I've been gathering Ki for centuries, both on Earth and at several other satellite locations. It's all redirected here. As you can see, it is almost to capacity." Bibidi waved his hand, and a dial appeared. Indeed, it was fueled to twenty-nine kilis, on a scale of thirty-two. (Majins do not have a ten-base counting system, but rather an eight-base counting system). As they watched, the scale inched up towards thirty even.

"Wait a minute. You said 'Earth and at several other satellite locations'. What do you mean? We're on Earth; isn't this your home port?" Gohan asked.

Bibidi smiled wickedly. "When you entered this room, you were teleported across space and time to the dead world of Kubindi. The doorway sealed and the room disappeared upon this transportation. Your friends cannot reach you, nor you, them. Your situation is quite hopeless, it would seem."

Bardock's senses tickled. His gaze was continuously drawn to the cocoon in the room's center. _Well… If we don't do something soon, I'd say within the next twenty-five minutes, Buu will emerge. That thing is set to absorb Ki, but how about physical damage?_ Before anyone had time to blink, Bardock charged, fist cocked, and swung at the cocoon. Strangely enough, his arm passed right through. In a panic, he pulled it out again, and was met with no resistance.

"A hologram!" Mie said. "I should have known." Facing Bibidi, she said, "You're transmitting your image from the cockpit of this ship. That means…"

Bibidi smile turned to a frown.

She scanned the room for a projection unit and found it on the door from which they came. Jumping up, she grabbed it in her fist and smashed it flat. The illusion of a cocoon wavered and disappeared, showing only a strangely tentacled creature lying in a hole that reminded Gohan strongly of Sarlaac. It was obviously there to absorb energy, as Mie had said.

"Well," he said nervously. "Nothing for it but to keep moving, then."

((o))

Gohan and Piccillo rushed after the others, not worried about getting lost – there was only one path. Strangely enough, they came to a dead end. There was a wall, and nothing beyond. Even straining their senses, they could detect nothing. Gohan attacked the wall in his impatience; he could sense that Mie and the others had gone through here! Why couldn't they? Worse, it was his fault the two of them had fallen behind! They had to find the others; an uneasy feeling reverberated in his gut. Something was desperately wrong. He stretched his senses far and wide, looking for any trace of the familiar Ki, to no avail. He stopped short of covering the hemisphere; his friends were not in range. In frustration he leaned against the side wall to think, and fell right through.

Piccillo was startled to see his pupil's legs sticking out of a seemingly solid wall, and then saw his head pop out, dismembered from his body. "It's a hologram. C'mon."

Gohan stood up and Piccillo followed, looking at all the strange gadgets.

Gohan spoke excitedly. "It looks like the transmitter for a teleportation device! See here, the energy is gathered and here the molecules are scanned and the data is transmitted to a receiver so a person can be restructured correctly – a very risky procedure; far safer for a person to teleport themselves as their mental projection of their physical self is far more reliable than a computer, which is easily corrupted by its environment, hackers and extraneous occurrences. I remember doing a report on the theory of teleportation for Mom. But look here! Ingenious; see how the designer integrated the planet's spirit power to act as a neutral filter to avoid such corruption and to give the traveler a boost over large distances? It's not instantaneous teleportation, but it's close…"

"Our friends were sent somewhere else?"

"Um… yeah…"

"Can you get us there as well?"

One could actually see the fear creep over Gohan's face. "No way! I don't have the knowledge for this. One report does not an expert make…"

"Can't you try?"

Gohan hesitated. "Well, I remember seeing some plans in Bulma's lab once, and didn't Mie say something about Intuition?"

He got down on his hands and knees and opened a panel, allowing a pound or so of wiring to come tumbling down. Gohan sighed, and wished with his whole heart that Bulma were here with him. Gohan gasped. It seemed as though he had inadvertently made a psychic connection with Bulma's mind. _But how?__ She hasn't even been born yet…_ It was an older Bulma than the one he knew, in her forty's, and she was talking to a pale-haired teenager who looked vaguely reminiscent of… Gohan couldn't put his finger on it and shook off the distraction. The important part was that he talk to Bulma, convince her to help him. This was easier said than done, however. It seemed his telepathy only manifested itself as Bulma's subconscious thoughts. On reflection, this made sense; Bulma did not have the metnal training he did. On the other hand, it made for slow progress. She kept trying to ignore him to concentrate on her current project, whatever it was.

Finally, after ten agonizing minutes of fiddling with the machinery, he pulled himself out from under an apparatus Piccillo didn't know the name of. Turning to his sensei, he spoke. "I don't know how well it'll work. It'll be unstable at best."

Piccillo nodded. "Let's go."

They left the room and walked towards the formerly solid rock wall, which now wavered oddly. They stepped through, moving as though under water, and finally entered this in-between space completely. Gohan would have gasped in surprise if he had lungs to do so, but his body had dematerialized completely. Nonetheless he could feel that they were rushing along at a breakneck pace, though they still remained in the Milky Way. He realized then that he was not seeing through the visible spectrum, but rather through the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically, the gamma range.

They hurtled closer and closer to a giant, dead mass, which Gohan worked out must be a planet. With a rush of air in his ear, Gohan rematerialized in a circular white room and had to keep himself from stumbling into that which he immediately termed 'Sarlaac'.

"Whoah." Gohan breathed a sigh of relief at their safe arrival, and glanced to his right, sensing his sensei and companion arrive as well, a few seconds after Gohan. _Probably due to his greater mass_.

It was clear from the feel of the room that their friends had been here. As there was only one exit out, the two immediately rushed through it, almost stumbling on their friends at the other end of the hall, a mess of bodies and blood strewn behind them, proof of some fight just ended.

The three readied themselves to attack what they saw as imposters, but Gohan held up his hands. "It's us!"

"The teleporter was destroyed," Gohan Sr. said warily.

"I fixed it. With Bulma's help."

Mie relaxed. Bibidi had no way of knowing about Bulma. The genius scientist hadn't even been born yet. The other two relaxed upon seeing this. "Who?"

Mie glanced at them. "That's not important. We have better things to deal with."

"Right."

They walked forward, into another circular room, identical to the last. Bardock stepped forward to touch the cocoon in the center and stepped back when it gave him a slight shock.

"That no hologram," he said, absentmindedly rubbing his hand.

"No, it is not," said Bibidi, emerging not from thin air, but through a conventional doorway to their left. "And thank you so kindly for donating that small sum of energy for Buu's reawakening.

**A/N:**

1) Wondering why Babidi didn't gather energy from so many sources as well? Cause he wasn't as good a wizard, that's why. Bibidi's no idiot, unlike his son.

2) If anyone knows where Kubindi is from, they get a free cyber-cookie.


	12. Ch 11

**A/N: To avoid confusion, Gohan Sr. is Gohan Sr., and Gohan Jr. is just Gohan, k? Also, when I updated the last chapter, ff dot net didn't acknowledge it. I guess it doesn't see a **_revised_** chapter as an update like it does a **_new_** chapter. So please go check it out. I made two updates to it: One about what happened to Mie and the others while Piccillo handled Gohan, and just now I added three paragraphs to give it a proper ending. (And a cliffhanger, so you won't readily understand this without checking it out).**

**Time Distorted**

**Chapter 11**

**By: Mara Roberts**

The five warriors snapped to defensive position, and that was their mistake. They should have attacked. Bibidi did not play by the rules, fighting not with Ki, but with sorcery, and the only way to stop his magic was to keep him too busy to form a spell.

Mie's eyes widened as she realized their mistake, and shifted to an attack position, about to charge, when dark energy exploded but Bibidi's cupped hands, forcing the fighters back a few feet, before centering on the cocoon.

"He's… taking our energy!" Gohan Sr. yelled between panting breaths, struggling to master enough Ki to process air in his lungs.

"It's going directly into the cocoon!" Gohan said.

A misty form emerged from the cocoon, almost like a pink cloud. It was weak at the moment, but that would not be its problem for very long. It was gaining energy as fast as the five were losing it, and would overpower them very quickly. Gohan Sr. fell to the floor, almost completely drained. As a human, he was the weakest one there.

"This has to stop!" Bardock yelled, looking desperately for Bibidi. He was weakening fast, and if he didn't move quickly he'd soon he unable to move at all.

He charged to where he had last seen Bibidi, but the wizard was no longer there. He had disappeared in the chaos. Bardock charged to the door and punched right through it and made it halfway down the hall before falling to his knees. Back in the circular room, Mie was absolutely paralyzed. She had a lot more energy than anyone in the room, but because it was pure Goddess energy, the spell affected her in a far more powerful way, immobilizing her completely.

Gohan was the only one left who could move, and move he did. Bardock's action snapped him out of his stupor, and within seconds he was hurtling past the fallen Saiyjin. His body pulsed with absolute agony. Every grain of Ki felt like he was losing a vital part of himself, an arm, an eye, a leg… Gohan pushed down on the deadly distraction with a growl. He had to concentrate, straining his Ki even more to sense where Bibidi was. Stretching his senses, he was able to sense more "Sarlaac's" somehow hidden. Bardock had mentioned holograms. That had to be it.

Gohan was running so fast now, faster than he had ever run in his life, struggling to keep up with Bibidi's spell-induced speed in unfamiliar territory. He slipped and his foot caught in a Sarlaac, but for some strange reason when it tasted his energy it seemed revolted and shoved him away. Gohan couldn't figure it out, wasn't it supposed to take his energy? Grateful, though still not understanding, Gohan plunged on.

((o))

Back in the circular room, Gohan Sr. lay dead, his body raped of all its living Ki. Had Bibidi been on top of his game, he would have had the spell eat up dead Ki as well, so Gohan's body would decay at a visible speed, giving off energy with his deterioration. But Bibidi was not on top of his game.

In the hallway, Bardock moaned, and his breaths became struggled gasps.

Mie closed her eyes – the only movement left to her, and prayed.

((o))

Gohan skidded to a halt. Bibidi was right before him. There was plenty of hallway left for which the wizard could run, but instead he had turned around, and was studying Gohan.

"Strange," the wizard said. "You seem partially immune to my spell. I wonder why that is."

Gohan said nothing, so the wizard continued.

"Perhaps you are not as pure as you would have everyone believe. I was, after all, able to conquer your mind earlier, although you did admittedly force me out, but maybe, just maybe, your purity is not a constant thing. It is as though two halves of you are at war, one pure, one not. Which is on control of you now, I wonder?" Bibidi's eyes flashed with a gleam, and Gohan swallowed hard. As Bibidi spoke, he was reminded of Piccillo and Kami, but he also remembered that Piccillo had reformed.

"You needn't worry. It would do me no good to try and take over your mind in this case. I need your energy, not your loyalty –"

Bibidi's voice was cut off as Piccillo charged into the room.

"Kid! Snap out of it!" he yelled.

Gohan's mind immediately cleared, and he realized that as Bibidi was speaking, he was wrapping a spell of complacency around his mind, to keep him from attacking the wizard and saving his friends.

Gohan spared a glance as he saw Piccillo fall to the floor, energy spent from the chase. Gohan attacked Bibidi, but the wizard had already moved beyond his grasp. The foul creature had once again used magic to assist his speed, and Gohan suddenly understood that somewhere ahead of him, was another teleportation device.

"Gohan, wait. You won't catch up to him that way. Come here."

((o))

Mie struggled to control her breathing, more out of an attempt to keep from panicking than from the actual spell. When she had made her prayer, Piccillo answered it. He had enough energy to keep from being damagingly drained just yet.

_"Give me your energy," he said. "I'll hurry up and pass it on to Gohan. It might be enough."_

_Mie__ nodded. Although the spell took her energy at an enormous rate, there would still – hopefully – be plenty left for Gohan to use. Not being a God, Gohan could not be immobilized by simply possessing her energy. She opened her shields, and gave Piccillo everything she had to spare._

((o))

"Take this," the Namek ordered, pouring immortal energy into Gohan's mortal frame. "And hurry."

Gohan rushed away as the foreign energy assimilated into his body. It was fire along his veins, and he didn't understand why it hadn't affected Piccillo so. Then he realized Piccillo had not tried to use the energy, just carry it. But these thoughts served only to distract him, so he pushed them away and hurried on.

_What tricks will Bibidi use? He doesn't need to defeat me, only slow me down…_ Gohan harnessed all of Mie's sacred energy and used it to propel himself forward faster than light. He saw Bibidi ahead as though in slow motion. The wizard would never see him coming, not even too late. Gohan struck out with his arm, leveling a fatal blow to the neck, and the wizard fell, decapitated. Gohan powered down and stared at the lifeless form. That had been easy, anticlimactic even, but he wasn't about to complain.

The spell decelerated without its master to sustain it, and would eventually stop draining them of energy and return the stolen Ki to its original hosts. He reached Piccillo and revived the Namek with some Ki, and they headed with all due speed back to their friends, hoping they were well.

They came across Bardock's body, and indeed, body was the word. Gohan looked up to his sensei in shock; the saiyjin was dead. Rushing to the circular room, Gohan paled further, seeing Gohan Sr.'s corpse cooling down as well. Mie bent over him but was looking at Gohan with a smile.

"Don't worry. As soon as the spell winds down, the energy will return to their bodies and restore them to life."

Gohan sighed in relief as Piccillo walked in, carrying Bardock. "How much longer do you think it will be?"

"Any second now." And just then, the spell stopped, and a rush of energy seemed to fill the room. The cocoon where it was stored seemed to be in a frenzy of activity, as energy was rushed back to the five of them, reviving their two friends as promised. But something was off. Although there had been a backlash of power, and all five of them had received a little energy, it was not nearly all of what they had lost. In fact, Gohan Sr. and Bardock were still unconscious, having just enough energy for their hearts to beat and their bodies to process.

A pink fist slammed into Gohan's face and he flew back with a crunch. His noise was bleeding profusely, probably broken. The boy looked up and saw that the pink cloud from earlier had become a giant _pink_ baby.

"Oh, no." Gohan paled in shock but did not panic. In the excitement of the chase, he had put this out of his mind.

"Buu," Mie whispered, and that seemed to be what the pink beach ball was waiting for. He attacked the three fighters left, but he went at it very strangely. Buu was not using his full strength, and almost seemed to think it a sort of game.

Gohan, Mie and Piccillo were too busy dodging to think on the implications of that. If Buu wanted a game of cat and mouse, they could only hope to hold out against him once Buu decided to up the ante. Had they time to think, they might have even been insulted at fighting a baby in nappies. As it was, Gohan's mind was working overdrive. The spell had returned the five _some_ of their energy. If they could siphon off more, the five could be returned to full strength and weaken their enemy simultaneously. But the five of them could never hold enough energy to seriously disable Buu…

And then he understood. He knew why Bibidi had chosen such a remote, _dead_ planet for his base. Gohan would stake his life on the idea that once Kubindi had possessed a flourishing fauna and flora, a hotbed of life, and of Ki. And Bibidi came to Kubindi with the express purpose of stripping the planet of its Ki for Buu's reawakening. If he could somehow mimic the spell and take energy from Buu for himself, his friends, _and_ the planet, it might just be enough to subdue the monster baby.

But Gohan knew nothing of spells, and he had a feeling even Intuition could not help him here.

But then he saw it. A tiny little switch on the side of the cocoon, almost hidden by the enormity of the machine on which it was housed. There was a label on it, but he did not know the language.

"Mie!" he yelled. "What does that label say?"

She looked at him askance, but when she saw the switch and label her face glowed in triumph. "It's on 'absorb'. The other one is 'discharge'."

Piccillo was the closest, and reached for the switch. Buu, being a baby, apparently did not know the importance of that switch, and seemed surprised his playmate was playing with something else. The baby stopped, eager to see what game his playmate would share. Then the switch was turned, and the baby did not like this game at all.

Gohan was ready for it. As soon as the switch was hit, he focused his mental energies in an attempt to control the flow of Ki emanating from Buu. First he fully revived his fallen comrades, then reinforced himself, Mie and Piccillo. But there was still so much energy waiting to be harnessed, and this, he sent straight into the planet's core.

Buu wailed and flailed about, trying to keep himself together. The giant baby was dissolving into a thousand small pink pieces, most of which were dispearing – void of energy – at an amazing rate. But it seemed even a planet could not fully harness the power of Buu, because there was enough left to be drawn back into the cocoon, to wait for another millennia if need be. Without a sorcerer of Bibidi's skill, that millennia would hopefully never come.

Mie sighed. As much as she wanted to, she could not mess with the path of time. Babidi was hardly the wizard his father was, but the old man had left enough instructional tomes behind that his boy didn't have to be.

"Well," Mie said, clapping her hands together. "Who's up for going home?"

((o))

Although his body was dead, Bibidi was a very resourceful wizard, and he had put in position many spells which would allow him to linger for a time after death. He could not save himself, no, but that was not the point. He would have vengeance on that boy, and so with the last of the spirit energy that left him leave to stay in limbo, he thrust his most intricate curse at the boy's spirit, intending to make him as a great an evil as could be. But as his spirit descended into Hell, the wizard frowned. Something was wrong. The spell was not fixating on the boy, but it almost seemed as though heading towards the future. That didn't make any sense…

And then in a flash the learnéd wizard understood. The boy was a time-traveler. Because of this, the curse's unique properties would instead begin at the moment of the boy's future birth, corrupting him from infancy. He laughed at the irony. It was his very curse that had slowed the energy-sapping spell. To take Gohan's energy, the spell first had to purify it – of Bibidi's taint! That was why the boy had more energy than he should have had… Energy to keep from falling to the ground as had his companions, strength to persevere, speed to catch up… Bibidi's insane laughter rattled in his ears all the way to Hell.

**A/N:**

1) Wondering why Babidi didn't gather energy from so many sources as well? Cause he wasn't as good a wizard, that's why. Bibidi's no idiot, unlike his son.

2) No one knew where Kubindi was from, and I don't think anyone will figure out it's from Star Wars. I cracked open my map of the galaxy, found a planet whose name I liked, and used it here.


	13. Epilogue

**Time Distorted **

Epilogue

**By: Mara Roberts **

"Thank you, Kibito. I appreciate your assistance," Mie said to the teleporting servant of the Kais.

"You are quite welcome, Mie. Congratulations in your victory, the five of you." His nod took in the other four as well. They were back on Earth, each about to head on a new adventure. Bardock was provided with a spaceship – courtesy of his friend Dr. Briefs. Gohan Sr. was going to become a wanderer, as Gohan had told him of finding an alien boy he would adopt and raise to be the savior and hero of Earth. As for Gohan himself, he and Piccillo would be returning to the future.

Bardock climbed into his spaceship with a final round of good-byes and departed with a smile on his face. He would be returning home! Albeit, several thousand years after his death, but home nonetheless. Upon reaching space, he plotted in his trajectory, and activated the hibernation gas; he would sleep the whole way there. Once he had fallen asleep, Mie slightly altered his course to take him slightly nearer a black hole, to prolong his journey and make sure he'd end up there at the right time, and relativity would keep him young, besides.

She turned to her time-traveling companions. "We must be going now."

They nodded, and Gohan gave his grandfather a farewell hug. Mie took one hand each of Piccillo and Gohan, and the world rapidly spun around them and faded to white. When the haze cleared, they were standing on Roshi's island, and the darkness from the dragon was fading. As they stood, the dragonballs flew up and sped away.

"Mom! Dad!" Gohan ran to his parents, and Goku picked him up into a bear hug, with Chi-Chi latching on just as tightly in a family embrace. Piccillo gave a soft snort and his mouth twitched in what might have been a smile, or a trick of the eye.

He turned to the goddess, but she had vanished. He nodded. It was not a bad idea to do, he decided, and took his leave.

"Oh my! You're skin and bones," Chi-Chi exclaimed. "I'll just go inside and fix you up a proper dinner, alright?"

And with that she bustled off, most everyone following, deciding to either help her out or give father and son some space. After all, they had not reconciled what had happened at Namek and after.

Gohan started to explain why he had put his father on that ship, but Goku gave him a wry grin and a shake of the head. No words were needed; he understood.

"You aren't angry then?" Gohan asked.

"I was afraid, and terribly proud. But I'm not angry that you took a stance and fought. How could I ask you to do anything else? I might have wished you were a bit older first, but events forced our hands, and it was ultimately your decision to make. But Gohan, you don't ever have to fight if you don't want to. There are plenty of warriors out there who would gladly pick up the slack for the thrill of a fight, myself included. I can't promise I'll always be there, but while I am, you can always count on me."

A burden seemed to lift from Gohan's soldiers as Goku acknowledged his son was really a pacifistic boy.

"I'm glad," Gohan said. "So what happened while I was gone?"

A huge smile split Goku's face as he thought back with pride to what Kami had told them.

**(o)**

"…Gohan was wondering down the Corridor of Time when the wish to have him revived was made. Because he was in the Corridor, and because of its special properties, he was brought back to life in the year by which he was standing and also had the closest connection to his own time."

"Just what are you saying!" Chi-Chi asked half-hysterically, screeching in such a manner that Goku covered his ears.

"Gohan's alive – he's just in the past," Kami replied, ignoring his own ringing ears.

"In the past?" Bulma snapped quickly. "What does THAT mean?"

"Exactly what I said – time travel, if you will."

"Then let's wish him back here, to the present," Chi-Chi said, more calm now that her baby was safe and alive.

"We can't right now. There's something that needs to be accomplished in the past if we are to retain a future-"

"NO! I want my baby boy back home safe and sound! I don't give a damn about the universe, or the world, or whatever it is, I just want him home." She pleaded with her eyes.

"If Gohan is not allowed to do this, he will not have a home to come back to. In fact, he will never be born in the first place. You will never have known him or even what you are missing. The universe will descend into paradox and be destroyed."

"Then what do you need the dragonballs for?" Goku spoke up for the first time since Kami had finished his tale.

"To send Gohan a protector; he will be in dangerous times. And we can only send one, I dare send no more."

"I'll go," Chi-Chi said firmly.

"No, Chi. I will. I can protect him better."

"Like you _protected_ him on Namek? No. There's only one person I trust with Gohan's safety now and its me!"

"Neither of you are going, for several reasons," Kami interrupted.

"Nani? How dare you-" Chi-Chi stopped as Kami put up his palm, demanding silence. She would have kept talking anyway if she hadn't suddenly come down with laryngitis. She glared at the god for what she deemed gross misuse of powers.

"First of all, both of you are too overprotective. Chi-Chi, you have always been and are more so now in light of Gohan's death. Goku, you will try to take your son's destiny upon yourself and keep him from his birthright – his own awesome power, and you will fail to rise to the challenge while hindering your son from doing so. Secondly, Piccillo needs to be rid of Bibidi's influence. Sending him to face Bibidi is the quickest and most effective method of doing so. Thirdly, he will push Gohan to his limits and not hold Gohan back. Fourthly, you both exist in that era whereas Piccillo's predecessor has yet to show his face. If you meet yourselves you would be your own undoing. Fifthly, that is how I remember it. To take any other recourse or action would create paradox."

"Can Picillo keep my baby safe?" Chi-Chi asked, allowed to speak once more.

"I do not know. Despite everything, the past is yet unwritten. Anything can happen. However, the fact that we are all still here bodes well for us, and Gohan. When Piccillo is sent into the past we will know more."

"How so?" Bulma inquired.

"If Piccillo succeeds, nothing will happen. If he has failed, we will cease to exist. We – and time itself – will have been destroyed long ago. Again, paradox."

Piccillo stepped forward, relieved to be the one to protect Gohan. Goku looked over to him, a demand in his eyes, acceptance written on his face. He could not protect his son today, and would entrust Piccillo with Gohan's life.

Kami looked around, and everyone nodded agreement, though some were reluctant. "Then let us begin. Dende, if you please, I think you should have the honors…"

Dende led them outside, to the waiting dragonballs. He spoke the Namekian tongue: "By your name, I summon you! Porunga!"

**(o)**

"So that's what happened in our time?" Gohan asked his dad.

"Yeah, that's how it happened."

"I had been wondering why I hadn't returned home before now. At least there won't be anymore fighting."

For a second Goku had a vision of sorts, of a strange monster cloaked in green skin, surrounded by a purple aura. He shook the image away, slightly disturbed.

"No. There won't be anymore fighting…" Goku looked away. He'd just promised his son that would be his job, and he meant to keep his word. He spoke quietly as Gohan ran to the house, entranced by the smells of dinner, Goku's voice audible only to himself. "We're safe now; we're all safe."

And if they weren't, well, what's what warriors like him were for right? He'd just have to train harder, is all. It's what he did second-best. As for what he did first-best… Goku followed his son in to dinner at the site of his family gathered round the table, which was covered in platters and cloth. He found he had a light bounce in his step and a weightless feel to his heart, and knew all was right with the world, as it would continue to be.

* * *

Bibidi, Babidi, Buu Chronicles, Pt. 3 (untitled) 

I am clearly never going to write part three (well, never say never, but the chances are statistically insignificant, so, yeah…) so I'm going to summarize my plan.

Gohan kept training in the interval till Buu showed up when he was sixteen. Most everything is according to canon, except Gohan's a cool nerd, and Goku's alive, etc. When Buu is brought back, Mie shows up to help. The Corridor makes a cameo as Gohan and Mie return there to study Buu's past techniques. After some all-out, incredibly dramatic series of battles, Gohan frees his mind from Bibidi's dark seed through Babidi, he and Goku kill Buu and they takes on the mantle as Earth's co-protectors.

Gohan and Videl live happily ever after, and Videl does not shirk on her training and grows more powerful everyday. The end.

* * *

Because my chapters have a different numbering system than uses because of the interlude, I will post review responses according to chapter as designates the chapter. So for example, the Interlude review responses are under Chapter 1 Review Responses. 

**Chapter 1 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – Your guess is pretty good, but you're off. Sorry. Thanks for the compliment. And yeah, poor Krillian is dead, now. Hey, that just gave me an idea if I ever go back and rewrite this… Instead of having _Kami_ fix everything, I could have Mie do the Third Magic… sort of. Cause she'd still have to meet Gohan and he ought to remember what he learned while he was there… (and the Third Magic idea is from 'The Third Magic' my Molly Cochran (sp?), so this is my disclaimer). College is… going. I love Chem, but strangely I'm being really lazy with Calc (because it's usually what I want to do first, being my favorite subject in HS) but I guess teachers are an influence on that. I HATE geography. He's a really bad teacher and here's why – it's his first year teaching it! We now have an impossible test on Monday, of over 200 pages of text to learn from, and I also just learned this week that going to lecture is a waste since he doesn't make the tests, he has a CD made my the textbook author to generate test questions or something, and it makes me so mad and ooohhhh! (:Deep breath:) And tech. Writing's not good, but it could've been worse. It was bad enough they didn't warn us there was a public speaking component…

Anyway, how's boarding school? It sounds interesting to me cause, well, it's like college but it isn't. I hope you're happy there. Oh, and before I forget, Congrats on the first review.

Tocole – I'm glad you like it. (:sheepish grin: I meant to update yesterday, but I have this huge test on Monday and everything else flew out of my mind… Sorry I made you wait an extra day). Actually, if you or anyone else reviews my story in Friday, I'll see the e-mail from that I got a review and it'll remind me to post. So if you want to make sure I remember, that would work.

DBZ Chick1 – Me, too

Samara-chan – Hehe, yeah you guessed it.

Luna's Meow – actually, that's what I meant, but I didn't word it very well. When I said space, I meant all of the third dimension, not just Earth, but since time is space anyway, I guess I didn't make much sense… I guess I should have said it this way: Trunks and Bulma are not gods, so they cannot truly affect Time. By going through time, with their own power (or inventiveness), their very presence in the past creates an alternate reality. Anything they do in that reality to shape its future will have no effect on their own. If it did, the people they are would not come to exist as their world would be replaced with a different future, and the potential for paradox is huge. But Mie's a goddess, so the rules don't apply to her. I'll fix that right now.

**Chapter 2 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – I'm sorry for the confusion. Someday I'll go back and rewrite this thing, and that will be something I fix. I hope the meeting with Bardock lives up to your expectations. As for Goku and Yemma… That would be funny, but Goku is too naïve and good-hearted to do something like that. Chi-Chi, on the other hand… As for being nervous about Gohan… the question of his purity (or lack thereof, hehe) will be answer way later on. You'll have to wait and see which path I choose for our favorite demi-Saiyjin. As for Gohan killing Bardock… it's so funny you should mention that, cause a scene popped into my head the other day _kinda_ like that, but not really. I can't explain without giving spoilers, so you'll have to wait on that, too. Your guesses are really good, I have to admit. And I squeaked by in Geography with an 80 on the test. (good things to, it's 30 of the final grade). I actually enjoyed Calc 1 a LOT (yeah, I'm a bona fide nerd). I loved the challenges of trying to integrate different derivatives and figuring out which path to take, since there are so many… Calc 3 isn't boring; it's just that I'm getting lazy. Bad me, I know. But I got a hundred on our second test! Now I just have to do good on the third, so I can drop my first one (we take the best two out of three test scores, cause each test is thirty points, and the final is forty, for a total of 100 points) and on my first test I only go 20 – that's 66 2/3 ! Agghhhh! (Okay, I'll admit. Arrogant stupid me didn't study much…)

Chris – I'm glad you're entertained; it means I'm doing my job. As for Buu… try and imagine what would realistically happen if Buu were released (well, as realistic as DBZ gets, anyway) and that should answer your question.

Shukumei no Kagi – nice name. What's it mean? I know it would be confusing – I tried writing it that way at first… Let's just say it didn't work out. Then I realized Gohan couldn't use his real name anyway, so I took some liberties. As for POV, I remember reading how an author should stick to one, at most two, POVs, but I just can't seem to manage with this story; I can't see it working any other way, unfortunately.

Luna's Meow – I explained how Bardock came to be in the past… Do you mean how does he get to when he needs to be for Goku to be born? Hint: see the prologue in Part 1.

Korrd – I won't be writing in the BBB Chronicles-verse again for a long while, but I do have some side stories planned, one of which involves Ox-King. I don't know if Roshi will fit in there or not, but if not there, not in any of the other planned side stories. Sorry.

DBZ Chick1 – Thanks.

Silence's Siren - :Blushes: Sorry I took so long to get back to you. I was studying like mad until Wednesday, when I had a math test. After that, I shut down. But I'd love to have you beta my stuff. I'll e-mail you the next chapter, and I'll beta Dreams, if you want, but I can't promise weekly. In my experience, the two main determinants of a beta's workload are the length of the chapters, and the skill of the writer. Thank you so much for the offer!

**Chapter 3 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – Well, she is Gero's mother/grandmother/something. I didn't do the math, so I can't tell you how many generations apart they are, but yeah, you pretty much got it right on the nose. Piccillo… we won't be seeing him again for a while, sorry.

DBZ Chick1 – Thank you.

Shukumei no Kagi – glad to be of service. Um… technically it's Gohan II, not Gohan Jr. since he's not Gohan Sr.'s son, but his grandson. (I learned that at my sister's graduation. There was this kid something the II and Mom laughed at his arrogance and my sister explained how it worked. Pretty cool, huh?) Anyway, as for Gohan II's timeline, it will show up at the end when he goes home, and it will be the setting for Pt. 3 IF I ever get around to writing it. Since that doesn't look like it will happen any time soon, and it does tie up a few loose ends, I will instead write a detailed summary of my outline for Pt. 3, including how it will end, and if I ever get around to actually writing it I'll remove the summary.

Luna's Meow – actually, it was Kami who remade everyone's memories, not the dragon, and then the point you brought up is just playing with semantics. People rarely say exactly what they mean, but they are still understood by the common bond of experience and language. So even though Mie's language was ambiguous, Kami knew what she meant.

**Chapter 4 Review Responses:**

Korrd – And here's another. I hope this makes you smile.

Marshmellow13Dragon – good luck in class!

Shukumei no Kagi – Thank you for the compliment. I was worried mine weren't okay. And I know "II" is more awkward than "Jr." but I just can't knowingly put in a mistake… well, I guess there are exceptions. One's tickling the back of my mind right now but I'm not sure what it is… oh well.

Kajeth – Bardock doesn't know Gohan II is from the future. And as Bardock knows, he never had any children, much less grandchildren. However (and this is a fic I plan to write one day, Bardock's back-story in my universe) he did have a younger brother, also named Gohan. So given the common name and the strong scent of familial blood generations, Bardock figured Gohan II is descended from his brother Gohan. It's a mistake on hs part, but there's no way for him to know any better. The fact that the scent is so strong after "so many" generations is a great source of pride to Bradock. It means, to him, his family is of an exceptionally strong line of never-before-heard of proportions.

Luna's Meow – Thanks. And I agree about the dragon taking things literally, but I kinda wonder if that was on purpose, if he was helping the good guys out. Cause if he hadn't put Piccillo where he did, he wouldn't have stumbled across Nial, gotten more power and knowledge of Freezer's technique, etc., which was a great help.

**Chapter 5 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – Now do you really think I'm the sort for unhappy endings?

Korrd – Nimbus wasn't needed before, but he was floating around somewhere, waiting to be called.

Luna's Meow – I don't believe in the series that he was partial, not really, but it does make you wonder if in the bonds of what he's able to do if he's helping the good guys out. However, I do believe that in canon, the dragon is neutral, and I intend to keep him that way. But it does make for interesting possibilities.

**Chapter 6 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – S'okay… just nag me next week, is all. I e-mailed you so you'd have my address. About Bardock's visions, I only kne about them from other fics when I wrote this, so I didn't know the real story. Instead, I made up my own reason for his visions. Remember in Chapter 1, Mie said "Time is somewhat imprinted on his memory" because he went through the wall of the Corridor of Time? That's my explanation for it.

Well, that was my only review. :sobs quietly: but I guess I have only myself to blame for updating late. I'd love to hear what more of you thought of that chapter – I can't improve without your input! So c'mon, gimme a review.

**Chapter 7 Review Responses:**

This Guy – Here you go, and thanks!

Marshmellow13Dragon –Sorry, but good guesses, all.

**Chapter 8 Review Responses:**

Kotrd – glad you spoke up; I don't want anything to bother you. Please remember that Goku has not yet been born. The only Gohan Bardock knows is his brother (my own creation). Bardock was suspicious at first, but he can definitely smell the relation (after all, it's only been two generations) although Bardock thinks that (Son) Gohan is descended of his brother Gohan, many centuries dead, but chalks up the strong family smell to equally strong bloodlines. A few years ago I had a whole backstory planned to my version of Bardock and his family and all this other cool stuff, but my computer crashed and I lost everything, including all the sidestories to the BBB Chronicles. Sucks, don' it? Anyway… What's going on in G2's timeline isn't important. If it were, I promise, I'd show it. They did their job by summoning the dragon and making the wishes. As for Gohan going Super Saiyjin… wait and see

Marshmellow13Dragon – did I make you happy? I brought in Piccillo.

**Chapter 9 Review Responses:**

Korrd – Last time you asked how strong Gohan2 is, and I forgot to answer, so even though you didn't leave a review yet for this chapter, (yet being the operative word, right?) I thought I'd give you an answer anyway: I'd say he's at least as strong as Vegita, but not Frieza. Frieza was severely weakened by fighting Goku; Gohan would be no match for him at full strength.

Marshmellow13Dragon – I'm glad you're glad. Lucky dog – only math to worry about. But I came out of it with three A's, a B and a B. But I'm gonna contest the B. Unless I got a 70 on the last project, I should have had an A, and the teacher did say everyone in the class got an A on that project, so…

Luna's Meow – I try. And I LOVE Sword of Truth series, especially the ideas presented in _Faith of the Fallen_ and the philosophy and sometimes-humor of the Wizard's Rules (i.e. "People are stupid"). What's _your_ favorite part?

**Chapter 10 Review Responses:**

Marshmellow13Dragon – The time thing is complicated, but yeah that's kinda it.

VB – I'm sorry you hate me. Was that serious, or were you joking? Well, here's the end to your cliffhanger. Read my A/N and you'll see why you had to wait. And blame it on Mom.

**Chapter 11 Review Responses:**

VB – I'm glad you don't hate me. Um… I don't think you'll be mad. It's not a real cliffy. I don't think.

MarshmellowDragon – what happened to your number? You did change your penname, right? I'm not insane? And that was great advice, alas it was no use. Have fun skiing? I love skiing. We went to Beaver Creek this year, but the weather was very uncooperative. Icy conditions. And the trails weren't labeled too well, which didn't help. Almost did a black run by mistake.

Luna's Meow – I like 'Mat' scenes the best; he's so much fun! _Drink the wine till the cup is dry…_ But yeah, the Great Game can be interesting. Confusing as hell, but interesting. What's your favorite part of Sword of Truth?

**A Shout Out To:**

Falconzord, Freyr Van'ir, Granite54, Haze Tax, Kakkabrat, Lara Roberts, Luna's Meow, Marbus, MarshmellowDragon, New Dye, SilentStardust,Phoenix-Flame-Fantasy, and The Lone Warrior, Thedarksavior, TwilightSakura, VegetaPrinceofDarkness, and W.V.Ffor putting me on 'my favorites' list.

Also to Calumongal, Freyr Van'ir, Geminia, Marbus, MarshmellowDragon, demonman21, KatinkaV, SilentStardust, Borachio, korrd, and Schway Al-Thor (hmm… Batman Beyond and Wheel of Time; interesting combo) for putting me on their author alerts.


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Dragon Ball Z, Adventure