Surprise Entrance
"So what you are trying to say is," Pan spoke, as the two had decided to run to Bard's residence, "that even inanimate objects like rocks and stuff have some Ki inside themselves too?"
"That is the basics behind my father's explanation," Bard explained to Pan. "Everything in the universe has a certain amount of spiritual energy, or "Ki" being the relative term. It can almost be considered a sort of 'Ki Pantheism', as it was described by him."
- Pantheism is the belief that "God is the Universe, and the Universe is God". In this case, it means that 'ki' exists in everything in creation. Along with elemental manipulation, there is one more reason this concept was introduced -
"So how is it that your Dad knows all this stuff? I mean, my own Dad never even stumbled upon the concept you are speaking of."
Bard stopped in his tracks, as he pondered how to respond to that question. "My grand-father has been studying Ki ever since he saw it in the 21st Budokai tournament your grand-father fought in. Once he got older, he made it his life's work studying Ki. It was only a personal interest, and not for public use," he turned around and almost seemed to glare at Pan, "which is why he let your Dad go ahead and publish his book without giving him his own knowledge on the subject.
"As for my Dad..." Bard continued, his voice hardening. "As I said, he's not a sociable man, and likes his privacy."
"Hey, I was just -"
"If you want to know what this is all about," Bard interrupted, "you should just ask him...the next time he comes back home."
At that, Bard started off at a run again, leaving Pan standing there. "Honestly," Pan spoke to herself, as she began running after him. "His Dad's not the only one who is very sociable."
Kami's Lookout
Piccolo observed the conversation with great interest. The talk about the grand-father, Piccolo could understand, but the father...just who or what was the father?
Aloud, Piccolo spoke to himself: "Elemental Ki? Ki existing in inanimate objects? Manipulating the ki in matter through exertion of one's own ki? The second one is of no concern of mine, but the first one and last one are things I've never heard of before."
Ki existing in inanimate objects was of no surprise to Piccolo. After all, he himself had the ability to create objects out of thin air. Granted, that was magic, but Piccolo believed that the concepts were connected somehow. But ki that was based on the elements? Controlling physical matter through Ki? He understood that one's own physical body could change form through transformations induced by Ki, but the boy's descriptions seemed alchemical in nature. 'Changing solid rock into water' was the one example he demonstrated to Pan.
Piccolo closed his eyes to contemplate this new info, when Goku showed up at Kami's Lookout with Uub. "Hey Piccolo!" Goku said happily, "What are you doing?"
When Piccolo didn't answer initially, Goku wondered what was going on. He walked over to Piccolo's side, and leaned over to see his face. "Piccolo?"
Piccolo opened his eyes and spoke. "Keeping an eye on Pan," Piccolo commented. "She's with a boy named Bard."
It took Goku a second to process the news before he yelped. "You mean Pan has a boy-friend?"
"Idiot!" Piccolo protested. "I wouldn't be concerned if it were as simple as that!"
Goku looked a Piccolo confused. He blinked, and he started to chuckle. "I see," Goku stated with a smile, "does that mean he is strong?"
Piccolo tried to respond, but what could he say? He didn't know the boy's upper limits. No matter how hard he focused, or how much the boy seemed to exert in his training, Piccolo just couldn't get a bead on Bard's power. It was as if he had a way of hiding his aura without needing to decrease his power at all. It is what kept him and his family hidden for so long.
"...I do not know," Piccolo said curtly, "and that is why I am concerned."
"Don't be," Goku stated, and put two fingers to his head, "I'll just go over and see for myself. Uub, you're coming with me."
"Yes, sensei," Uub stated, intrigued by the conversation, and wanted to see who this "Bard" person was himself.
"W-wait, Goku!" Piccolo spoke in a panic. "The boy's father is -"
"Sayonara, Piccolo." Then Goku and Uub were already on the other side of the planet where Pan and Bard were.
As he observed, the boy was quite shocked at Goku and Uub's sudden appearance, and Piccolo only grew more concerned that the boy seemed to actually know that Goku used Instant Transmission, a fact surprising both Pan and Goku equally.
Watching the scene unfold, Piccolo muttered to himself the warning he tried to give Goku: "The boy's father..."
"...So, you are Son Goku," Bard said in wonder, "the strongest man in the world?"
"Well, I'm not exactly the strongest," Goku spoke, scratching the back of his head, "Gohan is much stronger than me."
"Pan's father? No way!"
"Well," Pan admitted, "Dad doesn't train much anymore. He just doesn't have Grandpa's drive."
"I think I can relate," Bard stated, erring on the side of caution, "though my father has a far different...motive behind his training than just for the sake of it."
"Hm, that is odd," Goku spoke to no one in particular, folding his arm. "I would have thought I'd have heard something about your Dad by now if he's stronger than you."
"What do you mean," Bard said defensively.
"It's the aura coming off you. It'd be impossible to sense at a distance, but now that I'm this close to you...You're hiding your Ki somehow, aren't you?"
Bard was desperate to change the subject. He didn't want to let something slip. "Well, yes I am. But why did you suddenly decide to drop in?"
"I wanted to see what kind of a guy Pan's boy-friend was."
"Wha-" Bard said in a flat tone.
"G-g-Grandpa!" Pan screamed, beat as a peach. "I just met the guy! How could he possibly be my boy-friend?"
"You mean it was only today?" Goku questioned. "No wonder Piccolo was concerned."
"Piccolo-san also said," Uub added, "or at least attempted to say something about this guy's Dad. But Goku-sensei took us here before we could finish."
Suddenly, a cold chill literally washed over everyone, as the temperature plummeted. Pan noted that frost seemed to gather on plant leaves, and the river nearby started to freeze. She looked at Bard, and to her shock, noted that he was the cause of this, apparent by the completely frozen ground by his feet. Goku stared in curiosity, while Uub and Pan took a step back.
"Be thankful that he didn't finish."
He looked at everyone around him, and noticed Pan's shocked face. Realizing what he was doing, he calmed himself down, and things returned to normal. "It has become a sort of reflex of mine," Bard spoke, "and it is hard to explain, but I'll -"
"That ki," Goku said, wearing a frown on his face, "that was Elemental Ki, wasn't?"
"Grandpa?"
"W-what?" Bard said in shock. "Impossible! I thought only my Dad knew about that! How is it that you know about it?"
"I spent seven years in the After-Life," Goku said casually, "and I met many strong fighters who could use Ki types like that."
Bard had this incredulous look on his face. Pan figured it must have been his first time seeing someone who had died and come back to life.
"By the way, I'd like to meet your Dad. He sounds like an interesting guy."
Bard looked up at Goku, and then looked down. "He's not home right now." He looked away, gritting his teeth. "He's off on...business."
"Really," Goku asked, "that's a shame. If he's hiding his Ki like you, he'd be a pain to find."
Suddenly, Bard's face lit up like the morning sun. "But I can introduce you to Mom," he said happily, "she'll gladly welcome you."
"Great," Goku said happily, "then lead the way. Is she strong too?"
Bard smiled. "I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone stronger." With that, he took off, and Goku, Uub and Pan followed.
"Well, he certainly lit up when he talked about his mother," Uub spoke to Goku, "though I'm not surprised. Considering how he seemed to speak about his father, his mother must be the polar opposite."
"...Or the only one home most of the time."
Goku and Uub looked at Pan, who was deep in thought. "Bard seems like a nice guy, but when it comes to his father...I could have sworn his teeth could have made sparks at that moment."
Goku turned his head back towards Bard. "Yet he's the guy who knows all these tricks that he passed down to his son. Just...who is his father?"
A Lava Planet in the East Galaxy
"C-Cooler-Sama! Cooler-Sama!"
He screamed his master's name, but knew without a communicator, it was useless. All Malaka could do was run...run from the demon that was behind him.
He came out of nowhere from the stars. They thought he'd be easy prey, considering the low power level they observed. He observed from a distance, content to leave it to his soldiers. Suddenly, they were all dead, and standing before him was the man responsible...a man he knew all too well from stories he heard, and was once a child he saw taken from his home-world.
His rumored death was well known, and his ruthlessness was so great that when Frieza, Cooler, or Cold's soldiers wanted to scare one another, they told stories about that man. He was a demon who had the power over all the basic elemental ki, legendary powers that scared even Frieza's clan. He'd cleanse entire planets single-handed, turning the very elements of the worlds against their populations. One would normally say that this is what prompted Cooler to try to kill him, but the truth was that he went rogue, and nearly killed Cooler in what many perceived to be a kamikaze attack that left the planet scorched as if hit by a super-nova. He was loyal to Cooler as if he were his father, but it was doubtless, Malaka knew, that he did it because he heard what happened to his home planet.
It was thirteen years ago that the demonic man re-appeared, and killed Turles, one of the last remaining Saiyans loyal to the Planet Trade Organization, and leader of the West Quadrant Trade Group.
Now, he had come to this sector, and Malaka was trapped at the edge of a cliff leading to a lake of lava below. He turned towards the man, and knelt down to accept his fate. What he spoke next surprised him: "Get up off your knees."
Malaka dared to look up, and stared into a face he recognized, despite having changed with age. He got off his knees, and onto his feet. Those same piercing purple eyes inherited from his mother, yet the same silver hair that set him apart from others like him. ...No, he was never like the others of his race to begin with.
"K...Kanto..." Malaka spoke hopefully. "You don't mean that after all this time you..."
"Yes, I do remember," he spoke coldly, and stepped forward menacingly.
