Across Time: Book Two

A/N: After this chapter there are about four left in book two.

Chapter 6

Two days out from their destination the good doctor spotted rising smoke on the horizon. They'd left the rolling sand dunes of the desert behind some 300 miles ago and were gratefully spending their time beneath a thick spread of forest canopy. Sen, being taller than Kilan, shielded his eyes with a hand and tried to spot what Iliza had identified. He could barely see dark puffs of smoke in the distance.

"That can't be good," he murmured.

Iliza shook her head. "Dark smoke never means anything good. Come on, we have to go see if we can help." She checked her pack for security and took off at a run. Without hesitation, Sen and Kilan followed.

For an older woman she could move pretty quickly. She paced herself carefully so that she didn't feel the strain on her stamina until the town was in sight. Iliza slowed and came to a stop as she tried to gauge the situation.

"A lot of buildings are on fire," she noted aloud as her companions caught up with her. They both were panting heavily and a light sheen of sweat shone on their faces. Sen absently rubbed his bad leg as his eyes swept over the chaos and confusion down below in the valley. People were frantically running left and right carrying water or checking on the survivors. Enter blocks of houses and businesses glowed with flames and the villagers were doing their best to extinguish them.

"Do either of you see the villains behind this? We wouldn't have a chance against a group of warriors."

Kilan shook his head. "I'm glad they're gone. The way I'm feeling now, I would probably try to attack them without thinking first." His eyes took in the damage sadly. Turning to Sen, he asked, "Can you walk, ki'chin?"

Spasms shook his right leg, but they were lessening. When the blinding ache was more of a dull throb, Sen nodded and allowed his mate to pull him to his feet.

They headed into the village and followed a line of people to a nearby stream. They were filling buckets, pots, everything they could get their hands on that held water, and were passing is down the line. Despite their determination, it was obvious that their efforts were barely making a dent in the problem. Heat pressed in from what seemed to be all sides and the air was thick with ash. Those who were reduced to helpless coughing fits were gently pulled from the bucket brigade by concerned citizens and replaced with able-bodied workers.

"We can't put out the fires!" One man shouted, trying to be heard above the din. "Try to stop them from spreading instead!" When no one changed their priorities, he wrung his hands in despair.

Iliza motioned for Sen and Kilan to follow her and they joined those already wetting down the grass surrounding the burning buildings. Slowly, more and more people caught on and the raging fires were successfully contained. In quiet grief as they worked, men, women, and children watched their homes and livelihoods burn to cinders.

"This is horrible," Sen whispered, his voice made hoarse from emotion and coughing. "Who would do something like this?"

A weary old man, the same one as before, sighed. He was a very tall man whose black hair was still dark and whose eyes were still bright with awareness. It wasn't that odd of a sight really; Saiya-jin just didn't age visibly. The wisdom in his eyes, however, was not that of a young man. "No one knows, lad. Since dawn we've been trying to put out the flames, but it seemed that as soon as one fire was defeated, two more rose in its place. It grew so bad that there were just far too many for us to handle." He summoned up a ghost of a smile. "I thank you -- all of you -- for aiding us."

"Lord Mayor!" someone shouted. A young boy just at the onset of puberty ran up excitedly. "We've found fresh tracks on the outskirts of the village. They're like nothing we've ever seen before." He grabbed the old man's hand and tugged. "You have to see them!"

The mayor's brow furrowed. "How can that be?" he muttered to himself as he followed. Sensing that he strange fires and the illness were connected somehow, Iliza, Sen, and Kilan were close behind.

~*~

"What is hell is going on?" Step. Step. Step. Turn. Step. Step. Step. Turn.

Goku watched Vegeta pace restlessly with a thoughtful expression. When he'd reached the point in the story about the fires, his agitated had risen. Now he paused to allow him time to vent about certain issues of the past.

"First, we have people that are as about as unSaiya-jin as you can get and two of them that aren't at all apprehensive about showing their love. Second, we have another group of people actually embracing a soul-bond when we've been taught practically from birth to never allow it to happen. Lastly so far, we have these extremely weird occurrences that seem to be caused by something described in a prophecy. Have I covered it all?"

He shrugged and nodded. "Good enough."

"I ask again..." Vegeta, at last, ceased to pace and stood facing Goku between the coffee table and the television. An uncharacteristic look of complete puzzlement covered his face. "What the hell is going on?"

His mate looked so lost it was funny. Goku smothered a chuckle and closed the book, marking his place with a take-out menu. "You -- we -- need to get away from this book for a while. How about we go visit Bra? You always like doing that."

"Fine, Kakarotto, but don't think I'm unaware of what you're doing."

"What are you talking about?" he asked innocently. "Don't you think that it's past due for a visit?"

"Don't give me that!" Then his voice gentled. "Thanks, um, for caring."

A loving smile was aimed his way. "Of course. That last thing I want is for you to burst a blood vessel from stress."

***

If Bra was surprised to see them she hid it well. A bright smile lit up her face in greeting and she hugged both Saiya-jin tightly. "Papa! Goku-tousan! It's nice to see you!"

"I had to get him out of the house," Goku stage-whispered. "He was starting to go a little crazy on me." That earned him a backhanded slap to the stomach for his trouble. Goku grunted slightly and grinned unrepentantly.

"So, where are the brats?" Vegeta asked as they crossed the threshold. Bra had continued her mother's work after she died and saw it best to remain in the Capsule Corporation despite the memories. "I haven't seen them in almost a month."

"It was their birthday," she remembered. Going over to the intercom, she punched in a code. "Midori! Taisei! Your grandfathers are here!"

The thunder of small feet approached as the twins ran to greet them. They were of the rarest kind, half-fraternal¹, and as a result they did look identical despite the fact that one twin was female while the other was male. In unison, both took flying leaps from the upstairs landing much to their mother's horror. Reflexively, she gasped and clenched her eyes shut.

"Wow! You're getting so big!" Goku laughed as Taisei wrapped his arms as tight as he could around his neck. Vegeta tickled the twin he'd caught, her happy giggles causing Bra to relax considerably and open her eyes again.

"How many times..." she began sternly.

Both Midori and Taisei said in very serious voices, "I'm sorry, Mama."

Sighing, she smiled at them. "Saiya-jin blood runs strong in my little warriors, ne? I know you two can fly but you're still too little to completely control your kis. Please, for the sake of my sanity, don't do that again... at least, not until you're older."

"Okay, Mama."

"Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes."

Vegeta hadn't realized how much he loved spending time with his daughter and her kids until he hadn't seen them for a few weeks in a row. He and Goku both knew it was hard on Bra to raise two children on her own but she always insisted that things were fine. If only he knew the identity of the twins' father... There would be nowhere that deadbeat could hide. Vegeta's tendency toward violence was exactly why Bra never told him.

"How are things going?" she asked while cutting up meat for her toddlers. "No one's seen or heard from you two in a week."

When the small Saiya-jin declined to answer, Goku cheerfully explained just as Vegeta knew he would. " 'geta saved these books from Vegeta-sei a long time ago and we're reading them. They're about Saiya-jin history."

She was very interested. Not much was really known about the other group of people she was descended from. "Really? In the native language?"

Vegeta nodded once. "In Saiya-jingo, hai."

"I didn't know you could read that, Goku-tousan."

"I couldn't until I asked Shenron," he explained. Goku then rose and began to untie the wide blue sash of his gi much to Bra's surprise. She looked at him incredulously as he dropped his pants while Vegeta merely looked amused... and more than a little turned on. "I also asked him for this." His long brown tail curved around his body and waved hello.

"Oh, wow," Bra said in complete awe. The twins echoed her sentiment. "It's just like the one you had as a kid." She went around the table just to stroke it. "Feels so soft."

Goku's eyes slid partially shut in pure bliss and he began to purr, a deep rumbling sound that came from deep within his chest. Vegeta let this go on for a few minutes then gently removed her hand.

"He's not a big cat you know." Rolling his eyes at the pouty look he received, Vegeta muttered. "I'll make it up to you later."

After the kids were put to bed, the three of them talked for a few hours about the story. Bra wanted it to be translated so that others (as well as herself) could read it. "This is causing you to re-examine your life, isn't it Papa?"

"Hai, it is. Everything was so clear-cut and well-defined before we started on these books."

"I'm glad you are," she told him. "Now maybe you can see that you do deserve Goku-tousan's love, especially after the way you've been treated. There are still wounds on your heart and I think he's the key to finally healing them."

Vegeta didn't say a word but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. Goku smiled and caressed the side of his face. "I hope you'll let me."

A shaky nod. "Of course I will."

They kissed tenderly as if to seal a pact while Bra looked on in bittersweet happiness.

~*~

The boy hadn't been exaggerating when he said the tracks were unusual. No known person or animal alive could have produced such an imprint in the earth... and no wagon or cart could have, either.

Iliza bent down and laid her hand flat in the wide, rectangular print. Geometrically identical shapes left patterns of raised soil within it at regular intervals. Two tracks ran parallel due south.

"In a completely different direction from where we need to go," the doctor said with a frown.

The mayor smiled gently at her. "Ma'am, I can't ask you to follow them for us. You've already helped more than enough."

She rose and dusted the loose soil from her hands before regarding him sadly. "Lord Mayor, this matter is linked to every single one of us. Something is happening, something beyond our current understanding. I was sent to a place east of this village to aide the people there. You are so close to them I doubt it's a coincidence."

"What's happening?" he asked worriedly.

Sighing, Iliza said in frustration, "We have yet to find out."

Kilan studied the ground with a thoughtful expression. Sen felt the curiosity from him and felt the plan forming in his mind. "No, Ki," he said sharply once it had coalesced into a concrete thought.

"It makes sense if you just take a moment to consider it." He hadn't meant for him to find out through their bond, at least not until he was ready.

"Not to me!" the teenager cried. He repeated it sadly. "Not to me."

He headed back into the village, his head hanging. When Kilan made a move to follow, Iliza held up her hand to stop him. "Let him go until you come up with a damn good argument."

"You know as well as I do that someone should follow this trail."

"Yes," she agreed, "but you're Bonded. Never risk yourself lightly."

He stared off into middle distance, his eyes losing focus. "Soon it might not matter at all." Iliza could not find anything worth saying in response so she remained silent. But she knew as well as he did that his words just may well be the truth.

¹ Half-fraternal twins come from an egg that divides before it's fertilized. That's how you could end up with identical male and female twins.