Ki Times...By Senshi Rohnan

The Setting of a Whole New Time...Prologue

Earth...May 7th, 756 A.D. Ten Years Before the Birth of Trunks

The dark, cold morning wind that blew through the peaceful, serene Papaya Islands, off the coast of Japan, was not one of the greatest settings for today. It was not only the dark, cold sense that floated through the islands, it was the amount of people that have come to these islands, even on this more stormy of days for a great ritual, unlike any other. It was the day that the 23rd annual Tenkaichi Budokai was held.

The conversation and bets on the successes of certain fighters would probably never end. There was also the growing excitement of the long awaited great ShinHiLien, the Master Trainer of the few elite fighters that could ever stand up to the fierce art of Tolken. He was arriving here today to watch the great tournament and to take in two new recruits that would be worthy of being trained under his art.

But, the arts reputation, and its bad training habits, made a lot of great fighters not come to the tournament this year. Also, the fighters who wanted to be accepted into Tolken did it merely for themselves to become better at all skills in Martial Arts. But, during training in Tolken, a lot of past warriors lost touch with reality, and turned very violent, destroying whole towns and killing many innocent people. This, had been said to be caused, by the gods that ShinHiLien believed in, and made all his student believe in as well.

ShinHan, was man from northern Japan, and was one of the men that were participating in the tournament today. He was renowned for his fighting art called Tollem, which his grandfather had started and his father had handed down to him. His father, passed down his ultimate goal in life onto him. That goal was to win the Tenkaichi Budokai and bring back the honor to the Rohnan Dojo. For his fathers sake and even his, because it was by an illegal move done upon ShinHan's father that had broke his lower back and forced him to forfeit the match. Letting a young, cocky, red head win and take away his title of 'Greatest Martial Arts Instructor.' That was what ShinHan was here for today. If he were to win the Tournament today, the School of Martial Arts would again place their seal of choice on ShinHan and thus, bringing back honor to his Grandfathers Dojo.

Finally when the Tournament began it was clear that the skill level from every fighter was amazing and they had trained well during the years before this. Kicks were clean, strong and straight. Punches were swiftly delivered. Blocks were sure and clean but not always successful, and every fighter used all they had to win. But overall only one fighter would remain at the end of the tournament and two would to be taken off to learn the ways of Tolken Arts.

The other fighters, who had lost during the preliminary fights, were just awarded metals or other honors for they're fighting skills and beating other hard appoints. And then some were just told they needed to work harder and train themselves more for the next Tournament. One man that lost early on in this fight was a young man named Krillin. Besides his very shiny bald head, and his other characteristic of being vertically challenged, he was a great fighter, but not match for the man he went up against, which ironically, was his best friend, Son Goku.

Finally the regular fights were over and the main battles started between the final four fighters. One of these men, apparently was not a regular man. He was lizard like in skin and had clawed fingers. Also atop his baldhead, in the center of his forehead actually, he had two small antenna. Which seem to help him sense power levels of the fighters he when up against. He was a Namek with the name of Ma Junior, and he had come to seek his revenge on Son Goku, for killing his father. Whoever angered Ma in a battle or any other incident, would live to regret it in the end, ALWAYS.

Next was ShinHan. Standing in his appointed corner of the arena, looking on with great calmness in his eyes. 'But throughout it all,' he told himself. 'I am not going to fail my father. I will win this tournament!'

Then there was the older gentlemen named Crou Sosu, who was told to be a very devil of a fighter, him being secluded most of his life in the woods to train with wild beasts. His mere appearance scared off many of the earlier fighters to forfeit and run with their tails between their legs. His eyes, very bloodshot and dark, were enough to allow him to win three matches without even moving.

Then, at last, there was Son Goku. Who was talking to friends behind him and laughing. Then when the battle bell rang, he turned arms to his side and readied himself.

All looked so ready for they're battles all dressed in their GIs and their best belts tightened around their waists.

ShinHan had on a skintight black suit, with a white Gi over it and a gold headband on. On his white Gi was the symbol for Tollem. Very simply a black outline of a tree with a few letters around it and a aura floating about of the tree. His motto was always, 'Accept the powers around you, and do not give in to methods of resolve that end in killing. And always, if you must defend yourself or others, do not use weapons.'

Crou's outfit was very strange compared to all the other fighters. He had on a scruffy black cape and a mud stained under cloak with a blood red cloth belt on. He didn't have any shoes on either. But, who needs shoes in Crou's case, when you have been living your life away in the forest and have developed tough enough skin to repeal a snake bit. This fact in mind set an even darker, tougher aura around him.

Goku had on his favorite. Orange shirt, with a blue under shirt, and orange pants. Also, he had his blue cloth belt on which was neatly tied in the back.(Compliments of Chi-Chi) Then he had on his blue wristbands and his weighted blue and red stripped shoes.

Ma Junior on the other hand, who had put on over his white neck rap and his purple shirt and pants came a white, long shouldered suit of some sort. Which most of the white cloth hung from each shoulder. It all looked very heavy in appearance and was all too intimidating for most fighters looking on. A white turban like hat, also accompanied the suit and pants with a purple, rounded plate on top, which looked to be a metal. All of which people said was for weight training.

The first fight out of these four was Ma Junior, which looked very pleased eyeing his opponent as he walked into the ring, which was the older gentleman Crou. As he stepped into the ring, he looked a bit shaky and worn out by his earlier fights to get this far into the finals. But he still had that burning determination in his stone cold eyes, to win.

When they both, after circling around the ring sizing up each other, felt all right with themselves it was too late for Ma to even stop walking and try and fake a block, Crou was flying right towards him fists out, and ready to make contact.

Crou landed one punch, right in the side of Ma's face, pushing him way off balance and almost sending him on the floor. But Ma recovered and leaped up under Crou and spun his foot into his back, bringing Crou straight down headfirst into the battle square.

Finally Crou mustered up enough power to leap over Ma, he jumped to his feet, yelled and without Ma having any idea what he was doing. Ma found a foot, very firmly planted in the back of his neck.

Coughing from the blow and falling to his knees, Ma winced at the pain, and grabbed his neck. He brought his hand back around, covered in purple blood.

"Damn you old man! I have never shed my blood over pathetic little weaklings like yourself! Now...You will feel my wrath!!"

With that, Ma looked up from the ground and in a flash of rage, Ma was at Crou's throat, strangling the life out of him. Then, he threw Crou straight into a guardrail hearing the metal rip and tear under the pressure of the impact.

Ma, let out a breath of relief and calmed himself down and tried to bring his power level back up.

"Damn, little imp..." Ma mumbled to himself under his breath.

Ma did know Crou would get back up from that attack but with what, was unknown to him. Crou, being very crafty and quick, for a man merely 3 1/2 feet tall. Crou did in fact get out of the guardrail and came at Ma in a fit of anger and hatred that would a scared even Kame himself!

Ma had to do everything he could to block Crou's barrage or punches and cross-kicks which came very close to hitting their target. One connected with his right antennae, making a very irritation twanging sound in his head. Also, Ma never really had time or an opportunity to even attempt a punch. The old man's speed was remarkable. All he could do was block and dodge his attacks until, he hoped that the old man would tire and halt his attack.

Finally Ma had a opening...but that bad thing was that Crou was watching him very closely that threw Ma's concentration off a tad. Then, as Ma had hoped, Crou ran at him and leaped over his head. But even before Crou had time to spin in the air, he found himself yelling and wincing at the pain of a clawed fist, pummeling itself into Crou's stomach. Ma had the ability to extend his limbs, and with that he the brought Crou around to the front of his body.

He looked down into his eyes that showed no emotion, only some strain from the battle, and in a dark cold unforgiving voice, said..."Sorry old man, just didn't have enough to beat me hua?" With that, Ma jerked Crou to his right side, and shot Crou straight down into the ground, hearing Crou's shoulder blades crack under the pressure.

Worn out and tired, Ma was congratulated on winning a great fight and was told to be ready for the final fight.

Fighting next, after the Battle Square was fixed and prepped, was ShinHan and Goku. After their names were called, both stepped up and over the battle arena guard rails, which, at this point, were very out of shape and bent in some places as impressions of some fighters backs. Other areas, just horribly misshapen.

Goku, after stepping into the ring, and moving to his side, bend down into his cat like stance, and ShinHan standing in his pillar like stance, on the opposite side from Goku, with only his eyes blinking every now and again as he studied his opponent and sensed out his inner Ki.

The power he felt made Shin ShinHan's insides tremble. He knew he would have no chance against this fighter. Only making a rough estimate of Goku's power, he knew that he could increase it at least three times over, to be a unbearable 300. At least 100 more than Shin ShinHan's own max fighting level. With that in mind, ShinHan knew he had one hell of a fight ahead of him.

The first motion by either of these fighters came at the split second the bell rang. It was Goku who finally got done waiting and powered up, causing every little piece of paper, rock, food, etc. on the battle square floor to rise up around him and shake violently. ShinHan during this, merely stood there watching and waiting for Goku to come at him. When Goku did, and with stunning speed, ShinHan only followed Goku charge and when he was a few feet in front of him, he flew sideways and tripped Goku over and slammed him into the floor. Next came an onslaught of dodging and blocking each other went on for a good six or seven minutes until finally ShinHan got a good clean kick, right into Goku's gut as he ran by.

ShinHan hit Goku at an angle as he was running that totally flipped him over ShinHan's foot and sent him flying into a guard rail, bending it out of place and almost ripping it out of its foundation. Instantly Goku blasted out of the rail and flew at ShinHan slamming his elbow into his side then flipping over him and jabbing his left fist into his back, knocking him hard on the cement floor.

"Ouch..." Goku said, for a moment dropping out of his very serious state and into a more clumsy, goofy one. "That hurt even hurt me a little. My hand is numb."

Finally recovering from Goku's attack, ShinHan tried to return a blow but Goku had it covered, being prepared for just about anything, Goku lashed out at ShinHan throwing a barrage of punches straight into ShinHan's chest, totally knocking the life right out of him. Finishing off ShinHan, Goku flung himself into the air and performed a bone-cracking sidekick to ShinHan's right shoulder.

Sitting back up, and wiping the blood from his cheek, which started from a large cut across his forehead, ShinHan stood up and spun around, glaring at Goku. 'What a awesome Ki', he thought to himself. 'He is unlike anything I have ever fought or even dreamed of living. What is he anyway?' How can I get a good hit off him. Ever time I get a good speed up, somehow he can see where I am heading before I even get there.' ShinHan withdrew a long breath, and moaned at the pain in his right side. 'Agh, I just don't understand it.'

ShinHan knew he had to win or he also would not bring any hope back to his family. But Goku was incredible. He was not even phased by the kick ShinHan delivered which would really slow down any regular man. But then ShinHan knew that Goku was no regular man. Then ShinHan got an idea. 'If only I could get behind him, maybe I can get him off balance.' The only bad thing to ShinHan's idea was that, the getting behind Goku part seemed impossible.

Then came the heat again. Goku flying at ShinHan, totally catching him a little off guard, but that's all he needed. He kneed ShinHan in the stomach and then, while in midair, he flipped him over and drove his fist into his chest, forcing ShinHan down flat, hard, powerless and broken on the ring floor.

After gathering the power to push himself up, ShinHan slowly sprang to his feet and then winced in pain and fell to his right knee. He knew it was broken but couldn't stop now...too much was at steak. He then regained his balance, stood back up, totally ignoring the pain, and looked at Goku.

So confident looking, just standing there, breathing a little hard but showed now signs of injury or pain like ShinHan was. He also couldn't imagine how his wife would live on if he were to die here or if he were to be crippled...how would his life change. He couldn't think about that, he had to keep fighting. So, with that in mind, ShinHan pulled ever last strand of energy out of his body, straining every muscle in his body, and almost bursting every vein, until he had gotten all he could receive.

"Man, you are something else old man. I never though someone like you, besides Kame Sennin, could do this much to me," Goku said, holding his right hand behind his head and looking out into the onlooking crowd to see if he could spot Master Roshi.

"Y...You...How..." was all ShinHan could muster out at Goku.

Then without any care or concern for his leg, he jumped at Goku, fists to his side and his feet tucked under his body. When he got up and over Goku's head, he leap out at him and planted his left foot,( letting the right broken one hang), right in Goku's back, pushing his whole body to crumble and fall face first into the cement floor. Goku then flew back up from the floor, ShinHan still and the air and looking all so surprised, flipped back up over his head punched the back of his neck, hearing a small snap of the sheer force of Goku's fist sinking into ShinHan's neck and then the overall pain of the contact with the battle square floor.

"I...I failed y-you father...please...forgive me..." ShinHan muttered before falling unconscious.

ShinHan was out. He knew he had lost and for-shamed his father and more importantly, his family. He knew that he would now have no chance of going to train under ShinHiLien and the Tolken Dojo. But he didn't care, all he did care about at this point was to get better. And also, while ShinHan was being taken to the hospital, the only thing going round and round in his head was...

'Never again...Never again...I will not come back here...I am truly sorry, father...'

Authors notes...( As you all do know that Goku goes on to fight Ma Junior and he does beat him and wins this Tenkaichi Budokai, I just really didn't want to go THAT deep with this one. )This is merle the beginning, I have a ton of idea for this story. I do have to apologize for this sounding a bit corny and bland. But it can only get better. *Right?* This is just a start and its not even part one yet. I wanted to do something to set the stage for a whole new time in the world of DB. I added my own new characters I made up. I put together ideas and got some from a very great writer and friend of mine. Perhaps you have read Ki Links? By Senshi Jade, I owe a lot of help on starting my story from her and her thoughts. But, the majority, was mine, of course...

Also as she so nicely put it, that this is my work, my ideas and my story, if you dare take my ideas I will be forced into having Winter inflict very much harsh bodily harm upon your person, I will just stand back and watch. : )