Dragon Ball: The New Generation
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball, but the Akira Toriyama does.
Summary: A year after the End of Z, Dende summons Tenshinhan, Krillin, and Yamcha to the lookout to request something of the warriors. What could it be? And what changes will the request bring to their lives?
A/N: Just a quick one shot based around the humans of the Dragon Ball world, set in a combined world of Akira Toriyama's various manga. Review and tell me what you think!
Dende's Request
The God of the Earth looked out over his domain one springtime afternoon as he patiently waited for his invited guests to arrive. On the edge of the lookout that hovered high above the planet, he held his walking stick in his hand as his attendant, loyal Mr. Popo, stood in the background, watching as the young guardian silently took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and communed with the spirits of both his ancestors and the guardians before him. He had learned much during his conversations with those from the past, accessing a greater wealth of knowledge and wisdom that he would be otherwise unable to delve into without their guidance. As he started into deep conversation with the Grand Elder, he could feel the presence of three humans with great power flying towards him on his left, but he continued to keep his eyes closed.
"Hey Mr. Popo," Krillin's voice came happily, greeting the genie-like attendant of the lookout upon arriving. He had not been there in a few months, having had no need as it had been peaceful on Earth.
"Hello all," Mr. Popo smiled back, greeting the three humans that he had come to know over the past few decades. They all stood a couple of feet away from Dende, waiting for the god to show recognition of their arrival, not daring to disturb him.
Dende turned, and his green lips curled into a smile, giving a small nod of his head to his guests. "Thank you all for coming," He started, meeting the gaze of each one of his guests. "As I am sure you are aware, the Saiyans will not always be around to fight to protect the Earth. The ordeal with Sasame a couple of months ago just underscored that fact for me."
Dende paused for a moment, allowing his words to linger in the air as he continued to gaze at the newly arrived humans that were standing around him. While he was still young, he now was fully grown, standing roughly a foot taller than Tien, whom was the tallest of the humans at a solid 6 foot 2 inches. "To that end, I would like you all, the heroes of Earth and the greatest martial artists of all time, to find and train the next generation with the hopes that you will be able to pass on your considerable abilities."
"We're old, Dende, past our prime," Yamcha replied, knowing that he could only train a student to what he currently was before they would have to find a way to get stronger on their own. "We can't possibly train our students to be as strong as you would like."
"I will return your abilities to what they were when you were at your greatest," Dende said almost nonchalantly, ending any concern they may have, having been fully aware that the powers of the warriors had eroded a bit with age and lack of practice. While they were still phenomenal martial artists, some of the strongest in the entire universe, they were indeed weaker than what they once were, which was something Dende had all intention of rectifying.
"How?" Tien asked in a confused tone, not understanding how the god would be able to perform such a feat. While he knew Dende had great healing powers, what he was talking about seemed well beyond anything Tien had seen before barring the use of the Dragon Balls.
Silently, Dende walked over to Krillin, before placing his green hand on the shorter man's forehead. Closing his eyes, Dende took a deep breath and his hand glowed for a couple of seconds-it was a golden light that shined nearly as brightly as the sun as energy waves emanated from his fingers. Instantly, there seemed to be a wind surrounding Krillin's body as his aura flared and his full potential was unlocked in a similar way that Guru once had done for the former monk. "I've been communing with the Grand Elder's spirit, he taught me all of his own abilities so I could better serve as Earth's guardian."
"This...this...this," Krillin started, staring down at his hands as his power returned to him almost fully. There was a tremendous smile on his face as his body overflowed with energy, energy that he had once possessed but had lost in his age and laziness. "But, how?"
"They won't last forever, you'll need to work to keep them," whispered Dende, fully aware at the powers would leave them quickly if they did not try to sustain them. "But they will grant you your old abilities for a time." He finished, before heading over to Yamcha and Tien, where he performed the same technique, a mix of his healing abilities and his new ability to unlock a person's potential.
"Thank you, Dende," Both warriors said, eternally grateful that they were as they once had been. They too immediately felt an improvement in their abilities, their energy level completely rising back to the levels that they had once felt, the level they had worked for during their prime.
"Thank you, more like," Dende replied, not allowing them to thank him for what he was doing since he had other motives than simply being nice. "You all deserve so much credit, and I am sorry you never got the recognition you deserved."
"We didn't do anything for recognition, but instead, simply to be the best we could be," Tien returned, having always fought and trained in order to better himself. While he knew he had made mistakes in his time, his true pursuit was to better himself in life, a lifelong desire that he couldn't help but feel pride about.
"You will need uniforms for your new proteges," Dende suggested, not wanting them to leave empty-handed. "What will you like?"
"Hm," They all whispered, thinking about what their students would wear. They had given no thought to uniforms, or even having students, prior to just minutes before, so to them, it was an on the spot decision.
"I would like the first Crane uniform I ever wore," Tien said, deciding that he would try to redeem the Crane school name instead of creating his own school. "Purple pants, green legwarmers, red obi, white tank top, red and green arm bands, and a green, purple and red overcoat with the Crane symbol on the chest."
Dende gave a nod and pointed, and the aforementioned uniform appeared at Tien's feet, neatly folded and ready to be taken. The other two described their own uniforms, with Krillin keeping with the Turtle School uniform while Yamcha reverted to a similar uniform to his desert bandit wardrobe, with blue and red boots, orange pants, a green and orange tunic with the Turtle symbol emblazoned on the chest and a wolf symbol on the back, a blue obi, blue and orange wrist bands, and an orange handkerchief that would be draped over his student's shoulders. Overall, they were all very happy with their selections, knowing that it paid homage to their past, while allowing them to create their own future. They would strive to train the best students they could, students that would have the same unique abilities and personalities that they and their friends all shared.
"Now go, find the students you are destined to teach and allow them to take your place as defenders of our beloved planet," Dende grinned, gesturing to the world below them.
"What do you say, send them all to the World Martial Arts tournament in two years?" Krillin laughed as they all picked up their uniforms and started rising into the air.
"Absolutely," Yamcha nodded, excited at the prospect of having one of his students fight under his banner, just as he had done under Master Roshi's school years prior.
"You're on!" Tien called out, before taking off into the distance. "Thanks again, Dende. I'll see you all soon!"
Dende watched as the fighters took off in their respective directions, before turning to Popo with a curious look on his face. "Mr. Popo, what do you know about the advent of the lookout?"
"Why do you ask, Dende?" Popo questioned respectfully, wondering what the young god had on his mind.
"I wish to create another one, one that will serve as a garden and an oasis in the sky," whispered Dende, as he used his divine gaze to stare down at the Earth, where a dinosaur was drinking from a clear blue river. "The world is becoming smaller and smaller. The cities are starting to expand to such great size that they are encroaching upon the splendor of the Earth, and I wish to preserve just a smidgen of that splendor. By placing it on the exact opposite as the lookout, it'll allow myself and future guardians the greatest vision of the planet that we have ever had."
"It will not be easy, Dende," Popo said skeptically, not seeing how they would be able to do all that Dende had in mind, but willing to help in any way he could. Without answering, Dende just gave his loyal companion a broad smile, knowing that it would be a tough endeavor but fully prepared for what was to come as he knew it would improve his duties as the God of the Earth.
It was two days later that found Tien walking through the streets of North City, his former home, in an effort to find a young protege to take under his wing. He had been born in the city's boundaries decades prior, orphaned at a young age, before being found by the Crane Hermit, who took him in and trained him in the ways of martial arts. While he barely remembered his time in North City, he felt it would be quite poetic to return in order to fulfill his new mission in life, and as such, he headed towards the small area of the city called Sen, which he knew housed many of the stranger humans that called the planet home. He wanted to take someone into his care that wasn't normal, that was deemed abnormal by those around him, someone that had something about them that others could possible tease or mock just as he was teased and mocked about his third eye. He hoped to empower him or her by teaching them martial arts, just as he had once been empowered by his own master-albeit, he intended on having his protege be good and not be trained to be an assassin.
He had heard rumors of a very talented, master-less martial artist that lived on the streets, earning extra money by challenging random opponents. He wanted to see if the young but talented fighter was as good as the rumors said, and if so, he would ask for him to become his apprentice. The reason he had chosen this young boy compared to the countless of other street martial artists that littered the world was not only because of his supposed abilities, but also due to the strange characteristic the boy was said to possess: he was said to have bat-like dragon wings on his back.
Arriving at the corner that the boy was located, he watched the small, black-haired boy fight a much larger dog-like man. In less than three moves, the dog-man was dropped to the ground in a quick strike to the legs, seemingly knocked unconscious by the force of hitting the rocky sidewalk. With a smile, the boy collected his money and stood off to the side as the crowd gathered around the downed fighter, all gawking at the sight of the large dog-man being hurt by the much younger and smaller fighter. He placed the money into his bag, and waited for a new challenger to come, hoping to get at least one more for the day.
Tien watched as the boy continued on with his day as another challenger came up to him ten minutes later. The boy reminded him of Goku at that same age: innocent but powerful, happy but analytical when it came to fighting. He was not burdened with a malevolent soul as Tien himself was a child, which allowed him to enjoy himself and find happiness even with his less than fabulous life. Tien continued to watch the boy fight, studying his movements, before finally giving out a nod of satisfaction as the boy finished off his new opponent.
Tien closed the distance between him and boy, the crowd all surrounding the now vanquished opponent. "You're good, but you could be better, you know," Tien started, coming closer to the boy as the audience began to disperse for the day. "I could teach you."
"Teach me?" The boy said, looking at Tien, giving the older man a curious glance. "How would you teach me?"
"I am Tenshinhan, but you can call me Tien," Tien said, bowing slightly as he introduced himself. "I can teach you things you can only dream about. I can show you a world that no one else around here can possibly imagine."
"Prove it," The boy grinned, taking a challenging stance, prepared to fight the man across from him.
Tien placed his things down, and took his own stance, all the while wearing a small smile on his face. In an instant, the boy attacked, throwing punches and kicks as quickly as his small body allowed. However, Tien was much too quick for the boy as the aged master disappeared in the blink of an eye, reappearing behind him before the boy even knew what was happening. "Behind you," Tien whispered, making the boy flip around in fright. "Or am I over here? Over here? Now over here!" Tien said, using the After Image technique to appear in numerous places at once. "Still think I can't teach you anything?" Tien questioned, allowing his After Images to disappear and settling himself in front of the boy.
"Fight me!" The boy growled, throwing a punch towards Tien, who blocked it with ease. Again, the boy threw a flurry of punches, but every time he did, Tien used his greater strength and ability to prevent them from connecting. With his breath heavy, the boy stopped and looked up at Tien, his face showing a confused expression. "How did you do that?"
"Like I said, I can teach you things about which you could only dream," Tien said, regaining his things, knowing that his show had done what he intended it to do.
"How?" The boy asked, wanting to find out how exactly Tien would teach him more about martial arts that no one else could do, not even his deceased master.
"Do you know about ki?" Tien inquired back, wanting to see if the boy had even a minimal understanding of ki. While the physical body could only do so much, could only be so powerful, the spiritual aspect that was fueled by ki was nearly limitless so long as you were willing to work for it. With ki, one could jump higher, run faster, punch harder, take more punishment, perform feats and do things that would cripple a person that was not enhanced and amplified by the ki inside of them.
"No," The boy shook his head in the negative, not knowing what that was or what it meant.
"That's how," Tien smiled, appreciating the boy's naivety. "There's a limit to how much physical strength and speed you'll have, but with ki? You are boundless, so long as you are willing to work."
The boy's eyes went wide at the sound of being boundless, something that he always dreamed about when it came to leaving the life that he had to live on a daily basis. "When can you teach me?"
"We can leave right now, if you want," Tien shrugged, not seeing any reason why they couldn't begin their journey immediately. "What is your name?"
"My name is Tanton," the boy said, reaching down and grabbing his bag. "Let's go then."
"Don't you have some place to be?" Tien asked, having expected to go to his family or caregiver first. "Where are your parents?"
"Don't know, never knew them," Tanton shrugged, having grown up without his parents in his life. He lived in a dojo for the first ten years of his life, before his master died, leaving him to find his own way in life. "I was raised by my master, but he died a few months ago, leaving me all alone." Tanton reached up into the air and stretched, revealing a necklace that Tien hadn't seen before that point.
"What is that?" Tien said, seeing the glint of a shiny object.
"An old trinket that I've had my whole life," Tanton shrugged, holding out a round pearl-like object that was on the end of the necklace. He placed it back under his shirt, hiding it from sight. "Where are we going?"
"We'll be in the northern mountains for the next two years or so," Tien replied, giving a small smile upon seeing Tanton's face.
"But it'll be freezing up there!" The younger boy replied, surprised by the revelation.
"The consistent temperature will allow your body to grow stronger," Tien lectured quietly, having experienced it himself. "Due to the coldness, your muscles will continually expand and contract, meaning you'll be getting a workout even when you're at rest."
"If you say so," Tanton replied skeptically, not seeing the benefit of being cold all the time, but willing to concede the point if Tien thought he knew better. He had never been so thoroughly beat by an opponent before then, which hastened his desire to want to learn from the older man, even if it put him in danger.
"Would you prefer Yunzabit Heights?" Tien laughed, earning a frown from Tanton, who quickly shook his head in the negative. "Who was your master?"
"Master Tenron, he raised me from a young child and trained me, but our home was attacked and he knocked me unconscious and hid me, and when I awoke, I found him dead," Tanton growled in anger, the gnawing need to get revenge for his master's murder swelling inside of him. "I regret not waking up sooner."
"Sky Dragon? The Panther-Fang school, I thought I recognized that technique," Tien whispered to himself, seeing the abilities of the Sky Dragon in Tanton's moves. "Who attacked him?"
"I don't really know," Tanton shrugged, not feeling comfortable discussing it. Seeing Tanton's sadness, Tien dropped the subject for the time, though he was curious as to what had happened in the boy's past.
With that, the two set off, heading towards the mountains in the distance. While it was still springtime, it would soon be turning to summer, allowing them a few months of relatively warm weather before it got too cold, giving Tanton time to get used to the training regime. They would work their hardest in order to get the best out of each other, with Tien learning just as much from Tanton as the boy would from Tien. Unbeknownst to either, their meeting was not only the start of a lifelong friendship, but the beginning of a story that would detail one of Earth's greatest heroes in the future, as well. Tanton would one day become a legend in his own right, remembered in the annals of history as a warrior who had fought for the planet against all those that wished to bring it harm.
The same day that Tien had found his new protege, Yamcha was walking through the streets of East City, heading in the general direction of Capsule Corp. He had searched the deserts for someone to take as a student, but no one seemed to have the ability or the desire to grow as a martial artist, forcing him to figure out another course of action. As he pondered his dilemma, he crossed the street into a throng of people who were all going about their day, ignorant of many of the dangers that had besieged the planet throughout their time. He walked down the street before he felt a small tug at his wallet, and he cocked an eyebrow as he realized what was happening.
"Shouldn't steal things from people, you know," Yamcha said, grabbing a girl's hand as she was pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.
"Let go of me," the blonde girl said, ripping her hand out of Yamcha's grasp with strength greater than someone her size should have been able to muster.
"Hey, you're pretty strong," Yamcha replied, surprised by her power. He couldn't help but question how she had channeled such energy, for she did not look like a martial artist.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" The girl replied, not liking Yamcha's tone. She had grown to be stronger than anyone her age, having been willing to get her hands dirty in order to get ahead in life.
"I was a thief and a bandit once too," Yamcha said, hoping to gain her trust enough to figure out his questions about her. She had been stronger than any normal human her age, showing Yamcha that she may have passed the mythical human boundary that Master Roshi always mentioned.
"So what?" The blonde said, not concerned with what Yamcha had to say.
Yamcha gave a small smile, appreciating her attitude, knowing full well that it was a defense mechanism. "I can take you away from this life," he started, deciding that he would choose her to be his protege, even if she wasn't a martial artist. "If you're willing to work for it, I can give you a live worth living, one that will make you happier than you can ever imagine."
"I don't need your help," the blonde scoffed, believing that she could get by on her own just fine. She was young, yes, but she had taken care of herself so far, so to her, she was handling growing up just fine by herself.
"Alright, then I'll just teach you how to steal better," Yamcha answered, changing tactics in an attempt to show her a new life. "What's your name?"
"My name is Haya Hasky," Haya answered proudly, as if her name was more important to her than anything else. "And what do you know about stealing?"
"Hasky, hm?" Yamcha whispered, recalling the bandit known as Hasky from years prior. "I think I knew your mother. What happened to her?"
"She was arrested years ago, left me all alone," Haya growled, though Yamcha couldn't tell if she was angry at him or her mother. Though, by the pride in which she said her name just seconds prior, Yamcha wagered that she was upset about her mother being caught rather than leaving her alone.
He sized her up: she was quite tall for her age, which he guessed to be about thirteen, and had a wiry build with long blonde hair and dark violet eyes, a far cry from her mother's green ones. Even so, she looked remarkably similar to her mother, having the same off-putting beauty that the former bandit had used to her advantage. "Do you know how to fight?"
"Yes," Haya answered, her attitude seemingly dissipating for the time being. There was something about Yamcha that she was intrigued by, having never been caught pick-pocketing before then.
"I'll teach you how to do it better," Yamcha said nonchalantly, aware that there were only a handful of people in the world that could teach her more about martial arts than he could. While he had lagged behind when it came to ki and battle strength in comparison to all of his friends, his knowledge of martial arts and martial arts history was still near the best in the world as he had a wellspring of knowledge that only a few could match.
"Who are you?" Haya questioned with furrowed brows, curious as to who Yamcha was and why he thought he could teach her anything about fighting or being a bandit.
"Yamcha, I used to be a desert bandit before I found my true calling as a martial artist," Yamcha explained, referencing his years as a teenager being the famous bandit in the Diablo Desert. "That's why I'm here, I'm looking for an apprentice. If you train with me, I promise you'll leave my care a stronger, wiser person. Maybe we'll even have some fun all the while. What do you say?"
Haya took a step back, putting her hands up in a defensive position. "Why would I leave with a creepy old man?"
Yamcha laughed, not offended by the teenager's comment, even if he didn't necessarily agree with the idea of him being old. "Because I was fast enough to feel your hand in my pocket, you're intrigued by that. I can show you true speed."
"What's in it for me?" Haya questioned, weighing his offer in its entirety. On one hand, she wanted to be better than what she was in order to get bigger scores, but on the other, she was fine as she was when it came to being a bandit and could learn on her own if need be.
"A lot of zeni if you win the World Martial Arts tournament?" Yamcha grinned, knowing that there were many perks in being a great martial artist, some of which he had partaken when he forayed into professional baseball using his enhanced abilities, as well as his long career as a bodyguard to the stars. "You know Mr. Satan? You'll be stronger than he is and more popular too."
"No one is stronger than Mr. Satan!" Haya exclaimed, finding the idea of being stronger than the five time world champion ridiculous.
"I am, my friends are, you will be by this time next year," Yamcha returned, figuring that it would only take about a year of difficult ki training for Haya to become stronger than the popular wrestler. "If you doubt me, call my bluff."
Haya looked down at the ground, before looking back up at Yamcha, seemingly still weighing her options. "If I don't like it, I'm free to leave?"
"Look, it's not going to be easy, I'm telling you, you'll have to work harder than you have ever worked before," Yamcha started, not wanting to give her any false ideas about what she would have to go through. "But I promise, you'll benefit from it in every way. When I was around your age, I was a bandit and I met my friends, and with them, we fought adversaries we could only dream about, overcame challenges that we dreaded, and looking back on my life, I'm proud. I promise, one day you'll be able to do the same."
"Stronger than Mister Satan you say?" Haya asked again, making sure that she understood exactly what Yamcha was saying. Could she do it? Could she really become stronger than the world's strongest man? She didn't know if she could, but she knew it was an opportunity that did not come very often in life.
"Much stronger," Yamcha answered with a nod, agreeing with her statement. "So strong in fact that not even the world itself will be able to hold you down."
"Where would we be going?" Haya inquired, biting her lip in thought, still processing everything that she heard.
"You'll come, then?" Yamcha smiled, thrilled to be able to have a clean slate with his student, one where he could teach from the ground up and build a base from which she could grow.
"For a time, I'm curious as to how you were able to feel my pickpocket as no has done so before," Haya admitted, having been impressed that Yamcha had caught her in the act.
"Fantastic," Yamcha grinned, inwardly happy that he had finally found his student. "We'll be traveling to Diablo Desert, where we'll train for a bit in that environment before heading towards the Sacred Land of Korin, where you'll fight the guardian of Korin's Tower. Once you beat the guardian, you'll be climbing up the tower."
"Climbing...up a tower?" Haya said with wide eyes, a bit worried by Yamcha's proclamation. "How high is it?"
"Higher than the clouds," Yamcha laughed at shocked expression that Haya was wearing. "I did it when I was younger, you can too," Yamcha winked, referencing the time when he, Tenshinhan, Chaoutzu, and Krillin all climbed the tower in preparation for the 23rd World Martial Arts tournament. "Shall we?" He questioned, gesturing for her to follow him, earning a slight nod from the blonde teenager.
With that, Yamcha led his new student out of the city limits, heading in the direction of the Diablo Desert, which would be a few days of traveling. Yamcha had a plan to make his protege the best of her generation, the strongest fighter, unlike what he had become at the tail end of his own martial arts career. He would push her beyond her limits straight away, force her to confront her weaknesses and learn about her strengths. She would eventually climb the tower, and no matter how long it took, she would catch Korin and drink from his water bottle. How did he know that she would? Because he would be right there with her the entire time.
Krillin, meanwhile, had taken a week to search for his own apprentice. He had needed to set up a home for his family on a small island near Kame House, where he would do the training that Master Roshi had once forced him to perform: deliver milk early in the morning, work the fields, and perform other daily chores that would train the body of his apprentice. After convincing 18 to move and setting things up, he set off to newly rebuilt Orin Temple, where he hoped to find a monk of a similar mindset to himself. He had no idea what to look for in a student, so he figured the best course of action would be to find someone that had the same drive that he had as a child, the same passion that allowed him to become the strongest human that had perhaps ever lived.
The new temple had been completed a decade prior, the original having been destroyed by Nappa in his attack on East City. It looked nearly identical to the old temple, albeit more modern in appearance. He walked onto the lands, admiring the trees and the peacefulness that it brought to him. The entire plot of land that the temple was located on was serene, allowing the monks to pursue their spiritual quests in the peace of the wild, while still being connected to modern society that lingered outside.
Just as he neared the temple, he heard a commotion from inside. Quickening his pace, he rushed to the door, where he saw many of the monks being tossed around by a teenage girl with black hair that was pulled up into a bun. Each monk that attacked was knocked to the ground with great fluidity and strength, showing that the girl possessed a fighting technique that Krillin could not quite place. Before long, Krillin and the girl were the only ones standing, and the girl instinctively turned her gaze towards him, choosing him as her next opponent.
"Who are you?" The girl said, taking a stance as she narrowed her eyes at Krillin, wondering just who the newcomer was that would dare challenge her.
"I could ask you the same thing, intruder," Krillin said, keeping his arms crossed as he looked around at the members of the temple. They all seemed alive, albeit, hurt and embarrassed by being beaten so badly.
"If you're one of them, then you're my challenge!" The girl yelled out, rushing towards Krillin with speed almost greater than a normal human.
With quick thrusts of her arms, she attacked with great ferocity, showcasing a skill in martial arts that not many on the planet possessed. However, even with her prodigious skill, she was no match for Krillin, who easily dodged her attacks without worry. He ducked and moved, all the while seeing that her technique was a similar to the Chin-Star style. After a few kicks from his opponent that missed their mark, Krillin finally had enough, blocking each of her attacks before knocking her to the ground.
"Enough," he said, standing above her in an effort to calm her down. While he was not tall, slightly shorter than five feet, he did have an imposing physique, with muscles that bulged much larger than a regular human. "Who are you and what do you want?"
"How did you do that?" The girl said confusedly, having assumed Krillin was simply another weak member of the Orin Temple. While the temple was known to produce great fighters, she had easily dispatched even their greatest warriors, making her assume that the reputation was not deserved.
"I trained here when I was younger than you," Krillin answered, recalling his days at the temple where he was often bullied for being smaller. "Now, who are you and what do you want?"
"To prove myself," The girl shrugged, as if the answer was obvious. "I am not a pushover."
Krillin furrowed his brow at the girl's answer, perplexed as to why she thought that she needed to prove herself. "Who said that you were?"
"I'll beat you!" The girl suddenly screamed, jumping to her feet and releasing a flurry of punches, each of which were easily dodged by Krillin. "How is this...no...I'm better, I am better!"
"You haven't moved beyond the ordinary yet, haven't gone beyond the human wall, you can't beat me," Krillin admitted, feeling that the girl had yet to go beyond the limits of a human being. While she was stronger than any of the monks at the temple, and stronger than he was when he first appeared in front of Master Roshi, she was limited by her human body, which kept her strength to a minimum. She still needed to train harder in order to breach the wall that held humanity back, the one that Krillin himself had passed under Roshi's tutelage.
"What do you mean?" The girl said as she stopped, inwardly wondering what Krillin meant by that.
"You have to break through your natural limits in order to better yourself," Krillin replied easily, informing the girl that she had no hope in beating him even with her talent: he was much too strong for that. "Better yourself physically, push yourself past that limit, and you'll prove to be great."
"Teach me," The girl said instantly, having never met anyone that was able to withstand her attacks except for her father and sister, whom thought her to be weaker than them.
"What?" Krillin asked with a raised eyebrow, confused as to why the girl thought he would be willing to make her more powerful when she was angry and deeply resentful.
"Teach me," The girl repeated, this time more slowly and calmly, hoping to change Krillin's opinion of her.
"You attacked an entire temple, why should I?" Krillin questioned, wanting to see how she would answer. While he knew she wasn't evil per se, he did not want an apprentice that would use the powers granted through his training to hurt people. Instead, he wanted someone that would devout themselves to helping protect the planet from any threat it may so fall under.
"Because I want to be the best! To prove myself!" The girl exclaimed, showing a resolve that Krillin recognized-it was the same resolve that he and his friends had when they were young.
"I only teach those who are noble," Krillin said, though he knew he himself was not noble when he first started on his journey all those years ago, which was perhaps the reason that he was willing to listen to what the girl had to say.
"I can be, please," The girl pleaded, bowing her head in respect. "I just want to prove myself, I wasn't being malicious in my fighting, I promise."
"Apologize to each and every one that you have attacked and I...I will think about it," Krillin settled, hoping that she would try and make amends with the people that she had hurt. Quickly, the girl rushed all about, helping all those that needed help and bowing in apology to them once they were okay. After nearly an hour, she returned to Krillin, who had watched with great interest. "Why are you so dead set on being the best?"
"I have a sister, she's my father's favorite," The girl replied quietly, her emotions changing instantly. It was clear that she was sad about how her family viewed her, rather than bitter and angry as she originally let on. "I want to be better than her."
"Really?" Krillin laughed, finding it quite funny that it all came down to a sibling wanting to outdo the other. "This is about a sibling rivalry?"
"Yes," The girl nodded, not taking offense to Krillin laughing at her, for she knew the truth had probably surprised him.
Krillin looked around the temple, seeing all of the monks returning to their normal routine, still sore but otherwise okay. Then, he turned his gaze down to the girl, who was looking at the floor. "My name is Krillin, if you want me to teach you, you have to be willing to work, is that understood?"
"Of course," The girl nodded enthusiastically, willing to do whatever it would take to be the strongest. "I am Paopao Taiken."
"Then yes, I will train you, Paopao," Krillin smiled, earning a yell of happiness from Paopao, who was clearly excited at the prospect.
The pair then started to clean up, helping out the monks rebuild whatever was broken in the attack. Once that was done, and after apologizing once more, Krillin and his new apprentice headed off towards the island that they would call home for the next year or two. Paopao did not move as fast as Krillin would have liked, both in running and in swimming, but she did not complain once, even though she had been tired most of the way. Upon arriving on the island, they were met in the front yard by Marron, Krillin's teenage daughter.
"Paopao, this is my daughter, Marron, and my wife, Eighteen," Krillin said, introducing them all upon seeing Eighteen come out of the house. "Guys, this is Paopao, my new student."
"You're training a girl?" Marron said, staring at Paopao, her eyes narrowed. They were around the same age, with Marron being seventeen and Paopao only being a year or two younger.
"Ah, yes," Krillin nodded,giving his daughter a questioning glance. He expected Marron to continue the conversation, but instead, she just turned and walked into the house, leaving him very confused. With a shrug, Krillin showed Paopao around, before they all went to bed for the night, knowing that it would be a very early morning.
An hour before sunrise the next morning found Krillin walking outside with Paopao to start their training in earnest. However, as he entered the cool morning air, he saw his daughter wearing a gi and stretching in front of the house, seemingly preparing herself for training. "If she can do it, so can I," Marron said without looking up at her father, earning a small smile and a nod from the bald-headed martial artist.
With that, Krillin handed his two students their respective turtle shells and began teaching them, knowing that having them both around would enhance their abilities, just as it had done for him when Goku was there. They spent all day doing their daily chores, while the nighttime was spent learning how to fight, an addition to the training regime that Krillin had added. While they both had decent fundamentals, including Marron who had surprised Krillin with her talent, he wanted them to learn how to fight in an actual battle. He could not force them to enter a life or death battle, but he could prepare them to know how to respond in case it was to ever come to that. He would prepare them and make them the greatest warriors he could just as Roshi and Goku had done for him.
A/N: As you can see, this is a hodgepodge of various Toriyama canons, mangas and video games. I tried working various characters into the Dragon Ball world. It's not meant to be a serious story that is one hundred percent true to canon, but it ignores much of Super and the Dragon Ball manga takes priority.
A/N 2: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year to all the readers out there. I hope you have, or have had in the case of many, a wonderful holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate. I wish you and yours a very happy festive season.