Chapter 23
Naturally, no one had expected Bulma to return with Vegita that night, so there was no one waiting up to greet them when they arrived. But that was just as well. Bulma was in no mood to explain anything tonight anyway, so she and Vegita simply retreated quietly to his quarters and went to bed. Bulma was so upset and emotionally drained that within minutes of lying down, she had already fallen asleep. Vegita didn't really mind this as much as one might expect, though. He had resigned himself to the fact that all earthlings were unnecessarily emotional, and that his woman was no exception. Much as he disliked that fool Yamucha, and as much as he disliked the fact that Bulma held him in such high regard, he was willing to put up with her ridiculous depression about this for as long as it lasted. He knew that she was his, and that regardless of whatever misplaced affection she had for that simpering worm, that wasn't going to change. He figured that that was good enough.
He brushed some of the hair out of Bulma's face and, slowly and gently, brushed the soft skin of her left cheek with his lips, closing his eyes and slightly squeezing her shoulder with his hand. She stirred a little, but she didn't awaken. He gently pulled her body up against his and wrapped his arms possessively around her. He had a feeling that things were probably going to get worse around here before they got better, but since he felt certain that nothing would endanger her devotion to him, he knew it wouldn't concern him all that much.
When Bulma awoke the next morning, Vegita had already gone. Yawning, she got up and dressed in her clothes from yesterday. She frowned as she took a quick look in the mirror before heading outside. She knew today was going to be a long day.
The exclamations of surprise Bulma received from parents when she walked into the kitchen during breakfast were tremendous. But they were nothing in comparison to the surprise she had in store for them. After the hugging and joyous welcome died down a little, Bulma sat down with her parents and began to talk to them about the events of the past week. She first told them about what had happened with the hurricane, just to lighten the mood. Dr. and Mrs. Briefs both laughed at how astonished Vegita had been to find it gone so suddenly, and Dr. Briefs told Bulma that he should have expected nothing less ingenious from her. Bulma then told them about the jellyfish sting, and how Vegita had carried her into the house so that she could treat her envenomed foot. Naturally, her parents were both delighted to hear how kindly Vegita had treated their daughter, and Mrs. Briefs reminded Bulma that she had always thought Vegita was a very nice boy. Bulma laughed a little at that, but she also nodded in agreement.
"Yes," she said with a smile. "Vegita is a nice guy, even though he doesn't really like to show it all the time."
Dr. and Mrs. Briefs grinned at one another, and then they both grinned at Bulma. "It sounds like Vegita's made quite an impression on you," her father said with a sly grin.
"Do you suppose there may be something going on between them that we don't know about?" Mrs. Briefs asked him with a teasing grin at Bulma.
They certainly didn't get the reaction that they'd expected from Bulma. She smiled at them and shook her head. "All these years you two have been teasing me about guys," she said, smiling in amusement. "And for once, you've finally hit the nail on the head."
They gaped at Bulma, thunderstruck, and she folded her arms and rested them on the table. She waited for them to ask the questions she knew were dying to escape.
"J- just what do you mean by that?" Mrs. Briefs asked her. "Is something really going on between you and Vegita, Bulma?"
Bulma nodded. "That's right," she said with a smile. She let her parents sit there and wait for her to continue. They hadn't realized it yet, but Bulma was finally getting them back for all the years of grief and obnoxious teasing they'd given her about her love life. She was going to give them the shock of their lives!
"Oh for heaven's sake, what is it then?" Dr. Briefs exploded impatiently. "You have to give us more detail than that, Bulma!"
Bulma fought back the grin that was threatening to surface. He'd asked for it. "Well, I suppose you could say that Vegita and I are engaged," she said with a casual shrug. "Although in all fairness, I doubt Vegita is familiar with matrimonial concepts, so I can't really use that word to describe us. But for lack of a better explanation, that's what's happened."
At first, Bulma's parents just stared at her, too astonished to speak. Bulma stared politely back at them, secretly relishing the looks of shock on their faces. She had paid them back all right; she'd paid them back with interest!
Finally, Mrs. Briefs found her voice again. "I'm almost certain that Vegita had wanted this," she said slowly, scrutinizing her daughter's innocent, polite expression with the critical eye that only a mother could use. "But are you absolutely sure that this is your wish too, Bulma? You do realize, of course, that you're speaking about him as if you see him as the man you want to live with for the rest of your life, don't you? Is this truly the way you feel?"
Bulma looked her mother dead in the eyes and nodded gravely in reply. "Yes," she said firmly. "That is how I feel. This time there aren't any doubts to make me question myself. I've found him, Mom - the one I know I was meant for. And you were right. I KNOW."
Mrs. Briefs smiled then, and, with her eyes watering a little, she nodded in agreement at Bulma. "Oh Bulma," she said, wiping her eyes dry and getting to her feet. "I can't tell you how happy I am for you, Sweetie!" She gave Bulma a great big hug, and Bulma laughed happily.
"Thanks Mom," she said, hugging her back. "I knew you would be."
"Now wait just a darn minute!" Dr. Briefs interjected. "What makes you so certain anyway? I thought you were afraid of the boy! How could this have happened so suddenly?"
Bulma smiled. "It didn't happen suddenly, Dad," she said, sitting back down. "It happened gradually - during all the time I've been training with him. I just didn't notice it until a few days ago. But I know for certain that I love him. And I know with just as much certainty that he loves me."
Mrs. Briefs laughed and rested her hands on Bulma's shoulders. "She knows, dear," she said, giving them a squeeze. "She knows her own heart. Our daughter has grown up, you know," she added with a warm smile at him. "All I can say is that it's about time! It's high time she settled down with a nice man and started a family."
Bulma choked a little, and Mrs. Briefs grinned at her husband. He grinned back and immediately took up the baton.
"Well, now that I think about it," he said, rubbing his chin and frowning impressively. "I COULD fancy myself a grandfather…"
"N- now wait a minute!" She stammered at him. "I never said anything about…!" But when she saw the mischievous grins on their faces, she realized that they were doing it again. "You guys are impossible," she grumbled, her face burning. They laughed at her a little, and she scowled at them on principle. But she couldn't help smiling at them anyway. As obnoxious as they were, they were her parents, and she loved them all the more for it.
"Well anyway," she sighed. "Now you know what's going on. I'm just glad you guys took it better than Yamucha did."
Immediately, the air in the room changed dramatically. "He took it pretty hard, did he?" Mrs. Briefs asked her gently.
"Yeah," Bulma replied, lowering her eyes. "I don't think he's ever going to speak to me again. He was terribly hurt about it all. I can't sense him out here, so I know he didn't come back here. I don't know where he's hiding out, but I think he's avoiding me. I can't say that I blame him," she added with a dejected shrug.
Dr. and Mrs. Briefs looked at each other for a brief moment, and then Dr. Briefs nodded in understanding at his wife before quietly getting up and leaving. This was a job for a mother.
"It's such an unfair decision," Bulma sighed, laying her head on her arms and forcing a smile. "To have to choose between your best friend and the man you love. But Yamucha didn't give me any other choice. And now, the rest is entirely up to him. Regardless of what I say, the fate of our friendship is going to depend on what he decides to do about it. God, Mom!" She cried, shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth. "Why does love have to be so unfair? Vegita and I found each other, but where has that left Yamucha? I can't stand having to do this to him!"
Mrs. Briefs nodded in understanding. "You're right," she agreed. "Love is like life. It isn't fair. There was no way that the situation between you three could have been resolved without hurt feelings, and that's just the way it was. I only hope that you and Vegita truly find happiness together, and I hope that Yamucha can find love and happiness with another someday."
Bulma sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she said, lifting her head and forcing another smile. "He's going to make some girl really happy… if he ever gets over this, that is."
There was an uncomfortable silence then, as both women tried to come up with what to say next. Finally, Bulma opted for changing the subject.
"Er… well anyway," she faltered, straightening herself up rather stiffly. "I also wanted to talk to you about something else," she said, thankfully remembering the conversation she'd had with her mother last night. "What was that all about on the phone last night? Why did you ask me not to use my teleport technique? You really confused me, Mom."
Bulma could tell by the way Mrs. Briefs bit her lip that this was a subject her mother hadn't exactly looked forward to explaining. "Bulma honey," she said, looking up and setting her jaw. "There's something I have to tell you. It's something I had originally intended to tell you when you had a child of your own; that's the custom in my family. But nothing like this has ever resurfaced until now."
"I don't understand," Bulma said. "What are you talking about?"
Mrs. Briefs sighed. "I'm talking about something that happened to an ancestor of ours many generations ago," she said, looking at Bulma and frowning unhappily. "He was a man, and although we've lost his name over the years, we haven't forgotten him, or what happened to him." She sighed again and folded her arms. "I'm going to tell you what my mother told me," she said. "And what her father told her. And I want you to seriously consider what I have to say."
Bulma nodded, but she couldn't completely keep the look of confusion from her face. She was trying to understand what all this might have to do with her teleport technique.
"All right," Mrs. Briefs said gravely. "This is what happened. Many centuries ago, there was a young man who lived in a small village some distance west of here. He was a happy man with a wife and son, and was fairly prosperous too. They say he was extremely intelligent; he was an inventor - just like you and your father - and he created many things that made life in his village easier for everyone. But at some point they say he began saying strange things. They say he had begun to claim that he had uncovered the secrets of time itself, and that soon, he would be able to put his theories into practice. No one knew exactly what he was talking about; not even his family could understand what he meant. And he was so well liked in his community that no one wanted to admit that he might be going a little mad, either. Anyway, he had amassed a small fortune through long years of his work, and he was said to be a very kind friend and a loving father and husband. That's why no one could understand why he would just suddenly disappear."
"Disappear?" Bulma asked curiously.
"Exactly," Mrs. Briefs replied. "One day he was there in the village; the next he was gone. The only people who had any explanation at all for his disappearance were his wife and son. They both claimed that he had come to them the previous evening and told them that he had made an incredible discovery. He said that although he was unable to give them the exact details, he assured them that there was only one course of action for him. He said he had to leave, and that although he was never to be allowed to return, he promised to always watch over them. He then kissed them both, told them not to worry about him and to please take care, and then he simply disappeared before their eyes."
"What? You mean vanished?" Bulma gasped. "As in, without a trace?"
"Not quite," Mrs. Briefs replied. "There was something left behind when he disappeared. It was a book - a large, leather-bound book - and it was lying on the floor right where he had been standing only moments before."
"A book?" Bulma asked. "But why…?"
"No one knows exactly why or how it got there," Mrs. Briefs continued. "That's just another part of the mystery. Although the townspeople didn't exactly believe their story, even they couldn't explain the appearance of the strange book. It was all very odd, but also all very unexplainable. And that's pretty much it," she said, looking at Bulma and shrugging. "That's the legend that's been passed down through my family from the very son of that man. Until a week ago, that's all I thought it was - just a legend. Even though I had the book, I still didn't believe…"
"Wait a minute!" Bulma cried. "You have that book?"
"Yes," Mrs. Briefs replied solemnly. "It's been passed down to the first child of each generation of my line. I was going to give it to you when you and Vegita had your first child. But I guess it won't hurt to bend the rules a little. Just so you know, though," she said with an impish wink. "This is one grandchild you owe me, Bulma. I'll give it to you now, but I do expect payment!"
"Er…" Bulma stammered, looking more than a trifle flustered. "We… that is, Vegita and I… we haven't really considered… I mean, that is, I don't think we…" She looked up at her mother's polite face and sighed angrily. "Oh, for heaven's sake," she grumbled irritably. "Would you stop springing those crazy ideas on me, Mom?"
Mrs. Briefs laughed a little. "All right, Bulma," she said with a smile.
"At any rate," Bulma said, her expression hardening a little. "I understand why you're worried now. This man who disappeared - he never came back, did he?"
"No he didn't," her mother replied.
"So you think that his connection to the knowledge of time had something to do with that," Bulma continued, furrowing her brow. "And that my connection with it might cause the same thing to happen to me."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Mrs. Briefs said, nodding. "Now do you understand why I was so afraid of your using that technique? No one else in our family has ever had the abilities you do, with the possible exception of that man I told you about. And he disappeared."
Bulma nodded. "It's all very curious," she muttered. "I can say one thing," she said, looking up and frowning. "I would like to take a look at that book. Maybe it'll offer us some clues."
Mrs. Briefs smiled. "All right," she said, standing up and beckoning for Bulma to follow. "We'll go dig it out then. But I'm pretty sure it won't do you any good." She led Bulma upstairs to Dr. and Mrs. Briefs' bedroom, and once there, she opened her closet and pulled a flat, wide box down from one of the upper shelves. She and Bulma sat down on the bed, and she opened the box.
"Here is the book," she said, lifting it out of the box and setting down on her lap. It was a large, thick volume with yellowed pages and a dark brown cover. It looked a bit weathered, and it had no unusual markings on it. In fact, it didn't have any markings on it at all.
"Where's the title?" Bulma asked, glancing interestedly at it.
"It doesn't have one," Mrs. Briefs replied. "Nor does it have an author, for as far as we know. We don't even know what's written in it, if anything."
"Well, why not?" Bulma asked her with a bewildered look. "Why don't you just open it and find out?"
"Because I can't open it," her mother replied with a grin. "No one can. At least no one that's tried could. All of us down the years have tried, and so did other members of our families. Your father tried too," she said with a giggle. "He couldn't open it any more than I could, even with all those gadgets of his."
"Did you try cutting it open?" Bulma asked, eying it curiously.
"Everything has been tried to open this thing," Mrs. Briefs replied emphatically. "It's been burned, soaked, pounded, frozen, sawn, chopped, pulled, pried, poked and prodded. You name it, it's been done, and every time the darn thing comes out of it unscathed, without so much as a scratch. It's as if it's protected by some kind of magic."
"Let me see it," Bulma asked, holding out her hands.
"Sure," Mrs. Briefs replied, handing it to her. "But it won't do any good."
As soon as it touched her fingers, Bulma became aware of a powerful energy emanating from this book. She could actually feel it flowing from the book into her fingers, and from them to the rest of her body. It was very strange! She was about to ask her mom if it had done the same thing to her, but she never got the chance.
"Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs cried. "You… the book… Bulma, you're glowing!"
"Huh?" Bulma said. She dropped the book onto her lap and looked at her hands. "You're right!" She exclaimed, looking at her glowing hands in wonder. "Wow! What an incredible sensation!"
"The book!" Her mother gasped. "Bulma, look at it!"
Bulma did as she said, and she gave a little gasp of her own. There on the front cover of the book, writing was appearing - it looked as though an invisible hand was somehow writing fiery gold letters there. After about two minutes, the invisible hand had finally finished, and Bulma and her mother stared in awe at the neat, handwritten words of gold that now appeared in the center of the front cover. Bulma began to read them aloud in a clear, carefully steady voice. These are the words she read:
"O thou who holds this, the book of Time
Heed well the message laid here
For if thy intent be for less than sublime
Thy ambitions shall cost thee most dear.
This book offers strength, wisdom, and unbounded power
To those with the blood of His kin
But be warned; If thou bearest a heart that beats sour
Do not even dare venture in!
To open this book is to open thy soul
And submit it to He who sees all
He is the Judge; and he is the goal
For those who crave gifts at his call.
For he is the seer; the mighty; the just
He is Chronos, the great god of Time
And all who are, were, or shall be is his trust
Be they mortal, or be they divine.
This book is the door to all Time that has gone
And to all Time that has yet to be
If thou wishest still to attempt to press on
In thy blood is this door's needed key."
"My goodness," Mrs. Briefs breathed in awe. "I've never heard of the book doing this before. What could it mean?"
"I think it's a kind of riddle," Bulma muttered, turning the book over and checking to make sure there was nothing written on the other side. "It's telling us what we need to do to meet this Chronos, whoever he is. I can't say that I've heard of him, though."
"Bulma," Mrs. Briefs said quietly. "I think we should put this book away right now. I've got a really bad feeling about this."
Bulma frowned. "I can't help wondering about these gifts that it's talking about," she muttered. "It's saying something about unbounded power and strength. With those things at our disposal, we wouldn't have to worry about the Jinzouningen at all."
"Are you saying you want to be the strongest person alive?" Mrs. Briefs said rather curtly.
Bulma shook her head and smiled. "Nah," she said with a sigh. "I was thinking more along the lines of Vegita or Goku. I want to get stronger all right, but I want to do it through my own efforts. I don't want it given to me. But that wasn't my point anyway," she said, looking down at the book and frowning again. "I'm really worried about what's to come, Mom. How can we know for sure that all our training will be enough to hold them off? And it's not just our lives at stake either. If we've underestimated the strength of the Jinzouningen, then all the people on this planet will be in danger. It's them that I'm thinking about. I don't want others to suffer for my mistakes. If I have a chance at assuring victory, I HAVE to take it."
"But you could disappear forever!" Mrs. Briefs cried. "Wouldn't that be even worse? And besides, what about Vegita? What do you suppose he would say about all this?"
"I know exactly what he'd say," Bulma said grimly. "And that's why he's not going to know anything about this until it's over."
Mrs. Briefs looked imploringly at her. "Please Bulma," she pleaded. "Please just put the book away!"
Bulma smiled kindly at her. "I have to figure this out, Mom," she said firmly. "Somehow, I'm certain that I have to. And for some reason, I'm also certain that I was meant to." She tried to lift open the front cover of the book, but it didn't open. Frowning, she pulled harder, but to no avail. The book just wouldn't open.
Mrs. Briefs just hung her head. What had she done? She should never have shown Bulma the book!
"I guess the key to opening this thing is in the riddle," Bulma muttered, turning it over and rereading the poem. "'In thy blood is this door's needed key,'" she repeated. "In my blood? Does it actually mean my physical blood, or is it referring to something more symbolic?" She thought for a moment and stared at the gold letters for a little longer. "It mentions blood up here too," she said, pointing to the second line. "It says, 'the blood of His kin.' I think they're referring to Chronos again here. Are they saying I'm in some way related to him? If he's really a god, then how can I be his kin?"
"It might explain your ability to stop time," Mrs. Briefs sighed, resigning herself to the inevitable. "Maybe that's got something to do with it." Her daughter was as bullheaded about solving puzzles as her father, and once she'd discovered one, there was usually no tearing her away from it until she had it solved. She might as well help her solve this one and be done with it.
"Of course!" Bulma cried. "That's it! I'm a direct descendant of that man you told me about! Time manipulation! It's in my blood!" She grinned the way she always did when she figured out the answer to a problem. "I know what to do," she said, standing up and carefully setting the book down on the bed.
"Bulma?" Mrs. Briefs said anxiously, rising to her feet too. "Bulma, what are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to stop time," she replied, staring resolutely down at the book. "That's the way to get it open. I'm almost sure of it."
She looked up at her mother, who was beginning to look rather panic-stricken by now. "Don't worry, Mom," she said, smiling reassuringly. "I won't do anything stupid. Wish me luck!" She gave her a thumbs-up, and then she stopped the flow of time.
Now immersed in the blue, still environment of stopped time, Bulma could better see what her mother had seen. She and the book were both glowing brightly. Although now, there was one major difference - the gold letters had disappeared completely from the cover of the book. And what was even more surprising was that now, standing on the bed next to the book, was a man that Bulma had never seen before.
"Gyah!" Bulma shrieked, jumping backward, knocking herself into her mother's dresser and nearly losing her concentration. "What the heck?! Where did you come from?!"
He was a youngish, light-haired man of around the same height as Bulma, dressed in a strange, lightweight blue robe. He gave a merry laugh at Bulma's reaction to him, and for a moment, Bulma could have sworn that his face reminded her of her mother's. She just gaped in amazement as he hopped lightly down off the bed, and gave her a friendly bow.
"I've waited quite a long time to meet you, Bulma," he said jovially. "And you're every bit as lovely as I'd expected!"
Bulma noted a distinct accent to his voice, but she couldn't place it with any languages she'd heard before. It was strange, but not really unpleasant. Still, her own cautious nature prevented her from lowering her guard at all.
"Er… thank you," she said awkwardly, giving him a jerky bow in return. "I must say I'm a bit surprised. I didn't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen right away. I thought I'd have to open the book for that."
The man chuckled good-naturedly at her and nodded. "There are a great many more surprises in store for you, Bulma my dear," he said with a knowing wink. "Although I agree with you; I've been called a lot of things in my time, but certainly never ordinary!"
Bulma gave a nervous laugh. "Yes well, I hope I'm not being rude, but… well… who ARE you?" She asked, sidling away from him a little, and looking warily at him.
"Oh yes, I completely forgot to introduce myself!" He cried, smacking himself in the forehead and shaking his head with a wry chuckle. "Forgive me my dear, but twelve-hundred years in a book tends to make one forget his manners rather terribly. I am Victor Pello, at your service!" He bowed again and beamed jovially at her. "I must confess," he said, straightening up and grinning rather sheepishly. "I know who you are, so I quite forgot that you wouldn't know who I am."
Bulma gave another nervous laugh. Knowing his name didn't really do her all that much good. She still didn't know who he was. "How do you know me?" She asked curiously.
"Well, I would think I could recognize my own descendant," he said, raising his nose indignantly. "After all, I haven't resided in that book with a deaf ear. I hear everything that's within earshot, you know."
"Descendant?!" Bulma cried incredulously. "You mean you're the man my mom told me about? The one who disappeared?"
"The very same," he replied with a vigorous nod. "Although, just for the record, I didn't disappear. I was there in that book the whole time."
Bulma could see now why he had reminded her so much of her mother. "Wow!" She cried. "You've been in that book all along! How did you get there?"
"Chronos sealed me in there," he said with a smile. "I've been with my descendants ever since, and let me tell you, you guys have certainly come a long way since I was among other people. The things you've accomplished!" He looked around the room and whistled impressively. His eyes landed on Mrs. Briefs, and he smiled. "She's your mother, isn't she?" He asked, pointing at her. Bulma nodded. "I can see where you get your fine appearance," he said, rubbing his chin and smiling approvingly at Bulma's mother. "It does run in the family, after all."
Bulma stepped forward a little. "This Chronos," she said, eyeing him curiously. "He really exists?"
"Oh yes," Victor replied, turning back around. "He does indeed. And you're going to get to meet Him!"
Bulma's face paled a little. "The god of Time," she breathed. "This is incredible!"
"I agree completely," Victor replied emphatically. "But try not to feel too overwhelmed. It will all make sense very soon."
Bulma sat down on the bed and looked at the book. "Then He's going to have to judge whether I'm worthy," she said quietly. "That's what the poem said."
"Indeed He is," Victor said gravely. "He does not grant wishes in the same fashion as a Namek dragon. Your worthiness will be determined by Him first and foremost. I've had the ability to speak with Him whenever I chose while I was in the book, and although I can assure you He is a most kind deity, He is quite aware of the difference between good and evil. He does not take such things lightly. However," he said, his face brightening. "I know more about you than you may think, and I have a feeling that you won't have anything to worry about."
Bulma smiled slightly. "I'm glad you think so," she said, relaxing a little. "I wouldn't have tried to open the book if I hadn't had good reason. I just hope it's good enough for Him too."
Victor nodded. "You know, you remind me so much of myself at your age," he said fondly. "I really am quite pleased I was allowed to meet you."
Bulma smiled and nodded back. "I'm glad you weren't lost after all," she said. "My mother was afraid I would disappear like you did. She didn't want me to try to solve the riddle. But somehow, I just felt that I had to."
Victor smiled and nodded. "Good," he said. "You should do what your heart tells you to do. Although listening to others' advice first is always best. And now, I have a little advice for you," he said with a friendly smile. "It isn't too late to change your mind about this. Now that your doubts about Chronos' existence have been cleared away, are you still absolutely certain that you want to continue? I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not here simply to meet you. I'm also here to guide you, and I was given special permission to do just that. I wanted to be sure that my descendant didn't choose to throw her life away needlessly."
"Throw my life away?" Bulma said, jerking her head up. "What do you mean?"
Victor gave her an apologetic smile. "Really, my riddle wasn't too clear on the consequences of all of this," he admitted. "I did that intentionally so that I could meet you even if you weren't sure you were worthy of Chronos' gifts. But there are indeed grave consequences in store for you if you aren't," he said, frowning a little. "For those who go to Him with great evil in their hearts, or whose wishes are for things that are themselves evil, only great pain and suffering await. Many don't get the luxury of forewarning that you're getting," he said grimly. "People from all over the universe have succeeded in reaching Chronos directly, and quite a number of them have met with dire consequences. You see, certain groups of people already know some of the secrets of Time, and a select few are advanced enough to trace them to their Source. I stumbled upon Chronos quite by accident, as a matter of fact. It was in my days as a normal man here on Earth, and when I found myself in His presence, you can imagine how terrified I was. I was like you, in that I hadn't even known He existed! When He asked me what request I had of Him, I was so surprised that I couldn't think straight. I explained to Him that I was merely an accidental visitor, and that I had no request to make. He told me to think very carefully, because He had the power to give me virtually anything I desired. So I did think about it for a good while, but finally I told him that I was already a very happy man, and there wasn't much He could give me to make me happier. I told Him that I had a wife and child whom I loved more than anything, and who loved me just as much. I said that really the only thing I could possibly think of that I wanted was His word that they would live long, happy lives. Chronos considered this for a few moments, and then He told me that there was only one way for Him to be able to grant that request. I had to agree to leave them and my own mortal life on Earth and serve Him. As you can imagine, I thought this was most unfair, and indeed most distressing. I begged Him to reconsider; I thought He was bargaining with me, and I did not view it as a fair deal at all. He didn't take offense, though. He told me that He had only the deepest sympathy for me, but that it was not wholly His request. He said that if I did indeed return to my family, there was no way that they would live happy lives, even if they did turn out to be long ones. You see, I had been very foolish. I had told a great deal of people about my research, which, unbeknownst to me, had been a terrible mistake. Chronos said that if I returned to my life on Earth, I would soon be sought after by evil, ambitious people who would try to pressure me into using my power for their own gain. He said that my family and I would have to go into hiding to remain unharmed, and that we would spend the rest of our days away from others, alone and friendless, and that we would be most unhappy. I didn't want to force my loved ones to live such a life; nor did I want to place them in danger. I understood at last why what Chronos had asked of me was the way it had to be. So, with His consent, I returned to my home for a final visit. I put all my affairs in order, said a final goodbye to my family, and took my final leave of them. It was so very hard…" He sighed, looking down a little. "And there hasn't been a day yet when I don't think of them and miss them. But it worked out in the end, I suppose. They did live long, happy lives, although they missed me a good deal."
"I can understand why," Bulma said with an understanding nod. "You had to leave them without giving any explanations, or any information that might put them in danger. That must have been the hardest part."
"It was," Victor said with a sad smile. "But my wife never once doubted my love for her and my son. She never allowed anyone to believe that I left her without having a grave reason."
"So that's why you disappeared," Bulma said, shaking her head sadly. "How terrible! But wait a minute!" She said, looking up at him. "What about the book? The legend says that it appeared in place of you. Why did it appear so suddenly, and why were you imprisoned in it?"
"Oh, I wasn't imprisoned," he said with a grin. "I volunteered. When I left my family, I was dreadfully heartbroken. I was more than willing to serve Chronos as His servant, but my sorrow was still first and foremost in my mind at the time. But Chronos didn't mind. In fact, He told me that He had great respect for me for choosing the way I had, and felt deep sympathy for my sadness. He told me that there was a way for me to remain in the company of my family for the rest of their lives, without their or anyone else's knowledge. I eagerly asked Him how that could be, and He told me that He could seal me within a sacred relic that He could guarantee would be with my family for as long as they lived. I asked Him how He could be so kind and generous as to do this for me, when it obviously wouldn't give Him any benefit. He smiled and said that if I so chose, after my wife and son had finally passed away, I could remain in the relic and be passed on for more generations down my line. I was a bit puzzled at this odd request; I still failed to see how this would serve His purposes. But then He told me about you, and that you would come to meet Him someday, just like I had. He said that if I so chose, I could be there to guide you when you discovered your heritage, and would give you an idea of what you could expect. I could warn you of the dire risk you would be taking. You see, Bulma," he said, his expression hardening a little. "The gift you possess is indeed a rare one, but not so rare that you are the only one who possesses it. There are actually many others all around the universe with abilities like yours, and Chronos has told me that you have even met another like yourself already."
"Gurudo?" Bulma asked. Victor nodded. "But he was nothing like me!" Bulma exclaimed indignantly. "He worked for Freeza! And as weak and cowardly as he was, he was still evil! He would have killed me, my friends, and many others if Vegita hadn't killed him!"
Victor smiled a sly smile. "Indeed," he said quietly. "And that is precisely my point. Not everyone who possesses your gift has a pure heart, my dear. In fact, a great many of them are not very nice at all. It is said that power brings corruption, and I'm afraid that this holds true the universe over. You and your friends are part of the minority. It just so happens that most people who can do what you can do choose not to use their abilities as you do. They instead choose to use them for their own gain, usually at the expense of others. As I have said before, Chronos has a very distinct idea of the difference between good and evil, and to those who come to Him with evil in their hearts, He is a grave enemy indeed. All Toki-jin who come before Him must be judged worthy before they are allowed to make requests."
"Toki-jin?" Bulma asked. "Time people? Is that what I am?"
"Yes," Victor said with a smile. "It's a name given to those of us who have abilities relating to time manipulation. Toki-jin have emerged in nearly every race in the universe. You and I are not the only ones from this planet, nor will we be the last, I'd wager."
"Does my being a… Toki-jin… Does that mean I'm not human?" Bulma asked, her face paling a little.
Victor smiled. "Not at all," he said emphatically. "You're just as human as your mother, father, or any other human on this planet. It's important for you to know that you only have the name of Toki-jin because of your remarkable abilities. You don't have your abilities because of the name. But I think I can say with a fair degree of certainty that at least your abilities as a Toki-jin are in greater part attributed to your being my descendant. Chronos mentioned to me in one of my talks with him that such skills are wont to show themselves in future generations of existing Toki-jin. One of your own descendants may even become one someday. Who knows? But don't let that detract from its value, Bulma. Your powers are your own, regardless of how they came about. And aside from that, I know for a fact that you are in an uncountable number of ways more remarkable than I was. And not just in your Time abilities, either. No one in my time could fly, and I'm certain that no one could fight as well as you can. It's even rumored that you're more intelligent than I am," he said with a somewhat resentful cough. "I suppose that might be true. As for the flying, though," he said with a mischievous grin. "It wasn't all that necessary back when I lived here. As I understand it, the world saw many more Kinto'un then than it does now."
Bulma laughed. "I would have liked to have seen that," she said with a grin of her own. "But I would be stuck flying on my own two feet. As I recall, Goku's Kinto'un didn't like me too much. Now granted, my head did have some fairly impure thoughts in it, but in all fairness, I don't think it was so much that Goku's were so pure. I think it was more to the effect that there weren't as many."
She and Victor laughed at that. "Well at any rate," he chuckled, trying to assume a more serious expression. "As gifted as you are, my dear, you would never be able to defend yourself from the consequences of your actions if you're doing this for the wrong reasons. I won't lie to you Bulma. Many basically normal people have come to Chronos with less than pure intentions in mind, and have suffered terribly for it. I'm not allowed to give you specific details or names, but I can tell you this much: none of them ever made it back home alive. To lay eyes on the great Chronos without the purity of a wholly deserving heart is a taboo that is forbidden in all circumstances. Nothing can save a person who commits such a crime."
Bulma gulped and looked down at her folded hands with a grim frown. "The poem alluded to grave consequences for those people," she said quietly. "And I'm not really all that certain that my heart is pure enough to fit the bill. But I have to see Him," she said earnestly, looking up at Victor and frowning resolutely at him. "I need His help, if He can give it to me. I won't be asking for myself. I'm asking on behalf of my friends, and of the other people of this planet."
Victor smiled. "I know," he said with a nod of understanding. "I heard you explain that to your mother. But tell me this," he said with a very serious look. "You do understand that once you go to Him, there can be no turning back, do you not? You understand that you're risking your own life for this cause."
Bulma hesitated for a moment and looked down at the book with a nervous frown. But she didn't hesitate long at all before setting her jaw and looking resolutely back up at him. "Yes I do," she said gravely. "In answer to both your questions."
Victor nodded respectfully at her and smiled. "In that case," he said, walking over to the book and picking it up, "it's time for you to meet the great Chronos. Are you ready to discover your fate?" He asked, holding the book out to her and smiling.
Bulma smiled back and bravely took the book from him. She nodded firmly in reply. "I'm ready," she said. "What do I have to do?"
"Simply open the book," he replied, walking around beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's enchanted to take us right to Him."
Bulma nodded again and, taking a deep breath and trying to steady her trembling hands, she carefully parted the pages in the center of the book. There was a blinding white flash all around them, and Bulma suddenly felt as if she was falling. She wanted to cry out, but her environment had instantly become devoid of all sound, including her own. It was petrifying, and yet it was numbing to hear, feel, and see such nothingness. Her own sense of time seemed to have been warped as well. It may very well have been an instantaneous journey, but the same likelihood existed for its being an exhaustingly long one. It was as if Time had both no meaning, and all meaning here. It was the most indescribable event that Bulma had ever experienced. But however long or far the journey progressed, it did finally end, and Bulma found herself standing on her own two feet once again. At first, though, only her sense of balance told her that she had arrived somewhere. The place - if it could be called a place - where she had arrived was no less blindingly white as her trip here had been. There were marked differences, however. She could feel and hear her heart beating and her breath coming to her here, and there was definitely a sense of gravity. Wherever she was, she had undoubtedly arrived somewhere.
She turned around rather awkwardly (it was hard for her to retain balance since she cast no shadow and the floor looked the same as everything else) and saw that Victor was behind her, kneeling on one knee, with his head bowed low. Bulma felt the urge to ask him why he was doing this, but something told her to turn around again, so she did that instead. She gasped at what she saw.
Standing no less than three feet in front of her, where there had before been no more than white nothingness, was a young boy in long, simple white robes. He didn't look a day over sixteen, and appeared in Bulma's eyes to be nothing less than the most beautiful Being she had ever laid eyes on. His slight frame and soft, pale white skin gave him the appearance of a marble statue, and the perfection of his features only added to the effect. His hair was a light blonde, and fell in long, delicate strands nearly down to his waist. His ears had a slight point to them, but this was not unbecoming in the least, and his cheeks had just the slightest trace of pink to them. All of him looked young, soft, and delicate - all of him, that is, except for his eyes. They were a dark blue-green, and they had an awe-inspiring air of power and knowledge to them. He was, all in all, the most amazing person Bulma had ever seen, and ever would see, she couldn't help thinking to herself. She could do no more than stare in awe at him, unable to speak, and unable to act. Fortunately for her, he spoke instead.
"Greetings, Bulma Briefs!" He said in a strangely thunderous yet calm, subtle voice. "I have fondly awaited your arrival. You are a most welcome visitor to my sanctum."
Bulma was unaware of it, but Victor was secretly beaming behind her. He had known all along that this would be the case.
Bulma stared in awe at this young boy, who she had now surmised to be the Chronos she had heard so much about. He was smiling at her, and she knew at once that there was no malice in His demeanor. Did that mean she had passed the test? She hoped so. She somehow willed her mobility to return to her, and she jerkily knelt down on one knee.
"I beg your forgiveness," she said, her voice a fair bit squeakier than usual. "I… I didn't realize at first that you were… the One." She quickly bowed her head as Victor had done. She didn't know why exactly, but something about this boy was so intimidating that she didn't know how she was supposed to act. She was distinctly aware that she could not directly sense His power. But she could feel something else - a dull ache of something indescribably potent and unearthly; an essence that was hitting her from all directions at once, but could unmistakably be traced to Him. Is this what it felt like to be in the presence of a god?
He smiled at her. "My form confuses many," he said with an understanding nod. "Please rise and look upon me with ease. You are in no danger in my presence."
Bulma did as He asked, and took a few calming deep breaths. Okay. So far so good. She was still alive; that was a good sign.
"You undoubtedly know that you are allowed to make a request of me," He said solemnly. "If it be permissible, I will grant it. I know you have a request in mind. I ask that you give it when you are ready."
Bulma nodded and, after taking another long calming breath, began to speak again - this time with a much steadier voice. "I'm pretty sure you already know what my friends and I are training ourselves for," she began. "I am terribly worried that our training may not be enough to assure victory. I was hoping that you might be able to make one of the others stronger than the Jinzouningen will be. Any one of them will do," she said hurriedly. "Goku, Vegita… even Yajirobe! Just as long as I can know we'll be able to win."
Chronos nodded and smiled. "A truly bold and selfless thing to request," He said quietly. "And yet you still worry that it may not be noble enough?"
Bulma's face reddened and she shuffled nervously. "I didn't know for sure," she admitted. "But I didn't know whether I would be pure enough of heart, either. I just felt that I HAD to try."
"Hence the selflessness and bravery," Chronos replied with a smile. "You chose to risk your own life for the sake of your friends and the people of your planet. There are few things more worthy of my aid. You need not fear that. However," he said, his smile fading a little. "I cannot grant your request."
"What?" Bulma said, her mouth hanging in disbelief.
"It is never wise for me to interfere in the affairs of mortals' lives," He explained. "I cannot alter the strength of your companions, nor can I assure you of a victory. You were not meant to know your future. No mortal is."
Bulma couldn't believe she was hearing this. "But what about him?" She asked, pointing frantically at Victor, who was now looking up at them. "You were able to assure him that his wife and son would be safe!"
Chronos nodded. "I did," He agreed. "But he had agreed to leave his life as a mortal. It was different in his case."
Bulma sighed. "I see," she said dejectedly. She looked sadly back up at Him. "Isn't there anything you can do to help us?"
He closed his eyes and gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes," He said at last. "There is. I can enhance your power over the flow of time. There is a great deal more that you could know." He opened his eyes and looked thoughtfully at her. "Unlike Victor here, you have a remarkable level of control over your own energy. I think the boost would be most beneficial. I could grant you knowledge that would allow you to mold the flow of time in any way you so chose. With such knowledge at your disposal, you would indeed be a formidable foe to your enemies."
Bulma looked down a little, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered what he had proposed. "Are there any disadvantages I ought to know about?" She asked quietly.
"Much like your existing abilities," He said calmly, "the new ones would drain your strength just as rapidly. But given how frequently you use your current technique, it won't be much of a disadvantage to you. However," He said, looking soberly at her. "Your new powers would come with a restriction. You will have the ability to transform the flow of time into any form, speed, or direction you choose. I must warn you though that one of these abilities will have dire consequences. By receiving the wisdom of my craft, you will invariably come to know how to reverse the flow of time. This you must not do. No mortal is EVER allowed to reverse the flow of time. It is forbidden. If you ever break this taboo, I will have to remove your power over time permanently. Do you understand this?"
After considering it for a few more moments, Bulma nodded and looked gravely up at Him. "Yes," she said firmly. "I understand, and I agree to the law. I will accept your offer. I only hope that I'll be able to do some good with it."
Chronos nodded, and He extended a smooth, white hand toward her. "I bequeath to you my wisdom, and the secrets of the workings of Time," He said, His quiet voice thundering in her ears. He touched her forehead with His index finger, and instantly she felt a veritable deluge of information flowing into her brain. Her eyes opened wide, and her breath stuck in her throat as it all quickly took shape and came together in her mind. She knew it all - everything Chronos had promised, and more. It was so complete that she was already coming up with her own ideas for new attacks, just as He withdrew His arm.
"Great Kami!" She said breathlessly, sinking wearily to her knees.
"Bulma!" Victor cried, springing to his feet and rushing forward. "My Lord, is she all right?"
Chronos smiled. "She is fine," He said reassuringly. "She may feel rather overwhelmed at the moment, but she will recover momentarily."
Victor realized that he had forgotten himself, and he quickly bowed his head in embarrassment. "I apologize, my Lord," he said sheepishly. "I should not have questioned you."
"It is no matter," Chronos replied with an understanding smile. "Your concern for her safety needs no apology." He looked down at Bulma and smiled at her. "How do you feel now?" He asked her.
Bulma looked up at Him rather dizzily, but was grinning from ear to ear. "Incredible," she replied with a laugh. "I feel as though I might even try to take on Vegita!" She looked up and grinned at Victor. "Did he do this to you too?" She asked him.
"No," Chronos replied for him. "You are the only one to whom I have ever given such knowledge. I do not readily share the secrets of Time with mortals; they can be extremely dangerous."
"The secrets, or the mortals?" Bulma asked, arching an eyebrow.
Chronos smiled. "I'll leave you to decide," He said with a simple nod.
Bulma grinned. "Thank you so much for all you've given me," she said gratefully. "I don't know if it will give us enough of an edge to assure victory, but I will try my best. I hope I can see you again someday."
"You can," Chronos said with a smile. "And you will. Don't forget that with your new knowledge and powers you now know how to find me, even without the book. Which," he added, pointing to where it lay on the floor, "is no longer of use to anyone." He waved his hand and it disappeared entirely.
Bulma looked at Victor and grinned. "No more days spent sealed up in a book," she said with a laugh. "So what are you going to do now?"
Victor, looking rather perplexed, scratched his chin a bit. "I… I don't know," he said. "My Lord?" He asked, looking to Chronos for his answer.
Chronos smiled, and Bulma could have sworn she'd seen a twinkle of mirth in His eye. "I have one last task for you, Victor Pello," He said in a firm, businesslike tone.
"Yes, my Lord," Victor replied obediently.
"You are to take a permanent vacation from my service," Chronos said with a smile.
Victor visibly paled. "B- but Chronos!" He exclaimed
Chronos immediately raised a hand for silence. "And to spend your vacation," He said, smiling broadly, "residing in Heaven with your wife and son."
Victor's eyes widened, and his mouth fell agape in astonishment. Suddenly, tears began to form in his eyes. "M- my Lord!" He said shakily, his lips trembling a little. "I- I can't tell you how much that will mean to me!"
"I believe you just did," Chronos replied, smiling kindly at him. "And you're very welcome. Now, I suggest you two say good-bye to one another. You're soon to part ways."
Victor and Bulma hugged each other and shook hands. "Look me up when you get to Heaven," he said excitedly. "I want you to meet my family!"
"I'd be delighted," Bulma said with a happy smile. "If I make it into Heaven, I'll definitely do just that."
"I'll see you in a while then," Victor replied with a grin. He looked up at his former master, and although he was smiling broadly, he still looked as if he was on the verge of tears. "I will miss you terribly, Chronos," he said with a fond smile. "But I am ready."
Chronos smiled back and nodded. "Farewell, Victor," He said kindly. "I wish you the happiness that I know you'll find. Take care." He waved His left hand, and Victor instantly disappeared, in much the same way that the book had.
"Now," He said, looking back at Bulma and smiling politely. "It is time for you to leave and return home. Have you any questions of me before you go?"
It was as if He had read Bulma's mind. "Yes, I do," she replied. "I was wondering, are there currently any other Toki-jin on Earth besides me?"
Chronos smiled and nodded. "One other," He replied. "I suppose you would like to know who that is."
"Very much," Bulma said, nodding vigorously. "Maybe I've met this person!"
"You have," Chronos said with a smile. "He is Kami, the guardian of the Earth."
"Kami?" Bulma said, her eyes widening. "I didn't know he could stop time!"
"He cannot," Chronos corrected her. "You must understand, Bulma, that not all Toki-jin awake with the same powers. His power lies in his sight. Kami can discern the future."
"Oh," Bulma said, nodding. "I see. Does he know about you?"
"Yes," Chronos replied. "I presented myself to him when he first became Earth's guardian. I will not tell you what his request was, nor will I tell you his gift. That is his alone."
Bulma nodded. "I understand," she said.
Chronos smiled. "Is there anything else you would like to know?" He asked her with a knowing nod.
Bulma thought for a moment, and suddenly, something odd occurred to her. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "That Super Saiyan from the future! It just occurred to me that he traveled back in time to warn us! How did he do that? I mean, does a time machine carry with it the same rules that my powers do?"
Chronos smiled. "The woman who created that machine was told the same thing you were," He said quietly. "And she knew that by building it she would forfeit her own abilities. She has indeed lost her power over Time, just as you will if you do as she did. Keep that in mind, Bulma. It was her decision to make, and she decided that the sacrifice of her own abilities was very small when compared to the promise of a new future for you and your companions. Keep that in mind as well."
"I don't suppose you can tell me who she is?" Bulma asked hopefully. "Or who that young boy was?"
"I will not," He replied simply.
"Fair enough," Bulma sighed. "One more thing. There are several people at home who will need an explanation for this for one reason or another. Am I allowed to tell anyone what happened here?"
"Yes," Chronos replied with a nod. "You may tell whomever you like. Unlike Victor, your telling others about your abilities will endanger no one. I would especially recommend that you tell your mother," He added with a knowing smile. "At the very least, she should know just what became of her ancestor."
"I will," Bulma replied, beaming at Him. "And thank you for everything!"
Chronos smiled and nodded. "Good luck and farewell!" He said, waving His hand at her in the same way as He had done to Victor. In an instant, Bulma found herself back home, standing next to her mother in halted time. She sat down on the bed and let time flow again.
"Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs cried in a panicky voice. "Bulma don't!" She gasped then, as she could no longer see Bulma standing where she had been when she had first stopped time.
"Over here, Mom," Bulma said, smiling and waving.
"Bulma!" Mrs. Briefs gasped. "Thank God, you're still here!" She leapt forward and grabbed onto her as if she didn't dare let her go. "You scared me half to death, Bulma!" She said shakily.
Bulma smiled. "I'm sorry, Mom," she said, hugging her back and nodding in understanding. "But I had to do it. Now sit down and listen. Have I got a story for you!"
On to the next Chapter!
