BY MARA ROBERTS
Otherworld
where time doesn't exist
"Oh, look sir! Young Son Gohan's about to fight!" Kibuto told Yemma, excitedly.
"Yes, I'm sure he'll do fine," Yemma acknowledged. I wonder how he'll fare against Mie, though. She is a very strong and capable warrior.
The Supreme Martial Arts Tournament
The Semifinals
Year 753
The Stands
Bulma didn't have her binoculars up. She didn't want to see the standings, still slightly depressed over Goku's loss. The boy in question, however, had forgotten his defeat as soon as his hunger had been sated. Oh well, Bulma thought. There's no point feeling sorry for someone who doesn't even have the decency to mope around in self-pity. He's making me look bad!
"What is it?" Bulma asked Yamcha, seeing an unfamiliar look on his face.
Yamcha smirked.
"Gohan's going to win," he said quietly. "Tien doesn't stand a chance."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure he's sure," Oolong butted in. "He wouldn't say so if he weren't."
"Well, yeah, but Gohan's so young!"
"He beat the old man, didn't he?" Oolong countered. "'Sides, Gohan had better win – I have eight hundred zeni riding on this tournament! After he saw the kid do in the former champ he wanted to back out, but I wouldn't let 'im. This is easy money. Should've introduced me to gambling sooner, Yamcha."
Yamcha's face went beet red and he waved his hands excitedly before him trying to shut the pig up.
"Gambling, huh? So that's why you borrowed all that cash and never paid it back!"
"Bulma, no! Oolong's just messing with you," he whispered ferociously to the now-sweaty swine. "Aren't you, buddy?"
"Uh, right! Just…kidding…" he trailed off in a small voice.
The Arena
"And now the last match of the semifinals! Whoever wins will vie against Mie for the championship! And now let me introduce our contestants, the young but amazing, Gohan!" A chorus of cheers interrupted Mike's speech.
"And fighting him in the ring will be Tien!" Another applause broke out. "Again, these are fierce rivals, of the Turtle Hermit and Crane Master schools. Gohan, how do you feel about matching up against Tien?"
"I'll do my best, but I'm sure Tien had some great techniques. I can't wait to fight him."
"Oh so reminiscent of Goku. And Tien, how do you feel about fighting Gohan?"
Tien said nothing, contemplating the sudden surge of power that arose within him, along with a desire to destroy his opponent… drain his energy… kill the boy…
"Well, it seems Tien is taking this fight seriously and is ready to go all out! Lets not keep these two waiting. Ready, start!"
Gohan waited, noticing a strange and somehow wrong spike to Tien's energy. Another Ki, Mie's, stronger but took less time powering up than earlier.
Tien shook his head and fought off the strange feeling, oblivious to Mike the announcer's earlier question. As abruptly as it came, the feeling stopped and the power disappeared.
Gohan looked at Tien again, feeling utter confusion. That tainted power was gone, as well as the sense of evil. He thought back and realized that Mie's Ki had somehow cleansed Tien's energy. But he had no more time to think; Tien was attacking.
Tien had realized Gohan was distracted and decided to use this to his advantage. Gohan's eyes focused and Tien cursed under his breath. Blast, Gohan was concentrating now. Too late to stop his forward momentum, Tien put a good deal of strength into his opening punch. Gohan countered with an open palm.
The two struggled, one attempting to free his hand, the other attempting to not let go. Gohan brought up a foot into Tien's bare chest while still gripping his hand, making his come back with a jolt. Not wanting to dislocate Tien's shoulder, Gohan released him and Tien jumped back to regain his balance and get some space.
Both readied themselves in flawless fighting stance. Tien crouched like a tiger on the prowl, eager to attack. Gohan kneeled in defensive position. It was clear he was waiting for Tien to make the first move.
Tien happily obliged.
He struck with a high kick to Gohan's left temple. Gohan blocked with his forearm then grabbed Tien's arm with the same hand. Tien had been expecting this and used his 'captured' arm to elbow Gohan brutally in the stomach. Gohan fell back a half step but regained his balance just in time to receive a smack to the face.
He fell back again and Tien kept up the assault. Gohan was getting precariously close to the edge of the ring.
Tien made as though to kick, so Gohan rolled under it and came up behind him, safely away from the edge of the ring. He could have won the fight a dozen times by now, though Tien didn't know it. But Gohan had several reasons to wait it out. First, he wanted to see if that strange Ki came back again, and study what Mie did more closely. Second, he didn't want to humiliate Tien, whom he considered a friend, even though Tien wouldn't realize it until they met in the future. And lastly, Tien had a great sense of technique and very interesting style. Gohan wanted to learn from it, and test himself against it.
Tien attacked with a double punch, left then right. Gohan blocked the left one, pushing it down, so Tien couldn't kick, and bent under the second one, standing only when Tien pulled back his arm. He released Tien's left arm and kicked towards his chest, but Tien pushed him away. Gohan flipped head over heels before coming to rest, balancing lightly on his toes and fingertips in a low crouch. He started to rise but ducked back down again when Tien went to kick where his torso would have been. Gohan twisted so his back was on the ground, leaving him vulnerable for an instant, but not giving Tien enough time to take advantage of it. He swiped his legs into Tien's one leg that was still on the ground. Tien quickly lost his balance and fell to the concrete, giving Gohan the time he needed. Both fighters pushed themselves up to a standing position.
He's so tiny, and fast; he's hard to hit. There's almost nothing to hit, and what little there is moves too quickly to land a solid blow! Tien groaned inwardly. This was going to be tougher than he thought.
Roshi commiserated with Tien, understanding exactly how he felt. Last tournament he had fought Goku, who also offered a small target… and he was half again Gohan's size!
The 21st Tenkai Boudakai
Year 749
Chun and Goku panted as they separated and studied each other, looking for a hole in the other's defense. They had been fighting for four hours, yet neither would forfeit the match, and the championship. Both were equally exhausted, having long ago run out of tricks and energy needed to make Kamehamehas. They had at last agreed to go back to simply fist-to-fist, martial arts.
But how am I supposed to beet him? He's just a puny torso and stubby little legs. That's it!
"Goku, what do you say to one last charge?"
"Okay."
They ran silently at each other; too out of breath too scream a challenge. Jackie lifted his leg to ready a kick; Goku followed suit. Chun had been counting on that.
They hit each other directly in the face. Spit flew out of their mouths and they both crashed to the hard concrete below. Mike had no choice.
"Under the rules, I have to start counting," he explained to the crowd.
"One… two… three… four… five… six… seven… eight… nine… ten! A double knockout, ladies and gentlemen! In ordinary circumstances, both would be disqualified, but the Supreme Martial Arts Tournament cannot end without a winner. So, I believe, the first one to rise to their feet and declare themselves the champ, is the victor."
Goku had struggled to his feet, inching his way up, while Chun still trembled on the ground, out of energy.
"I…" Goku tilted forward but regained his balance. "I… am the world… champi-"
Goku fell backwards in a faint.
"Oh, so close, but I'm afraid we cannot accept incomplete syllables. Now Jackie Chun's going to give talking a try!" Chun had made it to his feet.
"I am the world… martial arts…" Jackie lurched on his feet. "Champion! I am the champion! I am the champion!"
He cavorted on the stage, the elation of winning making up for his lost energy, giving the victory sign. He looked at Goku, who was opening his eyes.
"Did I win it Mister Jackie?"
"No, son, I'm afraid you didn't."
"Oh, darn. I really wanted to."
I'm sorry, Goku. The only advantage I had was that my legs were longer, so I was able to deliver more of a blow. It was a cheap trick, but it worked. Now you'll keep training as hard as ever, in hopes of beating 'Jackie Chun', Roshi thought with relief. If Goku or Krillian had won, there was a great chance they would have become complacent. But now, they would keep going with everything they had.
"Somehow," Roshi said aloud. "I don't think that would work against Gohan."
He turned his attention back to the fight at hand.
When Roshi was lost in his memories, Gohan and Tien had continued to duke it out. Tien had an ugly new black and blue mark on his shoulder, and Gohan sported a small bruise over his eye. He jumped and threw a punch at Tien's chest, which connected, but put Gohan close enough for Tien to swipe at him painfully from the side. Gohan kicked at Tien's left hip on the way down and pushed off, twirling over the tri-clops head to kick at his back.
Tien whirled to face him and blocked the kick with his arm. The resounding blow rang painfully in the spectator's ears.
Tien suddenly backed up. He recalled Gohan's fight with Roshi and not once had the kid powered up an energy attack, although the old man had used several. While he had summoned up a great deal of energy on impulse, he had done nothing with it. Tien was willing to bet Gohan could not control it, and certainly lacked the skill needed to create a Ki attack.
He smirked and powered up. It would take a powerful blow to take Gohan out, even though his power was instinctive. There was an immediate rise in Tien's Ki.
What's he powering up for? It's an energy attack but which one? Gohan wondered.
'Spectators, judges,' Tien spoke into their minds telepathically. 'I'm about to use a blinding tactic. Please close your eyes…now!' "Solar flare!"
Gohan was unprepared, having expected an attack, not a defense. Blinded, he ignored the stabbing pain in his eyes, stretching out with his energy. Even so, he could not help but cover his eyes with his hands, as though to block out the light. He knew it wouldn't help.
Normally, Tien wouldn't have bothered to warn anybody, but he needed the judges to see his attack so he wouldn't be disqualified. He readied his hands in a triangle, with Gohan at its focus. It was the strongest energy attack in Tien's arsenal. And he had to make sure Gohan couldn't see it coming or he might counter.
"Tri… Beam… Attack!"
A tidal wave of energy washed over the ring, to the unsuspecting Gohan. He quickly crossed his arms in front of himself, gathering energy to erect a shield. But he had no warning except what he sensed and heard, and it might not be enough…
Tien waited for the smoke to dissipate to the judges could start the count down. He was confident in his victory. There was no way Gohan could still be conscious after that attack.
The Stands
Goku, Krillian, and Yamcha had joined Bulma and the gang in the stands. Roshi had also joined them after disappearing for a while, in Gohan's first match.
"Ahh… Gohan…" Krillian said. "Is he going to be alright? That was really low, and that attack far too powerful. You don't think… Tien killed him, do you?"
"No, I don't think so. Knocked him out, maybe," Roshi replied.
"Nah, I think you're wrong, Master Roshi. Gohan's okay," Goku contradicted his master.
"What do you mean? I know the kid's strong, but even so…" Yamcha countered.
"It's just a feeling I have. This… tingling feeling in the back of my mind… I just know he's far from out, that's all."
"Well, I'm willing to take Goku's word on it," Bulma interjected.
Oolong sputtered. "I hope so, cause I have another bet to win!"
They sweat-dropped and returned their gaze to the pillar of smoke in the middle of the arena, silently urging it to dissipate.
Tien sat back on his heels, relaxed, a smile on his face. Then his brow creased and he lurched to his feet. There was a shadow behind all that smoke… no; that was impossible…
Gohan stood there, not even scratched! Tien quickly readied himself for another bout of fighting, but not knowing how much he had to give. The Tri-beam attack took so much energy…
Gohan's right hand pulled away from his torso, a strange light emitting from it… No, it was coming from in front of it. Gohan was readying an energy attack. He threw it with such speed Tien had no time to dodge. He crossed his arms and hoped for the best… when he was suddenly alight in the air, flying out of the ring.
He landed on the grass with a thud. Amazing. He didn't even need much time to gather it, no words to help him concentrate! Was he toying with me the whole time? Somehow, in spite of Gohan's obvious control and power, Tien didn't think so.
It was then that Tien noticed a slight roaring in his ears. Wait, that wasn't his ears… that was the crowd gone wild. They were cheering for Gohan and him. I guess I didn't do so badly after all.
Gohan pulled Tien to his feet and they shook hands to tumultuous applause.
(A/N) I just wanted to say, I have no idea if the dialogue in Roshi's flashback was accurate. I had to pry it completely from memory, as I was unable to find a script on the net. If anyone happens to know the script I'd appreciate it if they put it in a review. I'd gladly change the chapter to accommodate it.