Disclaimer:  All characters portrayed in this story are the property of
their respective creators and companies.

This story takes place in a far distant future.

C & C welcomed.

Perfection

by

Donny Cheng

        Goku sat back and relaxed.  He had got in a good day's workout.  A
few more days and he was sure he could try that new technique again.  It
was not really knew.  It was another version of the kame hame ha.  This
one drew upon his life force just like one of Tenshin-han's old moves.  It
had always amazed him how his old friend could go head to head with the
most powerful of opponents with life force as a weapon.  It was dangerous
though, since one wrong move could kill him as he was messing around his
life thread.  But, Goku was never one to worry about that.  He estimated
that his new technique would be twice as powerful as his current move.

        Thoughts of his old friend brought a pang sadness to his heart.
All of them had died of old age and he hadn't been there for them.  He
missed them and wondered when he could see them again.  It was not that he
was ready to die though.  The art still called him.  Even when he rested
his mind wandered back to his practice session and went over each detail
looking for flaws.  Chichi would have to wait a little longer.

        "Hi."

        Goku turned around at the sound of the greeting.  That was strange
he hadn't sensed anyone approach him.  He shrugged and guessed that he
hadn't perfected his chi awareness yet.  "Hi," Goku greeted the figure
before him warmly.

        "I was watching you spar just a moment ago.  Very nice form.  I
hadn't seen skill like that in a long time.  One of the reason's I left
earth all those years ago.  Nice to see that the planet is still in good
shape and the art is still intact."

        Goku scratched his head.  The man looked to be only in his early
twenties, maybe late teens.  People were only starting to immigrate to
other planets in the past couple of years.  He couldn't help but notice
that the man was wearing martial arts gi.  "Yep.  The earth looks pretty
good now."  Which was true.  The earth hadn't been destroyed in at least a
hundred years.  It did wonders for the environment.

        "At first I had wanted to come back and just pay a little visit
before I head off again, but now that I see the art is thriving here, it
makes me want to stay.  Fighting different alien races is not quite the
same as the style of Earth.  Would you care to amuse an old man with a
little sparring session?"

        Goku looked at the man and wondered again if the man was a mite
crazy.  Old?  Goku, himself was the oldest person on earth at over a
hundred if you didn't count his second childhood.  However, the word
sparring brought a smile to his face and everything else didn't matter.
He hadn't fought another person in a long while.  Even if he would have to
hold back and probably not even get to transform into super saiyajin form,
he relished the idea of actual combat.  "Sure."

                        * * * * *

        Goku spat out the tooth from inside his mouth.  Nobody had ever
managed to do that before.  He watched in astonishment as his long black
locks shrank and his fur disappeared.  The man was amazing.  Every punch,
every kick was performed to perfection.  One moment the man was to his
front and the next moment he had already punched his midriff, kneed his
lowered head, and stood to his back finishing off a chi blast.  The man
executed his moves as if he had been practicing for a thousand years.

        Goku pulled himself out of the cliff face and looked at his
floating opponent.  The man's eyes were old.  They were filled with
sadness and for a moment as the sun shone upon his face, Goku truly
believed that the man was thousands of years old.

        "You're very good.  I haven't fought anyone nearly as powerful as
you in five hundred years and a thousand years before that.  You have
potential.  Maybe, I will stay on this planet,"  The man looked at Goku
and saw in him a mirror image.  So long.  It had been so long, practicing
the same moves day in, day out.  Finally, a worth opponent.

        Goku grinned as for the first time, a smile appeared on his
opponents face.  He shrugged off the dust from his body and ran to his new
friend.  "Hey, I haven't even told you my name yet.  Son Goku, and I even
forgot to ask for yours."

        "My name is..."

        "Scat, Koneko!  Sorry about that.  It's a pet I just adopted..,"
Goku stared in bewilderment at the sight of the man suddenly screaming in
fright.  The man's bobbing pig-tail was the last thing he saw as a dust
storm filled the area from the speed of the retreat.  "That was impolite."

                        * * * * *

The End. (maybe)

One of the endings for Life and Times, I had in mind and a recent chat
session reminded me of it.   Hope you enjoyed it.

Fanboy and fanfic writer. ^_^
Homepage at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/4537