Chapter One
I woke up on the couch to Roshi fondling my breast.
"WHAT THE HELL?" I slapped the old man aside in fury. "YOU PERVERT!"
The Turtle Hermit chuckled. "It seems you're alright, then!" He attempted to play off his revolting actions. "Well, that's good. We thought we'd lost you!" He giggled nervously, still eyeing my girlish parts. I glared at him, willing the washed-up master to keel over.
Ouch. I rubbed my throbbing head, feeling dizzy and nauseated from the sudden movements. "Yeah, whatever…" I responded icily. "Where's Bulma?" I concentrated on remembering why I was at Kame House.
The shameless monk beamed like nothing had happened. "She's out right now. Goku and she are getting some food and medicine from the market. You and the others are pretty banged up." His tone turned serious on this last note, and he narrowed his eyes in thought. "That Freeza sure has it out for you, y'know?"
My eyes widened as the memories came flooding back. That's right, Freeza had come and we'd had a hard time fighting him. He had been too much… Vegeta had gone down, and I had charged when the monster had attacked…
"Piccolo!" I gasped in horror, scanning the room for his presence. "Is he okay?" I bit my lip hard, worried. Last I recalled, Piccolo had been too close to his second death for comfort.
"Geez, you're noisy." A voice from down the hallway answered my question. I heard the soft footsteps on the padded floors stop when he reached the doorframe. His green skin was cut and bruised, and he had quite a few bandages wrapped around his more serious injuries, but he was alive. "What do you take me for, Krista? I won't die so easily."
My face broke out into what must've been a very grateful smile, because I saw the corner of his lips twitch up in a gentle smirk. "It's not like Goku would let Kami die, anyway. He depends on the Dragon Balls too often."
"Shut up, he saved you, not that magical fool," I started to stand up, to go to him, but was forced to sit back down. Okay, what the frick? I wondered what Freeza had blasted me with to cause so much damage. I winced in pain, and Piccolo lost his smirk.
"Roshi, get lost," he said, subtle as always. Being the coward he was, the sneaky martial arts master left in a hurry at Piccolo's command. It was my turn to smirk.
"You showed him," I mocked the Namekian, patting the open spot on the shabby couch next to me for him to sit. He didn't laugh, and I studied his eyes, frowning. "You okay, big boy?"
He growled and plopped down next to me, gently but firmly grabbing my right wrist to examine it. I flinched– even with the bandages I could feel my broken bone threatening to slice through my skin. I had felt worse, of course, but that didn't mean I was going to act all tough and macho; it hurt a lot.
"Honestly, I can't tell if you were trying to be courageous, or if you're just plain stupid," he placed my hand onto my lap. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed!" He was scowling, and I knew he had probably been beating himself up because he hadn't been able to look after me, but I couldn't help but laugh a little. Maybe I was losing it.
"Heheheh… Sorry?" I grinned, which told him I wasn't really sorry, I was just saying it. Like heck I'd apologize for keeping him from revisiting King Kai. "Seriously, though, what did you expect? I'm a fighter. It was my job."
Play the moral and ethical duty card. That'll get even the toughest of aliens to chill out. Except for Freeza, of course. Goku had already tried that on him, and look at how that turned out. Nope, nothing but broken limbs and chaotic battles of good versus evil.
Piccolo's eyebrows furrowed in disdain, although I could sense he wasn't really all that mad at me. "Don't think I'm going to let you off so easily. As soon as you get better, we're going to continue our training. And this time it's going to be twice as hard."
Tough love. Literally. I nodded in agreement so he'd quit his damage inspection. "You've got it, boss," I winked and flicked one of his antennas lightly in affection. He turned away but pulled me closer protectively, and I knew the conversation was over. Thank Shenron– I hated post-battle lectures. Even if what Piccolo was telling me was for my own good, it still ticked me off. I wasn't as good at combat as he was, sure, but I was better than Krillin or Yamcha. I knew my limitations, and I knew that when his limitations were exceeded, I had to step in.
"…" I inhaled deeply and tried to tell him so. "Piccolo, I…"
Before I could get any further, a crash came from the kitchen. "DAMNIT ALL!" I heard Vegeta yell in anger. So, he was okay then.
"How dare you make me spill my lunch, you short little bastard!" Gunshots filled the air, and I grumbled. Of all the things to happen at a time like this…
Maddie squealed and leapt into the room, interrupting what could have been a very important conversation in my relationship with Piccolo. "Y-you guys, Launch sneezed! She's the butch Launch now. Help, please?" She begged us to stop the crazy bi-polar chick from beating up her boyfriend. Which, trust me, Launch could've done.
"What in the-?" Krillin's fearful voice piped in. "Oh, no, not again!" I heard him sprint down the hallway and slam his bedroom door shut behind him for safety.
I blew out some hot air in annoyance. "That Saiyan of yours is really troublesome, you know that?" I removed Piccolo's arm from my shoulders and, rubbing my temples, shooed him away. "Go save the midget. Throw some pepper at Launch or something. The gunshots are making my ears ring."
He didn't look too pleased about the noise, either, so he strode out of the room to take care of things. Maddie shouted, "Thank you, Piccolo!" as he turned the corner. Then she smiled and stole his spot next to me, muttering "and that should keep him busy for about…"
"Five minutes?" I suggested, shaking my head with a bemused smirk. "My Gods, Madz, you're horrible!" I whispered. "Don't tell me you caused that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she avoided the accusation smoothly. "Anyway, it's not my fault Veggie won't listen to me. I told him to stop Launch from sneezing," she shrugged. "He's just learning the hard way is all."
I chuckled, then noticed the wrapping on my friend's forehead. "Looks like he got you too, huh? Did you attack before or after I did?"
She pursed her lips, trying to recall the scene. "I think about the same time, actually. I saw you go after him and figured, well, two people cause way more damage than one person."
"Probably a good strategy," I agreed. "Although, I don't think it worked too well. From the looks of it, we got our butts handed to us and Freeza escaped." My senses told me that the nightmare was still roaming the earth, biding his time while he healed.
Maddie rolled her eyes. "Duh. Not that easy to kill the greatest dictator in the universe."
"You mean the worst," I corrected her. "He's not worthy of greatness."
"You know what I mean." The gunshots and yelling subsided as we sat in silence. "Well, guess Launch is back on our side now."
I opened my mouth to respond when I heard the most evil of people land on the island. "Gohan?" The voice chirped, sounding pissed. No, this wasn't Freeza. She was worse, much worse than he could ever be.
"Oh, fuck," Vegeta cursed once more from the kitchen. He must have been looking out the window. "Chi Chi's here."
Chapter Two
"Crap, gotta go!" Maddie squeaked, running to her bedroom to join Krillin in hiding. Which left me, alone and unable to move, in the room Chi Chi was about to enter.
Look, I may have been willing to risk my life battling Freeza, but Super Mother outside wasn't a foe I was in any shape to face right now, much less willing to challenge. Ever. So, when she broke the door down and gave me the evil eye, I did the obvious thing.
"Gohan's sleeping in the room down the hall, first door to the left," I mumbled, staring at the throw pillow beside me. "He's only got a couple of cuts, nothing else," I added for good measure. Maybe if she heard he wasn't as injured as the rest of us she would take him and leave us in peace.
No such luck. The woman snarled viciously and stomped to the bedroom I'd pointed out. "GOHAN! Mommy's here, wake up! You've got school tomorrow, remember?" Her voice was deceivingly sweet with a touch of menacing strictness to it. She might as well have shouted, 'Get your ass out here or I'm going to kill one of your friends!' If it came down to that, I hoped she'd kill Yamcha.
My sacrifice for mankind didn't answer her– either he was a heavy sleeper or the kid was as freaked out as I was. For a short moment, I pondered what it would be like, living as Chi Chi's son. The picture wasn't pretty.
I flinched as the door was punched through, hearing the wood crack into tiny splinters. Hadn't she ever heard of a doorknob?
In five seconds she was back in the living room with a squirming five year old in her arms. "Mom, let me go! I have to stay here and wait for daddy! He'll be back any minute with supplies, and I want to help take care of the others!"
"Now, sweetie," she threatened. "You know how important your studies are! The others will be fine; you need to come home with mommy and take a bath! There's a big writing test in your preschool tomorrow, and mommy wants you prepared for it," she smiled broadly, her eyes piercing like daggers. She was having trouble keeping Gohan still.
He began to cry. I resisted scoffing the poor boy; there was no way that tears were going to stop a tyrant like his mother. Still, I had to give him credit for trying. Maybe I could help him out a bit. Stall her long enough for Goku to get back and convince her to let the kid stay.
"Yo, Chi Chi, why don't you wait a while? Bulma's out with Goku right now, but she's having more trouble with Yamcha and I know she could use your advice."
Tempting her with the chance to teach someone else how to dictate their lover's life seemed to do the trick. "Hm," she thought it through. "Well, I suppose I could stay for an hour or two."
She placed her son down and he snuck a smile at me, silently saying, 'Thank you,' before jogging outside to wait for his dad. I gave a small nod in return as the door shut behind him. Then, an awkward silence filled the room, and I gingerly scratched at my bandaged wrist, hoping the intruder would leave me alone.
Before she had a chance to say anything, I heard a plane capsule soaring towards us, and a distant, "Helloooooo!" from Goku as it came closer. Phew, they couldn't have arrived sooner.
I watched as Roshi and Gohan greeted our friends and helped them unload the ship. Or, Bulma made the men carry everything and she just stood there commanding them all. "Come on, guys, we need to get this stuff to everyone a-sap! Roshi, take these groceries to Launch and get her started on cooking! Gohan, grab that useless Krillin and get him to help you distribute these," she handed him a small burlap pouch. Senzu beans? Woo-hoo!
Gohan whispered something to the others and I could feel the chilly silence. He must've told them his mother was in the house, and that I'd used Bulma as bait. Now I kind of regretted that. Between Bulma and Chi Chi, I'm not sure I could survive.
When everyone went quiet, she struck like a snake. In a flash she was outside, cheerfully proclaiming, "Hello, Bulma! I heard you wanted to talk with me? Now, come along, let's have some tea in the kitchen and discuss a few things!"
I feigned sleep as the blue-haired girl was dragged into Kame House, avoiding her furious look at me as she passed by. By this time Chi Chi had to know I had been lying about Bulma's troubles, but she took the initiative regardless. Maybe she was too sick of men to give a damn.
Roshi cleared his throat when the girls were out of earshot. "Er, well, I suppose we'd best get to work!" I opened my eyes as he walked to the kitchen with three giant bags of groceries in his arms. "Launch, dear, think you can whip up a feast?" I heard him ask.
Goku and Gohan came back in and the little guy handed me one of the magical beans. "Here you go, Krista!" He grinned with joy. "Eat up!"
"Sweet," I plopped the food into my mouth and bit down, crunching it in half before swallowing. A second or two passed and I felt my strength return, my injuries healed miraculously before my eyes. The pain in my body ceased and I clenched my fists, smirking. "Much better. Good thing you grabbed these, Goku," I stood up. "I was starting to feel handicapped," I laughed.
"I'm just glad Master Korin had some!" The Saiyan beamed. "It would've taken too long to heal if he hadn't grown them," He paused. "Gohan," he said, and ruffled his son's hair. "Why don't you go grab Krillin like Bulma told you to? The sooner everyone's in top form, the better!"
"Sure thing, daddy!" Gohan nodded happily and ran off with the rest of the Senzu beans. Goku chuckled as he left and turned back to me.
"So, what happened after I left? Besides, you know, getting hurt and stuff," he gestured to the few scratches that remained on my arms and face. "Sorry about that, by the way. I was only… I didn't know leaving you guys could end up so bad."
I kicked his shin lightly. "Don't be ridiculous, you moron," I tried to appease him. I couldn't stand the guy looking so guilty– he had one of those puppy dog faces that made you want to keep him happy at all costs. "I was the one who told you to leave so you could hide the Dragon Balls, remember? Besides, Freeza's gotten even stronger since the last time you battled the guy. You would've been as damaged as the rest of us."
"I'm not so sure about that last part, Krista," his look was resolute.
"I am," I concluded, changing the subject. "Anyway, where'd you end up putting the D-balls?"
Piccolo stepped into the room carrying a glass of juice, fully healed. "Kami has them, doesn't he?" The question sounded more like an answer.
Goku blinked in surprise. "How'd you know? Is the place obvious?"
"No. Ever since I discovered that my lifeline was intertwined with Kami's, I've been able to pick up some of the old man's thoughts as well." The Namekian handed me the cup, and I took a sip, listening to their conversation.
Maddie and I had only met everyone three months ago, and anytime stuff like this came up I found myself intrigued by their powers. I mean, I could shoot a blast of energy or fly as easily as the next guy, but psychic wavelengths and alien life forms with the ability to create something powerful enough to grant you pretty much any wish? That was all still fairly new to me.
Goku grinned, apparently just as interested as I was about this new discovery. "That's awesome! Does this mean he can communicate with you like King Kai can?"
My boyfriend smirked. "I'm sure he could if I let him. Unlike you, however, I choose to follow my own instruction, not the instruction of some higher power," he crossed his arms.
Monkey Man shrugged. "Whatever suits you. But you really should listen to those who can make you stronger. You'll never catch up to me if you go it alone," he teased.
"You wish. Unfortunately, we can't battle right now to test your theory," Piccolo glanced at me. "My pupil needs training."
Chapter Three
As it turned out, Maddie had convinced Vegeta to train her too. So it ended up being a battle of the sexes, which sounds cliché but is really fun. Especially since the guys underestimated us. We may have been newbies, but we were fast learners.
Of course, Madz could've had more common sense when it came to aiming. And perhaps I shouldn't have mocked Veggie. But I suppose you can't take back what's already done.
"How dare you insult me by comparing me to Nappa?" The Saiyan prince threw a series of small energy disks at me, Rapid Fire. I dodged them all, just barely, and worked up a sweat in doing so. Note to self: Never anger a midget of royal blood.
Maddie fired up a mini-sized Galick Gun. "Don't worry Krista, I've got this," she exclaimed, hurling the attack at Vegeta. Only she missed, by a lot. "Hehehe… Oops. But I was close!" I gave her the evil eye and sighed.
Piccolo took my embarrassment as a chance to sneak up behind me. "Light Grenade!" He shouted, startling me almost as much as the explosion of energy that hit my backside. I lost focus and forgot how to fly for a split second before regaining my stability.
Needless to say, I attacked back; snarled, at that. "Grrrrr… Rule number one about dating? Never hit your girlfriend. She usually hits harder!" I supported my right arm with my left hand, releasing the wave of power straight at the Namekian. "Exploding Wave!"
He didn't see that coming, and tried to fly out of the way, but I managed to hit his leg. Which, oddly, he smiled at. Was he masochistic or what?
"Good, you're finally using that temper of yours correctly," he nodded in approval. Which pretty much told me, 'Now I can get serious,' and I didn't think I was ready for that big a leap in our relationship. I was really more into playing around than committing to the tough stuff, at least in battle. Training was difficult enough already.
Luckily for me, Vegeta didn't like being forgotten. He charged me at full speed, which gave me the chance to get away from Piccolo and clear my head with a two-on-one fight– Maddie being the second of the two, no duh. She had actually chased her failed Galick Gun, gotten in front of it, and bounced it back at her boyfriend. Pretty crafty on her part.
The blast stalled him long enough for me to grab Madz and zoom us away behind a rock. "What are you doing? We need to get back out there and kick their butts!" My friend looked confused, wondering what my strategy was.
You know how I keep mentioning how Maddie and Vegeta are boyfriend and girlfriend? Well, that's kind of only in her head. She loved the guy at first sight (although I don't get what she sees in him; he's short, short-tempered, and just plain short-sighted when it comes to sanity). Ape-breath, on the other hand, only gave her the time of day because she had stood up to him a few times in combat. Still… I could see they had some kind of connection forming, and that's why I had suggested we make this battle boys against girls. The only way to win a warrior's heart was by attempting to beat him to a pulp in combat training.
"Remember last night's dream battle?" I asked in a hurry, knowing Piccolo was just biding his time, giving us the chance to formulate a plan before he and Vegeta struck us down.
"Huh? Yeah, I think so. Why?" We'd been having fictional battles subconsciously when we were asleep ever since we learned how to get inside each other's heads– literally– so I couldn't blame her for the 'I think so' part. After a while they all sort of meshed together into one never-ending fight of wit and skill… And sometimes stupidity, as well. Like right now, for instance.
I grinned. "Good, then you'll know what to do when the time is right. We only have one shot at this, so don't screw up or we're dead. Oh, and remember to wait for the key phrase," I added for good measure.
I didn't wait to register if she understood what I was talking about or not. Before I could change my mind about what was sure to be suicide, I came out from behind the small boulder and, cupping my hands together around my mouth like a megaphone, shouted, "HEY, PICCOLO! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU'D FUSED WITH YAMCHA! AND VEGETA, RADITZ CALLED! HE SAID HE'S GLAD HE'S NOT THE ONLY FAILURE!"
Did I mean it? No way. Childish? Maybe. Idiotic? Yep. Did it work? Hell yes. Honestly, I was disappointed that they bit into the bait so easily.
Piccolo looked confounded, a little bit wounded, and definitely angry. Veggie showed nothing but hatred at the words. I'd never met this Raditz character, but judging by his face I'd say he'd been a total loser. Amazing, how listening to Goku's adventure stories had helped me out.
Our opponents still had their defenses lowered to their usual training power levels with us, and I suppressed the urge to burst into laughter before I pulled a Krillin and, er, fled for my life. "The Dragon Balls don't taste like candy!" The key phrase.
Madz sprang out and thrust her arms forward. "Final Flash!" A blinding energy attack came from her palms, catching the guys by surprise. Since they weren't using their full power, the piercing hit was harsh enough to send them spiraling downwards. I stopped my sky-sprinting and watched the fireworks explode.
Ah, the bittersweet taste of deception. I floated to my friend and stretched out my tired limbs.
We waited for the dust cloud to settle and high-fived each other after witnessing our victory. The aliens had hit the ground, and apparently they had called it quits. Being undermined twice in one work day had tired them out.
Uh-huh, they let us win. But hey, I wasn't complaining. On the contrary, this was exactly what I needed to refuel my ego after Freeza had nearly destroyed my ability to walk. Besides, the rules of our training were that the first team to be knocked out of the air would be declared the losers. So, on that account, the championship was rightfully ours.
The two of us waited silently for about half a minute, taking in the fresh air, before we looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "I suppose we can collect our prizes now," Maddie gave a slight smirk and laughed.
"Race you!" I beamed and headed towards my boyfriend (who really is mine, not my fantasy). He was lying on the ground, too lazy or too ashamed to get up, and turned away from me as I approached him, just like a two year old who had been sent to the corner in time out.
I puffed up my cheeks irritably and let out hot air in exasperation. "Come on, you don't seriously believe I think you're as horribly untalented as that Wolf-Fanged Moron," I coaxed him, tugging lightly at his shoulder strap. I kissed his upturned cheek and waited for a response.
He glanced over at me, took my hand off of him, and sat up. "I won't let you win again, so don't act so smug. And remember, Freeza won't be tempted by such insults."
"Yeah, whatever," I crossed my arms, looking triumphant.
"Step away, insolent girl!" That familiarly testy voice snapped. Vegeta was taking out his wounded pride on Madz. Typical.
The Saiyan stood up, brushing the dirt off of his suit. Without a word, he stormed off, leaving my best pal, my favorite guy, and me sitting around staring at each other awkwardly. Talk about a sore loser.
Maddie pushed her hair back and, shrugging with an embarrassed look on her face, said, "Shall we head back?"
It was late; I could hear bits and pieces of an argument taking place across the hall in Kame House. From the sound of it, Maddie and Veggie were having their first big argument, and they weren't even a couple yet.
I shoved a pillow against my ear and muffled out the noise, so I'm not sure if what I'd heard right before I drifted off was the sound of the door slamming or an attack being fired.
Chapter Four
I yawned loudly and stretched as I awoke. Rubbing my eyes sleepily, I stood up and threw on my usual attire– the same outfit Piccolo and Gohan wore, except my sash and wristbands were green instead of blue or red.
Lazily combing my fingers through my hair to remove the bigger tangles, I dragged myself out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for some breakfast. The sun was shining brightly outside, looking a little too cheerful to someone of my groggy status. I really should learn to like coffee, I thought as I searched the fridge for some milk.
"Krista," a voice from behind spoke softly, making me jump. That shook me awake. I turned around and saw that it was Piccolo; scowling slightly, I told him, "You should know better than to sneak up on me."
He didn't bother apologizing. "Vegeta's gone," his expression was even, his voice calm. It freaked me out.
I played along. "Is that unusual? He usually trains right after eating."
The Namekian shook his head. "He's nowhere in sight, and too far gone to read his power level without a scouter." He paused before adding, "You need to see something. If you're still hungry afterwards, you can eat breakfast then. I don't suggest eating beforehand."
"Piccolo, just tell me." I was starting to get annoyed, and a little bit frightened. "Don't try acting all mysterious, it's not funny."
His next words pretty much ruined my morning. "I'm not trying to make jokes. Maddie's dead. Vegeta killed her and fled."
I'm fairly sure that my face managed to flush and redden at the same time. "Dead…" I choked on the word, clenching my fists. "Vegeta," my voice regained its strength as I spoke his name. Horrified and pissed off, I started for the door. "I've gotta go."
My boyfriend, bearer of bad news, placed his hand firmly on my shoulder. "You expect to challenge him alone? Yeah, right. We've got bigger problems to worry about as it is," he was determined not to let me leave. Unfortunately, I was determined to head out, no matter how irrational my judgment was.
"My best friend is gone," I told him sharply. It may sound horribly melodramatic and unoriginal, but there were hot tears of anger and sadness rising to the brims of my eyes. "I'll be back before sunset. If I haven't returned by then, I give you permission to start worrying. For now, collect the rest of those Dragon Balls," I ordered, breaking away from his grip.
He didn't try to stop me this time. I opened the back door and flew up high, grateful for the lack of clouds. It made it easier to track that son of a bitch murdering Saiyan down.
Using my full speed, I soared through the sky while looking left and right for Vegeta as my tears dried in the wind. My heart fought with my mind during the search: My head told me that I shouldn't have doubted he'd eventually do something like this, but my heart retreated from the very notion. I ignored it; there was no evidence that intuition was right.
After an hour or so I found him sitting on a rock, eating a peach. Evil, down to the very core. He looks so content with himself, I noticed, remembering Krillin's stories about what had happened when they'd all first met the Prince. Hadn't he killed his partner, too, like the guy was trash?
The idea that this shrimp had been the one to murder Madz continued to grow in my head. That fight that I'd heard last night, it had sent him over the edge. He needed to be dealt with before he rejoined forces with Freeza and destroyed us all.
Being me, I did the most illogical thing that came to mind. I decided to try to talk to him about his issues.
My feet softly hit the dirt road as I glided down to face the villain. "Yo," I forced myself to meet his eyes. "I see you're back to your old ways."
"Oh, just wonderful," Veggie spit out a seed. "Come to take vengeance, have you?" He didn't hide or deny what he had done. "Well, let's get this show on the road," he crossed his legs and stared at me coldly. "You can even have the first hit."
I slapped him, my handprint appearing bright red on his left cheek. "Shut the fuck up. I'm not here to fight you. Maddie would hate me if I did." My chin began to quiver, so I locked my jaw. "Unlike you, I would never do anything to hurt or upset her." I refused to use past tense as I told him what my friend would've thought. She'll be back, I kept telling myself.
He went to punch me and I dodged easily. The adrenaline must've made me faster. "Why do I care what that stupid girl wanted!" He attempted a kick this time, and missed. Was he trying to deliberately set me off? It was starting to work. He was making it really difficult to be his psychiatrist.
Wait…
Vegeta charged me once again. This time, I shifted my right foot so that it stuck out, right where he was running. I felt him stumble as he got caught on the simple ploy.
Blinking, I studied the guy for the first time since I'd landed myself in front of him. "Dude. Hold on a second. Did you just say, 'Why do I care'? And, what's with the lack of fighting skills? You're an elite warrior, aren't you?" It dawned on me that there was, in fact, proof that my intuition had been correct.
But then, who was responsible for Maddie's death?
The Saiyan glared at me. "What are you, a blithering idiot? I'm just warming up! And you're twisting my words," he barked.
"Oh, I get it, you don't know either," I pondered aloud, plopping my fist in my palm as the realization hit me. "So you're playing the bad guy because everyone suspects that's what you are, and you won't just tell them it wasn't you because they wouldn't believe you anyway!" Everything made sense, except… "Whoa," my eyes grew wider in surprise. "And you haven't even been able to scratch me because you're just as devastated as I am."
Madz dying had affected Vegeta. He had actually grown fond of her.
My words must have given the boost he needed, because the next punch he threw at me hit me right in the stomach. I groaned and clenched my abdomen as he flew off.
Little jerk. Of all the dirty moves! "No you don't!" I chased after him, catching up in no time at all. "You're not going anywhere without me, if you're hunting down the one who did this," I smirked to hide my pain. I wouldn't be home by sunset.
"Suit yourself, if you want everyone thinking you've switched sides then that's fine by me," he grumbled, grimacing. He hadn't tried to counter my argument that he was actually a good guy, so I figured I was correct.
No one would listen to me if I told them, though. I knew that much– once a mind was made up about something it was difficult to persuade otherwise. That was why Veggie had run, rather than fight senselessly. After sunset, though, there would be no way to avoid fighting.
Piccolo was going to be so confused when he found out that I was still alive. "Whatever, Vegeta. You think you can go this alone?" I found myself echoing my boyfriend's words. "You've got bigger problems to worry about."
It was still morning. The sun was too bright, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and I heard my stomach growl, upset that I had skipped out on breakfast. Oh, and the friend I'd grown up with had gotten herself killed by somebody who had been in Kame House last night, so basically we were all going to turn on one another in suspicion.
As I reflected on all of this, I found myself chuckling softly. Shaking my head in dismay, I sighed, "Maddie has all the luck. She's probably chilling up in Heaven now while I'm stuck in Hell on Earth."
Chapter Five
Around lunchtime, Vegeta's stomach must've been acting up too. A few seagulls flew above us and he made a handful of pebble-sized energy balls to chuck at them. Two were hit in the neck and one in the wing and they fell out of the sky, too stunned to keep flying.
It reminded me of the day I'd met Maddie.
I was training as usual in the dojo, age five. An orphan that had been picked up off the streets by Jinyu's Junior Judo's master, Jinyu-sensei, I had been taught early in life that fighting for what was mine was the only way I would survive in the world. I guess you could say that I let my anger take me over, what with how I punched and kicked opponents like they were the parents who had foolishly abandoned me, their daughter.
Anyway, I had just taken on two teenage boys who had teased me about how I acted like a guy, and as I clapped their grime off of my hands I noticed a girl around my age peeking at me from around the corner. She was wearing a floral dress and her blonde hair was cut in a way so she looked like a hedgehog. She wasn't wearing any shoes.
"I see you, you know?" I called out to her, causing the stranger to jump a little. "What do you want, huh? Come to make fun of me like all the other kids do?" Everyone knew each other in this small town, and it drove me insane. Especially because nobody knew who my parents were, so they must've been outsiders traveling to or from the city. This automatically meant that they were rich and stuck-up, because the city's so expensive to live in.
So why did they leave me here? They could have easily taken care of me, with all the money they must've had. Leaving me here simply meant that I was unwanted. A mistake.
"Hey, answer me, will you? Don't just stand there like a moron," I grumbled, irritated by the girl's presence. She had a family, people who loved her. Blood relatives, not martial artists who saw you as another student to train. She was a person, not a tool.
She paused, probably rethinking her decision to spy on me. Then, she bent down and picked up a small pebble. And chucked it at me.
Okay, so she missed me. It flew past, over my left shoulder, and I heard a small yelp behind me. "Eep! What the hell?" I turned to see that some big oaf had snuck up behind me, ready to attack while I was caught off guard.
I jumped up and kicked him in the neck, letting gravity knock him down. Of all the cheap tricks to play! I spit in the loser's face and circled back to face the girl again, this time with a respective smirk. "Guess I owe you one, huh?"
"I came to see Jinyu," was her response. "I just ran away from home and I want him to train me for the Martial Arts World Tournament. Is he here?"
I blinked. "Er…" Well, this was a surprise. Runaway? She had chosen to leave her family? I had never considered that some kids weren't fond of their parents. "How old are you?" I found myself asking, just in case I was mistaken about her age.
She grinned and held up five fingers. "So, is Jinyu around? And where can I get one of those outfits, by the way?" She gestured to my off-white gi, which was dirt- and blood-stained. "And do they come so… messed up? Or is that just from fighting?"
Was she trying to be funny? The Martial Arts World Tournament? She was insane. She had run away from what must've been a good family, judging by her dress's fabric, and now she wanted to get herself killed fighting people as tough as the legendary Master Roshi!
That being said, I couldn't help but respect her for her bravery.
"Jinyu-sensei's out to the city for new equipment. I'm his best student, though, so I suppose I could present you with his usual challenge while he's away," I crossed my arms. "We'll play a game of hide-and-tag. First person to be caught and attacked loses. This is the challenge that Jinyu-sensei presents all of his younger students with."
The girl shrugged. "Works for me. Any restrictions?" She had quite the vocabulary for a five year old. Not surprising, coming from the city. I had learned my own vocabulary through reading. Whenever I wasn't attacking, I was learning. I was a street rat, but I wasn't an ill-educated one.
"Stay within the town's limits. Just make sure you pick a good hiding place. I've never lost this game," I shifted away from her and began counting down from fifty. My ears picked up the sound of her shuffling away, heading for the other side of the dojo. Too easy, I thought.
I'll be the first to admit I cheated. Impatient, I stopped counting down at nine and ran to where I knew she would be. Spotting a bit of her dress in the bushes, I slowed my pace and muffled my footsteps. When I was in arms length to the shrubbery, I whispered, "I see you. Give up now and I'll let you go without a scratch." Anyone who was so obvious in hiding could never make it to the Tournament. I was doing this girl a favor.
"Really? That's so kind of you! Too bad I'm not where you think I am," she startled me from behind. I faced her to find that she was… floating in mid-air?
Okay, that was a little strange. I'd never known that humans could fly. In small towns like the one I lived in, you didn't see this kind of thing. "What the hell?" I heard myself say.
"The name's Maddie, by the way. In case you were wondering," she chirped cheerfully. "You asked my age, but not my name. I thought that was weird, so I'm telling you now that my name's Maddie," she informed me, a pebble-sized energy ball growing in her hand. "Oh, and tag! You're it," she lightly chucked the small amount of chi at my foot, and I was too surprised by the fact that she could make an energy ball from her chi that I didn't dodge it in time.
Maddie giggled and did a flip on mid-air. "I think you just lost the game you never lose. Maybe if you didn't have so many anger issues I could show you what you did wrong."
The words held no malice, but a hint of kindness in them. It was an invitation, not a sarcastic comment or a threat. That, too, was a first for me.
"Show me," I demanded, frustrated that this stranger had one-upped me right off the bat. "If you don't show me how to do that, how am I going to defeat you in the World Tournament?" Now I was smiling slightly, anxious to get my revenge on this pampered runaway. "How do you control your chi like that?"
The young girl landed back on the ground. "First, I want an outfit like yours. Especially now that my dress is ruined." A small chunk of it was missing from the side, the decoy she had used to lure me to the bushes. "After that, we can eat lunch and get to know each other," she beamed happily, obviously satisfied with herself. "And then, maybe we'll have time left over to discuss this whole chi thing."
"Whatever, Madz," I nicknamed her, thinking Maddie sounded too girly for such a devious creature. "Oh, and you never asked my name, either. It's Krista."
It was her turn to blink in bafflement. "Madz? I like that!" She clasped her hands together happily. "Well, Krista, what's on the lunch menu? I'm starving."
I came back to the present day as a dead seagull hit me in the chest. "There, that's for you. You can cook it yourself," Vegeta bit into his already-cooked fowl.
I picked up my raw bird and used my chi to cook it until it was crispy. "Thanks," I took a bite. He gave me a strange look. "What?" I asked, confused. "Is there something on my face?"
Vegeta nodded curtly. "Yes, you're smiling like an idiot. What's wrong with you?" He made it sound as if I had some kind of disease.
"Oh," I felt myself grin wider. "Nothing, just thinking about how Maddie's always been attracted to misfits, is all," the thought amused me. "She really is like a magnet to people like us, isn't she?" I laughed.
"What in the blazes are you talking about? You and I are nothing alike," he stated bluntly, unaware of the truth. And that was just fine with me.
Chapter Six (Maddie)
Dying sucks. If you haven't died before, let me say it again. It sucks. I always knew it would happen, but this… well this just wasn't fair. I pouted indignantly as I waited in line to see King Yemma. It was ridiculously long. I didn't envy Big Red; he sure had his work cut out for him, judging the universe's dead people and all.
Letting out a huff, I kicked at one of the cloud puffs bordering the walkway. "Could this line go any slower?" I mumbled to myself, folding my arms across my chest.
"Would you like me to speed things up for you?" A stern voice cooed from behind me. I whipped around, surprised to hear a familiar voice.
"Kami-sama?" I grinned at the old Namekian. I'd only met him once, but he was wise. I'd learned quickly that he was someone to respect. Bowing slightly, I gave him a questioning look. "What brings you here?" I paused, my face turning mournful. "Oh no, you didn't die too, did you?"
Kami's eyes widened, as if surprised by my suggestion. "W-why no, I didn't. I came here to confirm something with you, if that's alright." He clutched his wooden staff tightly. I couldn't help but notice he looked incredibly tense, his eyes betraying a sense of worry. I straightened up and furrowed my brow, silently nodding my head. If Kami-Sama came to see me in person, it had to be important.
"You died, that much is clear," he said solemnly, "But do you know how?"
I paused. I hadn't really taken the time to reflect on what had happened at all. Well, there was something I could have been doing during my wait in that horrendous line. "I…" I rubbed my chin ponderingly, pressing myself to remember the course of events. "I was outside, right? I didn't see anyone or anything, so I must have been hit from behind."
He nodded as if that were old news. Which it probably was. "A beam to the heart, I believe."
Without thinking, my hand trailed up to where the hole would have been. So that was it… I remembered a beam of light, but I'd felt nothing. I hadn't had much time to register what was happening before I… well, died. Or blacked out. Whichever had come first. "I guess so." I shrugged to Kami. He probably knew better than I did, anyway.
"Hmm… I suppose what's really important is who did it." He frowned, the worry expanding from his eyes to his entire expression as he did so. "Do you happen to know?"
I shook my head. "Shot from behind, remember? I didn't even catch a glimpse."
"But you must have sensed something. Was their energy… familiar, at all?"
I blinked. "Well… no. No it wasn't. Not at all." I pulled my dim memory of the moment forward again. I had sensed something before it happened. It had been slight, but enough to tell me that whoever it was had been a stranger to me. "I can tell you that much, Kami-sama. It was no one I knew."
He sighed. This was obviously not what he wanted to hear. "I suspected as much… I've had a sense of foreboding lately. I believe you may have just played a part in something to come. It would have been simpler if it had been someone close to you, but this… I'm not sure what to make of it."
I arched a brow, grimacing slightly. "Oh… That doesn't sound good. Um… Can I help at all?"
"I believe you've done as much as you can, for now." He shut his eyes contemplatively. "Until more things become clear to me, I fear there's nothing we can do." He must have noticed my disdainful look, because he let out a warm sigh and smiled, making his wrinkled old face look more creased than crumpled paper. I couldn't help but giggle. "I won't abandon you here, don't worry. I think it's a good idea for you to train with King Kai in the meantime."
"King Kai?" My eyes grew wide with excitement. "Oh, fun! Goku's told me stories about him," I sniggered. "Do you think he'll take me?"
"I'm sure he will." Kami held out his cane, gesturing for me to take hold of it, which I obliged. "Just convince King Yemma to let you go."
And with that, the guardian of Earth helped me cut in line.
"But Big Reeeedddddddd…"
"My NAME is YEMMA." King Yemma's face turned a darker shade of red as he pounded his fist on the giant desk in front of him. "And if you keep WHINING like that, I'll send you straight to HELL, understand?"
Kami sweat-dropped from beside me. Yemma and I had been arguing like this for what seemed like forever. Ignoring Kami's discomfort, I scowled up at the giant, waving my hands flippantly above my head. "But King Yemmmaaaaaaa, this is important! You let Goku go! And look what he did! Saved the WORLD! What harm could possibly come-"
Yemma pounded his fist again, interrupting what was about to be a furious tangent. "You don't need it! Do you know how many people have ASKED me for that honor? At LEAST-"
"I know, sheesh. Seven hundred whatevers'. You said that already." I scowled.
"So you SEE? Not EVERYONE is worthy of that honor."
"Yemma, don't you think this is a bit unfair?" Kami sighed. "The girl is right, it couldn't hurt…"
"Oh, hush you old coot." Yemma grumbled. "Just because you judged right last time doesn't mean… I mean, look at her!"
"Hey! You just want to keep everyone to yourself!" I scowled. "Poor King Kai is over there with practically no company and no one to have tea with all because you won't let people visit him! Don't you think he's lonely at all? The least you could do is share one person!"
"Kaio-sama has never complained to me about such an issue." Yemma glared down at me angrily, resting his chin in his hand. "Don't be foolish."
"Maybe he doesn't tell you things because you take people away from him…" I frowned and turned away, receiving a disapproving glance from Kami.
"Now, now, Maddie. There's no need for that…" He said, raising his hands as if to defend Big Red from my words.
"HUMPH." Yemma gave me a challenging look. "If you're so sure of this, YOU go ask him yourself. I'm too busy to make a trip. Then come back and TELL me. I'll bet he's perfectly fine on his own."
I paused, partly turning around to look at the big red guy. "Whoa… Really?"
"Yes." His eyebrow twitched with frustration. "You think I'm jesting? King YEMMA does no such thing!"
I grinned widely, running under the great desk to wrap my arms as far as they could go around his leg in an awkward hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I'll never call you Big Red again!" Lie. He would always be big and red.
Yemma flushed, giving his leg a slight shake. "Alright, alright. Now go on. Get out of here. And you'd BETTER come back with Kai's answer."
I gave him one last grin before turning to walk away proudly, stopping only to shake Kami's hand.
"Now remember," the Namekian said, his gaze returning to its normal sternness. "Don't fall off Snake Way. It's one thing that you've died. We don't want you going to Hell as well."
I nodded. "Kami…" I frowned after a brief pause, "I'll try and find out what I can while I'm there. Maybe King Kai can help."
Kami grunted his approval. "I'd hoped to ask if you would do just that for me. If anyone had an idea at this point, it would be him."
"Ah," I grinned. "Ulterior motives for getting me there, I see. Well, I won't let you down!" I clapped my hands together, throwing on my determined face. "I'll let you know as soon as I find anything!"
Kami smiled once again. "I trust you will. As for the others, I'm sure they'll be fine. For now, at least. They also may be well able to help."
"I hope so…" I sighed. "I left on sort of a bad note."
"Better than no note at all."
I smiled. Once again, Kami's wisdom shone through, simple as that. "I guess you're right, Kami-Sama. Thank you." And with that, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I had to wonder as I walked away whether Kami's senses were right. And if they were, things could go very bad back home. I could only hope he was wrong.
A/N: Hey guys! To all those who were my fans for my Pokemon fan fic (which, unfortunately, I haven't continued... ^^; Maybe I'll start that up again one day, but for now, I've found new interests), if you like DBZ then you'll love this :D My friend Maddie and I have recently gotten back into watching the show, what with Kai being released and all of that, and we both LOVE Piccolo and Vegeta especially, so i inserted us into the Dragon Ball world and, well, I've had fun writing this one :3 I have 2 days until Christmas vacation starts, too, so you KNOW I'll be continuing this! I promise. Anyway, please enjoy! (BTW, the timeline of the story takes place right after Goku kicks Freeza's butt on planet Namek. I sort of altered it a bit, because you can do that with fan fictions. Vegeta and everyone else has come back to life, blah blah, and Freeza's out for revenge :O)