Goku sprints around the mountaintop trying to keep up with Bardock. Always a full step behind, he finds himself on the losing end of every exchange. After eating dirt for a countless time, he cannot rise again.
"I'm impressed Kakar—Goku. You've managed to get almost half as strong as I am in the last few weeks."
Goku gorges on air while trying to speak.
"You know, I've been hoping … my son … would catch me one day."
"Wish I could meet the little guy. Honestly, never thought I'd be a dad, much less a grandpa."
"Maybe we could arrange for you to come back to life for a day. It's been done before."
"Heh, yeah, maybe."
King Kai steps up beside them with a peculiar smile below his sunglasses. Goku does not remember seeing a smile quite like this one from the god.
"That's enough combat for today," he says. "I have new training for you Goku, and I've been waiting a long time to teach it. I've created a martial art no one has ever seen before. And finally, I have found a pupil who I believe is both worthy and capable of learning it."
"Really?" says Goku.
A squeal trails off from the last syllable. Then he springs to his feet.
"You're going to teach me a secret martial art?"
"That's right, but be warned, this is not for the faint of heart. It will push your body in ways nothing else ever has. But if you can master it, you will be unstoppable."
"Wow, it's really that powerful huh? Well I'm ready to learn anything that can help defeat the Saiyans."
"Excellent. I'm very happy to hear that. But first, we must review a few basics to make sure you have a proper understanding of how this will function. You are aware your ki is divided into two pools correct? One of latent energy you can draw forth and one it fills for you to use enhanced abilities or special techniques?"
"Of course. There's my total passive energy I have access to, and by pulling from that, I'm able to actively use it."
"Correct, but did you know that your passive ki actually comes from eight separate sources, each with their own unique elements of ki?"
"Woah really? I guess I've always felt like ki is made up of different bits, but I thought they all came from the same place."
"A common misconception. Each of the eight forms are housed separately from the others to protect the life form they inhabit. The body needs a proper balance of these substances, not necessarily in equal amounts, and these eight pools regulate how much of each particle can enter and circulate through it. Depending on the situation, you need more or less of certain types of ki."
"Okay, so these bits of ki are what I combine to do all the stuff I'm able to do then?"
"Precisely. The martial art I am about to teach you, allows you to bring in more of these particles than your body normally would. Of course this can quickly throw you out of balance which can cause great harm or even kill you. Intense focus is necessary to maintain the proper amounts of each one lest you create an unstable reaction that explodes and results in damage or death to parts of your body."
"Man, an ability that will risk everything just to try and match the enemy. I guess that's the situation I'm in, huh? Pretty scary."
"Indeed. Needless to say, this martial art will require great confidence and bravery on your part. If even the slightest self doubt creeps in, it will reduce your focus and allow all of that extra energy to run wild."
"Makes sense. So how do I do this?"
"There are eight meridians, or channels, that these ki elements enter the body through from their passive state to form your active pool. Like a muscle, you can train these channels to strengthen them and make them bigger. The larger they become, the more energy can pass through them. And the stronger they become, the better able they are to endure that power. This is what you will be learning to do."
"Understood."
"Good. Then let the Kaioken training begin!"
###
Yamcha, finally free of his bandages, stands beside Krillin outside the temple of the Guardian. Chiaotzu is nearby next to a sitting Tien. He looks over his dear friend. Tien's body is thin. It lacks the muscle definition it attained before the battle with Garlic Junior and his men.
They all watch as two figures appear within the darkness of the opening to the palace. Kami moves with a laborious gait, pausing between each step. He leans on both his wooden staff and Mr. Popo's supporting arm.
They stop at the edge of the stairs. Kami pans the faces of his pupils with his eyes.
"I'm sorry," he says.
Yamcha and the others stare at him for a moment before locating another object to focus on while Kami drops his gaze to his feet.
"I have failed all of you as your Guardian. My fears and insecurities ultimately culminated in the hardships that befell you. When I was still a youngling, I had no memories of who I was and no place to belong. I was alone and frightened.
"I traveled for many years but never found a sense of purpose. I desperately sought validation from others to not feel so different and never found it. Then one day the previous guardian of Earth approached me with the offer to train to be his successor. Why he asked me, I'll never know."
He shifts his weight from one leg to the other.
"I suspect it had something to do with my isolation from any of the cultures of this planet. I was a foreigner everywhere I went. You might say I had an unbiased perspective. Much like my contender for the position, Garlic, I suppose.
"Regardless of what he thought, my reasons for accepting were born from my insecurity. During my time as his disciple, the Guardianship became my obsession. I convinced myself I was worth nothing unless I attained this status. I thought it would prove my merit and everyone would finally acknowledge me. And then, I could be happy."
A grimace conquers his face.
"The previous guardian sensed my fear and said I could not take his place with it. Instead of using his observation as an opportunity to improve, I blamed myself for not being good enough. I tore my self-esteem apart with poisonous thoughts that I was somehow not a good person. My sense of worth crumbled, and I attempted to purge this supposed evil from my being. The creature that formed from all that self-hatred was the Demon King Piccolo.
"Naturally this mistake brought me even more guilt as the world suffered from it. Eventually all the negativity paralyzed my growth as a person and my ability to improve ki control. So when Garlic's son returned, my stagnant power was useless against him."
A shimmering silver lines the bottoms of his eyes.
"I almost lost all of you because I never learned to love myself, and thought I didn't deserve love from anyone else. This debilitating belief still restrains my full potential to this very day.
"I am ashamed to admit these things for fear of scrutiny by you and the world I agreed to protect. The reason I held onto this false persona for so long is the uncertainty of what will happen if I give up the act. If I stop pretending to be this person I think everyone likes, what will they think of me?
"But if I cannot admit that I have been living a false self, then I will never be able to shatter it and rebuild the real me with the pieces."
Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu feel a slight rise in Kami's ki. He stands a little straighter.
Kami looks across his students' faces again. They see the vulnerability in his eyes, but he sees no judgment in theirs.
"Like me in the past, you now stand before the greatest challenge of your lives. And also like me, you are young and inexperienced in the wisdom I have attained from my centuries of life. You have done well to improve your genki and shoki, but all of that is for naught if you cannot master your yuki. Neglecting the third component of ki will put all of you where I was long ago. And should your courage falter, you will face worse consequences than I ever did.
"Mastering your yuki will be the final lesson I teach you. We have prepared an exercise that will give you a full understanding of the monumental endeavor ahead. From there, we will do all that we can to prepare you with the confidence and bravery you will need to face it. Please follow Mr. Popo."
Yamcha is the first to fall in line with Tien and Chiaotzu behind him. Krillin waits for them to go before following on shaky knees.
They walk past Kami and descend into the bowels of the temple. They travel deeper into the building than the medical room most of them woke up in not long ago. They enter a large room with clocks all over the walls. None of them share a similar design or time, and they all seem to move at different speeds.
A huge pendulum swings back and forth from the ceiling. Krillin ducks his head fearful of being bludgeoned by the metal mechanism. Mr. Popo strides confidently into the middle of the room unafraid of it. He stops before a gold circle imprinted on the floor below the pendulum's arcing path.
"This room allows us to send your spirit through time," says Mr. Popo. "I will be sending you to face real Saiyans in combat. Be warned, they are incredibly dangerous. There will be terror like you have never known before. But remain strong in your self belief. Your yuki will help you win the day."
The four of them nod.
"Tien," he says, "if you don't feel up to this yet, you do not have to participate. There is no shame in properly resting up before continuing your training."
"I'll do it. I need to know where I stand at this point."
"Very well. Please stand inside this circle."
Nothing happens after they do as instructed. Then their vision begins to blur. A nauseating sensation throws off their balance. They close their eyes to combat the queasy unease.
When the vertigo wears off, their eyes open to a devastated city. Smoke and flames fill the sky obscuring it and any sense of day or night. Mutilated bodies lie about the street in broken poses.
"Looks like we missed a few survivors."
The Dragon Team swivel their heads towards the voice. A man with a tail grins high above them. A female Saiyan joins him.
"Way to go Toma," she says. "I was hoping there'd be more to this mission. Now let's see."
She presses the button on her scouter.
"Wow these guys actually have a decent power level. Finally some fun."
"You're right," says Toma. "Kind of strange they have so much power compared to everyone else. Stay on your guard Seripa."
"Yeah, yeah," she says.
She waves him off and flies towards the warriors below. She picks up speed as she does. She blitzes past them firing a rain of ki bolts forcing them all to separate to avoid getting hit.
Now which one should I go after first? she thinks. The cute one I guess.
Tien braces as Seripa circles back straight for him.
Their ki is astounding, he thinks. I couldn't even beat them if I hadn't damaged my body. Now I don't stand a chance. I'm just useless dead weight.
His muscles tighten, unsure how to respond on their own like they used to. His mind freezes, unable to devise a strategy as it once did.
Don't give up Tien. Breathe.
Chiaotzu's voice pierces the darkness clouding his thoughts. Tien raises his hands to the side of his face. His frilled fingers point in at his three eyes.
"Taiyoken!"
Pure white light flashes from his whole body. Seripa grabs her burning eyes while averting her flight path upward.
"You dick!" she says, without stopping her ascent.
He summons up as much ki as he can in what little time the distraction offers. Chiaotzu floats to his side. His presence comforts him as he readies for the next round.
Toma lands by Yamcha.
"You guys aren't from this planet are you?" he says. "Your clothes, your power levels, none of it matches anything we've seen before."
"What about it?" says Yamcha.
Toma chuckles. Yamcha smiles.
"Nothing really," Toma says. "I just thought it was interesting is all. Was wondering where you came from and how you got here."
"To be honest," says Yamcha, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Toma's eyes shift to the side as a short bald man zips in next to Yamcha's side.
"That should even things up a little," says Toma.
"What, you don't think I can take you by myself?" says Yamcha.
"Not a chance, but you're welcome to try."
"Fine then, I will. Krillin, sit this one out okay?"
"Ar-are you sure?"
"Yep. I want to see how I measure up with a Saiyan."
"No I can't let my friends fight alone again."
"Again?"
"Uh, yeah. I, uh, was too late to help you, Tien, or Chiaotzu, and you all got hurt really bad."
"Nonsense. You're only one person. You couldn't have been everywhere at once. And you're not letting anyone down. I want this."
"O-kay."
Krillin hurries several steps back. Before he can finish retreating, Yamcha trades blows with the enemy. Neither one gains ground on the other, but Krillin can tell the Saiyan is going easy while Yamcha is putting forth his best effort.
"Oh man, who am I kidding," he says. "I'm only delaying the inevitable by waiting."
He claps his hands against the side of his face twice, and raises a palm over his head. Ki rises from his core along the extended arm.
Yamcha finds himself on his knees with an arm wrenched behind his back. One moment they were evenly matched, then suddenly he is about to be shot through the back of the skull with a ki blast. He feels the growing energy amass like a weight on the back of his neck. He tries to flip around, but a heavy foot pins him down while his arm is released.
"I told you to let your little friend help."
Toma's scouter goes off and he whirls in the direction it indicates. Krillin throws a disc shaped projectile. Toma's eyes widen as he instinctively swats at it with his free wrist. The force of the yellow saucer pushes him back a step and its bite slices through his gauntlet. Before it can sever his hand, it shatters around him. In the flash of sparks, he redirects his own attack at Krillin.
The shot races across the distance between them. Blood erupts from Krillin's mouth as the bullet rips through the left side of his chest cavity. It obliterates his shoulder and flings his arm end over ends until it lands with a splat. Krillin slumps over as scarlet runs from his body.
Toma examines his wrist and flexes the fingers a few times.
"Whew, that guy packed a bigger punch than I expected."
"Krillin!"
Yamcha slams his palms against the earth and fires a beam of energy. He rises backward shoving his oppressor off balance.
"Rogafufuken!"
Yamcha pounces upon Toma with his arms spread wide. He snaps his hands shut like the jaws of a wolf to shred his prey.
Toma intercepts with his forearms blocking Yamcha's from closing. He headbutts his foe between the eyes and grabs his throat.
"You shouldn't waste any concern on a sniveling craven like that," says Toma. "Sneaking around on the edge of a battle is no way to behave. You on the other hand, would fit in perfect amongst the Saiyan ranks. I wish we'd met in another life."
He squeezes his fingers into a fist, squishing through the soft tissue of Yamcha's throat. Blood spurts in every direction as the corpse drops to the ground and bleeds out.
Toma turns to see how Seripa is handling her end. She catches a punch from the three eyed man and punches the forearm for a clean break. The snapping of the two bones sound as one to all but her trained ear.
Chiaotzu swoops in to help. Seripa drags Tien's body between them so he cannot fire a shot. With her own hand concealed, she creates an orb of pink energy. She waits a moment for Chiaotzu to get closer and fires it straight through Tien's abdomen. The ball explodes out of his back and breaks across Chiaotzu in an oily mess. A rosy flame envelops him until he burns away to ashes.
"Wow, sick double kill," says Toma.
"One of my better ones I'd say," she says.
They smile and fly off.
Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, and Chiaotzu all wake up on the floor of the strange room they started in. The pendulum swings over their faces. They check for phantom injuries still pulsing in vivid memory.
"What the hell was that?" says Yamcha. "Are we dead or what?"
"You can relax," says Mr. Popo. "Your spirits were transferred to a past time to experience an event vicariously."
"You mean we could use this room to change past events?" says Krillin.
"No," says Mr. Popo. "This room does not allow for actual time travel. It merely recreates a past event in a spiritual pocket outside normal reality."
"Oh, is that all," Yamcha says.
"How did it go?" says Mr. Popo.
"It was terrible," says Tien. "I couldn't do anything against their power and skill. I can't believe more of them are on their way to Earth."
"Honestly, I was scared," says Chiaotzu. "I was afraid for my life and my friend's lives. It was impossible to find the courage to stand up against something so horrifyingly strong."
"Yeah," says Krillin. "How are we supposed to stop something like that?"
"Do you mean the Saiyans or the fear?" says Mr. Popo.
"Both, I guess," says Krillin.
"Hmm, that is a difficult question to answer," Mr. Popo says. "How do you act bravely when the enemy is stronger? I suppose you have to find something worth risking your life for. Whether it's for a person or a belief doesn't matter.
"But if your only desire is to simply be alive, then your mind and body will naturally want to abandon the fight. If your goal is to fight and these thoughts manifest, your yuki will greatly diminish from the confliction. And then you will lose. No amount of physical or mental training can offset the third component of ki. You must find the conviction within yourself and hold true to it. You will have to search deep within to discover what you truly desire. Once you do, your yuki will grow to accompany it."
"Understood," says Yamcha. "Can we keep using this room to fight Saiyans to build our confidence against them?"
"Certainly, but there is a danger to this method. It's very likely you will be defeated over and over against them. If you allow this to discourage you, you may not have any confidence left at all to fight the real Saiyans when they do arrive. You will need to balance your expectations of wanting to win and simply doing what you believe is right regardless of the outcome."
"So we're supposed to do what's right and fight an opponent we may never be able to beat?" says Krillin. "Then maybe we should be looking for another way to win if training our asses off isn't going to work. What's the point if we're all just going to die, and Earth is going to be destroyed? I mean seriously. Why even bother?"
The others feel his ki slip away as the fear overtakes their friend. They look around the room for any trace of hope in the faces of their allies. They find none.
"I'm afraid you have to decide for yourself what you're going to do," says Mr. Popo. "You aren't responsible for saving the world."
"But if we don't, no one else will," says Krillin. "So we are responsible, but we can't win. And it's not fair."
"I know it feels that way, but don't let guilt guide your actions," says Mr. Popo. "Maybe you should all take a break for as long as each of you need. Meditate on all that has happened. Figure out what is right for you. Then do what you think is best."
"Well I'm going to keep training," says Yamcha. "That guy may have been stronger than me, but I think I can catch him. So what's it going to be Krillin? You ready for some more training?"
He pumps a fist and smiles.
"I … I'm not sure. I need time to think."
Yamcha's cheery demeanor deflates.
Krillin walks away awkwardly knowing everyone's eyes stare at his back, knowing he is letting everyone down. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and shambles out of the room.
Chiaotzu looks at Tien. No words are spoken. They nod and Chiaotzu floats out following Krillin.
"Tell me he's going to bring Krillin back," says Yamcha. "He's not bailing on us too, right?"
He looks at Tien who does not return the favor. He flicks his head back to the empty doorway but no one returns. He shouts down the lonely halls.
"Come back you guys! We need you!"
Silence.
He drops his eyes and massages his throat.
Author's Note 1/9/21: Man it feels good to put that 21 at the end of the author's note. Hopefully this year runs smoother than the last. And, yeah, I'm finally back. Thank you so much for being patient. I feel much better after taking a break, and I'm ready to bring in the new year by finally finishing this story arc! I hope you enjoy it. I'm nervous about posting these next chapters because I know how important the battle with the Saiyans is. But I'm also excited because I think I've come up with some great stuff. Obviously I can't beat the original, and it's a lot to live up to, but hopefully my rendition of the events can add something new to already established canon. And as always, thank you so much for reading. Feel free to comment as I love hearing what you have to say. And take care of your awesome selves!