Characters and situation depicted here belongs to either Akira Toriyama or Studio CLAMP.

< > : Thought

<# #> : Inhuman thoughts

POWER ISN'T ALL.

Part 1 : "As players gather..."

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The DreamSeer was dreaming. And she had dreamt this part of the prophecy before. She was a small, beautiful woman. The whiteness of her hair, the only indication of her age, matched her regal clothes.

In this dream, she knelt inside a sphere of crystal, the Earth. With her blind eyes, she saw destroyed cities. She saw a desert surrounding everything. Coming from everywhere, she heard the sound of a brought down world. Her vision then centered on the Tokyo Tower. It stood among ruins, its foundations covered with sand.

Getting closer, she saw seven tall figures standing on it, one clearly separated from the others. To protect themselves from the sand, they all wore long, dirty white cloaks that hid their every features. She slowly moved nearer to the lone figure who seemed to notice something. He raised his face toward her and she was at last able to see his face. He was a handsome teenage boy of about sixteen. His raven hair partially covered piercing blue eyes that seemed to cross hers.

"Again, Kamui's sees me traveling the dream... How is it possible?"

She was suddenly cut short as the young man attention was attracted toward the horizon. Looking up, she saw a bright star flaring for a long time in the sky. It then fell down and hit the ground with a tremor that shook the Tower. A silent wave of bright golden light began to spread forth in all directions, washing over and destroying everything. The six figures threw themselves in its path, gathering powers. Whether from the sky or from the Earth, they were the Dragons. She knew they were seeing how they tried to stop the destruction coming their way. The wave swept them away like ants in a storm.

At last, Kamui let his cloak go. Doing so, he revealed two great wings sprouting from his back. One was an angel's, and the other a demon's. Bringing forth the great sword he held in his hands, he sent a slash of power toward the source of the light. This strike could have destroyed a world, for it was Shinken, the Holy Sword. It had been made for this day and nothing born on of this world could have stopped its might.

It looked as if a tear had fallen into an ocean.

She cried when Shinken melt away, when Kamui was reduced to ashes; and yet, she forgot her despair to try to back away, frightened by the mad, childish laughter that covered every sound.

****************

The first thing Goten became aware of was the pain in his head. Seichiro had the surprise to suddenly see him sit in the grass, holding his head with both hands.

"Ow, ow, ow, ooowww !! That hurts," said Goten, paying no attention to where he was.

Quickly regaining composure, Seichiro bent over him. "Are you okay ?"

Looking up, Goten finally noticed the man that was towering over him. To him, he looked like he was as tall as Piccolo. But there stopped the resemblance. He wore a suit with a long dark trench coat over it ; his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. Furthermore, he was looking at him with a friendly smile.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? Are you all right"

Forgetting his pain, Goten stood up. "Yes. Thank you. I'm okay."

His mother had always told him to be very polite when he talked to people he didn't know. She had also said something about not talking to strangers. That had convinced him that mothers weren't very logical. He'd also figured that if he was polite, he could speak to anybody.

"Seeing you lying there, I wondered if you were hurt".

Looking over to the tree, Goten noticed nothing was out of the ordinary now. "No, it's all right. I think..."

"Okay. Were you playing by yourself? I haven't seen any other kid around." Asked Seichiro. This kid wasn't normal, that much he was sure of. He had to know if he was related in any way to the wave of power he had witnessed.

"Yes." He extended his hand. "I'm Son Goten. I was training with my dad but he's taking a nap now."

Seichiro was surprised by the forwardness. <His dad...> He took the hand and, shaking it. "Well, hello Son Goten. I'm Sakurazuka Seichiro."

<#FEAR#>

<#DANGER#>

The Tree desperately screamed to his mind.

<#CHASE HIM#>

<#KILL HIM#>

<#MAKE HIM GO AWAY#>.

"Tell me Goten, were is your father ? I don't think I have seen him around." <There is no way that salaryman is the father of the kid. > Thought Seichiro.

"Oh ! That's because he's further away. It's close to a river." Goten stopped short for a second. And, frowning. "That's weird. I can't feel him."

"Feel him ? What do you mean ? " Asked a slightly bewildered Seichiro.

"Oh ! It's ... er..." <OOPS! 'Ni chan told me we mustn't show what we can do to other people. >

"It's nothing" began Goten, a big smile on his face and one hand rubbing his head. "We just... er..." He was hesitating when he suddenly noticed the sun was going to set.

"OH NO ! It's the end of the day ! I'm going to be late ! Mom'll be mad again."

Forgetting everything, he summoned his Ki, creating a protective field around him. He was already levitating a few feet above the ground.

"Sorry. I gotta go," he yelled over his shoulder.

Bemused, Seichiro watched him disappear almost instantly into the sky, a quickly dissipating trail of light the only mark of his presence.

He blinked several times, not believing his eyes. "Well, that was surprising, to say the least."

He turned over to the Tree.

"There is a lot I'll have to learn, old friend." His icy tone had none of the cheerfulness he'd displayed moments before.

****************

Goten wasn't a tall kid. In the park, he hadn't noticed anything unusual. But now he was high in the air, he could see the landscape below him and he knew something was wrong. He had never seen this kind of building before, but it didn't really mater. However, what did was that there shouldn't have been building around in the first place. He clearly remembered a forest being there, not too far from the mountain that still stood in the background.

He decided it was too late to care. The same way a pigeon would have with the natural magnetic field, he took his bearings on the Earth Ki. Assessing the direction he thought his home was, he departed with a burst of power, flying as fast as he could.

***************

The JSDF air patrol was on its way back when a white light shoot by them, with a speed a tenfold superior to theirs.

"What the fuck was that ?" Exclaimed one of the pilots as a regained control of his plane in the not so gentle air stream the thing had left in its wake.

"I don't know. Control, this is Falcon one. Have you got a lock on this ? "

"Falcon one, control here. What do you want us to have a lock on ? "

"Huh ? On the... er. Well on the... er. Say, Hiroshi, you've seen anythin' ?"

"If I've seen something. Nooo... Why, should I have ?"

"Oh !.. Never mind, control, it was just... er. A bird. Yeah ! That's it. A bird..."

***************

"Hello. What is it ? I'm rather busy at the moment..."

"Good afternoon, Kanoe-san."

The icy voice stopped her short. This one didn't call without good reasons.

"What can I do for you, Sakurazuka-san ?"

"Nothing at the moment. However, you should tell Satsuki to look for events and people in relation to car crash that happened an hour and a half ago. We have a new... Concern."

**************

It had been three days. Three days since he had begun looking for his house. Three days that he was lost. Three days that felt like an eternity to the child.

Goten was a courageous kid. A reason for this was his unimaginable strength. Others were his cheerful nature and the optimism he'd inherited from his father. Yet, there are limits after which a kid can't go on. He had looked for everyone, and everything he knew. But he couldn't find neither his family nor any of his friends.

Therefore, hovering high in the air above the Sea of Japan, an exhausted kid was looking around, wondering what else he could do. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Mom, Dad, Oni-chan were are YOOUUUU !" His cry reverberated through the air, but no answer was given.

His head hung low, as his voice reduced to a whisper. "Why can't I find you ? "

And then, he sensed it.

Since he had begun his search, he twice had felt small burst of power. But they were weak and he couldn't recognize anybody he knew, so he had dismissed them. This one wasn't particularly stronger or more recognizable, but he didn't know what to do. So, mustering all the speed he could, he went straight to it, leaving a golden trail behind him.

***************

In a Tokyo suburb area, not far from a Shinto temple, a beautiful blonde girl was strolling along the street. She wore a light vest over a corsage and a dark skirt. She was the very image of delicateness.

Deep in thought, she stopped in front of a torn down gate without paying attention to the two workers who busied themselves in a long gash made in the street, a few meters behind her. On the other side of the gate was a small empty house.

Her face went from cheerful to melancholic. She rested her hand on the fence wall.

<Kamui...>

Oblivious to the world, she first didn't notice the two retreating workers behind her.

"WHAT !.."

"The cables... YAAAAAH !"

Only when she heard the scream did turned over, startled. She then saw electric cables sprouting from the gash. They seemed animated with a live of their own.

"LOOK OUT !" yelled one of the workers.

She didn't have time to move as all the cables sprung toward her and caught her ankles.

"KYAAAAAAAAA !!"

She was dragged beside a shaking electric pole and held there. After a few seconds, it began to fall on her.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH !!!"

She had closed her eyes and found her breath suddenly cut short. She opened them to find herself held tightly into the arms of a tall dark haired man, ten meters from were the pole had crashed.

"Are you okay miss ?"

He wore army briefs, a black leather jacket and had a burly look.

Still in his arms, she looked at him, bewildered.

"Wh.. Who are you ?"

"But... Nobody important."

Again, he began to make seemingly impossible jump to dodge the poles that were falling one after the other. Amazingly enough, he managed to retain his hold on both her and her hat.

"I'm just passing by."

Ten poles went down before things seemed to settle down. He let her on her feet, putting her hat back on her head.

"Are you unhurt, Miss ?" He asked, smiling.

"Ye... Yes. LOOK OUT !"

The next pole suddenly fell. The man, however, seemed ready for it. He spun, and dropping to one knee, raised both his hands while yelling.

"SHIRAA... Uh ?!" He blinked.

The falling pole had suddenly stopped in mid-air, two meters above him. A small figure with wild blond hair was holding it, one handed! He actually could see a flaming golden aura.

When electric cables began to come, again, over the girl, the young boy casually let the pole crash on the ground beside them. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a tiny flake of light toward the cables origins. It strolled almost casually... And burst in a tremendous explosion.

Speechless, the only thing the man could do was to steady the teenage girl in his arm while the dust settled. Slowly, the house nearest to the blast began to crumble down.

***************

In a room, deep under the Diet, was a custom made computer only referenced as "the Beast" by its maker. Said maker was now hooked to it, many electric wire piercing her skin without any kind of apparent discomfort. The only other person in the room was a tall, handsome blond man wearing a clear coat. His back on a wall, he was waiting.

Suddenly, sparkles began to run along the flank of the machine in front of him. Before he could begin to really do anything, part of it moved aside, and Satsuki was able to get away from the machine, landing gracefully into his waiting arms.

"Satsuki, what happened ?"

Looking up to meet his gaze, she smiled.

"I've found and attacked the girl Kanoe talked about. But I was stopped and chastised."

"Somebody stopped -you- ? It must have been a one of the Seals..."

"Not necessarily," interrupted Kanoe from the door. Moving from her langid pose against the doorframe, she entered the room. She had long, slightly curly dark hair and was beautiful. On her forehead was the same symbolic third eye that was on the DreamSeer Hirono, but it was bloody red instead of white.

"Well, I don't know about the first man," said Satsuki, "but I don't think the child who stopped me was any of the dragon."

She freed herself from Taki embrace. Her face became stern. "Kanoe-san, I think that child is Sakurazuka-san new concern. He's right. This is very serious."

***************

For a few moments, the only sounds came from the falling debris and Goten's aura. Thankfully enough, nobody was in the wrecked house at the moment.

He finally turned over to look at the man and the girl cradled in his arms. They seemed in perfect shape.

"It's over. I don't feel anything anymore. I think what attacked you is dead" He told them.

Recovering, the man gently pushed the girl aside.

"Who are you ? How did you do that ? How can you stay up there ?"

Looking down, Goten realized he still was a few meters from the ground.

"It doesn't matter" he replied with a sad smile.

<It's still nobody I know...>

He felt like crying in a way he had never before. A tear rolled down his cheek. His face in his hands, he sprung away, leaving them fast behind.

"Wait !" yelled both the girl and the man.

The man jumped to the roofs, trying to follow Goten.

She ran for a few seconds, but quickly lost sight of her first savior. Out of breath, she stopped, panting.

"Wait... I'd like to thank you. I'd like to thank both of you..."

She looked up, but she could only see a few roofs across the pure azure sky.

***************

The Japanese high school system is one of the stricter there is. To have a neighborhood cop bringing back in seventeen years old students to their high school is not that uncommon an occurrence. This doesn't mean the average Japanese teenager never cuts school. They just are more cautious about it. The two teenage boys who had just avoided a local police station were a good example of this.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea to get away for the day, Toshio," said the glass wearing one to his tall companion.

"I must find a gift for my beloved Kotori-chan, so I can declare my eternal flame to her."

"Yeah. Well, for starter, we shouldn't have stayed in an area where the cops can recognized our uniforms. And..."

"We MUST remain close from the school, for I want to have time to speak to her today," cut the lovestruck fool.

"And second, how exactly do you think you'll get past her brother Fuuma ? " Continued his companion, unfazed by the interruption.

"Ah, but my heart is pure. When he'll see the strength of our love, I'm sure her mighty brother will be compelled to consent to it.

"Well, I still think you're going for a world of pain. I much prefer admire her from afar. Much safer... Hey, look! It's her."

Said object of undying love was indeed slowly crossing the street, further away. She didn't noticed them. In fact, she seemed completely oblivious to the world.

Kotori Monoh had been wandering aimlessly for a couple of hour now, her routine check up completely forgotten. She couldn't help but think about what had happened close to Kamui house. The man was special enough by himself, but she could understand him as some kind of martial artist. After all, the mangas were full of such people. She was sure her brother could have made the kind of leaps she witnessed.

The little boy, however... Had he been a woman, she'd had thought Amaterasu had come down to Earth. And his face was so sad when he had looked down...

"I'm sure he was crying when he flew away," she softly told herself.

She was so lost in her thought she almost didn't notice, on the playground she was walking by, the lone figure that sat on the swing, moping. Almost.

The hair was an unruly black mess, not a flaming mass of white gold. But the face and the way he was dressed gave him away. Hesitantly she approached him.

Paying more attention than the last time she saw him, she noticed the grime that stained his face and his clothes. And, most important of all, she saw the tears that slowly streaked down his face. His sight on the ground, he didn't seem to know she was here, when she could have touched him.

"Excuse me. Do you need help ?" she asked him.

Startled, he raised his face to meet her eyes. As he did so, she could see dark rimmed eyes in a face that should never have looked so tired. He held her gaze for a few moments, and then resumed looking at the ground.

"I can't find my mom." His answer was a tired whisper, almost inaudible. There seemed to be no energy left in him.

"I can't find mom. I can't find dad. I can't find 'Nisan. I can't find anybody." He then broke into tears.

Since Kotori had seen him, she wanted to thank him. But she had expected to meet a godlike being. It was a surprise when she found herself hugging a crying little boy.

" Come on, come on. I'm sure we can do something to find them. I'm going to help you look for them."

Bleary eyed, he took a step back to look at her. "Really? You'll help me?"

"Of course," she replied, a warm smile on her face. "After all, you helped me when I needed it. It's the least I can do. You look like you could eat something. Do you want to come to my house so I can fix you something ?"

Sniffling a sob, he nodded.

"Come along, then. My home isn't far from here. And I'm sure my brother will help you too." She said, getting up from her kneeling position.

She brushed her skirt a bit and. "Oh, I almost forgot." She bowed to him. "My name is Kotori."

"Uh... I'm Son Goten," he answered, bowing in turn

***************

"I can almost feel him. But... Something is blocking my senses." Told Son Goku to his family.

Chichi was going from despair to utter rage. "Son Goku, you must find my baby !"

Gently, Goku removed his wife's hands from his collar. "I can't teleport to him. We'll try another way. I'm going to see Bulma."

***************

End Part 1