It was cold... so very cold. If there had been light, the warm breath wheezing from dry, cracked lips, could have been seen forming silvery clouds before dissipating into the surrounding nothingness. The insignificant drops of moisture faded forever into the air, never adding to the arid atmosphere. A little colder, and they might have turned to ice crystals.

And it was lonely... so very, very lonely. If there had been wind, the scratchy whisperings could have been dismissed as nothing more than errant zephyrs rustling something in the distance. The half-heard voice echoed off unseen walls, pleading in ever more desperate attempts to turn away the creeping madness. A little longer, and it might not matter.

"..... please... oh please... no more..... no more loneliness... no more emptiness... no more night! Please! Oh gods, please... let me out of this grave... let me touch life... let me into the light! Please, please, oh gods, oh Great Dragon... let me out, let me live, let me die, just let me be! Free me from this limbo! PLEASE!"

Katatsu's eyes snapped open. Confusion and fear swamped him as he stared into an abyss. In his mind, he felt the touch of deranged terror, someone else's thoughts leaping through the crackling, cold air. The anguished voice continued wailing from the darkness, the screeching sound of nail against stone accompanying it. It was clawing its way closer. Panic rooted Katatsu to the ground. His heart thudded against his chest, his breathing rapid and shallow. His eyes widened in a futile attempt to catch any stray source of light. He could sense the mad thing coming closer, dragging along the floor. A tiny shift in the air pressure and he knew it was reaching out for him. The weakest of breezes caressed his cheek...

And it was warm.

The abyss fled before green-yellow sunlight and a mix of blue grass and tan soil. Another breeze, stronger this time, chased away the bitter cold clinging to his skin. The world returned to its normal state, with the addition of chattering voices in the distance. Katatsu blinked at the sudden change.

A... a vision? But why now?

He drew in a calming breath, banishing the last of the terror that had invaded his soul. He glanced about and found himself exactly as he had been before the vision overtook him. He sat on a gentle slope, the newly cut grass cushioning the hard ground and lacing the air with its spicy scent. Open country surrounded him, featuring a few hills and copses of Ajiisa. Small clusters of gi clad Namek-jin dotted the landscape. The groups were all busy with conversation, sometimes growing louder with excitement or disagreement. No one appeared to be paying attention to him.

Katatsu sighed in relief. It would have to happen today of all days, he mentally grumbled.

The day of the Inter-Village Tournament had arrived. He, and the other Warriors, had gathered early to prepare. Practice fields had been marked off and sensei from different villages had led them through a few drills and katas. Now, they were finishing the preliminary fights. Because of the odd number of Warriors, it was necessary to do round-robin matches to determine the participants in the paired matches.

One such match was currently underway. This one could possibly end the preliminaries, as one opponent was one loss away from elimination. Katatsu had seated himself nearby. He hadn't focused on the fight, but did want to be there once the outcome was decided.

At the moment, though, he wasn't paying any attention at all.

I can't believe this... a vision now? Maybe I should report this to Elder Kagyu..... The Elder wasn't there, which meant he would have to leave the practice grounds to find him. And to leave, he would have to speak with one of the sensei. He had no idea what commotion that would cause. No... I suppose it can wait...

His conscience chided him for his decision, but Katatsu was determined. A few hours won't make a difference, he assured himself. Are you really certain of that? a small voice asked.

Katatsu clenched his fists, then winced when the just healing edges of a cut tugged apart. He absently rubbed the wound on his hand. He had been indulging in a healing meditation when the vision occurred. I guess I'll have to skip the meditations unless I really need them. I can't risk.....

"Hyaaa!!" The lusty battle-cry broke into Katatsu's thoughts. He glanced up in time to see a burly Novice aim a kick at the face of his smaller opponent. His opponent ducked low, the strike sailing cleanly over his head.

Katatsu was a little surprised. He hadn't expected the fight to last this long. The smaller Warrior, Suki, wasn't very powerful, his only advantage being speed. Though from the look of his injuries, it wasn't a big one. The Novice was covered in bruises and cuts, one eye was nearly swelled shut. His gi didn't seem to be in much better condition. He panted, close to his limit.

His larger opponent, Karu, on the other hand, seemed able to go for much longer. He sported very few injuries and wasn't even breathing hard.

Katatsu shook his head in dismay as the smaller Novice jumped from his crouched position, aiming an open palm toward his competitor's jaw.

The larger Namek-jin easily took advantage, letting the blow slide by his head and grabbed the arm. He did a quick half-turn and jabbed his elbow into the other's midsection. The smaller Novice grunted. Karu released his opponent and Suki stumbled backwards, slightly stunned. The burly Novice did not hesitate, but aimed a kick at the Suki's stomach, and the small Warrior fell.

Katatsu slid his gaze over to the attending sensei, Bosa, but the judge didn't declare the match over. That meant Suki was still conscious enough to fight. The match would go on unless he conceded.

Katatsu turned his attention back to the match and found himself staring into Karu's eyes. The two locked gazes. Karu's serious expression shifted and he grinned viciously. A shiver raced over Katatsu's skin.

As the smaller Novice rose to his feet, Karu closed a fist. Katatsu had the urge to shout "Get down!" but before he could, the burly Novice whipped around and drove his hand into Suki's abdomen.

Katatsu gasped as he felt the surge in the larger Namek-jin's ki. It wasn't an outright ki attack, which would have been forbidden, but it was used to give extra force to the punch. He watched in horror as the smaller Novice was bent nearly double. Suki gagged on his own bile, his face a mask of shock, and flew a few feet before landing hard on the ground.

The fallen Namek-jin coughed and gurgled, a small stream of blood leaking from his mouth. His ki dipped very low, but did not approach a critical level. His body shuddered as he became conscious of new, painful injuries.

"Out of the way!" Katatsu, too stunned to move, was shoved to the side as someone ran by, intent on reaching the defeated Warrior. A tall figure knelt next to Suki. He extended a hand towards the Novice, then nodded to Bosa, indicating the wounds were not fatal. Light quickly gathered under his hand as he concentrated on the healing.

For once, Katatsu was grateful for Muri's presence. As the lead Healer in the village, he had been asked to attend, in case of serious injuries. Normally he wouldn't have been needed so soon. It was fortunate he had decided to show up for the preliminaries.

Katatsu silently thanked the good spirits before turning his attention back to Karu. He glared at the larger Namek-jin. Anger quickly boiled up and he snapped, "Karu! There was no reason to use that kind of force!"

Karu just smirked at him, clearly unconcerned with Katatsu's opinion. Katatsu ground his teeth and growled lightly.

"Karu, you have won this match," Bosa announced, approaching the two Novices. He glanced at both of them and frowned. "Is there something wrong here?"

Karu's cocky grin was quickly replaced with an expression of proper respect. "No, sensei," he replied, "We were just comparing fighting styles and had a small disagreement."

Bosa raised an eye ridge and looked to Katatsu. Katatsu allowed his anger to fade. He didn't think squabbling with a peer would be appreciated. He was sure Bosa would have something to say about what happened in the fight, even if he had decided to declare Karu the winner.

"Just... a disagreement, sensei," he whispered.

Bosa studied him for a moment longer, then returned his gaze to Karu. "You must control your strength more, Karu. The idea is to win, not to cause serious injury."

Karu bowed, his expression serious. "My apologies, sensei. I thought he was stronger."

Bosa appeared to accept this as he nodded, then left. Karu grinned again, baring his fangs at Katatsu. "They shouldn't let such small Novices into the Tournament. They always get hurt."

Katatsu's anger flared again, suddenly aware of the deeper meaning of what had happened. Before he could retort, Muri appeared at Karu's side. The Healer stared at Katatsu and stated, "I agree."

Katatsu scowled at Muri as the taller Namek-jin walked by, returning to his place at the sidelines. A thousand answering remarks jumbled in the young Warrior's mind but none made to his tongue.

~ ~ ~

Ichi shone down from its spot well above the horizon and a clear sky heralded a perfect day for the Tournament. The breeze had turned cool and promised to keep the temperature pleasant. Spectators from the village started to gather at the arena, carefully avoiding the segments marked off for the competitors. The excited chatter of the crowd began increasing as the minutes ticked away to the Tournament's opening ceremony.

Katatsu surveyed the area, not quite accepting the fact he was finally taking part in the Inter-Village Tournament. The preliminaries were now over but they had seemed so much like his usual training spars, that the reality of his being there was just beginning to sink in. He didn't think it would be until his first arena match that he would accept it fully.

He shifted a bit in his sitting position. The ground here was not cushioned by grass as the practice fields were. The loose rocks and gravel had been cleared away, but the hard stone of the arena wasn't exactly comfortable. Wimp, he chided, You're going to have a lot more discomfort to worry about than an aching backside. Well, might as well get the lay of the land.

Katatsu studied the area again. The Warriors had been led to the arena after the participants had been declared and shown where the competitors would sit. None of them had seen the place before now.

The arena was outdoors, because the higher class matches often involved ki attacks and aerial tactics. No reason to build walls if they were just going to get knocked down or restrict a Warrior's movements. The arena floor was a large, sunken circle, skirted by a flat area. The farthest edges of that area were used by the competitors when they weren't fighting and the inner edges were used by the Tournament officials. The flat area itself was surrounded by terraces, which was where the spectators sat. The one notable feature was a large, throne like chair sitting on the bottom terrace. The look of an arena usually depended on the host village. Theirs was little more than a natural formation, which Katatsu decided he preferred.

He directed his attention away from the arena after a few moments and searched the crowd from his seated position. He smiled at Elder Kagyu, who had taken his place near some of the other, older members of the village. The elder nodded to him encouragingly.

"What a spectacle!" laughed a nearby voice.

Katatsu, caught by surprise, turned to see Mushi lounging comfortably next to him inside the competitor's area. Whatever anger or unhappiness had plagued his friend last night seemed to have been banished. His eyes sparkled and he grinned mischievously. Katatsu shook his head, knowing an official would shoo him away soon.

"You know you're not supposed to be here," Katatsu commented, trying to keep a straight face.

Mushi's eye ridges rose dramatically and he said, "I can't watch the Tournament? When did they make that announcement?"

Katatsu bit his lip, then replied, "You know what I mean, Mushi! You're supposed to be up there," he pointed to the terraces, "with the other spectators."

Mushi shrugged, unconcerned. "Maybe they'll let me stay."

Katatsu shook his head. He was going to point out that the opening ceremony would start soon and he didn't think the officials would be pleased if Mushi was still in the competitor's area. Unfortunately, the low, sweet note of a trumpet beat him to it.

A thrill ran through him and there was a bit of a mad scramble as the Warriors rose to their feet, while the spectators also rose and silence fell over the arena. Katatsu heard Mushi mumble something like "Uh oh" as he was effectively blocked from escaping the competitor's area without drawing a lot of attention. He glanced back to see Mushi squeeze into a hollow in the wall behind them. Not much of a hiding place, but at least he wasn't quite as visible. And none of the other Warriors appeared eager to point out the intruder at the moment.

The trumpet let loose another long note and all eyes were drawn to a procession that started at the top of the terraces. The herald appeared, the ivory of his instrument reflecting the sunlight. A bright red pennant hung from the trumpet, matching the sash and long vest he wore. As he marched down the stairs, the ancient symbols embroidered on the pennant and vest could be seen.

The two fierce Warriors Katatsu had seen yesterday followed the herald, striding slowly down the steps. They wore deep purple gi with sashes of the same bright red. Their gazes skimmed over the gathered Namek-jin and the arena, searching for non-existent enemies. Following them came seven older Namek-jin in richly colored robes, each different but all accented by a red sash. They seemed deep in discussion, though occasionally motioning to some spectator or another.

A few nervous whispers arose from the crowd. Someone nudged Katatsu in the side. He gasped and his world danced a little. It took him a second to realize he had almost passed out. He forced himself to breathe regularly, though he was practically shaking with excitement.

Finally, at the end of the procession, accompanied by a young adult holding an shade umbrella, appeared a very tall, somewhat stocky older Namek-jin.

A renewed hush fell over the arena. As this last addition to the procession passed, rows of spectators bowed deeply. The irrelevant fact that this Namek-jin was not quite as old as Elder Kagyu lodged itself somewhere in Katatsu's brain. He also noted the elder wore a long vest and sash of the same red as the others.

The procession continued until the older Namek-jin was seated in the great, bone-colored chair Katatsu had noticed earlier. The elder smiled at his companions, as they arranged themselves around the throne. The young Namek-jin holding the umbrella stayed to one side, while the other seven stood around him. The Warriors each took a position on opposite sides. The elder laughed when one of the seven made some comment, then he turned to the crowd and nodded.

The spectators and Warriors straightened, but made no other move. A lone figure approached the seated Namek-jin from out of the crowd. The figure was obviously an Elder, wearing white and turquoise. Katatsu couldn't help the swell of pride he felt.

"Welcome to the Inter-Village Tournament, Saichorou," said the Elder, bowing deeply. "You honor us and our Warriors with your presence."

"Thank you, Elder Kagyu," Saichorou responded, his mellow voice carrying easily in the hushed arena. He smiled warmly at the Elder. "Thank you for your village's hospitality. You have done well in preparing the stage for the Inter-Village Tournament. May one of your Warriors be victorious in his matches."

"Thank you for the blessing," Kagyu responded. He bowed again and returned to his place among the spectators.

"Well, then," said Saichorou, sweeping his gaze over the crowd and the Warriors. "I think it's time. Let the Tournament begin!"

A cheer went up from the gathering and Katatsu found himself yelling with the loudest of them. The Warriors clapped each other on the shoulder or back, boasting about winning and consoling the "losers" in jest. The officials managed to restore order in a few minutes and began announcing the pairings for the first round of matches.

Katatsu listened long enough to catch which opponent he would have and what order the matches would take. Once he had, he squeezed through to the back where Mushi was.

"Well, that was exciting!" Mushi grinned and commented when he saw his friend. "So that's Saichorou... I thought his voice would be lower."

"Mushi!" Katatsu cuffed Mushi's arm and scowled. Leave it to him to manage a joke, even in the most serious situation.

Mushi's grin just widened. The two sat down as most of the Warriors were doing the same. The fact that Mushi was still in the competitor's area finally worked its way back into Katatsu's memory. He opened his mouth to remind his friend when Mushi decided to make another comment.

"Look at that!" Mushi pointed to where Elder Kagyu was speaking with a Namek-jin wearing a very dark gray long vest and sash. This Namek-jin appeared a few seasons older than the Elder and leaned heavily on a cane. Kagyu was motioning to a leveled off stone, apparently trying to get the other to sit.

"That's Rikou, isn't it?" Katatsu asked. He hadn't seen the old scientist often. Rikou usually kept to his hut, not coming out even to gather supplies. He had heard the old Namek-jin tended to be sickly, so he couldn't expend a lot of energy going about.

Mushi was silent a moment, his face somewhere between serious and incredulous. Finally, he laughed. "The old guy couldn't stay away! Yeah, that's Rikou. Maybe you should visit him sometime, since he always on about some new discovery. I can never follow him."

Katatsu snorted. He had been told not to disturb the elder unless he had good reason. He supposed Mushi either never heard that rule or decided to ignore it. Probably the latter.

"Usually don't see everyone gathered like this unless there's some kind of emergency," continued Mushi.

Although his friend's voice had still been joking, the muscles on the back of Katatsu's neck and shoulders shivered. As if very cold fingers had raked across his skin.

"You're morbid," he chided Mushi, trying to dispel the odd feeling with a bit of his own humor.

Mushi just shrugged. A strange sort of expression, Katatsu would have labeled it somewhat resigned, settled on his friend's face. Whatever it was, it was quickly swept away by another expression. One of mock indignation when an official finally showed up and, as Katatsu had predicted, insisted Mushi take his place among the spectators.

Katatsu shook his head, heart considerably lightened by Mushi's usual antics. He thought he could look forward to a good day of competition.

~ ~ ~

Well, maybe good hadn't been the right word to use, Katatsu thought to himself. Grueling came closer. And painful hit it right on.

He had finished his semi-final match for the Novice class not long ago and was taking a much needed rest. He was beginning to question his stamina and abilities. He knew it was dangerous to let his doubts get to him, they could be more crippling than any blow from an opponent. But after miscalculating a few factors, like the fact that he was not exactly average size for his age and other competitors in the class were somewhat brawnier, he was beginning to lag.

Katatsu figured he had collected more, and varied, injuries in the Tournament than he had in his few seasons of training. He was sure there wasn't one area on his body that hadn't been hit at least once. The worst, though, was that his ankle turned traitor halfway through the last match. He had spent almost all of last night healing it and it had taken one misstep to injure it again. Fortunately, he had managed a light meditation. It wasn't completely healed, but he could fight.

He shrugged away his thoughts. He had made it to the Finals. He just needed to keep focused and he might have a chance.

The final match for the Novice class would be announced in a few minutes. He knew who his opponent would be and he wasn't precisely thrilled. He searched the faces of the spectators, trying to gauge who they thought would be the winner.

He caught Mushi's attention. Mushi gave him an encouraging smile. He didn't seem to doubt for a minute that Katatsu would come out on top. He even shouted, "You can do it, Katatsu! Don't worry!"

Katatsu groaned, his face heating in a blush. Several spectators around Mushi frowned and a few started lecturing him, presumably on Tournament etiquette. Katatsu waved to his friend, then surveyed the rest of the crowd. Near the edge of the competitor's area, he unwittingly locked gazes with Muri. The Healer frowned, his eyes practically shouting "Fool, you're going to get yourself killed."

Katatsu resisted the urged to do something extremely rude, like stick out his tongue, and turned away instead. He was in time to see the announcer come out to the middle of the arena.

The announcer bowed to the gathering at large, then said, "Thank you for your patience. The final match of the Novice class will now begin. Competitors, come to the arena."

Katatsu rose and walked over to his designated spot, careful not to limp with his hurt ankle. A taller, brawnier Namek-jin took the position opposite him.

"Katatsu, child of Kuji and the Dragon Family, represents the host village Higashi," the announcer introduced him. "Karu, child of Koku, represents the village Touhoku."

Katatsu faced his opponent and bowed. He tried to keep his expression and feelings neutral. He wanted a clear mind for this fight. Karu bowed respectfully enough, then he smirked. The two eased into their beginning stances.

"Begin!"

Karu decided to take the initiative, lunging at Katatsu with a closed fist strike. Katatsu easily blocked the hit, turning aside his opponent and following up with a knee to Karu's midsection. Karu stumbled back a few paces, then regained his balance. Katatsu frowned at him, insulted that he had tried such a direct and simple attack. He could have at least made it a feint.

Katatsu dropped back into a fighting stance, partly crouching and hands out front. Karu matched his posture and the two circled slowly. Karu once again led off, this time with a low kick aimed at Katatsu's nearest leg. Katatsu had to shift his feet quickly so he could manage a high enough jump to avoid the attack.

He landed softly and aimed a kick at Karu's exposed back. Karu couldn't block but he did manage to grab Katatsu's ankle and shin, using it to force him into a back roll or risk breaking his knee.

Damn it! Katatsu landed face up, angry that he had done something so stupid as use his bad ankle to kick with. He knew he was lucky it hadn't been injured more. He felt Karu release his leg in order to get to a better position. He quickly flipped his legs up while simultaneously pushing against the ground with his arms and shoulders. He did a reverse somersault and just missed having Karu's foot planted in his stomach.

He couldn't recover enough to block the open palm blow which caught him on the chin. He took a few steps back and glared at Karu. A warm rivulet of blood flowed from his lip.

Karu grinned, baring his fangs. "You fight well, little 'mek. But you aren't a match for me."

Katatsu smirked. He wiped away the trickle of blood with the back of his hand, leaving a purple smudge against his emerald cheek.

+ + + + +

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