Bygone Days- Prologue
A familiar looking boy skipped happily through the forest near his house. He was all alone, like usual. He only had little family, but a family in which he thought he could be proud of. A mother, like no one else he'd never met before, but then again, he was secluded in the small area that would be his residence. Son Goten never knew anything beyond his small home and the forest. A giant city, even a town, would be foreign to him. His mother was a person he thought worthy of admiration. Though, she was all over her older brother in certain areas, she had decided to leave him be, let his own mind wonder, instead of choosing his thoughts for him.
The young child sat beneath a large tree, letting the sunlight beam through the layers of branches and leaves, and onto his somehow pale skin. He smiled, a radiant smile that resemble a certain someone that everyone knew and loved. Everyone but himself. Goten thought of his family again, and came to his older brother, Son Gohan. Son Gohan appeared to him as the smartest person that he had ever met, even smarter than his mother. However, Goten knew why his brother was like that, regardless to what other's had told him. He knew that his mother had forced his older sibling since the day he could talk. Chi-Chi had forced studying on him, conned him into working, forced him until finally, he had liked it. She had decided his future for him, something that Chi-Chi decided not to do with Goten. Goten never knew why, but figured she was tired of it, that it was too great of an effort for her to push another child, or that she just didn't care as much about him. But no one knew the internal conflict Chi-Chi bared within herself, no on knew what she had decided with her deceased husband, Son Gokuh.
Son Gokuh. Who was he to the saiya-jin child? Obviously his father, but anything else? The answer to that would be no. The child had never met his father, he was only told stories about him. Goten never really thought about him either, and if he did, it didn't make him sad in the least. You see, Goten never got to know who he was, so his death had no effect on him. Sure, it would affect him in the future, but not now, and not anytime sooner.
"He died for a noble cause..." Gohan's voice was light, dim, yet full of emotion that would haunt him forever. That's what Gohan told him, and when Goten would look up into the eyes of his older sibling, he would see admiration, hope, happiness, sadness, grief, and many more emotions wrapped up in them. All the emotions that he had felt about the death of their father.
Goten's smile still showed, as he looked around, the area seeming a bit haunting.
Gohan loved otou... Gohan was proud of him, I can tell by his eyes.
Thw wind blowing silently, wrapping around the young boy, sending chills up his spine, and making a slight frown appear on his face.
How did otou-san die? Why had he died? Was it natural, or had something happe-
Boink!
"Ouch!" Reacting quickly, Goten reached back for his head, feeling it with his left hand. He had stood up, and began to look around when he spotted an apple in the spot he has once been in. "Hn.. only fo-" Before the child could finish his words, another fell. Conspiracy or coincidense? His gaze quickly changed, looking into the sky, and into the giant tree. He caught glimpse of huge dent in the trunk. The innocent boy noted it as a huge hole.
"I've never seen this tree before," was a quick remark as he climbed up the trunk to feel the chipped area. Feeling it, he sensed a ki signature, a very familiar one, coming from it. Blinking a few times, he searched through his memory, gasping quietly. "Onii-san...?" Looking enigmatic, he seemed to forget that his grip was still on the tree, and so, he had let go, immediately falling, hitting the ground hard. Still, Goten laughed, as he stayed in his fallen position.
"You have grown, Son Goten." A voice came from behind, as the old woman was face to face with the young child. Goten, still laying, looked puzzled.
"Do I know you?"
"I suppose you don't, but I am a.. 'friend' of the family, so to say." The old woman seemed to be short, as tall, and/or shorter than Goten. She had an odd hat, that appeared like an old witches hat from fables. He had giggled at her appearance, obviously making her slightly angry with him. "And what is so funny about my appearance, young Son?" She had caught him off guard.
"Um... You look like a witch from my book! Have you come to... eat me?" The child had sat up, staring up at the old woman floating on a crystal ball. His voice wasa bit unsteady, but had a sense of confidence that would not betray him.
"No I will not eat you! I have just come to see how you've grown."
"But I don't even know you. I've never met you. Maybe I did when I was a smaller me. Hm.." Pondering for a moment, Son Goten sat there with his left hand on his chin. He was thinking, and the look on his face showed it.
"Yes, Son Goten, I saw you when you were only a small child, even smaller than you are now. How old are you, 7?" The old lady's gaze looked upon him, awaiting an answer.
"Yep! I just turned seven!" He was quick to stand up, and to show seven on his hands. A huge grin appeared on his face, a proud, familiar grin.
"Son Gokuh."
"Huh? Who's he?" Obviously unaware of his father's name, Goten looked bewildered.
"That was your father, Son Goten. Do you know who I am?" Her back was now turned to him, arms crossed, eyes closed, hoping to strike a serious issue within the boy. The child just stood there, looking at her back, and thinking about his father. She had succeeded.
"No, who are you?"
"My name is Urunai Baba. I have helped your family time and time again, and I have come here today to help you." Baba's tone was now serious, dead serious.
"Help me... with what?" An innocent tone spoke up timidly. Softly.
"To resolve your uncertain feelings for your father." Obviously, he was struck dumbfounded by her words, not comprehending the total meaning of them. Finally, she turned around slowly, letting her crystal ball rotate her. Her eyes met with Goten's, and she hopped off the ball. "Now, if you want to reject this, then you may, but what you're about to see could make you cry, could make you happy, could make you mad."
"What are you showing me?"
"I'm going to show flashbacks of your father, your mother, and your older brother. In some, they will be happy, in others, they will be tense. I'm here by request of your emotions, you need to know this." As the fortune teller finished, she looked at Goten. "Sit down, this may be a while..." A bit traumatized by what she was saying, Goten listenned obediently. The incantations begun, and she found herself finishing up the last words as a scene of Gokuh, Gohan, and Chichi appeared. It was during the three years before the vicious androids would appear.
It had been morning when Goten set out for the forest to play. All morning, and into the afternoon, he had sat in front of the crystal ball, engulfed in it's glow, and it's world. He had found out so many things that no one ever told him, for it showed of Gohan as a small child, growing up, and of his parent's controversial relationship. The innocent, naive boy had laughed at some scenes, and cried at other's. It was all too much for him, and then finally, the images stopped, and the crystal ball had gone back to it's undimmly appearance.
Goten was left there, sitting, not saying a word. Tears had stained his cheeks, he could feel the warmness of them against his pale, cold flesh. Baba knew her job was done. She hadn't known what else to do, anyway. He was just sitting there, and she could tell he was going to need time alone. The ball hovered with her on it, as if she was weightless. Hovering away, she almost disappeared into the forest, but the young Son's light voice could be heard.
"How come.. I was was never shown most of these things?" Goten looked up, his tears obviously gone, and replaced with a look of grim determination. "I've only heard stories of it, I want to kn- no, I want to experience it!" His chose for words was odd, especially since no one would believe Goten had that high of vocabulary at that such age. But then again, he was the son of Chichi, and brother to Gohan. He had listenned in on his studies, and his mother hadn't gone completely without teaching him, opposed to what a majority of people thought.
"What?" This caught her offguard now. Baba just floated there on her crystal ball. She was still determining if Goten had meant his words. "Do you mean your words, young one?"
"Yes..." With a wise look, Goten nodded. Baba searched her mind, thinking of a way. Was it actually possible wihtout the use of time travel? Yes, it was. She knew how to do it, as well, but it would take a lot of energy out of her, and a lot out of Goten. There would be a price to pay, and very grave one. "If you choose to do this, Son Goten, then there will be a price to pay. You can still say no."
"What is the price?" Goten's form had seemed perfect. He was so calm, and yet looked so intense.
"You will lose the power to surpass your brother. You see, Son Goten, like your brother, you have an amazing hidden power. You already have gone Super Saiya-jin, but you could do so much more because of your hidden power. Your hidden power is far greater than Son Gohan's, and easily, you could surpass him, and every other fighter, and you would always be superior. You would never have to worry about your family, for you could protect them with this power... If you forsake this, you are not only losing your hidden ki, but you could be putting your family in jeopardy." Before she would go with the procedure, Baba needed to warn him of that. Taking a few seconds to think over it, Goten was quick to decide.
"I want to go through with this."
"Okay... Now, I need to explain a few more things to you," The lady hopped off her ball, putting her hands up, and creating an aura around it, mumbling a few things to it. "Now, I'm going to send you to the past, but not through time travel. It's very confusing, so I'm not going to try explaining it to you. But your body will be physical, and everyone will be able to see you. I'm going to send you there for a week."
"A week?! My kaa-san wouldn't let me be gone that long!" The saiya-jin child began to freak. He couldn't be gone a week, his mother wouldn't let him!
"Hush, and listen. You will be gone only an hour, but it will be a week where you are. It's somewhat like the Room of Spirit and Time. It's altered space and time, and it's very hard to understand. You're going to go back into the past by spirit, though, but with your physical body present. There are a few rules, though." Baba's tone was more and less serious in between, as Goten just nodded his head, obviously excited about leaving soon.
"Hai..."
"One: At NO TIME will you be allowed to be in contact with any of the Z Warriors. You are not to talk to them, you are not to let them see you fully, for fear that they might assume about you. Even if it is an un-alterable dimension, you are to cease any contact with them. You are only allowed to watch them from afar.
Two: No fighting, or going Super Saiya-jin. Keep your ki down, otherwise it will bewilder the Z warriors and they might come looking for you. You're there only to watch, not to fight.
Those are the two basic rules. If you dare to defy any of them, you will be pulled out of the dimension immediately. You got it, kid?" Baba thought Goten would be upset. She thought he was thinking along the lines of, 'These rules are stupid!' by the given expression. After a few moments of dead silence, he looked up at her, a big grin forming on his face childish features.
"I can obey them, don't worry!" Eager to go, Goten paced back in forth in front of her, a big grin on his face the whole time.
"Okay... I guess." The fortune teller was a bit baffled by the way he was reacting. The old lady scratched the back of her head, and shrugged it off. "I'm sending you back a certain time, a time I didn't show you. You must experience this time for yourself, however, so I cannot give anything away to you. For the week in the dimension, you will live in a cave not far from your house, with food, and clothing, which will help hide your identity. Remember, you may not have any contact with the Z Warriors, OR their friends and family. Which means, you may not contact your mother."
"Aw...." Goten sighed loudly, but knew this was a manditory rule inwhich he had to obey in order to do this.
"Now, Son Goten, are you ready?" Baba lifted her hands, ready to do the incantation. She just needed the conformation from Goten. Within seconds, a slow nod came from him, and she began to speak of a certain week for a certain day. "The week is a time of death and fright, please mighty gods, send this child through light, to the week of the terror and pain, send this child to the week before the Cell Game!" As she had chanted this, the wind began to pic kup in the area, creating pressure around the crystal ball, it's arua glowing brightly. Goten had felt untouched. He looked up to see Baba with her hands in the air. Had it worked? The wind was still blowing, and Baba's eyes were closed, obviously focusing on the mision.
Goten rose his arms to look at them, for they were feeling quite tingly. The child gasped in horror. They were blowing into the crystal ball like sand, becoming smaller, as his body had, too, envelopping him into a brightness so bright.
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A head stared into the sky, expression of a serious one. The sky was it's normal bright shade of blue. It shown down on the lone boy dressed in a grey, long sleeved, hooded sweatshirt type. His pants were that of navy blue jeans with white sneakers. The child had a hat on, front words, but spikey hair was popping out from the hole in the back, and from the sides. All in all, Goten wasn't that noticable. Baba's spell had succeeded, he was in this time!
----------END
Chapter One: Son Goten has made it successfully! Now that he was back in time, how would he get close to his father, and who exactly was this frightenning ki he could feel?
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I originally planned this out to be a one shot thing, but I suppose I turned it into a mini-epic. Hurray. :P Expect more soon, as well! Review and tell me how you like it, please! ^_^
-DBZ is not owned by me, and neither is Goten or any of the DBZ characters. They're owned by Toriyama Akira and TOEI animation. Don't sue, yo. =p
Gwen B.
Prologue Written Between: June 27th-29th, 2001.