Chapter Eighteen
"They're safe on Terra," said Sid. "Though Do reports a fight broke out between I-Zak and Fifteen, swiftly before another Yadrat appeared and disappeared with the little guy." Sid frowned, rubbing his hand against his head and looking at Krillin with consternation. "Do you think we should trust them, Master?"
"I can't say for sure," Krillin answered, a hand at his chin and his mind trying to consider every possibility. "They're alien and not in the literal sense. We know nothing about them save the information I've gotten from a trusted source, and even he didn't say anything about other aliens joining them."
"A trusted source?" asked Sid.
"Mr Popo," said Krillin. "A man that most probably saw the Cyclopes in their purest form."
"You're part Cyclops, right Master," said Sid. "You don't have a nose," he pointed out. "People with Cyclops blood often have strange mutations. I read once that the Cyclops are the reason for the growing variation of our specie."
"I've heard that too," Krillin muttered, "and though I've never checked it out. I think I might be. One of my friends, definitely of Cyclops blood, was the one who could come up with clone technique. He tried to teach it to all of us, but I was the only one that was able to learn it."
"Does that mean I might not be able to do the clone technique?" asked Sid.
Krillin shrugged. "Could be. But your true measure is not the abilities you can't do but the ways you go around it. I don't know the strength enhancing technique known as the Kaioken but I more than make up for it in my craftiness." He let out a breath. "We're getting off course. You need to speak to Moori. I want him to boost you up a few notches and I'll spend the next few days getting you accustomed to your new strength."
"How hard could it be?" he asked.
"Hard," Krillin answered. He stood, watching the room around him, it was utilitarian in design, only a table and a few chairs, small circular windows looking out towards the greenish blue scenery. "A few more hours of this and I think it will get annoying." Sid hummed in question. "The constant day." He sighed. "I miss earth. I feel like all of this should be in the periphery and I should be concentrating on everything that's going on back home."
"You said Master Goku could take care of things," said Sid.
"He can," said Krillin, "and right now I have the means to make sure he has help. Go talk to Moori." Sid nodded and left, Krillin keeping a mental eye on him as he left. He searched through the forces arrayed in the encampment until he found the ones he was looking for; Nail, Aang and a man who had been introduced as Zuko.
He exited and started towards them.
The four forces of the Alliance were quite a wondrous sight, they were dressed in different colours that denoted their position; purple for the fliers, green for the ground forces, blue for the long distance artillery. Then there were the healers, they were halfway around the world, hidden in a cave underwater and the transporters would be quick to do their job against the injured. Krillin thought they were going a bit overboard with the amount of soldiers they had devoted to this one battle, but, he kept reminding themselves, they knew the future and they often worked events in their favour.
"Private meeting," one of the tall men said at the door of the gathered group. He held in his hand a long spear and it gave off a menacing look. Krillin ran his mind over him and energy level was higher than most humans. He would have strength in him that, though Krillin could match, would be no easy feat.
Though this didn't mean he wanted to.
"I'll wait," said Krillin and he stood, letting his mind wonder around him, feeling out the powerful levels of each of the beings. There would be slight fluctuations between movements, especially those who were preparing the battlefield. Krillin focused on that, trying to feel the difference between the way they moved their ki and the way he moved his. So far he hadn't been able to see much but he'd gotten a feel of four distinct movements of energy between the people, Aang being the difference because his energy movements were an intermingle of the four movements—the movements were something he'd noted from people who could bend the four elements. The people that couldn't bend otherwise could move their energy as Krillin could.
Krillin couldn't help wondering if this was a discipline he could learn. It had only been a few moments spent fighting a firebender but he'd already noted that he wasn't accustomed to fighting against fire. The flame was something he could push aside but the heat that came with it was something that constantly ebbed at his endurance.
The warrior had already began thinking about countermeasures, and though earth was proving itself the easiest, the others were still something he still hadn't been able to pin his thoughts on.
He shook his head. I'm not supposed to be thinking about this, he thought, there's still the plan to think about.
Krillin was supposed to be the bait. Beat Nappa so thoroughly that he ascended to the supposedly unbelievable power that was the super saiyan. Then it would be hoping that, when the man had ascended, he would be willing to listen.
A breath left Krillin, shaky in a way as he thought about the future. The threat to earth still ebbed into his mind, clouding every thought. Beings from hell were taking siege of earth and there was only so much Goku and the military could do before they were outnumbered.
There was a buzz around him, as though a million bees were singing and when Krillin came into himself he found an audience had gathered, even the gathering from inside the war camp had broken. Krillin took a large breath and calmed himself, supressing the energy which had been at the surface.
"Nosey, doing all this?" asked a woman, she stood a little bit taller than Krillin, wearing a bored expression that had hints of haughtiness.
"It was him," said another, towering even above Aang, tanned skin and his hair knotted in a ponytail. "We were discussing very important business before your interruption," the man said with a pointed looked towards Krillin.
"I had something to discuss," said Krillin. "My payment in all this."
"Of course," said Nail. "The dragon balls have been moved to Terra. Khan will transport you there and you will make your wishes."
Khan walked forward, a smile on him before Krillin stopped him. "Sid's with Moori. I'll wait until the process with his is unlocked before I leave."
"What, you don't trust us?" asked the woman.
"Not with my student," Krillin answered matter-of-factly.
The woman grinned. "I like him," she said. "And his voice is cute."
"Toph," said the tall man. "This is not the time to be picking up guys and need I remind you he doesn't have a nose?" The last was added in something of a whisper.
"I can't see," said Toph. "Perfect match." The large guy shook his head, letting out a defeated breath. "Khan. You mind taking me to the battleground? I want to survey. Get a clear picture of what we'll be doing."
"Everything will be fine," the man was saying, before putting a hand on the tall man, moving energy around his person and then disappearing with the both of them. It was a curious technique and one Krillin found would be particularly useful if he could learn it, but something like that would take of a lot of negotiating to be taught.
He filed it away though as his mind grasp something else. Sid and his energy level had tripled. The man was flying in loops and expending far more energy than was needed especially when a fight would ensue in a few days, but Krillin pushed away all thoughts of telling him to stop because he could understand the feeling, gaining material power was a joyous feeling and one he wouldn't stop anyone from experiencing.
Krillin flared his ki and Sid stopped, starting to make his way towards Krillin.
"I'll be—" Khan suddenly appeared.
"I expect you'll be wanting to leave," the man said with a small smile.
"Yes," said Krillin. Sid appeared in the sky, flying a little too hot and making deep indentations as he landed on.
"Sorry. Sorry," said Sid. "It's just a little too much to handle all at once."
"I'm going to Terra," said Krillin. "Find someone to practise with before I get back." Krillin took a breath, encompassing all the suspicion in case they were to ever fight these guys and the thought to note their power and search for his weaknesses, before he pushed it towards Sid's mind.
The man gave a slight flinch, but as the thoughts began to settle he gave a nod.
"Let's go."
Krillin was surprised by how smoothly things went. Nail came with them and they appeared in front of a set of people already guarding the giant balls. Nail spoke words to call the dragon, Porunga, into the physical realm, and then Krillin was allowed to make his wishes.
"I wish for those who died in the saiyan attack on planet earth to come back to live," he said.
Your wish cannot be granted, the dragon intoned.
"The dragon can only wish back one person at a time," Nail explained.
Krillin sighed, then gave it some thought. "I wish Kami could be returned to life," he said.
Your wish cannot be granted.
"Too vague," said the tall Namekian.
"I wish for the last Guardian of Earth, who died on the planet Earth due to actions of the saiyan prince, Vegeta, to be brought back to life," said Krillin.
Your wish cannot be granted.
Krillin looked at Nail and this time the man gave a shrug of confusion. "Can you explain the last, Great Dragon?"
The one the Earthling call Kami no longer exists. He had been subsumed by a being who calls himself Piccolo.
Krillin's heart almost stopped, confusion hitting him like an asteroid. Kami had been subsumed. What the hell did that even mean? King Piccolo had been a part of Kami, and Piccolo since he was the reincarnation of King Piccolo was too a part of Kami. Did that mean they had merged? Was this Krillin's own doing?
He felt a pit of guilt hit him, toiling around in his stomach and making it hard for a legible thought. Krillin took a long breath and shoved the thoughts aside, trying to rethink his plans. Could perhaps Piccolo too bring back the dragon balls? He was Kami and it didn't make sense that their merge wouldn't be able to make dragon balls.
"I wish for the Namekian known as Piccolo to be returned back to life," said Krillin.
Your wish cannot be granted.
Krillin let out a frustrated breath. "What now?" he asked, a little annoyed.
The one known as Piccolo has passed from the realm known as Hell and is in the physical realm. He is, by all intents and purposes, alive.
Krillin dearly hoped that was good, but now came the harder decision. Which of his friends would he wish back? This would be a question that would decide which he liked better of the two. No. Krillin thought, there's pragmatism in this, earth was in crisis and thus needed the stronger of the two.
"I wish the Human known as Tien, who died in the saiyan's invasion of earth, would return to the land of the living," said Krillin.
Porunga's eyes glowed a bright red. Your wish has been granted.
But the dragon didn't disappear. Krillin spared Nail a look.
"You still have two wishes."
"I wish Yamcha was alive," said Krillin, "and I wish there would appear, in the saiyan called Goku's hand, the cure for the Black Water Mist."
Porunga's eyes glowed red. Your wishes have been granted. Then it disappeared and the sky returned to its normal hue.
Wishes done and at least some hope that earth would survive, Krillin's mind returned to the here and now.
"We'll need to talk more about this plan," said Krillin. "As is, it's got me wondering about our survival, mine in particular."
"Of course," said Khan. "I-Zak tells me that when Nappa turns, he will be fearsome."
"It doesn't help that there'll be no one to match his strength," said Krillin. "We're hoping that he'll just stop and not destroy the planet or something to that effect."
"We'll have a helper," said Nail. "One of the fighter there is fighting for the survival of his species. He is one Nappa will listen to."
Krillin shook his head. "I don't like this," he said, but he shrugged. "But there's nothing I can do with about it at this point."
"The saiyans are a needed part in this war," said Khan. "In their super saiyan state they are level to the power of the Arcosian elites. But the Arcosians are many."
"Hence, the Alliance," said Krillin with a nod.
"So far we have five planets, Yadrat, Terra, Namek, New Knassa and Dunamis," said Khan. "We were hoping to extend the branch to three more planets, Earth, Mars and Vegeta."
"Earth will definitely join," said Krillin. "That's part of why we're here. As you know earth was supposed to be bought. More planets have lost their inhabitants, more maybe conquered. I want to stop it. I want to topple the Arcosians."
"A task that won't be easy," said Khan.
"One that will require we take over as many Arcosian conquered planets as possible," said Nail. "If we get the strength of the saiyans on our side, then we might be able to get the other planets to turn, dwindle Arcos' militia."
"Do you think the call to war was a good call then?" asked Krillin. "What you're talking about seems like long term plans."
"It needs to be known that there are those against Frieza," said Khan. "Searching the universe is a daunting task. I-Zak had to allow three thousand of his people to look into possible futures so that we were able to find and save Dunamis, and even that isn't without consequence."
Krillin raised a brow in question.
"Time is complicated," Nail explained. "Every choice results in alternate timeline and the Knassans looking at the future causes more timelines. The time we're in now had a predestined plan, but too many have looked at the future and desired to change it. This resulted into where we are. When I-Zak allowed the others to look, it lays a seed within them, they see something they would like to change and work towards that, causing a large mess for our plans. The headache it's caused the man."
"That's even without time travel," added Khan.
"Time travel? I've never heard about anyone doing that," said Krillin.
"It's an ability of the Knassans," said Nail. "They can go at any point in the past but for that they give up the ability to look forward."
"Not such a big trade off," said Krillin. "They could change time as we know it."
"To us yes," said Nail. "But I assume to them it is not that easy."
"How do we know they haven't changed something already?" asked Krillin.
Khan frowned, his small and angular eyes growing even more so. "It's quite complicated in itself," he said. "We should think of time as a mind. When something too traumatic happens, it sometimes splits and creates another personality—a timeline in this case—but sometimes, if the change is miniscule, the mind learns to cope. In this case someone who's gone to the past can affect things to the point that, though it's a different timeline, events are as close as possible to how they were in the future he or she knew."
"What are we doing?" asked Krillin. "Soft or hard trauma?"
"Every action we take creates a new personality," said Nail.
"Harsh. Another question, one unrelated to all the complicated stuff," said Krillin. "The gravity of this planet is weaker than that of Namek, but the Terrans are able to move quite easily on your planet. How long has this alliance been together?"
"Just after that spat with the Fire Lord, right?" asked Nail.
Khan gave a nod. "Though I'm not so sure how old Aang was at that age," said Khan. "Their kind confuse me, so," he said.
"Me too, for that matter," said Nail. "But I choose not to comment on that fact."
"What's up with that anyway?" asked Krillin. "Why do they look so human?"
"Or why do you look so Terran?" asked Khan. Then he shrugged. "There are mysteries to the universe."
"I suppose I could ask Porunga to grant them to me if I wanted," said Nail. "But Guru has long warned us not to abuse the dragon's power. Something about true evil." The Namekian shrugged. "But he was known for his exaggerations."
Khan looked away and then back towards them. "I sense that Moori has raised the power levels of your students."
"Where are they?" asked Krillin.
"Namek. Sid is with them and they are having a sparring match with some of the newer energy benders as they are called."
"Terrans and their titles," said Nail with a slight shake of his head. "We should get back. It is a match I would like to watch, for though ours and the Earthen methods are the same, they are also different."
Krillin gave a nod of agreement and took Khan's shoulder. The disappearance was swift, there was not feeling of movement, just the shifting of the scenery around them; they stood in a stone crafted stage, above which stood Sid and another individual, a tall man with sharp features and a muscular build. Around them were newly crafted steps atop which set many of the soldiers, a variety of different people with different skins and chatting animatedly with each other.
"We should take our seat," said Nail as he walked towards a set of much older gentlemen and women, three chairs were opened for them to sit.
Krillin found himself sitting next to Toph, who looked at him with pale eyes and gave him a wink.
"So," said Toph. "We were taking bets on who would win. Man there, Boshu," she said with a point towards the man, "was trained by Sokka. Second strongest energy bender on Terra."
"I'm the first," said Sokka, the tall man with a pony tail, with a hint of petulance in his voice.
"Yeah you say that now, but what if Suki was here."
Sokka took a breath, mouth open in preparation for a retort before he thought the better of it and said nothing. "Can the fight start already?"
"Hey!" shouted Toph. "You two! Fight!"
A silence descended and the two fighters squared off. Krillin felt almost a sense of excitement and an insane need for his student to win. He edged forward, preparing to watch the fight.
Sid took a breath, getting into a low stance while Boshu took up an unknown stance. Both their powers rose, though Boshu's moved in a queer fashion, rising and moving as though it was water around his body. There was a terse second were none of them moved and when it did happen, it was quick.
Boshu was the first to move, sending out a punch that was too far to land; a blast of energy erupted, small and glowing a bright blue, moving faster than any blast expect eye-blasts. Sid had a millisecond in which to be surprised before he bent back, his spine curving and hand landing on the ground to dodge the bolt of energy; his momentum carried him back and he landed on his feet.
Another bolt of energy was sent by Boshu, but this time Sid was better prepared, countering the bolt with his own before darting into the sky. Sid took a breath and let out a cry, pushing energy into his hands and letting out a volley of golden blasts. They detonated the moment the hit the ground, nothing large, but enough that it would hurt once it hit.
Boshu dodged, moving with speed none of Krillin's student had been unable to match in their training. Weaving between the blasts while keeping a steady eye on the man firing above; two blast whipped through the air, still small and weaving through the sky with almost a sentience in them and they were headed towards Sid.
At the last second the man sensed them and gave a cry, pushing out energy and the blasts detonating before they could hit their mark. Boshu seized the second's distraction and jumped into the sky, his fist reeling before it hurtled forward; Sid couldn't dodge and the punch landed in his gut, quickly before another sent him plummeting toward the ground.
Sid stopped and quickly turned, a kick directed at a Boshu who was preparing to deliver a kick to the back. The attack was dodged and the two went close combat. Sid fared better, something Boshu quickly noticed with the way he was trying to increase the distance between the two of them. Sid didn't allow it, keeping the fight as close as possible.
Boshu sent a punch that was dodged, but that was just a feint, power was pouring into his mouth and as he shouted there was a spill of power. It hit Sid in the face and he torpedoed into the ground, slamming into the stage and ploughing deeply down.
Krillin knew from the power pouring out the feelings moving through Sid as pebbles floated into the ground. Krillin stood. "Sid. No," Krillin shouted as the man shouted, "Kamehameha!" The sky tinged with blue and the blast moved through the sky, roughly the size of a human head, and towards Boshu.
It quickly expanded, tripling in size and power.
Krillin was immediately in front of the coming attack, focusing his mind and pushed up. The ball violently changed course and hurtled towards the sky. Krillin focused on the attack as it continued skyward, a spherical force around it and then closed his hand. It detonated.
He descended.
"I'm sorry," said Sid. "I don't know what came over me."
"You weren't fighting smart," said Krillin. "You let all that power you have go to our head. What's the way we fight?"
"Through misdirection."
"And did you?"
Sid looked down and shook his head.
"Apologise to Boshu for almost killing him," said Krillin, pointing towards Boshu who'd just landed on the ground.
"I apologise," said Sid with a small bow.
The larger man shrugged. "It's okay. Temper troubles. I've had to deal with my fair share."
"So who do we say won?" asked Toph.
"Technically," said Sokka. "Sid was pushed below the arena. He'd be disqualified in an official match."
Toph let out a huffed breath and pulled out a purse and handing it over to the taller man. "Don't get too comfortable with my money. I'm going to get it back in the next match. My girl versus yours," said Toph, the comment directed at Krillin.
"Is this the norm then?" asked Krillin. "Testing my students and my ability as a teacher?"
"Yes," said Sokka.
"Not to mention what skills you have," said Toph. "Just in case you think about betraying us."
"I wouldn't think about it," said Krillin. "Not without a numbers advantage, though I'm sure I could take most of the powerful people here single-handed."
Toph frowned. "Are you trying to say we're weak?" she said in a huff.
"I can sense energy beyond the normal means," said Krillin. "Not in distance like the Yadrats, but in potential. It doesn't really make a difference whether you have your power supressed or not I'll be able to sense the amount of power you can put out."
"Talk about invasion of privacy," muttered Sokka.
"No more invasive that being able to look at the future," said Krillin with a shrug. "Anyway. I wanna join the bet. What currency are you using?"
Toph gave a large grin. "No exchange rate has been established yet," she said. "Namek doesn't know about the concept of money, the Dunamites are being kept secluded because if they're still recovering from a succeeded invasion, they aren't too big into seeing aliens. Long story short, we're working on a fictional form of currency called units."
"But what about the money you gave him?" asked Krillin.
"We're both from Terra," said Sokka. "Water Tribe money."
"What's the minimum?" asked Krillin.
"A hundred units," said Sokka as he led Krillin to back to their seats. He noticed that Khan and Nail had left but there the general number of people had increased, some of the earthbenders were creating more seats for those that had just arrived.
"Three hundred units on Brea for the win," said Krillin.
"I'll match you with, Peng," said Toph. "Best student if you don't count the Dark One."
"Dark One?"
"Emo kid," said Toph. "Made his name unspeakable. It's a long story. Good kid if you don't mind the name."
The competitors walked into the ring, Brea large and wearing her military getup and Peng, shorter, dressed in green clothing that had strips of metal at points of her body. Krillin would have been worried that they were some form of armour or to make her punches harder, but they weren't in the places one would expect for that kind of utility, instead the metal looked like accessories. They got into their respective stances, another unknown from Peng and that of his school from Brea.
Brea was the first to move, energy gathered into her hand and shot out. Peng made a small motion that had a large result as a wall sprung from the ground, she shifted her weight even before the energy bolt could hit, turning to kick; the wall broke and flew towards Brea, smacking into her energy blast and breaking into pieces that kept flying towards a Brea who had taken the time to dart into the air.
One of Peng's feet stamped into the ground, causing three large boulders to spring into the air and swift kicks sending them towards—Krillin closed his eyes, "Solar Flare!"—the stones continued into the air, but their mark was severely off. Peng screamed, her hands clutching her eyes and lamenting that she could not see. Brea took the opportunity to charge forward and knock the girl off the arena.
"You owe me three hundred units," said Krillin, a large grin on him as he looked at Toph. She had a frown and her arms were crossed.
"She can sense energy and yet she's all in a panic when she can't see," said Toph with a tone of exasperation. She shook her head. "The strangest thing."
Krillin stopped the impulse that told him to explain how the technique worked and instead looked forward, giving Brea a large smile. The next set of matches was not Do's but others who had wanted to join the spare off. Krillin watched for the longest time as the full abilities of his allies were used: Fire against earth, water against a Namekian, an energy bender against a Knassan warrior—nothing had landed on the Knassan—and other such matches that took up most of the day until it had been decided that night had come and some earthbenders made a large dome over the encampment to simulate night.
The same could not be said for Krillin and his students. After the matches were completed, Krillin gave them a three hours training session so they could get accustomed to their new power and another two hours in which they each fought a portion of himself, the main Krillin having spread his full power three ways.