The Corridor of Time
BY MARA ROBERTS
The Supreme Martial Arts Tournament
Qualifying Rounds
Year 753
"As everyone undoubtedly knows by now, there are four hundred and sixteen contestants, which have been divided up into four blocks of one hundred and four. Two fighters from each half-block will fight in the grand arena. Listen for your number. If you miss it after three calls, you will be disqualified. There will be no gouging of the eyes or kicking under the belt. If you are knocked out for ten counts or are thrown out of the arena, you are disqualified. Any questions? No? All right then. Will numbers one and two please report…"
The gang waited semi-impatiently for their turns. Some of the fighters were clearly novices, and others looked rather powerful, however, none so far seemed to have any unique fighting style. A handful had no sense of technique whatsoever, but Krillian knew there were masters out there, too. He wondered about the Crane school, and hoped they were more bark than bite. Personal vendettas between schools were not pretty. He should know.
His mind drifted back to his temple days, before he had run away to join Master Roshi and train under him.
The Temple Grounds
Year 743
He could recall it vividly. He was six years old, no taller than Gohan. A rival school was coming over to challenge theirs. Kam, Tomah and Ri, the bullies he had fought at the 21st Tenkai Boudakai weren't as arrogant back then, but their opponents had been.
Paoh, Midant and Liehn were from the other temple, and well schooled in the martial arts. It had been Paoh vs. Kam in the first fight. Kam was easily beaten, but Paoh did not throw him out of the ring, choosing instead to pummel his adversary and shame him. The masters had later told Krillian that Paoh had dirtied his soul with his cruelty, but all Krillian could think of was how horrible these people were. Eventually Paoh's masters had had enough entertainment, telling him to finish it already. Kam's battered body rolled along the tile floor, coming to a rest four feet from little Krillian.
Kam turned down the offer to be taken to the medic, choosing instead to watch his friends fight, and fighting the shame that surfaced within him. He had not been worthy of this fight.
Tomah and Midant fought next. It was a hard battle. Punches flew and kicks were exchanged. Krillian was too young to make out strategy just yet. He was amazed at the speed and vitality of the two fighters. Finally, a bruised and bloody Tomah tripped Midant and kneed him in the stomach, successfully throwing him out of the ring.
The last match was between Ri and Liehn. Krillian could see open anger on Ri's face – he and Kam were brothers, and very close. He would pound Liehn for his brother's pain. So great was the boy's rage that he soon broke Liehn's leg. Liehn fainted, and the match was over.
Through sheer discipline and humility, they had overcome their adversaries admirably in the competition, and became egotistical because of it.
But the boys' anger was not spent.
Later that same week, when Kam had recovered, the three tracked down Paoh and cornered him, alone, in a back alley.
Paoh had to be taken to a hospital when they were through.
The threesome had changed. Where they used to give Krillian smiles they soon gave him punches, and refused to train him anymore. A punching bag wasn't worthy of their time. And when the masters intervened to allow Krillian to fight with them, that's exactly how he was treated: Like a punching bag.
"Numbers 41 and 42, please report to the arena." A voice shook Krillian out of his reverie. He knew that number – it was his. He looked back to see that Gohan had defeated a giant tiger-like being with ease, and cheered his friend as he walked over to the arena and to his own opponent. He steadied his nerves and calmed his spirit by taking the stance Master Roshi had taught him. He had to concentrate on his own battle, now.
And here he came; a big fat man at first look, Krillian learned first hand all that 'fat' was actually muscle. Fortunately, he wasn't fazed for long. Circling the man, Krillian grabbed a chubby leg and swung him around like a water pail in science class (1).
The samurai wrestler bounced out of the ring, making Krillian the winner. That was almost too easy, Krillian thought.
He went back to stand among his friends. While he had been watching Gohan fight, Chaotzu from the Crane School had battled elsewhere. Goku and Yamcha told him about the match, saying Chaotzu had won by merely blinking at his rival. His friends reasoned that Chaotzu either had amazing mental abilities, which is how Jackie Chun had defeated Yamcha last tournament, or incredible speed.
Yamcha had obviously been a little spooked at the performance, but felt he had improved steadily under Master Roshi and prayed to not have to fight Chaotzu. Tien had smirked at him as though he knew what Yamcha were thinking. Yamcha wondered briefly what Tien was smiling about.
Oh, if only you knew. Fine then, if you don't want to fight Chaotzu how about fighting me? Tien thought as he walked away from his fallen foe, a raging beast formerly called friend. (2) He nodded at his fellow student. Chaotzu nodded back in understanding.
And so the tournament went, the Turtle School triumphing over every opponent. They were going to the quarterfinals! To their dismay, the Crane School was, too.
The Supreme Martial Arts Tournament
The Quarterfinals
Year 753
"Okay everyone. You know the drill. Draw a number," Mike, the announcer said, shaking the box to demonstrate. He placed it on the table and began calling out names.
"Krillian. Good to see you again, and once more you made it to the quarterfinals. Congrats, my man." He took the slip of paper Krillian had grabbed. "Okay, looks like you're… number four!"
Krillian returned to Goku's side.
Mike glanced at his pad. "Goku! Glad you're here. We have plenty of food for you this time!"
"Great, I'm hungry!" His stomach rumbled, and Gohan's stomach answered it.
"Guess I'm hungry too," Gohan said, putting his hand behind his head in Classic Son Grin™.
" 'K Goku, you're number one!"
"Chaotzu, up next."
Chaotzu walked up to the table quietly, before announcing his number. "I am number two."
Goku looked at him. "Guess you'll be fighting me then!"
Tien interrupted, "Won't be much of a fight."
"Next, Gohan!" Whoa, the announcer thought. He's so tiny! How did he…? He stammered out Gohan's placement, "Num… number seven!"
"Yamcha!"
Yamcha chose a paper.
"You're number five!"
"Mie (3)!"
Everyone glanced at this new and unknown contestant, a girl. She smiled and there was a glint in her eye, as though she knew something they didn't and found it amusing. She handed Mike the slip.
"Mie is number three!" Mie looked to be about eight years old; she was very tiny, only three inches taller than Gohan. She nodded to Chaotzu, of all people.
"Oh, great, I'll be fighting a girl! Girls are always tricky," Krillian complained.
"Tien, you're next."
Tien grabbed a number.
"I'm six. That means I'm fighting you, pathetic," he said to Yamcha.
"Humph." Yamcha turned away in scorn.
"Last up," the announcer said, "is Jackie Chun, last tournament's champion! And you're obviously number eight."
Tien turned away, happy with the arrangement. Not that it was such a surprise; Chaotzu did rig it the way he had asked. Stick the shrimp, Gohan, with the old man. He wasn't worth anyone's time. Put Chaotzu with Goku, to see if he were worthy of facing Tien in the finals when he ascended. Of course, Chaotzu would win, so it was a moot point. Yamcha, who had been afraid of Chaotzu, was now facing a stronger adversary and thinking it was easier. Poor fool, Tien laughed to himself. And put the girl with the young teenage boy, who undoubtedly had girls on the brain, especially if he was Roshi's student. He was curious to see how that fight would turn out.
At any rate, since he planned on facing Chaotzu in the finals he had to fight the former champion in the semi's to prove he was the best. Chaotzu would triumph over whomever he faced; but Tienshinhan wanted to face his master's greatest rival, the poorly disguised Master Roshi, himself. Idly he wondered why the old man decided to compete as martial arts master Jackie Chun instead of under his own name, that of Roshi. It didn't matter; such information was irrelevant, after all.
Mie was watching Tien out of the corner of her eye. I had been wondering why you had Chaotzu arrange the tournament so. You will find that the one called Gohan is not easy to beat. I can sense his enormous energy; the question is: can he control it? And while Chaotzu's mental abilities are nothing to laugh at, they are hardly a match for my own. I could have arranged the matches my way, but I chose not to reveal my hand. You were foolish to show me yours. Had you not assumed you and your friend held a monopoly on the mind's potential, perhaps things would be different. But I know I am superior to you; you did not even notice my increase in ki back at the qualifying rounds, nor have you picked up on my mental shields. However, you do have potential.
Mie stared at Gohan with interest. She looked forward to fighting him. If his skill were as able as his power, he would meet her at the finals. It would be very interesting.
Otherworld
where time doesn't exist
Yemma sat back in his chair, relaxing, and ignoring the line of people awaiting judgment. He had all eternity to take care of them, but for now… Yemma smiled. His men had finally located Gohan, and he was watching the tournament shape up.
"Wow, sir. That girl sure is pretty," Kibuto said to him.
Yemma nodded in agreement, "She'll be beautiful when she hits her teenage years. I believe she's only ten right now."
Mie was indeed an interesting development. What business, Yemma wanted to know, did such a heavenly little angel have doing in a tournament like that?
She had a good soul, very kind, and very mischievous, just as a little girl should be. But something in Yemma wanted to protect her, keep her from harm, as though she were Yemma's own daughter. Maybe this was Fate's way of saying he should marry Denna and start a family. They'd been dating for forever, after all. Yes, that is what he would do as soon as Gohan was back home safe and sound, Yemma decided.
He smiled at the thought of his one true love and turned back towards the crystal screen to watch the fights.
The Supreme Martial Arts Tournament
Grand Arena: The Quarterfinals
Year 753
Bulma had out her binoculars, eager to watch the fight. She scanned the board curious to see who had made it to the final eight.
Supreme Martial Arts Tournament Standings:
Goku v. Chaotzu
Mie v. Krillian
Yamcha v. Tien
Gohan v. Jackie Chun
"Alright, Yamcha's in the third match, Puar!"
"But if he wins he'll be up against Jackie Chun again," Oolong butted in.
"But he's improved a lot; he'll beat him this time!" Puar defended her friend.
Achoo! "Okay, already, who's in the first fight?!?"
"Ah!" Bulma shuddered at Launches' personality change. "Um, Goku vs. Chaotzu. But we all know Goku will win, he always does!"
"But then he'll have to face Krillian in the semis. It won't be pretty."
"Umm."
"Quiet, they're about to start!"
"Okay, folks, here it is!"
A roar accompanied the announcement. While the fans were few, they were true and enthusiastic. And very loud. Mike waited for them to quiet down.
"And for the first match of the quarterfinals, we have representatives of two rival schools: Goku, of the Turtle Hermit School, and Chaotzu of the Crane Master's School.
Both fighters entered the ring and as if by mutual agreement took some paces in opposite directions, before turning to face each other in a fighter's stance.
"And let the match begin!"
Goku attacked; he was a blur. Chaotzu lifted a palm in defense. Goku hit him, but the palm stopped him in his tracks. Goku phased out behind Chaotzu and leveled a kick at his temple, which connected very lightly, before Chaotzu phased out above Goku and dealt him a solid, double-fisted blow on the head, sending Goku sliding across the ring. He got up, unharmed and stared at the pale-faced man, studying him. The audience gaped in open shock. Chaotzu… was… floating. Impossible though it seemed, he was hovering in the air.
Well, this changes things. I need a technique that will keep him fighting in only two dimensions. But how to keep him on the ground? If I do an aerial attack he'll just move out of the way, and I'll be vulnerable.
Reaching a decision, Goku attacked…. ghosts? He was jumping all around, faster and faster until he completely disappeared!
Tien, however, could track Goku's movements. The boy himself was invisible, but his shadow was not. He shouted out to his friend, "Chaotzu, left!"
Chaotzu looked at his hands.
"Umm… which one's left again?" he asked, looking at Tien in utter confusion, pleading for help. Suddenly he felt a pull on his ornamental robe, which marked him as a student of the Crane Master's School. Just like that, he was on the ground. Goku pinned his hands to his side, and his knee was on Chaotzu's back.
"Wha…?" Chaotzu cried out in outrage.
Tien shouted, "Chaotzu, up!"
Chaotzu summoned his ki and shot upward like a bullet, with Goku on his back like he was riding the Nimbus cloud.
Then Chaotzu turned upside-down.
Goku hung on tightly, knowing if he were to fall he'd be vulnerable to an attack. Chaotzu soon changed directions, diving for the ground outside the arena in an attempt to knock Goku to the ground for a quick ring-out.
Just meters above the grass Goku tensed his muscles in preparation, before swinging out to land on the stage, kicking his opponent to both propel him forward and Chaotzu back – hopefully into the ground.
But alas, it was not to be. Chaotzu recovered quickly and landed lightly on the arena's floor.
It was round two.
This time Goku held his ground, studying Chaotzu's stance, or apparent lack of one. Either he was incredibly confident and didn't consider Goku to be a true adversary, or he had something up his sleeve.
Chaotzu moved his hands in an all-too-familiar pattern. But how could he know the Dodon Ray – Tou Pai Pai's finishing attack?
And yet, he did. Goku dodged the energy beam, but Chaotzu just kept sending them his way. He was running out of ground, and he would soon suffer from exhaustion or err and Chaotzu didn't even look winded, though Goku knew from experience energy attacks took plenty out of a person.
He had to think of something, and fast. But it was all he could do to stay out of the beam's path, pulling crazy stunts to do so. Run, leap, dodge, roll, slide.
Gohan watched his father's fight with interest. It was easy to see the native talent and impressive technique that Goku was displaying and would serve him well in later years. In serious battles. But for now, it was clear to see Goku was having the time of his life. His dad had always loved challenges in martial arts. It kept him in shape and in the top. Gohan was very proud of his father, and very proud of what he would become.
Goku finally retaliated, throwing a Kamehameha right at Chaotzu's face. Krillian grinned expectantly, but Gohan knew it would do little good. And he was right. As the smoke dissimilated, it was obvious the beam had never touched Chaotzu, but had hit an invisible energy shield.
Krillian's grin died out.
"Get 'im, Goku!" Krillian shouted, faithfully.
Gohan smiled. He had seen the glint in his father's eye; the one that said he was up to something, he had a plan. Goku phased out of existence, bouncing around. Gohan, of course could see him clearly. But to the rest of the spectators, he had turned invisible.
Bam! That had to hurt. Chaotzu plummeted to the ground, as he had been hovering a few feet cross-legged above the ground. He landed hard and his knees were scraped. He turned around to face his opponent, barely registering the blur, barely able to make a counter-attack, to defend. Now Goku had the upper hand, and he had no intention of letting it go.
But it seemed Goku was wearing himself out. Chun shook his head, grimly, muttering something about wasting all one's energy at once, saving nothing for the final showdown.
Gohan shook his head at the disguised Roshi's antics. The glint was still there in his father's eye. That last attack was not the plan, or at the very least was just a part of it.
Goku was being pushed farther and farther to the edge. He thrilled. His blood rushed through his veins; his heart pumped the life-essence furiously throughout his body. His growling stomach was a distant rumble, unnoticeable in the heat of battle.
He was going to win.
His heels were dangling over the edge now. It was time to make his move. Chaotzu leveled a finger towards Goku, preparing the Dodon Ray. Goku was quicker, and had already sent a short burst of energy Chaotzu's way, and it hit the ground in his haste.
Smoke covered the area. Chaotzu was blinded, but he smirked. Goku had missed his target. Less than a second had elapsed, so Goku could not have gone far. His energy beam cut through the space before him. Because of the smoke he could not see, but he knew he had hit his target. Goku was even now falling towards the ground…
Bam! The sound of a body hitting wet grass resounded through the stadium. Chaotzu sat on the ground, stunned. Goku was capering up on stage, pleased with his victory. Chaotzu looked up at him, a question in his eyes.
"While the smoke blinded you, I jumped over your head really fast and pushed you out of the ring. If I had run you would have felt the wind and the smoke would have cleared enough to see me. I wouldn't have made it, but by going up I went with the smoke, since smoke rises. You didn't notice and I kicked you in the upper back before I even hit the ground. You put up a really good fight. I'd be honored to match up against you again."
Chaotzu nodded and got up, smiling. "The honor was mine. I have much to learn. But be warned: You will not defeat Tienshinhan so easily. In fact, you will not defeat him at all."
And with that, he walked away in an arrogant strut to stand by his fellow student and hero, Tien.
(1) The experiment I'm talking about is the one that everyone does sooner or later is where a bucket is filled with water and spun around really, really fast and yet the water doesn't fall out because of centripetal (or is it centrifugal?) force. Except in the fight, he's swung around in a circle parallel to the ground, not over Krillian head.
(2) It's the little guy from Dragonball who used to be Master Roshi's friend, but later helped Tien and Chaotzu rob people by pretending be a 'wild' beast, which Tien and Chaotzu would capture and then be rewarded by the villagers (with money). Goku ran into them and realizing what was happening, tried to warn the villages. To save himself Tien beat on the little guy in an attempt to prove himself innocent. That same episode was the first time Goku fought Tien. He had lost.
(3) Mie is pronounced 'my'.