--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---
Chapter C06 - Sillyworld
Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.
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-Freedom's just a word today-
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would officially like to welcome you to the commencement of the Twenty-Fifth Tenkaichi Budokai!" The blonde-haired announcer shouted cheerfully, "We've got a terrific line-up of fighters assembled, all here to battle it out for your enjoyment, and if the Junior Division is any judge of what's to come, we are in for a fantastic ride! While we wait for the drawing to be completed, I'll give you a sneak peak of what's to come."
-Freedom's just a word-
"Among our fighters today, we have eight former Tenkaichi entrants, including two former champions, two former finalists, and two former semi-finalists. To top it all off, we have the previous Junior Champion, our very own Videl Satan! And rounding off the spread we have seven newcomers to the tournament stage, each looking strong enough to give the champ himself a run for his money! This will be one for the history books folks, don't miss a minute of it!"
-When someone takes your word away it's seldom ever heard-
"So, care to make a wager on the outcome of this little competition?" Cherri asked the assembled friends, the beginning of a smirk on her face.
"What are the stakes?" Kellre asked; nothing made a sporting event more interesting than having money riding on the outcome. His interest seemed to be shared by quite a few people there.
Putting a hand to her chin in thought, she replied, "Let's say... ten thousand zenni?" When the others nodded their approval to the wager, she continued, "And everyone bets on who they think will walk away with the title. Only one bet per person, and, if possible, only one bet per entrant, but, in the event two people bet on the same person and that person wins, they split the pot."
"Sounds reasonable enough," Yamcha nodded.
Nodding herself, she concluded, "If we're gonna do this, we should do it now, before the drawing's done, to prevent people being influenced by it. I'll hold onto the money, 'coz I'm the least biased here."
-So take a sentence full of things you're not supposed to say-
"Alright then, I'm in," Bulma commented, producing her purse and pulling out the money, "I wager Vegeta's training has finally made him the strongest, and he comes out on top."
"Oh please," Chichi muttered, producing money of her own and handing it to Cherri, "My Goku clearly still has the edge. He's sure to win this competition."
"Well, count me in," Yamcha supplied, producing his money, "I'm willing to put my hand up and say Krillin lucks his way through the competition."
"You're dreaming," Roshi replied, "Piccolo's gonna mop the floor with him."
"Care to put your money where your mouth is old man?" Yamcha asked smarmily.
With a toothy grin, Roshi dug up the money, "You're on!"
-Carry on, but don't write it down-
"I wanna bet on my mommy!" Marron piped up, surprising everyone.
"But sweetie, where are you going to get the money?" Cherri asked softly.
Seeing the young blonde's sad face, Ox King let out a deep belly laugh, saying, "I'll cover her."
-Or you'll be gone-
"Well, I'm betting on Videl sneaking her way past the rest of the powerhouses to take the title," Kat commented, producing her money.
Avarrdo pulled out a wad of cash, saying dryly, "Kaen," as he handed the money over.
"And what are you basing that on?" Truniz asked with a smirk.
Avarrdo smirked back, "Family loyalty."
Truniz just grinned wider, "I'm down with that. Put me down on my favourite niece."
"And you Kellre?" Cherri asked, sure the third of the trio of 'wise men' would jump at the chance.
Kellre just smirked in kind, "I'm wagering that they both knock each other out of the competition, and Gohan takes the title."
-Love is just a song today-
"Thanks you for your patience, and congratulations to you fifteen fighters for passing the preliminaries." At the front of the group, a pair of monks stood beside a small table with a box on it, and a whiteboard with sixteen numbered spaces. "I will call your names at random, and then you need to come up here and draw a numbered ball from the box, which will determine your position. As Hercule is busy preparing, he will have whichever number remains after everyone else draws. Does everyone understand?" When no one voiced an argument, he continued, "Alright then, first up is Jewel."
-Love is just a song-
"So, you ready for this?"
Videl smiled confidently at him, "Of course I am Gohan. Are you?" When the teen just smiled back at her, she asked seriously, "Gohan, be honest with me for a moment: who do you think are the biggest threats to you coming away with the title?"
Sighing once, the Demi-Saiyan replied, "The biggest, and probably only, threats are my dad, Vegeta, Kaen, and Pi."
"Why those four?" The girl asked curiously.
-When someone takes the song away you seldom sing along-
Turning to face her, he replied, "Kaen and Pi are a threat because I have no idea just how strong they really are, and he has specifically said that he's using this tournament as an excuse to show off his full power. Vegeta and my dad are a threat because I know exactly how strong they are; or rather, how strong they would be now, with all the training they've no doubt done." With more thought, he added, "The next biggest threat is definitely Piccolo. He's got more than enough experience to make up for his lack of strength."
"My dad didn't even make the top five huh..." Videl muttered sourly under her breath, not intending for Gohan to hear it; of course, with his sharper-than-average hearing, he heard every word.
-So take those lyrics serious and sing your life away-
Putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him, he commented, "Look, I'm not going to lie to you Videl; no, your father is not a threat. To a normal fighter, yes, he would be hard to beat, but to people like myself who can use ki... Heck, even you could defeat him with ease Videl, whether you're willing to believe that or not." Before the girl could question him further, they heard his name being called out, and the moment was over.
-Carry on, but don't write 'em down-
As he approached the board, he noticed that three names were already on the board: some guy names Jewel was number six, Piccolo had wound up as number thirteen, and that Kibito they'd met earlier was number ten. Reaching into the box, he grabbed the first ball he touched, drawing it out to reveal number nine. It would seem he would get to see just how powerful this mysterious Kibito was himself. He tried not to notice the smile on the red-skinned giant of a man as he walked back to Videl's side.
-Or they'll be gone-
"Well, it looks like we have our first match up!" The monk announced excitedly, "Gohan will be fighting Kibito in round five. Now, next up is Videl."
-All we ever do is talk-
"Well, Gohan's got an easy by into the semi-finals," Kat commented casually, seeing the state of the board. Gohan's first match would be up against that Kibito guy they met before, and his second match would be up against either Videl, or some guy named Spopovich, who she remembered Kaen talking about; he was only human, and thus, Videl should easily be able to defeat him. If not, well, Gohan would make short work of him.
-We like to ride but we never walk-
"It looks like Eighteen does as well," Yamcha added, "I mean, she's up against that Mighty Mask fella in the first round, and probably someone else weak the next round."
"And what are you basing this on?" Raene asked, "In case you haven't noticed, Gohan is the only Saiyan fighter who's up on that board so far, so she's got a two-in-three chance of having to fight a Saiyan in the second round."
-We make it so damn easy we get bored-
"Yeah, but in case you haven't been informed on just how strong Eighteen is, only two of those Saiyans are going to be a problem for her," Yamcha shot back, "Don't forget she easily mopped the floor with all of us, Vegeta included, and he was a Super Saiyan."
-Why can't anybody see?-
Raene just smiled cryptically, a look mirrored by her mate, as she commented, "Oh, I wouldn't count Kaen and Pi out just yet. They've still got many tricks up their sleeves."
"What, so you think they might have actually ascended?" Bulma queried, then grinned and added, "Or do you already know they have?"
-What's good for you is good for me-
Still smiling cryptically, Raene replied, "I honestly cannot say just how strong Kaen and Pi are; it has been a decade since I last saw them fight. What I do know, however, is that it's not always the strongest fighters that wins, as I'm sure has been proven many times in the past, am I correct?" The round of nods that went around those assembled proved her point sufficiently enough.
-I can't take your sillyworld-
"Seriously though," Yamcha continued, "Do you reckon they might have ascended? How strong do you think they are?"
Kellre replied for her, "They have always proven themselves to be as strong as they needed to be. If you want to see how strong they 'need to be' now, you'd best wait until they fight."
"You know more than you're letting on," Bulma stated more than asked, casting her gaze across the faces of the Saiyans, hoping she might glean something from their expression; she was mistaken. "You all know more than you're saying."
-I can't take your sillyworld no more-
"I thought you knew by now," Kellre started, a slight smile on his face.
"We know everything there is to know," Raene continued.
"We have seen from the very beginning, to the end of time itself," Avarrdo added.
"And we are doomed to watch everything repeat itself again," April finished.
All was silent for a good minute, before Truniz burst out laughing, and bastardly smirks broke out across all four of their faces. Shaking with mirth, Truniz commented, "Don't mind them. They enjoy doing shit like that to freak people out. I'm honestly surprised they haven't done it before."
"They can't all be 'A' material," April replied with a dismissive shrug.
-Peace is just two fingers now-
Vegeta scowled to himself, arms folded in his trademark fashion as he tapped his foot irritably, waiting for his name to be called, standing halfway between the group containing Kakarott, and Kaen and Pi. Now, Vegeta considered himself above such things as eavesdropping; Vegeta did not eavesdrop, he merely overheard conversations he wasn't supposed to due to his heightened hearing, and being in the right place at the right time. And right now, Vegeta was overhearing a very interesting conversation from the Saiyan couple to his left.
-Peace was just a phase-
"Are you really that worried about them being here?" Pi commented, watching Yamu walk back to stand next to Spopovich, after having drawn number fifteen.
"It's not them I'm worried about," Kaen replied, casting an eye over the pair. Both had changed a lot from the two he raced against a month and a half ago; both were now bald, and looking like they hadn't seen sun for a month, not to mention the bulging veins, and the black 'M' branded into their foreheads. "It's what them being here means."
-When someone put it on a shirt you knew to count the days-
Pi sighed, "Yeah, you're right. It means 'he' is here, doesn't it?"
"And if he's here, we both know what he's trying to do."
"He's trying to revive 'it'." Pi replied grimly
-So take those fingers tape 'em up and shove 'em up your ass and carry on-
After letting this sink in for a while, Pi asked, "So, what do we do about it then?"
"Nothing," Kaen replied. "We do nothing until he makes his move. For his plan to succeed, he's got to reveal it at some point, and I'm not going to tilt my hand until I know what cards are in his."
"And what of the other two?" she asked, subtly indicating Shin and Kibito.
-But don't try it now-
"I have no idea..." Kaen replied truthfully, "I can't even remember why I'm so distrustful of them, I just know them being here doesn't bode well for... well, everyone."
Pi opened her mouth to ask a question, but shut it quickly as Kaen grabbed his head, grunting in pain. Moving quickly to support him, in the event his legs give out from under him, she asked, "Are you okay?"
He shrugged off her concern, replying, "Of course I am, nothing to worry about. Just... Some deja vu deciding to be more painful than usual." She opened her mouth to refute his statement, but before she could get a word out, they heard his name being called out to draw, and she knew her mate well enough to know she'd never be able to bring it up again.
-Cause peace is gone-
Kaen reached into the box, pulling out the ball numbered sixteen, and the monk had to suppress a shiver at the evil grin that broke out on his face as he watched his name being written down under Yamu's. He may have told his mate that they wouldn't act until provoked, but that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun in the mean time.
-All we ever do is talk-
As he walked back to where Pi stood, the monk called out her name, so she calmly walked past him to take her turn at draw. A scowl settled on her face, however, when she drew number one. Suddenly disinterested, she tossed the ball absently at the monk as she walked back to her mate.
-We like to ride but we never walk-
"So, see you in the finals?" Kaen asked rhetorically.
She grinned back at him, "Damn right you will. I expect to face you in the arena, so don't disappoint me."
-We make it so damn easy we get bored-
"You're dreaming, the pair of you," Vegeta sneered, as he walked up to draw a ball of his own, "You're never going to see the finals, except from the sidelines." Reaching into the box, he snatched out a ball, which was revealed to be the number three. Krillin gulped in fear; he was number four, and, by the smirk on Vegeta's face, he was in for a pounding at the Saiyan Prince's hands.
-Why can't anybody see?-
Grinning cheerfully, Goku walked up to draw his ball, spending a little time exchanging polite chit-chat with the monks, before reaching in and pulling out number two. With that ball chosen, there was only one ball left in the box, which would be Hercule's; the returning champ lucked out, getting number five, and being paired up with Jewel, ensuring an easy trip to the quarter-finals.
-What's good for you is bad for me-
"Well, looks like we're up first Pi," Goku cried out in his usual friendly tone.
"Great," Pi muttered to herself sourly, "Just great. I've gotta go up against Goku first off, and, if my some chance I win, I've got to deal with Vegeta."
"Hey, if anyone can do it, it's you," Kaen commented quietly, in an effort to cheer his mate up, "After all, you've been dealing with me these past fifteen years. Surely that's prepared you for anything."
She grinned despite herself, "That's true."
-I can't take your sillyworld-
Ignoring the banter between the two, the awkward flirting between the brat and the Satan girl, and the annoying rambling of Kakarott and the moronic midget, Vegeta cast his eyes over Spopovich and Yamu. To be honest, he didn't see anything even remotely threatening about them; their power level was insulting, at best, to someone as strong as himself. Nonetheless, Kaen was concerned about them; 'No, not them in particular', he corrected himself, 'Someone they have dealings with.'
-I can't take your sillyworld no more-
While Vegeta would never admit this under pain of torture, or even if forced to eat his mate's cooking, he did respect the older-but-younger Saiyan that was his diplomatic attaché, enough such that if he suspected someone might be trouble, Vegeta took it seriously. The fact that Kaen was also, so he claimed, that 'Phoenix' he'd grown up hearing about didn't hurt his case, and today would prove once and for all if Kaen really was Phoenix.
-We fight our instincts-
"Master, we've already found several strong fighters at this tournament," Yamu informed his master through the telepathic link that had been set up between them.
"Excellent!" The high-pitched voice of said master exclaimed in his and Spopovich's heads, "This is promising indeed. Continue to observe them; I only want energy from the strongest one!"
"Of course master."
-We go to extremes-
"Kibito, we need to work out who their target is," Shin commented quietly to his companion.
"Indeed, my lord," Kibito replied back just as quietly, his voice rumbling a little, "But who could it be? None of these seem even a quarter as strong as you or I."
"Don't be too hasty Kibito," Shin rebutted, "I sense... something, about many of them, as if they have more power than we can tell."
"We shall find out soon enough then."
"Indeed we shall."
-We fight our instincts-
"What should we do about the Kai master?" Yamu asked.
"Absolutely nothing!" the voice shrieked, "You will draw no more attention to yourself than you have to. I cannot afford to wait any longer due to your blundering, understand?"
"Yes master," Yamu replied quickly, lest his master become upset with him; when his master got upset, people died.
"Good. Continue your scouting."
-We go to extremes-
"I still don't like this plan, lord." Kibito muttered quietly.
"Neither do I Kibito," Shin replied, "But it's the best plan we have."
"You are right, of course," Kibito said calmly, "We need to find his ship, no matter the cost."
"Indeed," Shin replied gravely, casting an eye over those assembled, before adding sadly, "What is but one life compared to the lives of everyone in the universe, if not existence itself?"
-We fought a lot-
"Okay fighters," the monk announced, "Now that the draw is complete, I would ask you to move to the fighter's lounge to await your match, and good luck to all of you."
"I don't need luck," Vegeta replied with a scowl.
-We fought a lot-
"Well, this is certainly an... interesting drawing," April commented.
"Indeed it is," Kellre replied, "The only thing really stopping either Gohan or Kaen from reaching the finals is each other."
-We fought a lot-
"I do feel a little sorry for Pi though," Chichi lamented, "She's got to face my Goku in the first match, and if, by some miracle, she wins, then she'll be up against Vegeta."
"You know Chichi," Bulma interjected, "I think that might be the ideal situation. I mean, you and I both know what will happen if Goku wins."
-We fought a lot-
No one commented on that, but they didn't have to. Everyone assembled either knew, or had been informed, of Goku and Vegeta's intense rivalry. If those two met in the arena, it would be nothing less than a small scale nuclear war; small if they were lucky, and seriously, how often were they lucky about things like this?
-We fought a lot-
"There's still the chance they'll all eliminate each other though," Yamcha commented, after a moment of silence.
"You know, there's a remarkably good chance that Vegeta and Eighteen will wind up in the semis together," Falcon commented, then watched as every Z-Fighter who'd been present at Eighteen's... 'awakening' seven years ago shuddered; that would almost be as bad as Vegeta fighting Goku.
-We fought a lot-
"In any case, the second half of the board seems a little predetermined, doesn't it?" Kat added.
"I wouldn't rule out Piccolo just yet," Chichi replied; Piccolo and her had reached a sort of middle ground several years back. "He does, after all, have a lot more experience, and probably strength." Chichi, clearly, didn't think much of Kaen's fighting ability.
-We fought a lot-
"I wouldn't rule Kaen out either," Avarrdo argued, "He's more tenacious than one would think."
"Plus," Kellre added, "He and Pi drew opposite sides of the board. No doubt they will each strive to meet the other in the finals, by any means necessary."
-We fought a lot-
"Look, as interesting as this dick waving contesting is getting, we could be speculating on who is going to do what for hours," Truniz cut everyone off, standing up to ensure he had their attention, "Hows about we just sit here and wait for the fighting to start, so we can all be put out of the misery the suspense has put us in, m'kay?" When no one argued, Truniz just sat down again, a satisfied look on his face, that only grew as Cherri pressed herself up against his arm, her arms wrapping around his waist.
-We fought a lot-
"You know, you can't really appreciate just how big that crowd is until you see it from this angle..." Gohan murmured to himself, although Videl, still by his side, picked up on it.
"What's the matter Gohan? Scared?" Videl teased.
-We fought a lot-
Gohan sighed, "A little bit, yeah. I mean, this'll be the first time I've ever fought before a crowd." 'Well, a crowd I can see...' he corrected to himself, remembering the cameras at the Cell Games. "What about you?"
"Heck no!" Videl cried, pumping her fist into the air for good measure, "I'm excited! I mean, I've done this before at the Junior Division, so I know what to expect. Plus, I've grown up with media attention, so a large crowd is nothing."
-We fought a lot-
"A little eager huh?" Gohan asked good-naturedly.
She smiled up at him, "A little yeah. I mean, I know I'm good, but... Everone here just seems so much stronger than me... I dunno, it's daunting."
'If only you knew Videl,' Gohan mused to himself, 'If only you knew.'
-We fought a lot-
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being patient while we carried out the draw. And now, without any further ado, let's kick off this contest with a little new guard verses old guard, as we welcome our first two contestants onto the stage, Pi, and Goku!"
-We fought a lot!-
To be continued...
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Author's notes:
Bit of a late update this week, but, better late that never. The tournament is finally under way, after six chapters; admittedly, longer than I thought it'd take. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not completely happy with the line-up, but there were some matches that just had to take place, so, sacrificees had to be made. I'll probably explain my choices as the tournament continues.
Also, if you've been paying attention to the past series or two, the not-so-subtle hints my original characters dropped should be fairly obvious.
This is one of the few chapters I've written to the song, rather than adding the song to after, because I already had a story-to-lyric pairing in mind during planning. I think it turned out a little better than it could have otherwise, but I'll leave it up to you guys to be the judge.