"Questions"

by Mark Buchholz

Author's Note:

                       I am frustrated with Funimation because they never explain what happens in those seven years after the defeat of Cell. I'm not saying that they should detail the entire seven years, but some major developments like marriage and children, shouldn't just be glossed over. That said, I'm writing about Krillin and Eighteen because Krillin is a badass, and he's the one that got me hooked on DBZ. If you want specifics, it would be episode 143 – Krillin's Decision.  Plus, I've always felt that Eighteen was the hottest out of all the DBZ chicks, so I'm glad that she ended up with my man Krillin. Okay, so my psychological justification crap is out of the way, and now you can (hopefully) enjoy my fic.

                       A streak of orange and navy blue arced through the pristine sky, and the sky itself was mirrored in the cerulean waters below. Krillin was glad to be heading home. He breathed deeply and enjoyed being alive.

                       It was finally over. Cell had been defeated, and Krillin could finally sleep well at night. There would be no more sleeping in shifts, no more worrying about the destruction of Earth, and no more fearing for his life.

                        Gazing down at the waters' surface ahead of him, Krillin looked for the small, familiar island where he had lived most of his life.

                       He was tired now, but it was a fulfilled, content kind of tired. Glad that he could relax again, Krillin slowly floated down towards the waters' surface as he continued speeding eastwards. He slowed down enough to where he could reach down and intermittently touch the tops of the waves, sending up wild white spray in his wake. The sunshine felt good on his back.

                       There. Up ahead, and a little to his left, he could see the outline of the Kame House. Altering his course appropriately, he prepared himself for a long afternoon of story telling, as Master Roshi would want to know everything that happened.

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

                       It was long dark before he finished telling the story.

                       "Interesting," said Master Roshi, "So Gohan did all that, eh?"

                       "Yep,"

                       "Well, say hello to Trunks for me when you see him off tomorrow."

                       "Okay," Krillin made the mental note, "I'll do that. But now I'm gonna get some sleep."

                       Roshi laughed.

                       "Okay, good night, Krillin."

                       Krillin trudged up the stairs to the room he had occupied for so many years, even after Roshi had nothing more to teach him. Now he had time to think, to slowly digest the day's events, at least, those events that were most important to him. Undressing, he let his thoughts wander unhurriedly whither they were wont to. His weary muscles groaned in relief as he slipped beneath the sheets and let himself be pulled beneath consciousness.

                       His dreams were seasoned by a particularly stunning blonde.

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

                       Sunlight glinted off of a swatch of her blonde hair as she watched the males converse about her. Krillin was mistaken. How could he even think that Seventeen was her…ugh…boyfriend?

                       The record needed to be set straight.

                       "Hello?" she shouted, jumping out from behind the pillar which hid her.

                       She heard Krillin mumble something like "There she is!"

                       Hopefully he wouldn't take this the wrong way.

                       "Hey! Boneheads!" she shouted, "Seventeen is my twin brother!"

                       "Oh, man…" Krillin muttered. He looked genuinely apologetic, knowing that something like that would annoy her greatly. Eighteen was almost touched. Almost, until Yamcha opened his mouth.

                       "No! This is excellent, you dope! Didn't you hear her? That guy's her twin brother!" He laughed stupidly.

                       Eighteen grew livid. She hated that idiotic male attitude more than anything else.

                       "I wouldn't celebrate if I were you." She shouted angrily, "If you think you've won my heart because of that lousy wish you're mistaken! I didn't ask for your help!" Krillin needed to be dissuaded from that type of thinking.

                       She turned her back to him. Yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She spoke only to him this time.

                       "But it was really nice of you…" the harsh edge was gone from her voice. It was almost affectionate, she realized, hoping that he wouldn't misinterpret that as well.

                       "It was?" he stammered, "You mean, you're not mad at me?"

                       "Not really, no."

                       "Well then, would you like to come over and join us?" There was nothing hidden in his voice. It was really nothing more than a friendly invitation. But she didn't need to think to answer.

                       "No thanks."

                       She ran to the edge of the platform and left.

                       Eighteen plummeted down, not even expending energy to fly, just falling down from the immense height of the platform, and realized that she had no idea where she was going.

                       Where can I go?

                       The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had nowhere to go. Everything she had in this world had been destroyed by Cell, almost including herself. Sixteen and Seventeen were gone, despite the wish the Z Fighters had spent trying to bring back all the victims of Cell. Sixteen and Seventeen, her only companions. Had it not been for Krillin, she herself wouldn't be alive. How she had gotten out of Cell after he had absorbed her, she didn't know. She hadn't bothered to ask.

                       More and more questions reared themselves in her head as she continued her long fall to Earth. She loathed the idea of crawling back to those fools in exchange for answers. She had more dignity than that.

                       Krillin's seemingly odd behavior shortly before Cell absorbed her was explained, he obviously had a crush on her, but that still didn't answer the question of why. She had terrorized so many people, and yet, the man still harbored feelings for her. It confused Eighteen thoroughly.

                       She admitted to herself that out of the lot of them, Krillin was the only one she could stand.  He was the only one that didn't sound like a complete chauvanistic idiot whenever he opened his mouth.

                       She broke through the clouds into a partly cloudy day below, the mid afternoon sun shining brightly.

                       I still have nowhere to go.

                       She turned a quick, easy, graceful somersault, pulled into level flight and sped off towards the horizon.

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

                       Krillin watched the palm frond lazily wave at him in the tropical breeze outside his window. He hadn't gotten up yet, but was very much awake. He could hear Master Roshi rummaging around downstairs, but other than that, the tiny island was quiet.

                       I actually have time now to sit back and do nothing.

                       The idea was a novel one, and Krillin enjoyed it.

                       And yet, in his pleasant repose, the Loneliness crept up on him. The Loneliness that had been following him around for years. It came and went as it pleased, and he never knew when it would would strike and kill his spirit all over again. He hid it from his friends, because he thought they couldn't relate. No one else seemed to feel this vacuum that he felt in his heart. It was never an issue with Piccolo, or Goku, or Tien. They all passed through life without ever feeling this emptiness which he now felt.

                       Seeing as he had the time to spare, and very little desire left in him to fight it off, Krillin let the Loneliness overtake him, and sank into its depression.

                       He thought of Eighteen. No, perhaps she wasn't mad at him, but she would never feel for him what he felt for her. As an android, was she even capable of such emotions? He didn't know. He had the distinct feeling that even though they were on good terms, he would never see her again. She had her own life to live, and she had expressed her desire to go live it on her own when she declined his offer to come hang out with him and the Z Fighters.

                       No, she isn't coming back.

                       So you might as well put her out of your mind, Krillin.

                       But he dwelled on the memory of her, savoring the pain as it shot through his heart. His left cheek tingled as he remembered where she had kissed him. The kiss that brought about the gestalten switch. The switch from seeing her one way, as an android designed to kill and maim, to a person. A particularly attractive young lady with grace, confidence, and courage.

                       When he finally decided that he had sulked enough, Krillin rolled out of bed, and padded over to his dresser, where he kneeled and was about to begin the daily ritual of shaving his head, but as he looked in the mirror he questioned why he maintained the habit anymore.

                       Staring at his own reflection, Krillin's outlook on life changed. The almighty Senzu bean did wonders for one's vitality, but it didn't stop the aging process altogether.

                       Maybe it's time to retire. There's not much I can do anymore, with Gohan, Vegeta, and everyone else being so much more powerful than I could ever hope to be. I've done my part; I think I'm getting too old for this stuff.

                       He stared at himself for a long time before finally coming to a decision.

                       And so, for the first time in seventeen years, Krillin reverently put away his razor and did not shave his head.