Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Ancient Future ❯ The stones ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DBZ OR THE WORKS BY TRACY HARDING

THE ANCIENT FUTURE

THE DARK AGE

PART 1

TIME

Chapter 1

The stones

As the evening cast its shadow across the horizon, Bulma secured the last bolt and replaced the hubcap. She tilted back on her heels to admire her work, out of the corner of her eye she noticed that the back tyre was also loosing air.

"Goddamn hire cars," she cried, kicking the dying tyre with her steel-capped boot.

"I don't believe it!"

It was difficult to see how bad the puncture was as the old country road was poorly lit.

Bulma drew back her long hair and sighed, kissing goodbye to any chance she might have of making it to her aunt's in Oxfordshire by dinner.

Disheartened, she turned and lent on the car to mull over her problems.

`The difference between a good situation and a bad one lay only in one's perception.'

The voice of her Sensei came into her thoughts.

It wasn't as if she was afraid to be in the countryside at night, for she was more than capable of protecting herself.

Only a few months back she'd achieved her second Dan grade (black belt) in Tae-kwon-do.

She'd also trained in kickboxing, a sport her brother, Brian, had encouraged her to pursue.

Kakarot had been Bulma's driving force, her fiercest competitor and closest friend.

Her recollection of the events that led to this death continued to plague her though to years had passed since the tragedy.

On the day of their first Dan grade competition, Kakarot and Bulma had competed against strong opposition to secure the title in their respective weight classes.

Kakarot had sustained a couple of bad strikes to the head, but the doctor gave him the all clear to go home.

The next morning, Bulma found her brother dead.

An autopsy determined the cause of death to be a subdural haematoma, which is swollen, bruised tissue that leads to a build up of pressure on the brain.

The doctors added to her family's distress by explaining that if this had been detected at the time of the injury, Kakarot might have been saved.

Bulma never competed again, and from that day on she regarded the medical profession with considerable scepticism.

Kakarot was gone, and her family had to live with the knowledge that it didn't have to happen.

Bulma's father Dr. Briefs, a Welshman born and educated, was a professor of British history and language.

He travelled the world lecturing at universities and was often called upon to investigate archaeological finds.

Bulma's mother, Mrs. Briefs was a classical harpist of some merit, and was forever flying off to perform with one orchestra or another.

These professional obligations sent her parent's abroad soon after Kakarot's death.

Bulma had insisted on staying home and finishing her year at university.

She spent most of her time on her own anyway, studying history, mythology, music, philosophy, metaphysics and the like.

Her father's knowledge of ancient languages had also ensured Bulma had a firm grasp of Brythanic (ancient Welsh) and Latin, in addition to the other languages she'd studied at university.

Her parents never pushed her into the workforce, for they were well off and ardent students themselves.

Dr and Mrs Briefs hated having to leave Bulma on her own most of the year.

So out of fear that she would wind up a hermit, they suggested that a change of scenery might do her good.

As her father's passion for his heritage had rubbed off on her, Bulma thought it was high time she investigated Britain's historical sites for herself.

Bulma glanced up at the night sky.

She remembered seeing a inn on the corner as she'd turned off the highway, but that was quite a way back.

She looked down the road in the other direction, but as there weren't any houses nearby, she considered the fence beside her.

Large trees bordered the property, and as Bulma approached them her heart began to pound.

"I don't believe it," she uttered, as she saw a large circle of stones in the field beyond.

She was tempted to investigate, so she retrieved her backpack, shoulder bag and saxophone case, and locked that car.

The circle appeared to be at least a hundred feet in diameter, and Bulma guessed there were about 70 stones.

Some were much larger than others were.

The elements and humankind had taken their toll over the centuries of the circles existence.

As she reached the perimeter of the circle, a strange presence came over her, and she stopped in her tracks.

How strange that I should find myself here tonight.

She was a little scared by this thought, for tonight was the summer solstice.

When Bulma recalled tales of Wiccan and Druidic practices traditionally held on this night a shiver ran over her.

She knelt to retrieve her black leather jacket from her bag.

It was the only possession of her brother's she had wanted to keep.

It was known as Kakarot's lucky Jacket, it was reinforced at the elbows, and bore a large-winged Harley Davidson emblem on the back.

It was 2 sizes too big for her, and very comfortable.

Oddly the atmosphere around the stones no longer perturbed her.

It seemed to welcome her.

She ventured into the middle, dragging her belongings with her.

Bulma dropped her things when she thought she was close enough to the middle, and pulled off her boots.

The energy of the place intrigued her, so she sat on the ground in the lotus position.

The back of her hands rested gently on her knees and her thumb and middle finger met to form a circle.

She closed her eyes and took 3 deep breaths, to achieve a relaxed, peaceful state.

A light began to shine around her.

This often happened when she mediated.

She continued to breathe deeply, imagining she was inhaling the light throughout her body and it filled her with a sense of strength and well being.

Bulma became aware of a buzzing, like the buzzing you get in your ears after a rock concert, only more melodic.

It gradually increased in volume, to a point where it bothered her and she was forced to open her eyes.

The light she thought she'd imagined, truly surrounded her, and appeared to be coming from the ground in the middle of the circle.

The mist rose to the sky, forming a large billowing cloud.

From within the largest stone, a ball of blue light, no bigger then a coin appeared, and made it's way towards her.

What is it? A fairy perhaps? Bulma had never actually seen one, so she couldn't dispel the possibility.

The sound of laughter began to filter through Bulma's head, and it sounded suspiciously male.

Bulma looked around wildly for the source.

"Is this some kind of elaborate hoax?" she questioned loudly, hoping for an answer.

The laughter rose again only clearer.

Bulma drew herself up straight.

"SHOW YOURSELF. I AM NOT AFRAID!"

The light was still for a moment.

Then in the blink of an eye, it darted towards Bulma, almost touching her forehead.

Bulma's limbs froze and she began to feel faint as the light penetrated her skin.

There ya go everyone

What did you think?

It took me forever.

So R+R OR I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN AND BREAK YOUR LEGS.