Crono's Story

Chapter 9

	I thought I'd known the meaning of challenge, but after six months of 
training under Master Roshi, I considered re-writing it's definition in the 
dictionary.
	To start it off, was the morning.  Waking up at 4:30 a.m. every single 
morning, the sun not even rising on the horizon, no birds or blue sky to 
great you when you wake up.
To start every day, I would put on my training clothes, strap on my shell, 
and then go downstairs to begin training.  Every training day began the 
same, the three main exercises that he'd made me do when I started training 
under him, only done several times over.  Every week I trained under him, he 
added 100 more push ups and squats, and 200 sit-ups to my wake-up routine.  
At the end of six months, I was up to 3000 push-ups/squats and twice as many 
sit-ups every single morning.  That was just getting started though.  After 
breakfast, which was immediately after the morning "stretch", I went outside 
and practiced the most basic punches, kicks, and blocks over and over again 
for two hours.  I went full speed of course, not stopping for anything, even 
exhaustion, which was usually settling in right about then.
	By the time that was over, my entire body felt ready to give in, I couldn't 
feel my muscles or my bones anymore.  Luckily I had a small rest period (1 
minute) followed by practicing my ki attacks.  Even though I knew I'd almost 
reached my maximum potential under Master Roshi, he still hadn't taught me 
the Kamehameha, so I couldn't practice it during that hour-long period.  
He'd taught me some very handy techniques though, such as Bukujutsu, the 
ability to fly by using my ki energy (I hadn't been able to master my mind 
like that before), and Zanzoken, or the "blur" affect.  Basically it allowed 
me to blur out of view and re-appear a small distance away, in a blink of an 
eye.  This one I'd tried to perfect the most, as I knew speed was my 
greatest ally.  He'd also taught me how to control all my other various 
attacks far better than before, and I was sincerely grateful.
	After my ki attacks, I stretched my entire body.  I was far more flexible 
than before I came under his tutelage.  I could do the splits easily, and I 
could twist my torso and other appendages into forms I never knew I could 
before.  After an hour of stretching, I worked out, doing two sets in a 
weight room in the basement of the Turtle-house.  I asked Roshi once why he 
didn't want me to use the gym more often, he said his training methods were 
engineered more towards speed than strength.  I agreed, but I felt like I 
was seriously lacking strength now, if I came up against Triono now, he'd 
probably be twice as strong as me.
	Anyways, after that it was time for dinner.  I commented once on why we 
didn't have lunch, he said that we didn't need it, and I couldn't agree 
more.  I was never hungry, in-fact, I was full more often than not, Roshi's 
cooking was amazing, and he often cooked enough to feed a small country.  Of 
course there were no small countries here, just cities with anywhere between 
10,000 and 2 million people living in them.
	After supper was a small nap, about half an hour.  He woke me up at 1:30 
every afternoon and then we meditated.  This was the biggest challenge for 
me, I could deal with all the physical stress, but trying to get me to 
concentrate on becoming one with the surrounding life was near impossible 
for me.  I didn't know if there was something wrong with me or no, but I was 
determined to try and do it, if only to make Master Roshi happy.
	After an hour and a half of meditation, he taught me new things for an 
hour.  Sometimes this consisted of something as simple as corrected my 
posture on a punch, to something as big as a new technique.  This was the 
hour I paid the most attention to, and the only one in which he really 
interacted with me in any big way.
	After this was close combat training time.  He must've taught me eighty 
ways to break almost every bone in someone's body by the time I was done 
training under him.  We did that for an hour, and then at 5:00 I was on my 
own.  Three hours each day I had all to myself.  True enough I spent most of 
it training anyways, but occasionally I took Nimbus to the city and bought 
some food or supplies for the house.
	At 8:00 it was time to go to sleep, and then the next day start it all over 
again.  For six months I'd gone on like that, day after excruciating day, 
every day learning something new about my limits, and each time I felt I 
couldn't push on any longer, I did.  The results were showing though, that 
much was sure, I felt a lot more powerful than ever before, and one day I 
purchased a scouter (seems Capsule Corp. had begun mass producing the 
things) and checked my power level in a mirror.  It said 710 in the 
read-out, but I felt that was a bit low, half a year and I'd only doubled my 
strength plus change?  That didn't sound right, but I figured I must've been 
suppressing my true power.
	No matter, I was a lot more confident, but I still wondered if Roshi was 
ever going to even try to teach me the Kamehameha.  Every night while he was 
inside watching TV, I practiced it.  It was by far my most powerful move, 
but I still wasn't up there with the rest of my newfound Z Warrior 
team-mates, all of which I still had to meet.  I was growing anxious that 
they were only getting stronger and I wasn't progressing as fast as the rest 
of them by training under Master Roshi.
	I was just considering telling Master Roshi that I was grateful for his 
training, but was ready to move on one day, when he turned to me after we 
finished meditating and said "Do you think you are ready to learn it?"
	I was shocked and taken aback by the question, I racked my brain to come up 
with what he meant, but for some reason the answer eluded me and I didn't 
reply.  He continued on instead "Well? The Kamehameha is a powerful 
manuever, do you think your ready?"
	I just nodded, I was un-able to speak, it was like my throat had seized up. 
  "All right then."  He said, rising from the ground as I did the same 
"Let's go."
	He walked slowly past me, and then went on into the house.  I followed, 
walking slowly, my shell bounced slightly on my back, so I loosened and then 
tightened the straps.
	We walked for what seemed like an eternity, downstairs, to the gym room.  I 
helped him clear some room so we could have ample space for the teaching of 
the move.  When we were done that, he turned to me and told me to stand 
across from him.
	We stood at least 10 metres away from each other, both pairs of eyes 
fixated on the other, for a good ten seconds before he broke the tension.  
"Fire away."  Was all he said.
	I stood dumb-founded, not knowing what he meant, and then suddenly I 
realized he wanted me to shoot my Kamehameha at him.  "You sure?"  I asked, 
I knew I was way more powerful than Master Roshi, and if it came down to a 
match of strength, it was no contest.
	"Show me what you got."  He said as he proceeded to fall back into his 
Kamehameha pose.  I was still considering whether to do it or not, when he 
suddenly gave me no choice.  "Ka----" he said, as a small ball of yellow 
energy began forming in his cupped hands "me---" he continued.
	I guess I didn't have an option not to.  "Ka---" I said, and also brought 
my hands to my hips, preparing the attack.  "me----"  I continued.
	"hame-----" Roshi bellowed, his aura becoming more and more powerful.
	"hame-----" I echoed, not knowing if he was going to go through with it or 
not.  We both powered up our Kamehameha's to their full extent (which took a 
few seconds) and then in unison we both screamed out "HA!!!!"
	I whipped out my palms, and shoved the built up river of ki energy from 
them.  The blue stream of energy met Master Roshi's yellow beam in the 
center of the room.  The force was amazing, weights began flying around, and 
the previously dim room was now ablaze with colour and light.
	At first I didn't use my full strength, as I was afraid of injuring my 
mentor.  Soon though I was the one fearing for my life.  I pushed with all 
my strength through my beam, but no matter how much effort I pressed into 
it, it just wasn't enough.  I began sweating beads as I realized Roshi's 
beam was over-powering my own, my arms, already tired from a day of 
training, were beginning to give way, and after only 20 seconds of contact, 
Roshi over-powered me.
	I tried dodging the attack at the last second, but it was no use, the 
yellow beam struck me at full force, sending me flying into the wall.  I 
cracked the wooden wall, but didn't break it, my shell had cushioned the 
wall from the blow.  My back howled in agony, and I fell to the ground, my 
whole body felt like it was on fire.  I tried pushing myself up, but my arms 
refused to co-operate, they felt like rubber.
	Suddenly as I was trying to get up, I realised I was smoking; literally, I 
could smell myself, that's how bad it was.  Master Roshi was to me in an 
instant, and with his aid I managed to get up.  "How.."  I began, pausing to 
take a deep breath "how, did … you do that?"
	He studied me for a second, and then said, "That, is the true power of the 
Kamehameha."
	I must've given him a weird look because he never laughed so hard when I 
was around afterwards.  "What do you mean?"  I asked.
	He took a deep breath, and I knew I was in for a long explanation.  "The 
only thing that separated Goku from any of his partners when he trained 
under me," He began "and later separated him from Vegeta, was his 
Kamehameha.  He and I are the only ones who reach the full power of the 
Kamehameha."
	"How?" I asked, my head wild with ideas.
	Master Roshi just tapped his bald head, and said "It's the mind-set of the 
user.  They must be at peace with all things around them but most 
importantly with themselves, for it is their own power than fuels the fire 
of the Kamehameha."
	With that, Master Roshi walked off, not caring to elaborate any more I 
guess. So there was something else to the Kamehameha, a connection to 
nature, and oneself that only two people had ever truly mastered. This, was 
going to be a challenge indeed.


Crono's Story

Chapter 10

	If I was forced to choose one, very adequate, word to describe snake way it 
would be this: Long.  I'd been running non-stop for seven months now, and it 
seemed like there was no end to the gray, scaly road.  I'd long since grown 
sick of the yellow clouds, the red and pink sky, and the same monotonous 
patterns in the road.
	I'd made a sort of game, seeing which pattern (a pattern typically 
stretched over a mile) repeated itself the most through the course of the 
path.  There was the twist (just a curve that bent this way then that over 
and over), there was the loop (a literal loop, which I had to fly through), 
there was the valley (a series of hills and dips that often bent 100 metres 
in either direction), and there was the straight (what do you think that 
was?).
	Before I'd left for King Kai's, King Yemma had taught me how to fly, and 
given me supplies to take on my long journey.  He even gave me two pieces of 
his special fruit, which was supposed to keep me full for three months, I'd 
tested it, and sure enough, six months after eating both pieces, I started 
to get hungry.  I'd finished all the other food he'd packed with me soon 
after, and I hadn't had a meal in nearly two days.
	Still I ran for all I was worth, I don't know what fuelled me, but whatever 
it was wouldn't let my legs stop moving.  I'd stopped discerning between day 
and night long ago, as I was far too deprived of sleep to care.
	There was one thing I did recognize as I was running though, the end.  It 
came to me like I was in a dream, white and fuzzy out-line and all.  I came 
up to it, still running full speed, and then about five metres before the 
very end, I slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt (literally).
	I stood there, not knowing what to make of the dead end.  I stared at the 
plank like tail end of the path, stared out along the horizon, stared down 
into hell, and still found nothing.  For several minutes, my numb mind 
didn't quite figure out there was nothing there, then it hit me.
	I screamed in rage, I didn't have time for this, it'd taken me over half a 
year to reach the damn place, I'd gone through puberty on this damn path, 
and I didn't want to freaking come back empty-handed.  I had to remind 
myself; that was if I was coming back.  Until I proved myself to Kami, he 
wouldn't let them wish me back with the dragon balls.
	I wasn't worried though; if I trained hard enough I'm sure they'd wish me 
back.  And despite what Cris thought, I did train.  If he only knew how many 
hours I'd spent in the loneliness of my apartment, trying to block out the 
hurt.  The taunting, the loneliness, the suffering, everything that was 
associated with being me, I'd devoted entire days to trying to cut it off.  
I hadn't been training like Cris, but I hadn't been training, it was during 
those long hours of meditation that I developed the Tasaranko and Renzoku, 
moves which were more powerful than most of Cris' repertoire.  No doubt Cris 
was slaving away, dumping his guts out every day, just to prepare for the 
Caprians.
	As much as I hated training, for the time I was stuck on that damned tail, 
I wanted to take my frustration out on something, anything.  Luckily before 
I exploded and ripped the damned trail apart, I spotted the planet.  It was 
small, green, with what seemed like a road running across one of the axis.  
I figured that must be where King Kai was.
	It looked like it was a good 200 metres away, and at a diagonal angle to 
the edge of the tail, reaching it wouldn't be a problem though.  I crouched, 
tried to give my energy to my already tired legs, and then shot up from the 
gray tail.
	Reaching the planet was no problem, landing softly on it was.  I came 
crashing down onto the surface at a suicidal speed.  Whatever yanked me to 
the ground was far too powerful for me to over-power.  I crashed into the 
ground face-first, almost for sure breaking my nose and rattling my insides 
as well.  Even as I lied on the ground, I still couldn't get up.
	Then I realized there was nothing holding me down except the planet's own 
gravity.  Try as I might, I couldn't get up from the grass, the gravity was 
just too intense.  I did manage to move my hands so that they were at my 
sides, ready for me to try and push myself up.  I realized it would take all 
my strength for it to work, so I took a deep relaxing breath, tried to 
ignore the immense weight crushing me, and then with one gigantic heave, 
pushed.
	It took me five seconds and a hell of a lot of energy, but I managed to 
finally get to a position where I could place my arms under me and let my 
weight rest on them, so I was in a position like the apex of a push-up.  
Next I brought my leg from behind me and set it down under my sternum, 
allowing the bulk of my torso to balance on it.  Finally I used that leg to 
push up to where I could stand.
	I didn't so much achieve a stand as I did a strange squat.  The weight on 
my body was enormous, but I managed to assume a sort of hunched over, legs 
spread position.  Every muscle in my body was forced into action just to 
stand.  I began to see the logic in this, if this was King Kai's training 
center, he'd make you super strong if you adapted to this gravity.
	I looked up and began searching for the legendary master of martial arts.  
I didn't have to search very long; I managed to spot a small black form off 
to my left.  My first instinct was of course to move towards him, but the 
gravity had something to say about that.  I tried and tried, but the most I 
could get before tiring out was shifting my body to the form's direction.  
No sooner did I do that then the form moved off to my right.  I was about to 
turn again, but I then realized my stupidity.
	I took a deep breath and then yelled "Hey!!"
	The figure stopped in his tracks, objective met.  He looked around, and I 
saw that it wasn't black after all; he just had a black robe on over an 
enormous body.  I saw only part of his face, but what I did see bore a 
strong resemblance to that of a fish.  It was blue, with two large black 
antennae sticking out from the top of his head, along with blue whisker like 
tentacles emitting from his face.  I wasn't quite sure if that was King Kai, 
the legendary martial arts master, or one of his students, or possibly some 
sort of dummy.
	No matter he'd heard me, and I intended to keep his attention.  "Hey," I 
screamed at the top of my lungs "over here!"
	He heard me more clearly this time, and I managed to drudge forward two 
steps, before needing to suck in more air.  He slowly and calmly began 
walking towards me, the gravity seemed to have no effect on him; he was 
moving effortlessly.
	In a few seconds he'd crossed the small horizon and was right in front of 
me.  "Are you King Kai?"  I asked through gasping breaths.
He just nodded in affirmation, and I wasted no time.  "I'm here to receive 
martial arts training from you sir."  I wouldn't usually show so much 
respect to an old guy like him, but if what King Yemma told me was true, he 
was amazingly powerful.
	He looked me up and down, walked around my struggling body, examining me 
thoroughly.  I felt like I was under a microscope, and with those 
sunglasses, I could see Kai looking like a scientist.
After he'd made a complete circle, he stared me straight in the face, and 
asked "Are you sure you're ready Triono?"
	I wasn't surprised he knew my name, King Yemma told me King Kai knew almost 
everything, which I found a little hard to believe.  "Yes, I have to be."
	He raised his eyebrow, and studied me again with newfound interest.  "The 
situation is that dire?"
	From what I'd pulled from Krillin's mind, it was.  "Yes, I have to get a 
lot stronger, in just two and a half years.  And since I'm dead, I heard 
you're the best trainer in this dimension."
	A big grin spread across his face, and he nodded slightly.  "Well, I could 
train you..."  He placed all the emphasis on could, meaning he didn't have 
to.  I gave him the fiercest look I could under the circumstances, and he 
just continued on "but before I do..." God could he make this any more 
prolonged?  "You have to pass one simple test."
	I stared at him wide-eyed, fearing he was going to make me fight him or 
something, I could hardly move under this gravity; I was in no shape to 
fight him.  Luckily he passed grace on me this time.  "Try and make me 
laugh."  He said with a grin the size of Kansas on his face.
	Seemed simple enough, it'd be easier than beating Cris... right?  I racked 
my brain, but at that present time my joke section was clocking zero.  I had 
nothing, nada.  I panicked, I'd never had time for jokes on Earth, in fact I 
never had anyone to tell me any.
King Kai looked at me through those sunglasses and I realized I was sweating 
heavily.  I then made a conscious effort to calm my breath, clear my mind, 
and let the joke come to me.  After what seemed like an eternity one popped 
in my head.
	"Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?"  It was corny, but I was coming 
up empty.  He didn't respond so I continued, "He didn't have the guts!"  I 
could've sworn there was drum-roll to a symbol smash somewhere in the 
background.   At first there was nothing, but then a slight rocking of the 
shoulders, then King Kai turned around so I couldn't see his face.  I 
thought I heard him giggling though, so I kept at it.
	"Why is six afraid of seven?"  He turned and gave me another huge grin, I 
was almost there "'cause seven eight nine."
He brought his hands up to his mouth to prevent me from finishing him off, 
but I could smell the sweet taste of victory, it was just on my fingertips.  
Now for the finishing blow.  "Two men walked into a bar, and the third" I 
paused for dramatic reasons "he ducked!"  I threw as much emphasis as I 
could onto the last part.
	Sure enough, King Kai just couldn't hold it in any more; he exploded in 
laughter, better than a Molotov cocktail.  He fell literally tipped over; I 
didn't think it was that funny, but just because of the absurdity of the 
situation, I smiled slightly.
	I let him laugh for a few minutes before he finally collected himself.  He 
was gasping for air and still giggling slightly when he finally talked to me 
again.  "Ok, I guess I can train you."
	I nodded, and then asked, "So what do I do first?"
	He smiled broadly, and then replied by yelling out "Bubbles!!"  I looked 
around, not knowing if he meant a person or a bubble.  It was neither; 
instead a small, brown, furry monkey trotted up to King Kai, staring 
intently with hollow, one-dotted eyes.
	I stared back, fixated on the monkey for some un-known reason.  King Kai 
broke my concentration however, stating, "Your first job is to catch 
bubbles."
	I wasn't sure I heard him right, so I asked.  "Catch him?"
	King Kai nodded, and then it hit me.  Under this gravity, if I could run as 
fast as a monkey, then when I left the gravity, I'd be a hell of a lot 
faster.  I nodded in reply and then began my first attempt.  I was barely 
able to step towards Bubbles before he squirted away, hiding behind King 
Kai.
	Something struck Kai as funny, and he started laughing hysterically.  I 
didn't get it, so I remained focused on Bubbles. I managed to step around 
King Kai and make a grab at the ape, but he shot away again, this time 
walking to a tree off in the distance.  I set after him, barely managing a 
step a second.  I got to the tree, but then he shot off to the other side.  
"Bubbles you damn fur-lump, get back here!"  Of course he didn't obey, and I 
was forced to chase him again.
	For some reason Cris popped into my head at that specific time.  I thought 
that he'd probably have no trouble catching bubbles, strong as he was 
physically.  I highly doubted I'd have time to meditate much training under 
King Kai, but I told myself to make a distinct effort to at least try.
	With that mental note made, I trudged towards Bubbles yet again.