Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Royal Namekian Blues ❯ Hyperbolic Time Chamber ( Chapter 67 )

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z belongs to Toei Animation Co. Ltd., Viz, and was created by Toriyama. I do not own the anime or the manga. I own the fancharacters Stellari, Fermi and Bohr. I make no money writing this fanfiction and am only borrowing the characters for a while.

Royal Namekian Blues

Father and Son

Trynia Merin

 

 

"I wonder how they'll get along," Goku mumbled. He motioned quickly for his brother and biological father to grab his shoulders. Bardock grunted and rested his hand on the same shoulder Raditz did. The lower class guard steeled himself for the nausea of Instant Transmission. So far all the times Goku snatched him in this manner he had all but hurled the contents of his stomach.

 

Yet again Bardock turned a shade of green lighter then his armor. Heavily he leaned on Goku's sturdy shoulder. Through the corner of one eye he glimpsed blue skies and white tiles spreading in all directions under his boots. "Are you all right?" Goku asked him with concern.

 

"Fine, I don't need help," Bardock answered sharply. Goku winced at the arm pushing him away.

 

"Father, he doesn't understand yet," Raditz whispered to his father in Saiyan.

 

"Hey, anything you can say in that language you can say in mine," Goku interrupted. Both father and son glanced guiltily at a frustrated Goku. Obviously the tension of the past two days had curtailed their tempers. While Raditz normally had a shorter fuse then Bardock, Goku's patience approached the infinite. Except in circumstances of near life and death for his loved ones Bardock noted.

 

"Boy you've got to have thicker skin. You may be the strongest Warrior among us, but you need to let things slide more," Bardock told Goku.

 

"Look, I understand, but I'm getting tired of being treated like I'm stupid," said he, biting his lip.

 

"Kakkarot, you're NOT stupid, but you don't know Saiyan…"

 

"That's just IT!" Goku snapped, furrowing his brow so his expression mirrored Bardock's default one. "I don't care about this Saiyan whatever it is culture, you keep FORGETTING I'm an earthling!"

 

"Father, he's right," Raditz said as Bardock rolled his eyes and shook his head. "don't mock him."

 

"I'm not I just… look, kid, I can't just change and accept your… alien values so easily. I was fighting for years in one culture that you hardly know or remember. How can you expect me to 'change' just like that?" Bardock snapped his fingers for emphasis.

 

"Excuse me, are you here for the Hyperbolic Time chamber?" a young voice interrupted. Bardock whirled to see a young Namekian wearing long stately robes. In his right hand he gripped a staff twice his height with a crutch shaped top, his symbol of Guardianship over Earth. Symbols unfamiliar to Bardock spelled out 'Kami'.

 

"Oh hi Dende! Bardock and Raditz are both here for training. Guys this is Dende, the Guardian of the Earth," he said, extending an arm in Dende's direction.

 

Bardock crouched on one knee and saluted with one hand extended and the other across his breast. Raditz did the same. Amused, Dende inclined his small head tipped with curved antenna. Goku released his latent hostility in the presence of Earth's Guardian. Always in Kami's presence he calmed easily, and he was glad to see the new replacement had the same aura of pervasive peace. Bardock felt twitchy in proximity to the youth, while Raditz felt nothing but a calm emptiness devoid of worry.

 

Expecting a boot to rest on his shoulder, Bardock continued in his respective crouch. Raditz already rose to his feet to see an amused Goku scratching his head. "Um… you can get up, Father," said Goku quietly.

 

"I know what he expects," Dende said, striding up and resting his small hand on Bardock's shoulder.

 

"A Namek, huh," Bardock said as he raised his head. "Figures. They always did end up in high places."

 

"You mean to tell me you know about Namek?" Goku's voice rose in pitch.

 

"I know a lot of things, Kakkarot," said Bardock. He rose to his feet and stood up with ramrod posture like the proud warrior he was.

 

"It's just weird cause Raditz here didn't know about the namekian balls and you did. That's just strange," Goku scratched the back of his neck. Details that ordinary people overlooked puzzled the warrior often giving him deeper insight because he took things at face value so often. Bardock noticed this and was momentarily surprised at Goku's power of observation.

 

"That's because my first position before… purging was on a scouting team. Someone had to survey the planets that bastard Freiza wanted cleared," Bardock said, looking at Dende with guilt. He couldn't meet the eyes of the young guardian saying such words.

 

Although the ugly truth hung on Bardock's conscience, Dende gave him a warm smile. "That's the past, Bardock. I know you saw thing differently but your heart's changed since then. But since you need to train, I'll have Mr. Popo show you…"

 

A dark skinned figure looked out from beneath his turban. Motioning to Bardock and Raditz he said, "This way gentlemen. Follow me. Remember only two of you can enter the chamber at once, and only stay for a maximum of two days on the outside."

 

"Who's that?" Bardock whispered to Raditz. Mr. Popo stood statue still with his hands folded behind his back patiently. He seemed to anticipate that good-byes were about to be said.

 

"Dende's assistant," said Raditz, in Goku's language, not in Saiyan as Bardock had asked the question.

 

"Good luck," Goku said with a smile on his face. He held one hand out to Bardock and his brother Raditz. Astonished at Goku's sudden change in demeanor, Bardock rubbed the back of his neck at the place where his hair sprouted into a V into the forest of spikes.

 

"It's a handshake, Father," said Raditz in a whisper. Bardock reached out to clasp Goku's offered hand, and almost flinched when his son slugged him on the back.

 

"Look, Kakkarot… you take care of your family. I want to see my grandchildren alive when I come out," said Bardock.

 

"You can count on it. Raditz, don't be TOO hard on him in there. Show him everything I showed you, okay?" Goku nodded. Walking over to his brother he wrapped him in a hug. Raditz embraced him as well, giving him that awkward back pat that he saw so many men on this planet do when in a similar position. Then Goku vanished with a touch of his two fingers to his forehead and an inward rush of air. To Bardock watching him vanish it looked like static crackling on a screen turning off.

 

Bardock and Raditz followed the turbaned assistant through a maze of tunnels once they passed through the arch of the palace at the far end of the tiled surface. Feeling the thinness of the atmosphere Bardock realized they must be miles above Earth's surface. Also his body felt a slight decrease in the gravity while they walked along. All his senses told him that they were slowly approaching a point of uncertainty that rolled over his mind in waves. That inner eye blinked wide open, flooding Bardock with a parade of images. Mr. Popo stopped immediately, while Bardock pressed both hands to his head. Raditz extended a hand to help his father as he groaned.

 

"Not now," Bardock gasped. Knees turned to water, giving out on the old warrior. He would have crashed headlong into the floor had Raditz not propped him up against his armored figure. At this point Bardock's so called 'Saiyan pride' cared nothing about keeping up appearances, so he accepted Raditz assistance. Their gauntlet arms locked just inches between their bodies. In and out Bardock breathed deeply, his armored chest rising and falling significantly. Sweat poured down his tanned forehead matting his spiked hair and making it stick.

 

"Relax and breathe easily, Mr. Bardock," Mr. Popo urged. "You need to focus your inner vision. Are you a time sensitive."

 

"A what?" Bardock groaned.

 

"Father, he knows about your ability it seems," Raditz said as he steadied a shaky Bardock.

 

"If that's so, then you must be perceiving the waves from the Time Chamber. It will pass if you relax," Mr. Popo said.

 

"I can't control it!" Bardock gritted.

 

"What a shame. Such an ability would be a great asset in battle. All I can suggest to you now is not to fight it but let the visions flow like a steady stream," said Mr. Popo politely. Bardock gasped once more, feeling the sturdy arms of his son Raditz holding onto him. Using him as an anchor in the onslaught of images Bardock willed himself to one place. Soon the images shut off like a dammed river. Relief filled him and he blinked up at his concerned elder son.

 

"Father, easy. He knows what he's talking about it seems," said Raditz.

 

"Whatever, let's just get to this chamber and get started. I'm anxious to train," Bardock wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of one hand.

 

"You're here," said Mr. Popo, pointing to a huge set of double doors immediately behind Bardock. Jolting with shock the warrior spun around. It seemed as if he could see waves lapping and cresting when the doors slowly slid open directed by Mr. Popo's raised hand.

 

"this is it," said Raditz, supporting his father with an arm under his. "It smells… odd…"

 

"It's… not right," Bardock whispered.

 

"Once you're inside and the doors shut your body will adjust. It seems that your psychic powers give you a sidereal perception. Making you time sensitive. I think that you'd be able to see tears and holes in the fabric of time as well as precognitive abilities. You should consider honing them once you emerge," said Mr. Popo.

 

"What do we need to know that Kakkarot hasn't told us?" Raditz asked.

 

"What about food?" asked Bardock, backing away from the open chamber. Beyond the portal white stretched into a blue void, interrupted only by the presence of a structure similar to Kami's palace outside.

 

"All will be provided. Now enter. But know that once I shut these doors you will not emerge for what seems to you an entire year," said Mr. Popo.

 

"Fine let's do it," Bardock grunted. Raditz released him and he squared his shoulders. Now he felt well enough to stand on his own and take his first step into an alien time. Raditz strode after his father who took tentative steps like a bather entering frigid water. Behind them the doors slid shut with an audible clang reverberating into infinity. It seemed like a gong chimed, and then they were peering upwards into a sky filled with shimmering stars undulating.

 

"Let's take stock of provisions," Bardock suggested. Raditz grunted, and the two of them looked around their quarters for the next earth year.