Part twelve: Arrival
Vegeta sighed as he watched Jadzia's pod zoom away. Her words were still echoing in his mind, and he shook head to get rid of them, not liking what they meant. Damn her! He thought, slamming his hand against the pod's padded wall. In his mind he went over the last two months, trying to figure out why she had picked now to leave. Suddenly he jerked his head up as a thought struck him.
"Computer." He snapped.
"Yez, Prince Vegeta." The pod's calm female voice answered to his summons.
"Show me the last picture recorded of Ja-I mean Idzia's face." He said, studying the blank screen thoughtfully.
"Ov courze Prince Vegeta." The screen blazed white then faded down to a picture of the female warrior's face. She was scowling, and her normally dark-brown eyes were silver with anger, lending her face a more evil look. It didn't help matters that there was a gash on her right temple so that whole side of her face was bathed in blood.
That's strange. He thought at having his hypothesis somewhat supported. "Computer, Show me fifteen isolated pictures of Idzia over the last two months, five seconds apart."
"Yez Prince Vegeta." As the requested pictures flashed before him, he took little notice of when they were, just how her eyes looked. In a fraction of them, her eyes were the normal brown-black color she had been born with. In most however, especially toward the end, her eyes were silver. It didn't seem to matter whether she was laughing at some comment he had made or growling about the unfairness of the situation, or even just staring out into space, her eyes always had that unnatural silver sheen.
"So I was right." He said aloud. Jadzia had left because she could no longer hide her anger from Frieza.
"Frieza knows and he is not pleased." Jadzia's voice came back to him again.
So that's what she meant. I really hope this works. If Frieza even suspects us...We are all dead. He sighed again as her words came back to him once more.
"Remember, Prince, you have the lineage to be the next Super Saiya-jin! Battle continuously and do not let Nappa or Raditz push you around. Hide your anger, and serve Frieza as you have me! Take care of yourself, boy. We'll see each other again, someday."
One week later
Jadzia winced as she stepped from her pod into the small crater it had formed. I've been sitting down way to long. She thought. She glanced around and started to propel herself out of the crater by her Ki, but then, thinking better of it, climbed out. When she reached the top, she breathed in deeply to rid herself of the stale air in her lungs.
As she got her bearings on a convent log, Jadzia looked around. She was in a large forest clearing, made small by the crater of her ship. While surveying her surroundings, she jerked her head up at a thought that suddenly hit her. No doubt on this back-world nothing of a planet they had never seen a Saiya-jin warrior before, so it was a safe guess that no-one would recognize her clothing, and would scream and run at the sight of her tail. It had happened before, but then that was when she was going to make them scream and run anyway at the force of her Ki. It was almost definite that Jadzia would absolutely stand out in a crowd if she walked into the nearest settlement looking like she did.
Don't want that. She mused. I guess I'll just have to swipe some clothing from the nearest house and return it when I get some cash and a place to stay. Getting up, she wandered over to a stream that was running near by and as she drank she glanced at her reflection. Then, something about her reflection caught her attention. Her once neatly-tied-back hair had been torn loose from it's place, and now her it was as wild as Vegetas usually was. Her uniform was torn and dirty from the last on-world fight, her dirk hung from an angle at her side, almost falling out of it's sheath. Her eyes were a dull hazel color, which the orange of the Scouter turned a muddy gold. She stared in shock, the water reflecting her expression as well.
"Now how did I let this happen?" She whispered to herself. Reaching down she splashed her face with the frigid water, then took off her armor and dunked her head. Jadzia sat up gasping and dragged a cloth out of her pocket to dry her face with. Out of the same pocket she pulled a small box that, when she tapped it's faces in the right combination, expanded to be about the size of her head. Rummaging through that, she pulled out a some what rumpled but clean uniform, another pair of finger-less gloves, her old belt pouch, and a leg sheath. After changing into the fresh uniform and casting an illusion over her Scouter to look like a pair of glasses, she stashed her armor into her pod. That done, she loaded things like her beat-up water bottle, a few ties for her hair, the remote for her ship and the cloth she had pulled out of her pocket into the pouch, and attached it to her belt. She slipped her dirk into the leg sheath, secured it with a strap, and attached that to her thigh, fastening the two straps so they wouldn't slip in a strenuous situation. Jadzia looked up and sighed.
"Time to get moving." She told herself. Hoping no one would come this far into the wilderness and find her ship, she set out in what she hoped was the right direction.
Part thirteen: Friends?
Jadzia watched as the first person she had encountered stripped off his clothes except for his trousers, and jumped almost naked into a pool created by a near-by waterfall. She eyed the available clothing and shrugged. Her outfit wasn't half as bad as she had originally thought, she had come upon an empty house and found what appeared to be a picture in a magazine of what females should wear, all she needed was a baggy shirt and she would have a fashionable look. And this kid looked like he had one she could use, if she could get it. No problem, she had been trained in stealth, besides, she thought that if she walked up in plain sight, took the shirt and walked away again, he wouldn't even notice. When he had disappeared around a pile of rocks, Jadzia climbed cat-like out of the bushes towards the clothes and came upon them silently. As she was freeing the shirt from the pile a red stick tied to a rope that she hadn't noticed before clattered away from the clothing and down onto the rocks below. Cursing herself, Jadzia quickly caught it with her Ki before it could make more noise, but she was too late. When she had looked up from her crouch she was face to face with the almost naked boy.
"What're you doing?" He asked. Jadzia rose from her crouch, dropping the stick, but still holding the shirt. "That's my shirt." He added. Jadzia realized that she was slightly taller than him, so that probably made him about fourteen. Jadzia took a haughty stance and bared her teeth at him.
"I need it." She said, and turned to walk away. To her surprise, he ran around in front of her and tried to take it from her.
"I said, that's my shirt!" He narrowed his big eyes, and to her surprise they became almost Saiya-jin like. Her tail involuntarily swung loose from it's position around her waist as she dropped the shirt in surprise. Seeing her tail, he almost dropped the shirt too.
"Are you a-"
"You have a-"
They both said at the same time. They stopped, looked at each other, then the boy started speaking again.
"You're the first person I've met with a tail besides me." He said. Jadzia looked at his waist, then behind him and didn't see a tail.
"I don't see your tail." She said. He grinned.
"They removed it for good a while ago. My name's Gokou! What's yours?"
"Uh, Jadzia. Who's they?"
"Hi."
"Hi. Who's they?" Jadzia asked again, getting frustrated. Gokou shrugged.
"Doctors."
Jadzia shivered. "I hate doctors."
"Me too." He looked at the shirt in his hands and back at Jadzia. "What'd you need the shirt for?"
"Oh, nothing." She answered, shrugging. He seems like a nice enough kid. I could probably stay with him for a while.
"Gokou!" A voice called from behind them. Jadzia whirled around, going into a fighting stance.
"Relax." The boy said, looking past her. "It's just Bulma. She's my friend and she's helping me find the Dragon Balls. Over here!" He shouted back.
"The Dragon Balls?!" Jadzia asked, startled. He looked up at her.
"Yeah, why? Are you looking for them too?"
"Hey, Gokou, over where?" A new voice shouted. Jadzia turned in the direction of the voice, her hand again going to her hilt.
"How many friends do you have with you?"
"Just Kuririn and Bulma."
"Hey Gokou-oh." A girl about the same height as Jadzia and a boy about the same height as Gokou stepped out from behind the rocks. "Who's your friend?"
"Her name's Jadzia and she's looking for the Dragon Balls too!"
"Am not! I don't even know what the things are." She crossed her hands over her chest and turned away. She suddenly had a picture in her mind's eye of a sphere about the size of a softball. It was orange-red and had a single yellow star in it. I guess that's a Dragon Ball. She thought, creating a holographic copy in her right hand. Gokou made a surprised noise and Jadzia turned back to him, holding the supposed Dragon Ball. The little bald guy (Kuririn, Jadzia guessed,) lunged for it, and his hand passed through air. "Stupid earthling." She muttered. "Is this one?" She asked Gokou.
"Yes," Gokou said, looking at the fake Dragon Ball closely.
"Wow, that's a neat trick. How'd you do that?" The blue-haired girl asked. Jadzia stepped back, not sure of what to say.
"Uh...It's an uh, ability I uh, have. Yeah. My Ki allows me to um, create illusions." She said quickly. I've never had to explain my powers before. This is weird.
"So, um, Jadzia, if your not looking for the Dragon Balls, why are you here?" She asked. Jadzia took another step back.
"I'm um, looking for someone." She answered. The three looked intrigued. At lest the two she could see did, the little bald guy was sneaking around behind her, probably trying to figure out where the Dragon Ball she had been holding went.
"Well, who? Maybe we can help you." The other girl persisted. Jadzia wanted to take another step back, but she knew that the edge to the water below was somewhere around here, and if she kept on stepping back, she would soon have to either get wet or have to expose her ability to fly.
"Uh, my dad, actually." She said. The others looked at each other and Jadzia took the opportunity to look behind her. Just as she thought, she was one step from the edge.
"Your...dad?" Kuririn asked. Jadzia nodded.
Well, it's true. I am looking for Kackarotto, just not avidly. Jadzia excused the lie mentally. "Yeah." She replied, a bit too brightly. The girl gave her a look and she grinned sheepishly. Just as she was about to reply, a yell interrupted her.
"Yahhhhh!" Jadzia looked up to see a black-haired boy jumping at her from a tree. Surprised, and forgetting that she was on the edge of a small cliff, she stepped back and floated there as the others watched him fall on his face.
"Oh Yamcha." The other girl sighed, putting her head in her hand. The youth hopped up and glared at them all, then turned on Jadzia.
"Where'd you put that, that, that, oh my god!" To her amusement the boy blushed bright red and gave her the most goofy smile that she couldn't help laughing as he fell down again.
I like these earthlings. I think I'll hang with them a while. She looked up at the beings that had clustered around the newcomer. "You know him?" She asked in a friendly voice.
"Unfortunately." Bulma answered. Jadzia laughed again, then noticed that Gokou was looking at her strangely.
"What's wrong, kid?" She asked. He pointed at her feet.
"You stepped off the ledge, but you didn't fall." He said. Jadzia looked down and grimaced. "And, you have a tail-"
Whatever he was going to say next was intuited by Bulma. "She's got a tail?" The girl had the strangest look on her face. Jadzia stepped back onto solid ground and wound her tail back around her waist in the same movement.
"Yeah, why?"
The girl grabbed Kuririn and started whispering to him. He had the same look on his face that she had earlier. Jadzia bristled with curiosity, so she Shifted herself over to where the two were talking.
"Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join?" She asked. The two jumped and turned guiltily to look at her.
"N-yes! We were just wondering if you knew about any...abilities that go along with the tail?" Bulma asked, as Kuririn nodded.
"Huh? What are you guys talking about?" Gokou asked. None too gently Yamcha shoved the smaller boy aside and pounced on Jadzia.
"Yeah! And, where'd that Dragon Ball go?" He asked. Startled, Jadzia was about to answer when Bulma slapped herself in the forehead.
"The Dragon Ball! Gokou," she turned to the confused boy so suddenly it startled him, "did you find it?"
"What? Find what?" He asked, not following the conversation. Bulma made an exaggerated noise and repeated herself.
"Did you find the Dragon Ball?" She asked in too patient a voice. Jadzia could tell this happened often. Gokou shook his head and the blue-haired girl groaned.
"Look, if you want help looking for it I'll gladly lend a hand." Jadzia said, interrupting the two. Bulma looked at her with a surprised look on her face. Jadzia shuffled a foot uncomfortably, then looked up at the older girl. "Look, about the tail, I know I can transform. If you want me too, and if you like me enough, I'll explain later how it happened, but I have full control over my animal form, so you don't have to worry about that." She shuffled her foot again. "Besides, I'm new here and I don't have any friends." Besides Vegeta I don't, and he's not here.
Bulma seemed to consider, then nodded. "Sure." She said. "We can really use all the help we can get." Jadzia held out a hand, and Bulma clasped it.
"By the way, I never formally introduced myself. My name's Jadzia Izirah."
"Bulma Briefs." How strange, her hand is so cold, it's like holding metal.
"Nice to meet you. Now, where exactly did you see this Dragon Ball?" Jadzia asked, turning to eye the water. I'd rather not get my arm wet but if it helps these guys trust me, why not?
"We didn't see it, if we had, we wouldn't bee here anymore. It's down there, somewhere." Bulma pointed to that water, stepping beside Jadzia. "Problem is, I can't get close enough to fix the spot without getting the Dragon Radar wet." The blue-haired girl pulled out a device that looked like a large stopwatch with a green screen and showed it to her. Jadzia saw that it had a blinking yellow numeral about a half-centimeter away from the center and guessed that that was the Dragon Ball.
"Why don't you fly over the water until that shows it's right below you?" Jadzia asked, pointing to the radar. The others looked at each other, then back at Jadzia.
"Because none of us can fly." Bulma answered slowly, as if that was obvious. Jadzia winced.
Oops. Better not make anymore assumptions about their Ki. "Oh."
"I've got Nimbus." Gokou said. Everyone turned and looked at him. "It flies."
"Yeah, but no-one can ride it but you." Bulma snapped at him. Jadzia looked at the two, hesitated, then intervened.
"I can fly." She said. Everyone looked back at her.
"You can?" Kuririn asked. Jadzia nodded.
"Yes. But, I can't read your language, so Gokou can use his uh, Nimbus, and show me where it is, then I'll go down and get it."
"What a great idea!" Bulma shrieked. Jadzia fought down an urge to cover her ears. "Gokou, call Nimbus!" The boy shrugged.
"Okay. FLYING NIMBUS!" This time Jadzia did cover her ears because the boy's voice was suddenly so loud it seemed to create echoes in the surrounding rocks. When the echo faded Jadzia took her hands off of her ears and looked up to find whatever everyone else was looking at. To her surprise a little golden speck flew out from behind the clouds and streaked down toward them, leaving a golden trail behind it. It appeared to be...a cloud? A little yellow cloud?
A cloud? Oh well. I've seen stranger. Jadzia thought as it flew down to stop hovering beside Gokou. She watched as Bulma gave the radar to Gokou, warning the boy not to drop it in the water, then as he jumped up onto Nimbus. He beckoned to her.
"Come on, Jad-Ze, let's go!" He called. Jadzia grinned as she walked over to them and took her place at his side.
"I think this is going to be the best time I've ever had." For the first time in many years she smiled at someone without a hint of malice or anger. Youp, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Okay, that's Part two. Like? Dislike? Do Tell!
Vegeta sighed as he watched Jadzia's pod zoom away. Her words were still echoing in his mind, and he shook head to get rid of them, not liking what they meant. Damn her! He thought, slamming his hand against the pod's padded wall. In his mind he went over the last two months, trying to figure out why she had picked now to leave. Suddenly he jerked his head up as a thought struck him.
"Computer." He snapped.
"Yez, Prince Vegeta." The pod's calm female voice answered to his summons.
"Show me the last picture recorded of Ja-I mean Idzia's face." He said, studying the blank screen thoughtfully.
"Ov courze Prince Vegeta." The screen blazed white then faded down to a picture of the female warrior's face. She was scowling, and her normally dark-brown eyes were silver with anger, lending her face a more evil look. It didn't help matters that there was a gash on her right temple so that whole side of her face was bathed in blood.
That's strange. He thought at having his hypothesis somewhat supported. "Computer, Show me fifteen isolated pictures of Idzia over the last two months, five seconds apart."
"Yez Prince Vegeta." As the requested pictures flashed before him, he took little notice of when they were, just how her eyes looked. In a fraction of them, her eyes were the normal brown-black color she had been born with. In most however, especially toward the end, her eyes were silver. It didn't seem to matter whether she was laughing at some comment he had made or growling about the unfairness of the situation, or even just staring out into space, her eyes always had that unnatural silver sheen.
"So I was right." He said aloud. Jadzia had left because she could no longer hide her anger from Frieza.
"Frieza knows and he is not pleased." Jadzia's voice came back to him again.
So that's what she meant. I really hope this works. If Frieza even suspects us...We are all dead. He sighed again as her words came back to him once more.
"Remember, Prince, you have the lineage to be the next Super Saiya-jin! Battle continuously and do not let Nappa or Raditz push you around. Hide your anger, and serve Frieza as you have me! Take care of yourself, boy. We'll see each other again, someday."
One week later
Jadzia winced as she stepped from her pod into the small crater it had formed. I've been sitting down way to long. She thought. She glanced around and started to propel herself out of the crater by her Ki, but then, thinking better of it, climbed out. When she reached the top, she breathed in deeply to rid herself of the stale air in her lungs.
As she got her bearings on a convent log, Jadzia looked around. She was in a large forest clearing, made small by the crater of her ship. While surveying her surroundings, she jerked her head up at a thought that suddenly hit her. No doubt on this back-world nothing of a planet they had never seen a Saiya-jin warrior before, so it was a safe guess that no-one would recognize her clothing, and would scream and run at the sight of her tail. It had happened before, but then that was when she was going to make them scream and run anyway at the force of her Ki. It was almost definite that Jadzia would absolutely stand out in a crowd if she walked into the nearest settlement looking like she did.
Don't want that. She mused. I guess I'll just have to swipe some clothing from the nearest house and return it when I get some cash and a place to stay. Getting up, she wandered over to a stream that was running near by and as she drank she glanced at her reflection. Then, something about her reflection caught her attention. Her once neatly-tied-back hair had been torn loose from it's place, and now her it was as wild as Vegetas usually was. Her uniform was torn and dirty from the last on-world fight, her dirk hung from an angle at her side, almost falling out of it's sheath. Her eyes were a dull hazel color, which the orange of the Scouter turned a muddy gold. She stared in shock, the water reflecting her expression as well.
"Now how did I let this happen?" She whispered to herself. Reaching down she splashed her face with the frigid water, then took off her armor and dunked her head. Jadzia sat up gasping and dragged a cloth out of her pocket to dry her face with. Out of the same pocket she pulled a small box that, when she tapped it's faces in the right combination, expanded to be about the size of her head. Rummaging through that, she pulled out a some what rumpled but clean uniform, another pair of finger-less gloves, her old belt pouch, and a leg sheath. After changing into the fresh uniform and casting an illusion over her Scouter to look like a pair of glasses, she stashed her armor into her pod. That done, she loaded things like her beat-up water bottle, a few ties for her hair, the remote for her ship and the cloth she had pulled out of her pocket into the pouch, and attached it to her belt. She slipped her dirk into the leg sheath, secured it with a strap, and attached that to her thigh, fastening the two straps so they wouldn't slip in a strenuous situation. Jadzia looked up and sighed.
"Time to get moving." She told herself. Hoping no one would come this far into the wilderness and find her ship, she set out in what she hoped was the right direction.
Part thirteen: Friends?
Jadzia watched as the first person she had encountered stripped off his clothes except for his trousers, and jumped almost naked into a pool created by a near-by waterfall. She eyed the available clothing and shrugged. Her outfit wasn't half as bad as she had originally thought, she had come upon an empty house and found what appeared to be a picture in a magazine of what females should wear, all she needed was a baggy shirt and she would have a fashionable look. And this kid looked like he had one she could use, if she could get it. No problem, she had been trained in stealth, besides, she thought that if she walked up in plain sight, took the shirt and walked away again, he wouldn't even notice. When he had disappeared around a pile of rocks, Jadzia climbed cat-like out of the bushes towards the clothes and came upon them silently. As she was freeing the shirt from the pile a red stick tied to a rope that she hadn't noticed before clattered away from the clothing and down onto the rocks below. Cursing herself, Jadzia quickly caught it with her Ki before it could make more noise, but she was too late. When she had looked up from her crouch she was face to face with the almost naked boy.
"What're you doing?" He asked. Jadzia rose from her crouch, dropping the stick, but still holding the shirt. "That's my shirt." He added. Jadzia realized that she was slightly taller than him, so that probably made him about fourteen. Jadzia took a haughty stance and bared her teeth at him.
"I need it." She said, and turned to walk away. To her surprise, he ran around in front of her and tried to take it from her.
"I said, that's my shirt!" He narrowed his big eyes, and to her surprise they became almost Saiya-jin like. Her tail involuntarily swung loose from it's position around her waist as she dropped the shirt in surprise. Seeing her tail, he almost dropped the shirt too.
"Are you a-"
"You have a-"
They both said at the same time. They stopped, looked at each other, then the boy started speaking again.
"You're the first person I've met with a tail besides me." He said. Jadzia looked at his waist, then behind him and didn't see a tail.
"I don't see your tail." She said. He grinned.
"They removed it for good a while ago. My name's Gokou! What's yours?"
"Uh, Jadzia. Who's they?"
"Hi."
"Hi. Who's they?" Jadzia asked again, getting frustrated. Gokou shrugged.
"Doctors."
Jadzia shivered. "I hate doctors."
"Me too." He looked at the shirt in his hands and back at Jadzia. "What'd you need the shirt for?"
"Oh, nothing." She answered, shrugging. He seems like a nice enough kid. I could probably stay with him for a while.
"Gokou!" A voice called from behind them. Jadzia whirled around, going into a fighting stance.
"Relax." The boy said, looking past her. "It's just Bulma. She's my friend and she's helping me find the Dragon Balls. Over here!" He shouted back.
"The Dragon Balls?!" Jadzia asked, startled. He looked up at her.
"Yeah, why? Are you looking for them too?"
"Hey, Gokou, over where?" A new voice shouted. Jadzia turned in the direction of the voice, her hand again going to her hilt.
"How many friends do you have with you?"
"Just Kuririn and Bulma."
"Hey Gokou-oh." A girl about the same height as Jadzia and a boy about the same height as Gokou stepped out from behind the rocks. "Who's your friend?"
"Her name's Jadzia and she's looking for the Dragon Balls too!"
"Am not! I don't even know what the things are." She crossed her hands over her chest and turned away. She suddenly had a picture in her mind's eye of a sphere about the size of a softball. It was orange-red and had a single yellow star in it. I guess that's a Dragon Ball. She thought, creating a holographic copy in her right hand. Gokou made a surprised noise and Jadzia turned back to him, holding the supposed Dragon Ball. The little bald guy (Kuririn, Jadzia guessed,) lunged for it, and his hand passed through air. "Stupid earthling." She muttered. "Is this one?" She asked Gokou.
"Yes," Gokou said, looking at the fake Dragon Ball closely.
"Wow, that's a neat trick. How'd you do that?" The blue-haired girl asked. Jadzia stepped back, not sure of what to say.
"Uh...It's an uh, ability I uh, have. Yeah. My Ki allows me to um, create illusions." She said quickly. I've never had to explain my powers before. This is weird.
"So, um, Jadzia, if your not looking for the Dragon Balls, why are you here?" She asked. Jadzia took another step back.
"I'm um, looking for someone." She answered. The three looked intrigued. At lest the two she could see did, the little bald guy was sneaking around behind her, probably trying to figure out where the Dragon Ball she had been holding went.
"Well, who? Maybe we can help you." The other girl persisted. Jadzia wanted to take another step back, but she knew that the edge to the water below was somewhere around here, and if she kept on stepping back, she would soon have to either get wet or have to expose her ability to fly.
"Uh, my dad, actually." She said. The others looked at each other and Jadzia took the opportunity to look behind her. Just as she thought, she was one step from the edge.
"Your...dad?" Kuririn asked. Jadzia nodded.
Well, it's true. I am looking for Kackarotto, just not avidly. Jadzia excused the lie mentally. "Yeah." She replied, a bit too brightly. The girl gave her a look and she grinned sheepishly. Just as she was about to reply, a yell interrupted her.
"Yahhhhh!" Jadzia looked up to see a black-haired boy jumping at her from a tree. Surprised, and forgetting that she was on the edge of a small cliff, she stepped back and floated there as the others watched him fall on his face.
"Oh Yamcha." The other girl sighed, putting her head in her hand. The youth hopped up and glared at them all, then turned on Jadzia.
"Where'd you put that, that, that, oh my god!" To her amusement the boy blushed bright red and gave her the most goofy smile that she couldn't help laughing as he fell down again.
I like these earthlings. I think I'll hang with them a while. She looked up at the beings that had clustered around the newcomer. "You know him?" She asked in a friendly voice.
"Unfortunately." Bulma answered. Jadzia laughed again, then noticed that Gokou was looking at her strangely.
"What's wrong, kid?" She asked. He pointed at her feet.
"You stepped off the ledge, but you didn't fall." He said. Jadzia looked down and grimaced. "And, you have a tail-"
Whatever he was going to say next was intuited by Bulma. "She's got a tail?" The girl had the strangest look on her face. Jadzia stepped back onto solid ground and wound her tail back around her waist in the same movement.
"Yeah, why?"
The girl grabbed Kuririn and started whispering to him. He had the same look on his face that she had earlier. Jadzia bristled with curiosity, so she Shifted herself over to where the two were talking.
"Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join?" She asked. The two jumped and turned guiltily to look at her.
"N-yes! We were just wondering if you knew about any...abilities that go along with the tail?" Bulma asked, as Kuririn nodded.
"Huh? What are you guys talking about?" Gokou asked. None too gently Yamcha shoved the smaller boy aside and pounced on Jadzia.
"Yeah! And, where'd that Dragon Ball go?" He asked. Startled, Jadzia was about to answer when Bulma slapped herself in the forehead.
"The Dragon Ball! Gokou," she turned to the confused boy so suddenly it startled him, "did you find it?"
"What? Find what?" He asked, not following the conversation. Bulma made an exaggerated noise and repeated herself.
"Did you find the Dragon Ball?" She asked in too patient a voice. Jadzia could tell this happened often. Gokou shook his head and the blue-haired girl groaned.
"Look, if you want help looking for it I'll gladly lend a hand." Jadzia said, interrupting the two. Bulma looked at her with a surprised look on her face. Jadzia shuffled a foot uncomfortably, then looked up at the older girl. "Look, about the tail, I know I can transform. If you want me too, and if you like me enough, I'll explain later how it happened, but I have full control over my animal form, so you don't have to worry about that." She shuffled her foot again. "Besides, I'm new here and I don't have any friends." Besides Vegeta I don't, and he's not here.
Bulma seemed to consider, then nodded. "Sure." She said. "We can really use all the help we can get." Jadzia held out a hand, and Bulma clasped it.
"By the way, I never formally introduced myself. My name's Jadzia Izirah."
"Bulma Briefs." How strange, her hand is so cold, it's like holding metal.
"Nice to meet you. Now, where exactly did you see this Dragon Ball?" Jadzia asked, turning to eye the water. I'd rather not get my arm wet but if it helps these guys trust me, why not?
"We didn't see it, if we had, we wouldn't bee here anymore. It's down there, somewhere." Bulma pointed to that water, stepping beside Jadzia. "Problem is, I can't get close enough to fix the spot without getting the Dragon Radar wet." The blue-haired girl pulled out a device that looked like a large stopwatch with a green screen and showed it to her. Jadzia saw that it had a blinking yellow numeral about a half-centimeter away from the center and guessed that that was the Dragon Ball.
"Why don't you fly over the water until that shows it's right below you?" Jadzia asked, pointing to the radar. The others looked at each other, then back at Jadzia.
"Because none of us can fly." Bulma answered slowly, as if that was obvious. Jadzia winced.
Oops. Better not make anymore assumptions about their Ki. "Oh."
"I've got Nimbus." Gokou said. Everyone turned and looked at him. "It flies."
"Yeah, but no-one can ride it but you." Bulma snapped at him. Jadzia looked at the two, hesitated, then intervened.
"I can fly." She said. Everyone looked back at her.
"You can?" Kuririn asked. Jadzia nodded.
"Yes. But, I can't read your language, so Gokou can use his uh, Nimbus, and show me where it is, then I'll go down and get it."
"What a great idea!" Bulma shrieked. Jadzia fought down an urge to cover her ears. "Gokou, call Nimbus!" The boy shrugged.
"Okay. FLYING NIMBUS!" This time Jadzia did cover her ears because the boy's voice was suddenly so loud it seemed to create echoes in the surrounding rocks. When the echo faded Jadzia took her hands off of her ears and looked up to find whatever everyone else was looking at. To her surprise a little golden speck flew out from behind the clouds and streaked down toward them, leaving a golden trail behind it. It appeared to be...a cloud? A little yellow cloud?
A cloud? Oh well. I've seen stranger. Jadzia thought as it flew down to stop hovering beside Gokou. She watched as Bulma gave the radar to Gokou, warning the boy not to drop it in the water, then as he jumped up onto Nimbus. He beckoned to her.
"Come on, Jad-Ze, let's go!" He called. Jadzia grinned as she walked over to them and took her place at his side.
"I think this is going to be the best time I've ever had." For the first time in many years she smiled at someone without a hint of malice or anger. Youp, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Okay, that's Part two. Like? Dislike? Do Tell!