Visions

Chapter 76: Into the River


The storm died down with the battle; for minutes after the earth had stopped shaking, Suno watched fine dust trickle through the air, leisurely returning to the sands. In the background, her friends handed out senzus and helped each other onto their feet. They had all survived, all in their own way; Retu was found buried within a mesa. Bulma's ship had miraculously wedged itself between two landmasses that had pulled apart above a chasm. Yajirobe, rather ingloriously, had been buried to his waist… up... His butt. He was found bare-butt-up. One of many unexpected but welcome events.

But what surprised Suno the most was that Piccolo had saved four of her friends today. Tien, Yamcha, Chi-Chi, and Krillin had all survived, propped behind the Namekian as his body was battered by a blast of unimaginable strength. There wasn't a single person beyond Launch- and without regeneration, she probably would have died for her effort- who could have done what Piccolo did today. He was, reluctantly, a hero.

Presently, the Namekian stood apart from the others, arms crossed, gi torn and blackened, and faced deeper into the desert. The mysterious fourth had spirited away Vegeta and Nappa's unconscious bodies as soon as he had defeated them- almost as if he was trying to hide them. It was made stranger by the fact that he had thrown a nervous, almost alarmed expression at her just before that.

It had been her first close-up look at him. He was around her age, maybe a few years older, scarred, had a weird, multi-colored gi- and she was sure she had never seen him before in her life. Not in Jingle Village, not at a World Tournament, not in West City, and certainly not among her friends.

None of it made sense. This entire day doesn't make sense.

She looked down; the Saiyan at her feet breathed shallow, breathe nudging the sand pressed against the right side of his face. He doesn't make sense, either. He resembles Kakarot.

Sitting and with her head pressed into her hands, Suno failed to see or hear Launch's approach until she was right on top of her.

'Bean?' Launch asked.

Suno lifted her head from her hands. 'You have some left?'

'An eighth of one,' she replied, producing the slightest green sliver between her thumb and finger. 'I figure it'll do something.'

Suno accepted the morsel, popped it into her mouth, and bit into it. She felt something- but nothing close to what a full bean could do.

'It'll do,' she talked aloud, looking up at Launch. 'I'm not in much pain, anyway.'

Which was a lie. She was in a lot of pain, and judging from Launch's expression, she knew that, too, but she let the comment pass and her gaze slide away. 'Good to hear,' she said, non-committal. 'Good to… yeah.'

'Everyone else okay?'

'Good enough,' Launch answered, sweeping her gaze behind her for a second. 'Anyone who's still feeling sore after everything is wrapped up here has been invited by Bulma to test some medical tech at Capsule Corp.- so, yeah.' She looked back to Suno. 'You know what I'm going to say, right?'

'Yes,' Suno sighed. 'I'll consider it.'

'Good.' Moving closer, Launch sat down on the flat shelf of rock next to Suno. 'So… I see that you've gotten stronger,' she said, a faint, proud smile on her face.

Suno let some cockiness color her features. 'Don't flatter yourself. These gains are self-made.'

'I wasn't saying anything like that,' Launch said, smiling further and stretching backward. 'Just… I remember when you were an overeager, underpowered martial artist. Now, you're just eager.'

'Sure,' Suno said, smiling and shaking her head slightly. 'Sure.'

Farther away, the others- besides Piccolo- were grouping together now, preparing to come over. Suno had a thought. One that felt very time-sensitive.

'You could have taken them, right?'

Launch stopped stretching and slowly turned to her. 'Who, exactly?'

'The Saiyans,' Suno clarified, biting her cheek. 'Before they turned into giant ape-monsters, that is.'

For a few seconds, Launch stared at her, obviously annoyed by her question. 'Shut up,' she said, before casually looking away from her. 'They're walking over.'

True to her word, the others reached them and stopped just before Turles. Krillin's gaze jumped between all three. 'So… we're, uh-'

'I'm killing him,' Launch said immediately, nodding at the Saiyan's body.

'That was quick,' Krillin said under her breath, rubbing her neck.

'And I'm going to kill the other two Saiyans, too,' Launch added, grimacing. 'After today- you guys feel the same way, right?' Her gaze passed over them, looking for an agreeing face. 'Come on,' she complained, annoyed by the avoiding glances she got. 'Seriously? What's the issue?'

'I agree with you,' Chi-Chi said, 'but I think you're jumping the gun- what with the fourth person we have to worry about…'

'He didn't attack us earlier,' Tien noted calmly. 'I don't think he considers us his enemy.'

'I'm not sure he considers us his friends, either,' Yamcha spoke up, 'considering how he ran away earlier. It's suspicious that he took Vegeta and Nappa, too. If he chooses to stop us-'

'He can do that easily, sure,' Rayne finished for him, striding closer to Suno and Launch. 'But before we do anything drastic, let's figure something out-' she crouched down next to Turles and flipped him onto his front.

It was astounding how much more recognizable the Saiyan was when they could see his face. Rayne drew back, holding a hand out to gesture at the body. 'This guy looks like Kakarot, right?'

'He does,' Retu said quietly.

'Is he Kakarot, then?'

'No,' Chi-Chi said quickly, firmly, eyes focused. 'Can't be. His skin is too dark- it's almost grey.'

Rayne squinted. 'Could he be a relative, then? A brother?'

'He doesn't look much like Raditz,' Krillin noted.

'And Raditz didn't look that much like Kakarot,' Chi-Chi chimed in. 'I think it's impossible to say for sure who this is beyond that he's a Saiyan.'

'Alright then-' Launch crouched down to the body and glared up at Yamcha, Tien, and Bulma. 'Who is this?'

The three of them glanced between each other. 'No clue,' Yamcha answered.

'So you've never met this guy?'

'No.'

'And Vegeta and Nappa never mentioned that they were working with someone else, either,' Tien added. 'So I guess this must be another Saiyan they've picked up since we've last seen them… still…'

The group fell into silence, still transfixed by the familiarity of the Saiyan at their feet. 'Freaky,' he finished.

'Are you done?' Piccolo's voice, farther away, called out to them. 'Because we need to talk strategy on how to approach the fourth person.'

'We can't fight him, obviously,' Chi-Chi said, moving closer to Piccolo with the others. 'Do you have something in mind?'

'We let him do as he wants and try to get him off this planet as soon as possible,' Piccolo recommended. 'Even if-'

His voice stopped, as did his gaze, and slowly, his head tilted up. '...'

They stood motionless, trying to figure out what was going on. A touch of energy reached them, and they turned around- and Turles was nowhere to be seen.

'Huh!?' Launch spun, scanning the area. 'Where'd he go?'

0o0o0

Blurring, Traveler reappeared halfway across the desert and dumped Turles onto the ground. Vegeta and Nappa, sitting gingerly, incrementally flinched back as their companion's face hit the sand.

'So,' Traveler said conversationally. 'I know how stubborn you Saiyans can be.' He strode over to a nearby rock and sat on it, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. 'I know that we could easily waste hours of each other's time- time that I have, to be clear,' he added, fixing a harsh glare on them. 'But, I have other things I want to do. So, to avoid that, I'm going to offer you an equal deal: I give up some of my knowledge in exchange for some of your knowledge.'

The malice radiating off Nappa was palpable, and, frankly, was beneath Traveler's interest. He was much more interested in the subdued, almost devoid response Vegeta was making to all of this. The same empty look had sat in his eyes since surrendering.

'Vegeta?' Traveler addressed the Prince directly. 'Does this sound like a reasonable deal?'

Black eyes stared into his. He couldn't get a read on the Saiyan at all.

'You're scum,' Nappa frothed, spit shooting from his mouth. 'Utter scum. You're delusional if you think you can barter with us.'

Traveler made an exaggerated frown. 'Oh? Is that so?' He stood, and strode across the sands, sifting dust with his boots. 'What were you going on about earlier, Vegeta? "Might makes right", and all that?'

Both the youth and Nappa glared at each other, and then in-sync, both looked to Vegeta. The Prince's eyes were more active now, studying the nook of the desert they were in. Tall bluffs hemmed them in on three sides, shielding them from the open desert to their right.

'You are correct,' Vegeta replied.

Traveler waited on what he wanted to hear. 'So?...'

Abruptly, Vegeta tossed his head to his right and spat. 'Drop dead.'

A genuine frown took hold of Traveler's face. He walked back to his rock and sat again. 'Let me give you a better idea of the bargain you're getting,' he said, his tone more focused. 'All I ask is that you tell me about a former associate of yours. In exchange…'

Seconds dragged as the youth, smirking, let the sentence hang in the air. '...I'll read you your futures,' he finished.

'I don't believe you can,' Vegeta said after a few seconds, attention fixed towards the bluffs above. 'And even if I did- that information has no use to a dead man.'

'Who said anything about being dead?'

Traveler succeeded in getting a genuine reaction from Vegeta- his head levered down to his level.

'What do you mean?' Vegeta asked, an edge to his voice.

'Why would I kill you?' Traveler asked.

'You won,' Vegeta countered.

'I did.'

'So you should kill us.'

'I won't.'

'Why not?'

'Not my way.'

Traveler adjusted on his seat, rubbed a red patch near his neck. 'When I can avoid it,' he added, quieter.

'What luck, Nappa,' Vegeta said, his voice shot with disdain. 'We were defeated by a noble warrior.'

'You're tempting fate by mocking your captor,' Traveler said, though his tone implied that really wasn't the case. 'Others would kill you for that.'

'Others aren't noble warriors.'

Traveler sighed slightly. 'True. I'm not going to kill you regardless of what you say to me- so you might as well get it out of you now before I ask my questions about Raditz.'

Nappa straightened. 'Raditz?' he exclaimed. 'That dead punk?'

'You know him?' Vegeta asked, eyes narrowing. His grasp of him seemed to shift- on his face, his hatred morphed into something more familiar but just as cutting. 'Are you his bastard?'

'No,' Traveler said curtly, 'but you are former associates of his.'

The conversation rested, laying flat on the sands. Vegeta's eyes were locked on his. 'So we are,' the Prince said eventually. 'What would you want to know?'

'Not how this works,' Traveler said, smiling mischievously. 'You don't get to know the questions beforehand. Deal or no deal?'

Vegeta studied him, picking apart his clothes. 'I'm going to assume Raditz is dead, then,' he said, 'if you're from this planet and are asking me instead of him.'

Traveler shrugged.

'And you wouldn't kill me if I refused to answer?'

'No,' the youth answered, 'but I would stick around until you told me regardless.' There wasn't an explicit or implicit threat behind his words or in his tone… but, for whatever reason, the Prince felt unnerved by the way he said it.

'Information in exchange for having my future read?' Vegeta thought aloud. '...as I've said before, I don't believe you… but information concerning a dead man is worthless to me. You can have it if you want it, especially if that lets me leave this planet faster.'

Traveler nodded, closing his eyes. 'Good to hear it. I'll go first, then.'

At Vegeta's side, Nappa fidgeted, tried to get the Prince's attention- but Vegeta was entirely consumed by the youth in front of him. There was something very odd about him, about all of this. It didn't feel… ordained.

Suddenly, Traveler flung opened his eyes. 'You will leave this planet and work your way into the heart of the PTO itself.' The tale seemingly flashed in his pupils. 'Legions will fall beneath your hand, and the Saiyan name will be known among the galaxy again. Honor will return to you. That alone will command millions.'

Traveler took a long pause, and turned to look out on the open desert to their right. 'And then it will end,' he said, slower, without looking at them. 'You will challenge Frieza and be annihilated. Your memory will die quicker than its rebirth. In short, you will all die meaningless deaths.'

'That's it?' Nappa said, voice quiet.

He turned back to them. 'That's it.'

'That's not much of a future,' Vegeta said, cradling his right shoulder as he shifted more weight onto that side.

'It's the future you will choose. That was your plan, wasn't it?' the youth asked directly of Vegeta. 'Topple the empire and create your own… but, in reality, you'd just be putting a new head on top of the old golem, right?'

Vegeta thought on this. It was a particular fantasy he hadn't entertained in a long while. Not since obtaining the Tree...

'My empire would not wage needless wars,' Vegeta answered eventually. 'I am not in favor of the PTO's purges. But that does not mean I would not conquer,' he added sharply. 'The entire galaxy would come under my rule given enough time.'

'So you say.'

Traveler reached into a pocket on his waist, and to both Saiyans' alarm, he drew a tiny, hard, and brown-gray seed- the sole seed of the Tree of Might. 'Did it include this?'

'Where did you get that?' Nappa hissed. 'When?'

'Unimportant, obviously.' Traveler dismissed. 'What's important is that I have it. So, tell me- the fruit you ate during our fight is related to this, Vegeta, correct?'

The Saiyan held his breath, clearly weighing two options in his mind. 'It is,' he replied.

'And what does it do?'

Again, a pause. 'It increases your power.'

'How?'

'It drains planets of its living energy and produces fruit.' Vegeta's gaze skipped down to the sand between them. 'He would know more.'

Traveler followed his gaze. 'Who is this, anyway?'

'Turles,' Nappa said, eyes on the seed.

For the first time in their conversation, Vegeta saw a scrutinizing mood pass over Traveler, coloring his face as he studied the unconscious Saiyan laid atop the sands. 'Huh,' he said, mouth mostly still. 'Didn't know him.'

He looked back up at them. 'Judging by the gap in power between you and him, I don't think it's important that I know him, either. Either way,' he pocketed the seed, 'you've found something that I haven't come across before. That's a rare feat.'

'And you're going to take it?' Nappa snarled, muscled shoulders coiling like wire. 'Steal it?'

Traveler, face blank, returned Nappa's glare for a moment before glancing to Vegeta. 'If that's what this is,' he said, staring into the Prince's eyes. 'And now I'm going to ask my actual questions. First one- who was Radiz working with?'

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. 'What do you mean?'

Leaning back, Traveler let a satisfied smile grace his face. 'Am I to believe that I know more than Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans?'

Again, Vegeta took his time before answering. 'I know nothing concrete,' he said evenly. 'The only thing that was even slightly suspicious about Raditz's mission to Earth was its timing- he asked permission to leave right before a planned PTO invasion was supposed to commence. Nappa and I were brushing shoulders with the top elites of Frieza's army when he informed us that he was going to retrieve his brother. I was going to contact him, reprimand him- when we were informed that Cooler had beaten his brother to the targeted planet and purged it before us. So the invasion was called off, and Raditz went to Earth.'

Traveler stared past him, mulling over his words. 'Interesting,' he murmured.

'You mentioned that there was someone working with Raditz,' Vegeta pushed. 'You said you knew more than me. Who was it?'

Traveler flashed another maddening smirk. 'You'll find out soon enough. When's the last time you checked in on the PTO?'

'Years,' Vegeta said bluntly.

'I'd suggest doing that.'

The Prince held his gaze on Traveler, thinking… and drew back, feeling that he'd been given some form of an answer.

'Is he dead?' Nappa asked suddenly from his side. 'Raditz?'

Traveler coolly glanced at the Saiyan. 'He isn't here now.'

'You don't know?' Vegeta slid in.

With a shift of his posture, Traveler gave his non-answer. 'Second question- how many other Saiyans are left in the galaxy?'

'None that I know of, besides us,' Vegeta replied.

Traveler nodded, as if unsurprised by this fact. 'Third and last-'

His eyes narrowed, sharpening to a point, and lingered on Vegeta. 'What would you have done with Bulma if you had won today?'

'Bulma?' Vegeta repeated the name, eyes searching through his memory. 'You mean… the woman?'

'The woman, yes.'

'You're asking me about something that hasn't happened. I can't answer hypotheticals- especially on someone I had forgotten had existed.'

Traveler's head dipped, but he nodded and sighed all the same. 'That's fair enough,' he said, standing. 'That's all the questions I have. So- you two are going to wait here while I go talk with the others. Then you three are going to leave, and then I'm going to leave.'

'Just like that?' Nappa growled, twisting his arms behind him.

'Just like that,' Traveler promised. I'll give some advice, too- when you get back in the wider galaxy, don't go around playing the conqueror,' he said, mild mockery creeping into his voice. 'Frieza is about as strong as me, and compared to me, you two… you two are bugs.' He turned, and began walking away from them. 'So I'd recommend getting as far away from Frieza as possible and live out your desires there. Some hidden, backwater planet to rule over- because bugs get squashed out in the open.'

He looked back, and as he expected, silent malice fumed off of them. He waited.

'And what's to stop us from destroying this planet in the future, huh!?' Nappa shouted suddenly, voice skimming across the sands. 'Leave us be, and we'll come back stronger one day, and kill you- you friends- everyone!' Nappa, spitting in his anger, roared. 'You're a pathetic excuse for a warrior!'

Traveler was unmoved; he let Nappa's words finish echoing before half-turning to them. 'You would do well to remember- this planet is under my protection for the immediate future,' he said calmly. 'You may think I'm gone… and the moment you do, I'm going to track you three down and end what I started here today.'

Sand kicked into the air, scattered away from the wind. Out of the corner of his vision, Vegeta saw Nappa squirm and be pushed by one such wave.

'I'm no killer,' Traveler continued, voice lowering, 'but that doesn't mean I won't kill. So, if you really are that stupid…'

The wind kicked up again, close to raging... and the sand fell out of the air. Traveler's hands rested easily at his sides.

'Remember what I said.'

'We will,' Vegeta spoke up. His face and tone carefully measured. 'We promise.'

Traveler stared at Vegeta for a long moment, eyes trying to pierce him. 'I'll be back soon. When I do, you're leaving this planet.' Then he turned away, eyes closed, and trailed away. His boots left fine prints in the golden sands.

0o0o0

A rush of wind preceded his arrival- and almost a dozen people shielded themselves from a wave of sand as Traveler landed a few feet from Piccolo. One hand lifted to his right to acknowledge them, but pointedly, his attention was centered on the Namekian. Piccolo tried his best not to flinch.

'I'm going to talk to Piccolo,' Traveler said, his voice strong and clear. 'And only Piccolo. After this, I'm going to let the Saiyans leave Earth, alive, and leave. Understood?'

Unease flowed across their faces, Launch's among them, but she still stepped forward. 'You're not going to kill them for attacking this planet, then?' She swept an arm to everyone behind her. 'The planet we live on?'

He continued to stare at Piccolo; his eyes were calm, steady. 'No,' he answered.

'And we don't have a say in that?'

Another layer of tension suffused into the sands, and Piccolo noted that Traveler's expression did not change as the seconds rolled on. It was clear to him that this youth was going to have the final say in this matter, regardless of how much he let himself be dragged into a conflict with Launch and the others. And on the off chance that he was ill-intentioned…

'Fine,' Piccolo growled, catching Traveler's glance. 'Let's talk… if only to get this over with…'

0o0o0

They flew together and landed on top of a mesa out-of-sight of the others. The humans didn't look too pleased to have seen him go, but Piccolo had every intention of appeasing the still person across from him- or at the very least, appear that he was playing along.

That didn't mean he misunderstood what his role would be here- he needed to get answers to the questions he overheard the others posing earlier. For their sake and for his. They needed every drop of information that they could get. This person was a complete unknown.

It was a risk even agreeing to talk. When he was requested, the thought that the youth before him might try to frame him, or undermine, or do anything like that had crossed his mind. Though standing here now, faced with a full measure of the young man, he didn't think that likely- which begged another question. Why had he been requested?

Traveler took his time glancing around the desert, purportedly admiring the land now that the storm had passed. 'Earth can be pretty beautiful.' His gaze landed on Piccolo. 'First time I've been to this part of the planet.'

There was a very obvious assumption within his statement. 'So you're from Earth?' Piccolo asked, carefully, gauging his face for any negative reaction. None came; he saw a muted, placid expression instead.

'I won't keep you in suspense,' Traveler said, taking a breath. 'I am from Earth- a different Earth. I'm a time traveler from the future.'

Somehow, this fact didn't strike Piccolo as strange. In fact, it almost made sense- it put everything weird that he'd felt and seen today into a more appropriate context. He had witnessed horrible powers that had reminded him of the strength laced through Guru's memories and that time in the galaxy hundreds of years ago. Without this time traveler, the surreal carnage wrought against this desert wouldn't have happened… which, in keeping with the theme for the day, raised another question for Piccolo.

'So you came here? Why?'

'I came here to help you- and to warn you.' Slowly, surely, three fingers, rising like pale columns, extended into the dry desert air. 'In my time, three calamities befell the Earth,' Traveler said, his voice painstakingly calculated. 'Today would have witnessed the first, if I hadn't shown up.' A finger dropped. 'Then, about three years from now, old grievances will reignite, and what little good is left on the Earth will be hunted down and exterminated.' Another finger.

'Lastly…' Traveler paused, and glanced away for a moment. 'The galaxy will tear itself apart, a war to end all wars… and, without much effort at all, that war will destroy what's left of the Earth as you know it.' His third finger hung in the air, seemingly unwilling to fall… until fall it did. 'That is my message.'

Traveler saw Piccolo's ears twitch, and with a self-aware smile, he said, 'All very vague, right?'

'...What are you getting at?' Piccolo asked, intensely suspicious.

'I can't give specific details for what's going to happen and when- mostly because I don't know the specifics of what's going to happen, and for what I do know, telling you and everyone else wouldn't help to prevent it- it would actually hurt you to know.'

'I don't follow.'

Traveler titled his head back, eyes skipping past Piccolo. 'I know,' he said. 'So I'll tell you some concrete facts rather than explain that.'

'Hold on,' Piccolo said, his voice bordering on a growl. 'You can't tease information-'

'In my time, you and the others lost against the Saiyans,' the youth said, the skin around his eyes tightening so suddenly that Piccolo wondered if he had been transported into another conversation. 'That was the first calamity I was talking about. My arrival today averted that.'

Piccolo's eyes widened. 'You mean?-'

'Krillin, Tien, and Chi-Chi died in that battle,' he said quickly, almost mechanically, like he was reciting a fact. 'To their credit, they were able to kill Nappa- but they still died, and Vegeta won.'

The Namekian's eyes were keenly focused on the youth. We lost? The thought of the Saiyan beating them… from the snippets he had heard from the others... that would have been a dark day.

'The Earth should have been destroyed then,' Traveler continued, solemn. 'In all honesty, if it had, it would have saved everyone on this planet a lot of suffering… but the survivors were lucky that Bulma was there. She made an offer to Vegeta; a few days after the battle, he decided to spare the Earth, and she accompanied him into space.'

Piccolo drew his mouth into a thin line. 'Accompanied him?'

'I don't know any more than that,' Traveler offered. 'I don't know the details of the deal, either. All I know is that she left with him.'

For a time, the Namekian was silent, weighing the information told to him. If this kid is actually from the future… this is very strange. 'But I assume those who died didn't stay dead,' he said, wind tugging at his gi. 'Surely they used the dragonballs?'

It was very gradual; Piccolo wouldn't have spotted the subtle shift in Traveler's expression as he spoke if he wasn't looking at him dead-on. His mouth flattened, stretched horizontally across his face, as his eyes and nose moved incrementally lower. Up until now the youth had been approachable, despite his power- now, there was a definite antagonistic glint to him.

'You would think so,' Traveler said, his voice harsher, 'but you'd be wrong. They left the planet. Because Kami left.'

His gaze fell on him, really looked at him for the first time in their conversation. 'Because of you.'

At that moment, Piccolo felt that he was talking to someone from the future. Traveler's gaze was terrible, knowing, like the kind King Yemma had used to judge him in the afterlife. He realized- he made his mind up about me a long time ago.

'What?' Piccolo said, trying to keep his voice audible. 'What did I do?'

'You took Kami and left the Earth a few days after Vegeta had left,' Traveler said slowly. 'Deprived us of our dragonballs when we needed them most.'

The thought of leaving the Earth anytime soon- it wasn't even conceivable to Piccolo. Could he have really done that just a few days from now? And in the wake of such a terrible battle?

'I must have had a reason,' Piccolo said suddenly, more to himself than Traveler. 'I must-' The Namekian's eyes sharpened. 'It must have been related to Kami's coma. What issues that may create for the dragonballs-'

'As with other things, I don't know the specifics,' Traveler admitted, 'and even if I did, I wouldn't care to repeat them. All I know is that you stole a ship from Capsule Corp. property and left without telling anyone. If you're trying to find a rationalization… don't,' he said, black pupils peering into his. 'It doesn't matter to you now, and it sure as hell doesn't matter to me.'

'But… you understand Kami, right now, is not well?'

'As I said, I don't care,' Traveler reiterated. 'He wasn't around long enough in my timeline to matter, and what happened in my timeline has no bearing on this one, and vice versa.'

Piccolo's mouth drooped. 'This… one what?'

'Your timeline,' Traveler explained. 'It's not going to be the same as mine, now that I've intervened and fought the Saiyans today.'

'Wait… so coming back in time won't change your future?'

'Wish I could say otherwise, but I can't. That's not how time travel works.'

One of Piccolo's brows rose. 'And you know that for sure?'

'From what I've seen, yes.'

'Then why come back at all?'

The sternness faded, and in its place, a faint, almost invisible smile swept across Traveler's face. This was the other side to his and Yemma's piercing sight- when they pulled back, made themselves distant, they took joy in what they and they alone knew. 'You become a time traveler, and we'll talk then.'

Piccolo stared at that face, trying to glean something from it. Eventually, he decided it more worthwhile to get their conversation back on track. 'Was this event- me leaving with Kami- was that one of your calamities?' he asked.

'No,' Traveler said curtly. 'More a part of the first one that I've stopped today.' He paused. 'I hope I've made it clear that under no circumstances are you to take Kami from the Earth.'

'Even for a future event you haven't yet told me about?' Piccolo probed.

'For a future event I won't tell you about, period,' Traveler clarified. 'I told you about what happened today in my timeline because it's of no consequences to tell you about a fate you avoided- gives you context, understanding, that sort of thing, that will be useful going forward. For what happened in my timeline…' Traveler drifted off, as did his gaze. 'For one, things are going to be different now. Time travel has a way of creating a lot of unforeseen changes down the road.'

'And because of that you're not going to even hint at what may be coming?' Piccolo growled.

Traveler flashed a wry smile. 'You probably think that I'm more knowledgeable than I am. By the time things got really bad, no one was on talking terms anymore,' he elaborated. 'A bunch of nastiness cropped up between some, and the people who kept everyone together were, for the most part, out of the picture. So when things were sprung on who was left out of the blue, they had no idea what was going on until everything was falling down around them... and, even retroactively, we still don't have a good idea of what happened. We just know the end result- we were forced off the planet, and Earth was turned into a wasteland.'

'Whereas today…' Traveler's voice stilled. 'Today was the natural point for me to step in and change the course of history. This was when the group more or less broke apart, which significantly weakened the Earth against future crises. I had the thought that, if everyone had survived, the Earth might have survived, too.'

Interesting… he said "we" a few times there. 'So... ' Piccolo collected his thoughts. 'What you're saying is that you coming back now is no guarantee that those two future "calamities" won't kill us?'

Traveler nodded. 'They weren't linked to today,' he said. 'They should still happen. For all I know, I could be saving everyone now only so that they can die in the future… but they have a chance to avoid that fate now, at least.'

A definite, clear question rose in Piccolo's mind, but at the last second he bit his lip and held it back. He could afford to be actively suspicious later.

Slowly, Traveler looked back onto the desert. When he spoke, there was a dampened, almost wave-like cadence to his voice. 'Everything I've done, am doing, and will do… I'm doing for a reason- even if I can't explain that reason to you.' He turned around and faced Piccolo. 'But know that I came here to help you, and that I believe telling you exactly what I've told you- no more, no less- is the best I can offer you.'

A stillness settled on the air. Piccolo felt that Traveler had more to say as his eyes roved, ranging far off into the horizon before returning to him. 'I pulled you aside to talk face-to-face with someone I had hated my entire life- but I also saw something common to both of us,' Traveler said, voice composed. 'I saw how you stood apart from the others earlier. We are detached- and, because of that, we have a perspective that they do not.' He examined Piccolo for a moment, then half-turned again. 'We see make sense of things others can't.'

'Your read of me is wrong,' Piccolo countered coolly, 'From my perspective, your plan amounts to coming here, preventing a lot of people in a different timeline from dying, and leaving us without any tangible knowledge of the threats coming our way. In no timeline does that make any sense to me.'

Traveler glanced back, stared at him for a moment. 'As I said, I have my reasons.'

'Which is why you took that Saiyan from us, right?'

It was a rare, active question on Piccolo's part, but he felt this person's earlier actions were egregious enough to warrant it.

'His name is Turles,' Traveler replied. 'And after we're done talking, I'm going to make the Saiyans leave Earth. You have nothing to gain by talking to them.'

'Bold of you to be making decisions on our behalf.'

'I beat Vegeta and Nappa,' Traveler replied, eyes staring into Piccolo's, almost as if he was challenging him. 'I also have Turles, and the power to force them off the planet. If you can do the same in my shoes, or even kill them- go ahead.'

Piccolo wanted to. Instead, he threw a tight scowl to his feet. The sands swallowed it.

'I, of course, have a good reason to do so.'

'Among the other things you're not telling me?' Piccolo said scornfully. Genuine frustration was finally filling his chest. This wasn't a conversation. 'I think I understand now- you came back to do what you want, and inform us when it's convenient to you. You're hiding behind what you know to protect yourself- you're not really trying to help us.'

Traveler looked over Piccolo, thinking. 'You have to understand- I'm not trying to doom this timeline to a fate worse than mine. I'm doing what needs to be done.'

'Then why are you trying to protect the Saiyans?'

Traveler laughed easy, abruptly, as if he had surprised himself. 'That's what you think I'm doing? Protecting them? Fine.' He stepped closer, folding his arms across his chest. 'I'll give you a general rule to live by. It's a good idea to keep every Saiyan left in the galaxy away from Earth. Better for everyone that way.'

'Everyone?'

'The Saiyans,' Traveler said, eyes downcast, 'and you all. In my timeline, there was a man obsessed with them. His vile desires…'

Traveler shook his head, but it appeared to Piccolo that he did it more to ward himself than to stop that line in the conversation. 'You are warned.'

'Does this man have a name?' Piccolo asked.

'I don't know it.'

Piccolo's face darkened. 'You're sure?'

'I am.'

Suddenly, Traveler turned away, and sat on the cliff. 'You're astute, Piccolo-astute enough to fit the pieces together if you think hard enough. Possibly more astute than the others.' With the mention of the others,' Traveler's tone shifted. 'One reason why the Earth was ruined in my timeline was because of them- they lost one battle, and the floor of their belief sort of fell out from under them.' He glanced back. 'You included, of course. You ran. But the others stayed and did nothing.'

'Yeah?' Piccolo said. 'Were you there?'

A pause. 'No.'

'But you knew them?'

'Some,' Traveler said candidly. 'I know of all of them, at least. History will judge them badly.'

'Who's history?'

With a sigh, Traveler stood- and, to Piccolo's eyes, an air of finality moved with him as he did. 'I think I've said everything that I needed to.'

'Hold on-' Piccolo growled, flexing his sharpened nails. 'What's your name?'

Traveler's face flashed with something, flaring his scarred hairline atop his head like a weed swaying in the wind- and it passed. 'Bye,' he said, holding out a hand above his shoulder. 'Pass along what I said to the others.'

He vanished.

0o0o0

Piccolo was halfway back, mulling over exactly what he'd say, when Traveler reappeared in front of him in the air. There was a flicker of focus on his face.

Before the Namekian could move away, he leaned in and whispered. 'One last thing; there's something you need to tell Bulma…'

0o0o0

About a half-minute later, the youth reappeared to Vegeta and Nappa, holding three pods between his arms, and let them clunk onto the sands to their right.

'You have your ships,' he said, his piercing gaze rolling over to them. 'Leave before I change my mind.'

0o0o0

He could see from a long way off how tense the others were; they were strewn across the clearing, each facing his direction, each awaiting some news. As Piccolo landed, he kept his face a mask, thinking.

'Well?' Launch stepped up to him, shifting her weight between her feet. The others were right behind her. 'What did he say?'

'And where is he?' Yamcha added.

Piccolo glanced behind him, searching for a nearby ki. He found none. 'We can't talk now,' he said, turning back to them. 'Not yet. Not until…'

The Namekian's gaze hit the sands. 'Not until he and the Saiyans are gone.'

'So he's actually letting the Saiyans go?' Tien asked 'Letting them live?'

His gaze fell away again. 'Yes.'

'Did you… agree to that?' Launch probed, ready-to-go anger coiled in her breath.

'Of course I didn't,' Piccolo spat. 'I would have killed them… but he did not.'

'And that was the final word?' Launch drew closer, the faintest colors of her aura swirling around her. 'You gave in, just like that? Like a coward?'

'There's nothing we can do about this!' Piccolo growled, snapping up his head. His aura swirled into the air, shoving over nearby crests of sand. 'He can wipe the floor of us with just a finger! Whether we want him to or not, he's going to let the Saiyans go! We have no power right now!'

They came extremely close- mere feet separated their coming contact when Tien and Chiaotzu slid between the two, physically restraining Launch.

'Come on,' Tien said, hands propped against her shoulders. 'You of all people should know…'

'I should know what?' she said, avoiding his gaze.

'You know Piccolo's right,' Chiaotzu advised from her right. 'We can't challenge this mystery guy. And, if that's the case… we need to wait.'

She held Piccolo's gaze, their eyes burning a line through the air with their intensity, but she eventually huffed and backed off. 'And as for what he told you? He tell you to stay mute about your conversation?'

'I'm keeping quiet of my own volition,' Piccolo said, his body working itself free of tension. 'When I explain what was told to me… I don't want that guy around able to listen in- I want him gone before that.'

'And why is that?' Yamcha asked from the group.

Piccolo turned halfway away from them, head turned fully into the desert he had come from. The calm over the desert still hadn't broken.

'I don't trust him,' Piccolo said, quiet enough that they strained to hear him. 'And I'd prefer to have a discussion about the likely lies he told me once I know he can't listen in anymore.'

'Fine,' Launch spoke up, wrenching about a dozen heads in her direction. She strode over to a flat rock and forcefully sat on it. 'Waiting game it is- but you better be ready to tell us everything once we're alone in this desert, Piccolo.'

The Namekian glanced to her, expression mixed… but after a time, in silence, he returned to regarding the desert.

0o0o0

Judging by which direction they faced, he guessed they were totally oblivious to his perch atop this cliff. He had crept to the rock's edge, chancing a look at them before leaving. Like restless spirits, they stayed in the clearing, tensed, pacing, waiting. The Saiyans' ships had left a few minutes before, and surely everyone down there could sense their kis receding from the planet. So the only conclusion he could draw was that they were waiting for him to leave- which was understandable. It was likely they hadn't even talked yet, considering how short a time separated him leaving Piccolo and his arrival on this cliff.

They're wary. Good.

He had not lied to Piccolo about them- some of them made him feel angry, frustrated, knowing that they had failed when the world needed them most. Others made him sad, melancholic, knowing how they died and how much futile effort they had given to save themselves. And some...

Gohan raised a dust-stained hand to his face and wiped his cheek, smudging a streak of damp dirt across his face. And some were too painful to look at.

His childhood felt so distant now- too much had happened between then and now. Too much heartache. Too many lies. Surviving until now had required everything- and, standing here, he wasn't even sure if there had been a point to it all. Suffering was supposed to have a point. He had combed so many different places, past, future, present, looking for something that could make things right, but he had found nothing. The world he had grown up in was just as hopeless now as it was when he started down his road. Just as… cruel, to everyone who had grown up alongside him.

Mom… everyone… His hand lingered on the time machine's rim, even as his gaze searched the crowd. He tried his best- and, inevitably, failed- to avert his eyes. Somewhere out there in the desert, his younger self was hiding, unaware of what fate he had avoided today. He almost wanted to seek him out, look at him… if only to remind himself that he had lived in this time, once.

The sand in the air kicked sideways, pelting his right cheek. Gohan felt a tear be torn out of its duct and fall into the wind. I can't remember. It's been so long… so much has happened…

'I wish I could talk to you… all of you…' Reluctantly, he closed his eyes. But this is how it has to be. I'm sorry. Forgiveness…

Pulling himself up, Gohan turned and jumped into the time machine's cockpit, pulled the cover closed, and yanked back the central lever.

As the automated lift-off propelled him from the earth, seconds before a web of wavy lines, heralding his return trip, swarmed the glass cockpit, he settled back in his chair, arms crossed, and sought to slay the thought once and for all.

Forgiveness… we'll see if I deserve it at the end.

The air around the oval vessel began to waver, shift, as the craft within it grew translucent and appeared to lurch in every direction.

A stray blast of sand swept across the cliff, blanketing it briefly with sand. By the time it had passed, the ship was gone.

0o0o0

Dull consciousness returned to him in fits, spurts, lurches; for a long time, all he could do was focus on that slow building. He could remember nothing but enlivened pain, and he felt consciousness slip away from him whenever he tried to recall where, when, and who he was. The best he could do was pay attention to sensation, sore, aching, but living, returning to his body, patching his grasp of the world back together.

This also meant that he was aware of someone standing over him, still like a statue, watching him as he regained the thread of life. When the time came to open his eyes, he cranked them open slowly, genuinely unsure what was about to happen for the first time in his life. Genuinely terrified.

Dim white light shrouded the ceiling, forcing his eyes to slits. Into that pall a tall, broad-shouldered figure swung in and looked down on him.

'How are you, Dr. Gero?'

The sight of gleaming metal and unruly, damp black hair jolted through Gero's mind, jogging his memory. He was in his lab; a metal table was beneath him. Before this he had been dying, and in a desperate moment...

His sample, a being of deep-running circuitry and machinery, patiently awaited his response.

'Raditz?...' Dr. Gero breathed, feeling his chest convulse with agony.

'You had a heart attack, doctor,' Raditz replied, still, voice stunted, like the high and low edges of it had been sanded off. 'When I woke, I saw you had collapsed onto the floor and hooked you into the operating table, as per your instructions.'

Dr. Gero moved incrementally and registered the metal tubing running into his back, arms, and legs. It's come to this, then. My body…

'I regret to inform you, Doctor-'

'You inform me of nothing I don't already know,' Dr. Gero snapped. 'I know that I will be table-bound for the rest of my days- I don't need you spelling that out for me!'

'Ah.' Raditz dipped his head but reacted in no other way to the old man's outburst. 'Of course. My apologies.'

That short bout of yelling winded Gero, forcing him to catch his breath. No trace of that rebellious Saiyan attitude… he's under my control. Across the Saiyan's body, Gero saw his will erected in the form of metal plating and angled skin, filling in the gaps of his body produced by previous injury and Gero's own cultivation. Can he even remember a time before now?... Likely, no, if he hasn't killed me yet.

I was lucky… but also incredibly cursed. I will never be able to complete my research stuck to this insufferable table and trapped within this near-dead body. I must be able to walk again- I must have a working body.

If he had anticipated such a drastic decline in his health, he would have prepared some of his designs. At this stage, however, they were nothing more than schematics, and Raditz, even if he had a full grasp of his mind and memories, could not be expected to produce a working artificial body by himself. The only thing this Saiyan was good for now was-

An idea rushed into Gero's mind, twisting his head to his right. 'That… that can work,' he murmured. 'Yes.'

Raditz leaned towards him. 'Something the matter, Doctor?'

Slowly, Dr. Gero turned his gaze back to Raditz. 'There is a colleague of mine who may be able to help me escape this table,' Dr. Gero said, voice weak. 'Please… Raditz… I need you to search out and assist a scientist.'

'Does this scientist have a name?'

Gero frowned. His memory was fallible, but he was sure…

'Check the computer and search its entries… I want you to find someone named Dr. Wheelo.'


A/N: Happy tidings, all! GEEZ! This was a difficult chapter to get right! A lot of revisions went into this. Also moved some scenes into next chapter to get this out not terribly late.

Traveler's testimony was especially hard to do, as I was purposefully trying to give a flawed account so as to provoke the reader to ask some questions. Not sure how it came out, so I would love for someone to tell me in a review what they thought of it.

Also, a short thingy I wrote on power levels and why things went down as they did in the "Traveler" timeline:

From a narrative perspective, if we're examining power levels as a linear, challenge-determined increase over time, there's no reason to think everyone on Earth could have bridged the gap between them and the Saiyans enough to win (as the Saiyans were indisputably more powerful than the humans at the beginning of Volume 2) if everything else is equal. Sure, they may have had the Kaioken, but the Saiyans had the fruit from the Tree of Might through Turles, and beyond that, they had an entirely higher form (great ape) which would have been difficult to defeat if they started at equal power levels. The humans may have gotten an extra push to train because they fought against Ginyu and the PTO on Namek, but that push (they worked towards as much power as they could conceptualize- the upper limits of the battle on Namek in base form) can only take them so far when combined with the Kaioken. Additionally, the Kaioken is a very exhausting technique to keep up, and is usually and inherently less useful for someone against someone else with an equal, natural power. Thus, structurally, the humans were predisposed to lose, and did so in the "Traveler" timeline.

Shifting gears! We're entering the part of DBZ where power levels start to matter much less, In that vein, I thought I'd shift into my preferred method of sorting power levels; tiers! The basic idea behind them it would take multiple people from any given tier to fight about equal with someone in a tier above them. How many people exactly depends on group cohesion, individual power levels, etc. Additionally, someone who is listed first in any tier is (physically) stronger than someone who is listed second in that tier, and so and so forth down the line. This does not mean it is impossible, within any given tier, for someone to win a fight against someone to their left- it simply means that the leftmost person is favored to win based on raw strength alone. Other factors (tactics, effectiveness of techniques, matchup dynamics) can flip the result the tier initially suggests.

Tiers*:

A: Vegeta (fruit), Traveler

B: Vegeta (no fruit)

C: Nappa, Piccolo, Launch, Turles

D: Tien, Yamcha, Suno, Chi-Chi, Krillin, Bez

E: Rayne, Retu, Chiaotzu, Yajirobe, Gohan

*Characters are in base form unless noted otherwise.

Note how I didn't put down Traveler's ascended form or any of the Great Ape forms; the gap between those and everything else is too big to represent on a single list.

The appeal of this system to me is that I can give a better idea of where everyone stands without having repetitive dialogue like, "He's stronger than me!...' or "Holy shit…'

...

You get the idea.

Most fighters from this point on will be able to intuitively grasp in a fight how power levels stack up against each other. So, I figure that any knowledge that would be known to every fighter is permissible to put here, outside the story. Of course, this is only what people can guess from what they sense- a particular fighter may have held back, and can more accurately judge how well they would have fought against someone else compared to others. It is for this reason that I didn't include Kaioken levels in the tier list, and instead had/ will have characters talk about how they would have stacked against the Saiyans and Traveler. It is not universally clear how strong each person is with the Kaioken just from a single battle.

With all that said- I might put in a goofy in-story scene on this next chapter. We'll see.

Reviews:

KagariAsuha: IMO, the text supports your theory!

TienFan99: Fixed the lines you pointed out!

I hope this chapter gave you some satisfying context!

Cityracer: Vegeta, as much as he'd like to deny it, is more similar than dissimilar to Frieza.

Yup, that's the basic argument. Going toe-to-toe with Oozarus is necessarily going to be a drawn-out battle if you're fighting it conventionally. They're super freakin' durable. Doesn't mean it's impossible to win, but they have incredible stamina as long as they're in that form- which makes their tails such weak points to those who know that.

Though I should note that it was as close as it was because of the 10X multiplier and the serious power Vegeta and Nappa already had in their base forms.

Piccolo would probably not agree with your assessment… but, by any indication, he seems to be moving in that direction.

Any fighter is going to have some flaws with their approach! With Launch, she's always prioritized raw power over other aspects- technique, strategy, and her own health in battle- and against an Oozaru, that trade-off doesn't work as well.

Suno may surprise! We'll see.

Answers abound in this chapter. And expect a Yamcha and Chi-Chi scene relatively soon...

The Rocha: That's high praise! Thank you! And you can always leave another review if you have more to say :).

I certainly like using underused characters!

Schools are an interesting thought. They will probably come at some point, but for the moment, they're far off.

To Kill or Not-To-Kill Kakarot may be the overall question of this fic, haha xD. Narratively, the story is still out on that question.

Interesting point about the ki-nullification handcuffs… I may have introduced a plot element that I don't necessarily want there.

Yeah, I was surprised there's never been a fight between a Super Saiyan and an Oozaru before in any of the fics I've read! You would think its depiction in DBM would have inspired some people to write it.

As for your questions:

1) Good question! I can think of a few reasons First, I would say Master Roshi didn't expect to permanently die as abruptly as he did against King Piccolo, so there was no reason to rush to teaching what I think is his *trump* ability. He had lived for a few centuries by that point, and probably expected to keep rolling on for a few more. Second, he would have probably preferred his students go out into the world and come up with some crazy good techniques rather than teach them move-by-move how to be a balanced and experienced fighter. In addition to being good students, I think martial artists must also be competent autodidacts or self-teachers, and I think Roshi would have thought the same. Lastly, I think Roshi considered the bulk-up technique to be *ultimate* ability, and like any self-respecting martial artist, might have been wary of teaching it to others.

Alternatively, I think you can make the case that he should have taught the technique (which would reflect his concern about Kakarot). Though, by the time the 22nd WMAT came around, Roshi had somewhat realized Kakarot wasn't as much of a threat as he first appeared.

However; just because Roshi didn't teach the technique doesn't mean it's not going to pop up and inspire someone later on.

2) Your question on Wheelo is interesting. Perhaps I will answer it in the coming chapters xP

As for Dr. Frappe, I'm going to be honest with you; I wrote most of the DB part of this story without having watched or read the original series. I knew most of the big details, but had to double-check small things like the actual arcs before the 21st WMAT.

This is a long-winded way of saying that I wasn't aware of Dr. Frappe's existence until writing this review. So, uh, he probably won't exist in this fic. lol

3) Probably! Tien and Yamcha dabbled in telepathy on the way to Namek, so they have experience and could possibly lead that organizing push. IMO, the overall group isn't coordinated enough at the moment to put that in place, but there's no reason to think that won't change in the future.

4) I came up with Rayne's name at a time where I didn't know Toriyama's thematic naming extended past Saiyans and Arcosians. If I started writing this fic today, I would probably call her something else.

5) Intuitively, I would agree with the direction of your comment. Namekian regeneration seems more limited by ki than ability, and it's possible that Piccolo could devise some super-regenerative abilities that would rival Cell (IMO, I could see him regenerating from a head if the conditions were right) with the important caveat that his regeneration requires conscious effort, unlike Cell's. Thus, his ability to regenerate would depend on whether he could stay conscious, concentrate through pain, etc.

Interesting theory! I think the text offers evidence against it, though. Your comment about Traveler "not knowing basic things" is extremely interesting to me, though...

the1andonlyLucian: Thank you for your review! A mesa is a flat, elevated hill, basically. I probably ran out of desert geography words in that battle xD

As for Traveler stopping Turles, it was probably a combination of him losing himself a little in the Super Saiyan transformation, and him wanting to intimidate/beat the Saiyans all at once.

As for your review for Chapter 72… are masks and costumes part of shapeshifting for Puar and Oolong? I'm a little confused. Puar imitated Frieza in his final form so she shouldn't have needed any armor or accompanying props.