Ki Links: Part 1
Earth: 10 years prior to the arrival of the Saiyajin Radditz
The midsummer afternoon set a warm glow on the small countryside. In the north the towering Mount Torao set its shadow in long curves across the fields and forests surrounding it. A cool breeze drifted through the area and blew soothingly through the pine trees growing up the sides of the mountain. Haruka Funakoshi felt totally at peace in his surroundings.
The older man deeply breathed in the fresh warm air. Yes, he knew he had made the right decision coming here to live out his days. There was no one around for miles; the nearest village was at least a day's hike away. No one would disturb his training here. Funakoshi smiled slightly to himself. He had everything he would need to survive, and anything else he desired was supplied here. The valley provided a great number of fruits to eat and animals to hunt. Solitude couldn't be more perfect, he thought to himself.
Funakoshi turned around and looked to get a view of the small cave home he had made for himself. It was set into the side of the mountain and was directly beside a small forest pool and waterfall, the best source of fresh water in the area. He had built a fire pit near the entrance of the mouth to drive away creatures during the night and had equipped the space with everything he had: a few personal journals and books, weapons, clothes, and several personal possessions he had acquired. Plus he now had a very large supply of food, the lizard creature that had been the former owner of the cave would provide meat for a long time…
Night began to approach quickly and dusk began to settle about the area. The birds and animals began to quiet and Funakoshi knew that soon the nocturnal creatures would start their nightly hunt. He had been busy all day cleaning out the cave and cutting up the creature; he now regretted not getting any training time in. He decided that tomorrow he would be sure to get a brutal workout to make up for it.
Lighting a fire in the pit, the old master sat for a few minutes gazing into the flames. He thought about what he had left behind to come here: family, the few friends he had, the home he had always known. Before coming here, he had a few times felt an urge that his place was not there, not in that kind of surrounding. He needed to find where he was supposed to be, and he felt that here was the best place to find it in…in this natural paradise where he was free to train as he pleased without disturbance. Sure, he didn't have the normal conveniences he was used to, two being indoor plumbing and processed food. But he felt that being here was right, and he trusted in nature to provide him with what he needed to survive. It would just take time and patience.
Strangely, he still had one regret he just couldn't shake. There was no one for him to leave behind
in his place. He had never been serious with any woman and thus he did not have an heir to his name. Being the only child of a middle-class family, it was customary to carry on the bloodline. A few years after he had been born, his father had been crippled in one of the Tenkaichi Budokai tournaments and his mother had become sick with a fever, making her unable to have any more children.
His father had always been a great warrior…it was always his dream for his only heir to follow in his footsteps and regain the family name. He had carried that dream even to his grave…and still Funakoshi hoped that even in his older age he could fulfill his dying wish. Perhaps even being here would help…
His thoughts came to an abrupt stop suddenly as a loud crash sounded outside the dwelling, and a shrill wailing filled the valley. Funakoshi peered out into the darkness and listened to the crying sound. It was repetitive and sharply loud that it slightly grated on his nerves. He thought to himself, That sounds almost human…but a child? All the way out here? He lit a small torch with the fire and pulled a sword free from one of the weapon racks in the wall of the cave. If it was something dangerous, best to take care of it quickly while it was unsuspecting.
Slowly proceeding forward, he ducked behind a cover of bushes and other bramble. He had been trained to move in silence in order to gain the upper hand when sneaking around…although this was the first time he was doing it for his life. He gripped the sword solidly and he could feel his palms grow sweaty from the pressure. He finally planted the torch firmly into the ground, so as that the creature would not see the fire when he jumped over. He took a few deep breaths and coiled the spring muscles in his legs. With a quick leap, he jumped into the clearing and raised the sword quickly.
What he saw totally took the air from his lungs. It was a space pod, some sort of strange transport vehicle, that much was obvious. It was not very large in size itself, but its outer pod shell had been shed upon collision; a small cord only attached this pod to it. It was perfectly round and had made a large crater in the clearing. It had a few cracks in the side, but other than that it appeared in perfect condition. Funakoshi walked over and touched it lightly, causing it to shake and the wailing sound to increase. He stepped back, raising his sword again as a section of the ball started to open…
He walked around and peered in cautiously to see inside the strange craft. It was a simple design, no special features or extra circuitry. There was only a small datatrack and a control terminal. But, seated in the cushioned center of the pod, was a small nude baby. Funakoshi looked at it curiously… it wasn't human, that was for sure. It had the body of a normal child, a female Funakoshi could tell, but it had white, downy hair on its head and a small white tail wagged from side to side behind it.
As soon as she saw the old man, the baby immediately stopped crying. For a moment the two just stared at each other, thinking and pondering the other. Her blue eyes stared up at him curiously and she reached her small hands out to him, like any normal baby would. Funakoshi hesitantly picked her up gingerly in one hand, to almost immediately drop her again when she caught one of his fingers in a viselike grip. After about a good five minutes, he managed to get his hand free and proceeded to carefully carry the baby back to the cave.
Funakoshi scanned the cave to find something to use as a blanket for the child. The night would become cooler as the hours went by and a normal baby would get sick without one. Even if this wasn't a normal child, best to be safe than sorry. He set her down near the fire and proceeded to look for anything he could use. He eventually found a small fur he had used as part of his makeshift bed and wrapped her in it. Content with this new source of warmth, the baby soon fell soundly asleep.
The old master watched the baby girl as she dozed in the light of the fire. This child…or whatever she was… held a strange aura inside her. In all his years of training, he found that one gift he possessed was the ability to link with an aura and extract information from it. Could this child hold memories of where she had come from? Well anything is worth a try, Funakoshi thought to himself as he gently pressed his palm to the back of the girl's head. He breathed deeply and concentrated on her life source. Immediately his mind was flooded with images…
A dark planet of solitude called Vegita-sei sat motionless in a flood of stars. Warriors inhabited its dark cities and dwellings. Female, male, of all sizes, born to fight wars and conquer planets for Emperor Freiza. A race bred on empty promises of new technology and power, built on their violent intuition. A race with the ability to change to the form of huge monstrous beasts by the light of the full moon thanks to the gift of their tails. A race whose people are born to kill or be killed.
A dark palace. A newborn's first cries echo through its dank hallways. Its mother's dying moans echo just as loud. A king stands motionless, watching the display with little emotional response. His young prince stands by his side, a mirror of his father's monotonous form. The man speaks his voice cold and raspy in the now silent room, asking a single question: "What is it?"
The guard in charge of assisting the birth holds the now clean child in one hand. He begins shaking in slight fear and holds it out to the king. "A female…but it is…different from us. Something is…wrong."
The king looks down on it, his cold eyes glaring at it. He holds it up in one hand, examining it in the pale glow of a torch light on the wall. "Yes…it is different. And the mother?"
"Dead from the childbirth," the prince states flatly. He finally catches sight of the child and his throat constricts slightly. After regaining his stoic posture, he looks up at his father. "Best we should take care of the child as well…it is not natural for it to look like that. Its hair and fur…white? And look at what it is doing!"
The prince points at the now cooing child, contentedly snuggling itself in the king's palm. The ruler's face snarls in disgust. "Yes…it is without the ruthlessness most Saiyajins are born with. But Emperor Frieza has commanded that every child must live…none may be killed due to the shortage in soldiers…" He stops for a moment and gives the child back to the waiting guard. "But perhaps there is another way. Put it in a capsule and send it to Sector PX-105."
"The black hole field? That in itself is death sentence, sire!" the guard says impulsively.
The king's voice becomes a roar in the silent castle. "Do you dare DEFY ME, Captain??"
The captain begins to shake even more. It is known that the king's dangerous anger is not a wise emotion to stir. "No, sire! I shall see to it at once!"
As the man hurries from the shadowy room, the king stands looking down at the boy. "It is no longer our concern. My mate has paid for what she has done, producing this…omen. By sending it off this world, its birth shall never be known to anyone else. You are to never reveal this to anyone, for the consequence will be death. You are dismissed."
The boy bows once and walks calmly out of the room.
Funakoshi fell back quickly from the child. He sat shivering for a moment in a cold sweat and reached up to rub his temples. The dark memory had taken everything out of him. He felt a deep pit in his stomach as he slowly stood up and fell out of the cave. He picked up the sword he had dropped near the capsule and walked shakily back to where the child was still sleeping silently. He carefully undid the fur and raised the sword high into the air and brought it down smoothly toward the girl…
The white tail fell harmlessly down at his feet. It thrashed slightly for a moment then was still. Regaining control, Funakoshi walked over and placed the sword back in its place. "No tail…no problems. We don't want you transforming in the middle of the night."
Funakoshi sat down next to the child and replaced the fur over her. Still sleeping, the child stirred slightly and reached out again in the darkness. Funakoshi picked up the small bundle and held her in his arms. "So many violent memories for one so small," he said to her softly. "I guess maybe coming here was right for me… at last I have an heir, er, heiress."
The man reached down and felt the girl's soft white hair. "You will need a name though…a cold past, snowy fur, and an icy strength. How about Winter?"
Winter cooed slightly and grabbed hold of his hand. Despite her strong grasp, he smiled down at her. "Yes, I think that will do well…Winter, I think you and I are going to be alright together. I will train you as I would my own child. I will help you perfect your inborn fighting instincts. Even though you won't grow up like I did, I think we'll manage." He set her down gently again. "I will be the father you didn't get the chance to have."
And, watching the fire, Funakoshi could not help smiling to himself. They made quite an unlikely pair…an old psychic master and a Saiyajin child. Quite the unlikely pair indeed.