A/N: Yes! I've finally got this F**king chapter out! Sorry this took so long to update. Have you ever tried to write a chapter but had trouble because your brain was already 2 or more sagas ahead? This has been happening to me a lot lately and it's driving me nuts! Anyway, back to the story...

The rest of the day resumed rather uneventfully. They all returned home, had a modest(ish) dinner that evening, and went to bed. It was the following day that Zack was excited about.

Zackary's mother had left his training cloths at the foot of his bed that night so that he could find them easily. There was also a big wad of cash that Mr. Satan had for some reason left in his had as he was shaking it sitting on top of them. Zackary put the cash aside and whipped on his training gear in a flash, starting with the plain white T-shirt, the thin fabric black pants, his socks and his kung-fu slippers and finally his red satin sash. It was amazing that he still remembered how to tie it correctly. The entire ensemble was much looser than he remembered, but he figured that it was because he lost al whole lot of weight while he was in hospital.

Zackary snatched up his backpack and the cash after he was finished and raced out his bedroom door down the hallway towards the stairs. However, instead of racing up the stairs to the front door, he took a left to a side door that lead to the garage. Zackary threw the door open and raced towards the garage door. Without thinking, he yanked the door upwards, causing it to open with such force that it flew right off the railings towards the back of the garage, narrowly missing the family car.

He winced as he raced towards the road. Zackary had never felt so much energy in his entire life, as he sprinted across the street before turning right towards the main road. His backpack bounced up and down, shaking his belongings around within with each stride. After just a few seconds, Zackary was on the main road and he turned left, where he could see a blue bus shelter with a few people in business attire waiting for the next bus. Zackary decided to slow down to a walk as he approached the bus stop. His stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, signaling that it was time for breakfast.

"I'd better go eat something before heading to Master Chu's," Zackary thought to himself as a blue and white bus pulled up to the stop reading 'Harbour City Centre – Via Freeway'.

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After a hearty breakfast at a corner café in the city, Zackary followed his memory as best he could to find the place he was looking for. Sure enough, after a right hand turn at a set of traffic lights, followed by a left hand turn at a small 4-way intersection, Zackary found what he was looking for; a tall white building with large wooden double-doors with a sign above them saying "Master Chu's School of Wing Chun – Please Enter".

Zackary took a deep breath in before he approached the doors. It had been so long since he had opened these doors last, and questions were buzzing around in his head. Will my old training buddies still be here? Will they even know who I am anymore? Is Master Chu still alive? Zackary was quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he realized that he had almost walked right into the closed doors. Taking another deep breath, Zackary put his hand on the door and gave it a gentle push.

The door gave way easily, enabling Zackary to step inside and see the studio for the first time in 11 months. Not much had changed since his last visit, aside from the three wooden dummies on the right side of the room apparently being moved to the left. The studio was still just as wide and spacious as before, with its purple carpet and white walls lined with butterfly swords and long-poles. Around the room, students at the school were already going through their chi sao, or sticking hands exercise. Right at the very back of the wall was someone behind a desk who Zackary was most hoping to see. Sitting there was an elderly man with a round bald patch on his head and a long grey Manchu mustache. He wore a shiny clean long gown.

The man's eyes looked up at Zackary and immediately lit up with excitement. Zackary smiled before bringing right fist to left palm in front of his chest and bowing respectfully.

"It seems, Zackary, that you have conquered cancer after all," the elderly man called, prompting every student in the studio to look in Zackary's direction.

"Master Chu," Zackary replied happily. "I've returned to continue my training."

Master Chu stood up from his desk and began to walk around the room to where Zackary was. Zackary could hear some of the students muttering excitedly amongst themselves. A few voices he recognized, but others were new to him. After a few seconds, Master Chu was standing in front of Zackary. He stood only to Zackary's shoulder, but he stood tall and straight, not like other people his age.

"It is good to finally have you back, Zackary," Master Chu said. "But you had been bed ridden since the day you were diagnosed. We will need to see what skills you have retained and what skills need re-improving before we can simply start up where you have left off."

Zackary nodded in understanding. "It's great simply being here, Master," he replied.

Master Chu chuckled before continuing. "It is good to see that you have retained your enthusiasm. Come, let us begin." The Master turned around and led Zackary through the middle of the class, who had all resumed their chi sao.

Zackary followed his master to a small open space in front of a wall mirror on the left hand side of the studio. Though he could see in the mirror's reflection that the other students were busy with their own training, Zackary felt as if all eyes were on him in that moment. He had spent little under a year in that hospital, so he was nervous to see how much he had to revise.

"Zackary," he heard his master's voice call to him. "Do you remember the Siu Nim Tao form?"

Zackary nodded and brought his feet together. I hope a do remember this, he thought to himself. He began with raising his arms from his sides forward and upward until his hands were in line with his nose, before rolling his wrists outwards until his palms were facing the ceiling, where he formed fists and pulled them back under his armpits. After this, he bent his knees slightly, and then pointed his toes outwards, before pushing his heels past his toes so that his toes were now pointing inwards. He settled comfortably in his stance a lot faster than he remembered doing it prior to going to hospital.

So far, so good, he thought to himself. He then continued with the movements of the form, staying as relaxed as he possibly could, making sure to push he movements out from the elbow and not from the wrist, keeping his shoulders back in position as his arms moved forward, all the while trying to think forward too. As he made it through to the palm strikes from his right to his left shoulder and then out down his centerline, Zackary realized something…

…Not only was he able to remember it move by move…

… He also found it incredibly easy to do it correctly.

Keeping everything in line, from his shoulders down to keeping his legs relaxed, took far less effort now than it did before he went to hospital. It was as if his body already knew what to do, and was now going through the form perfectly without his command. After finishing off with the six centerline punches, he pulled both fists back under his armpits while sliding his left foot over to his right until they were together again. He took a deep breath and exhaled as he relaxed his arms down.

Zackary looked back over at Master Chu, who was beaming at him with wide eyes and a small smile on his lips.

"I don't know what you were doing in that hospital, Zack," the old master said. "But it seems your Siu Nim Tao form has improved greatly! You were nowhere near this level of mastery of the form before you were diagnosed. You've surprised me, young one."

"I seem to have surprised myself, master," Zackary said as he looked down at his hands. How did I do that? He thought to himself. This should not have been this easy after lying in a hospital bed for 11 months.

Master Chu nodded and turned to the students. "Charlie! May I borrow you for a moment, dear boy?" he asked in the direction of the other students. A blonde haired young man broke off chi sao with his partner, a woman with deep red hair and bowed respectfully to her before walking up to where Zackary and Master Chu were standing.

"So, Zackary," Master Chu asked, turning back to face Zackary. "You remember Charlie?"

Zackary of course, did. He was Zackary's senior when he first joined, and it seemed that Charlie was a few levels higher, now, made evident by the sky blue and yellow triangular badge on his right shoulder. Zackary nodded in confirmation and bowed respectfully to him.

"It's good to see you out of hospital, Zack," Charlie said, returning the bow.

"It's good to be back here, training, Charlie," Zackary replied with a smile.

Master Chu nodded with a smile before continuing. "Seeing as you have damn near mastered the Siu Nim Tao form, how about we really test your skills. How about a sparring match against a second-level student."

Zackary gulped hard when he heard this. He had just managed to achieve fourth-grade before he had to go to hospital, and Charlie was already leagues ahead of him. He had also never been in a sparring match against someone more advanced than he was. The idea made him nervous, but he also felt… eager. In fact, for some reason, he felt more eager for this match than any before, and it eventually began to overcome his nervousness. With a proud and determined smile, Zackary nodded and faced his new opponent.

"Are we ready, then?" Master Chu asked, looking at both Zackary and Charlie. Zackary noticed out of the corner of his eye that the rest of the class had stopped their sticking hands to view the fight. He pointed his toes out, then his heels and settled into his stance before putting up he guard, one open hand in front of the other, with the fingertips on his centerline. Charlie followed suite, settling into his stance and guard. The two students anxiously waited for the signal that would begin the match. After a long few seconds, it finally came.

"Begin!" Master Chu called out.

Zackary watched as Charlie took a step forward in an attempt to punch past his guard. He also watched as his own body punched through Charlie's attack at his face while simultaneously landing a heel-kick on Charlie's now forward leg. He suddenly latched down on his opponent's extended arm and turned his heel kick into a hook kick, slamming his shin into Charlie's gut, pivoting into the kick on his supporting leg. This knocked some saliva out of Charlie's mouth. When his kicking leg returned to his side, Zackary used the momentum of that to strike at Charlie's cheek with a sideways palm strike, sending Charlie reeling backwards from the force of that strike.

Zackary looked down at his hands for a brief moment. I can't believe that I caught him with a second-grade technique, he thought to himself. He looked up again to see that his opponent had recovered and was now on the offensive once again. Zackary brought his guard back up just as Charlie began a flurry of chain punches aimed straight as his nose. Zackary found himself marveling at his own abilities as he began to turn the tables on his more advanced classmate, forcing him back one step with every punch that was deflected off his guard. Eventually, Zackary saw an opening and took it, sending his rear fist flying at breakneck speed into Charlie's chin, causing him to once again stagger backward.

H- how? How did I suddenly become this good at fighting? Zackary thought to himself as his opponent once again advanced on him for a head on attack. This time, Charlie's attacks had become sloppy. He sent a punch flying at Zackary from under his armpit. Zackary meet the attack with a tarn sao, an upward facing palm straight down his center line, redirecting Charlie's punch off its target: Zackary's face, and to the outside of Zackary's tarn sao. The force of Charlie's punch sent him off in the direction his fist was now travelling, creating another opening for Zackary to exploit. He pivoted his whole body in Charlie's direction to deliver a blow to his ribs with an open palm from his other hand. He then turned this hand up into tarn sao and followed the contours of Charlie's shoulder until he reached his arm, before directing it down in a circular motion away from his face, creating yet another opening for Zackary's former hand to deliver another palm strike. Charlie's body had opened right up after this strike, prompting Zackary to finish the match there with a thrusting heel kick to the chest.

Unfortunately, Zackary overdid it with this attack, as Charlie was suddenly sent flying towards the windows at the other end of the studio. The whole class and Master Chu watched on as Charlie bounced on the floor before flipping into the window. Luckily, it was already open otherwise Charlie would have been covered in cuts and glass. Instead, he landed on the sill, with his upper half outside the window and his lower half resting on the floor inside the studio.

The students stared wide-eyed at the sight of a fourth-grade student suddenly defeating a second-level student mere days after an 11 month hiatus. Even Zackary stood there in a state off shock with his chin resting on the ground. He eventually came too when his heard Master Chu approach him from his left side.

"Charlie was more than two levels more advanced than you," the old master muttered. "How? How did you beat him that easily?"

Zackary looked back down at his hands again before replying. "I don't know, master. It didn't even feel like it was me doing that. I felt like my body was just acting on its own without me having to tell it to do things."

Zackary turn back to Master Chu, who's facial expressions had changed drastically from the shock and awe that it was in before. He was now looking up towards the ceiling with his brow furrowed, his thumb and index finger holding onto his chin. Meanwhile, he heard the other students helping Charlie out from the open window. Master Chu turned back to Zackary with a smile on his face.

"It's been a very long time since I have asked any of my students this question," The old master began. "Zackary, how would you like to be my personal protégé?"

Zackary fell over backwards with his feet in the air after he heard that question. Master Chu's personal protégé? He had always dreamed of learning directly from the Master full time, ever since he had enrolled in Master Chu's School of Wing Chun three years ago. Zackary slowly recovered as he prepared his answer in his head.

"Master," he began, slowly placing each word deliberately into the sentence in an effort to retain some small amount of self-control before Master Chu. "I would like nothing more than to become your personal protégé." He got up to his knees and brought right fist to left palm in respect before bowing. He could not stop his hands from trembling with excitement, though, and the more they shook, the more effort it took to keep himself composed.

Master Chu smiled before replying. "I'm glad to see that you are eager. It seems as though you have mastered the beginner grade. I think it's time to bring you up to First Level."

Zackary looked up and beamed with small tears beginning to form in his eyes, at which Master Chu began to chuckle.

"There is no need for tears, Zackary," the old master said. "Come, let us begin your new training at once."

Zackary sniffled and tried to dry his eyes as he stood up to follow Master Chu. The rest of the class had begun their attack and defense drills or were sitting with Charlie and helping him with his injuries. Zackary followed Master Chu to his desk at the back of the studio, where there was a small amount of space separate from the class. Zackary had never been this close to Master Chu's desk before, and apart from a few books and a fountain pen, it was rather empty. However, one thing that did grab Zackary's attention was an orange sphere sitting right in the middle of the desk. There was a large crack in the top of it, as if it had been dropped on the floor one too many times. However, the most interesting feature was the single red star right in the center of the sphere.

"There is an interesting legend behind that ball," Master Chu's voice suddenly interrupted Zackary's deep inspection of the mysterious object. "There are actually six more just like that one."

Zackary looked up at his master and tilted his head before asking, "What's the legend behind them?"

Master Chu took a deep breath before continuing. "They have a few names, although the most popular two are wishing orbs and Dragon Balls. It is said that if all seven are collected, they will grant any wish to the one who brought them together. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, or if there is any at all, but I keep it anyway as a curiosity."

"How did you find it?" Zackary asked. "Was it always cracked?"

"I found it when I was on holidays in Beach City," Master Chu explained. "A woman had tossed it over her shoulder, muttering about it being damaged and worthless. I guess she didn't realize that I was standing right behind her, because it landed right in my hands. If she had known about the legend behind this orb, I'd wager that that woman would not have tossed it away so carelessly, even if it weren't true. But I have to wonder…" Master Chu began to look deep into the sphere, making Zackary a little uneasy. After a few seconds, though, the old master snapped back to reality and waved his hand at the ball dismissively. "No time for pondering such matters," he said. "Your training is more important."

Master Chu lead Zackary out to the small space in front of the desk. Zackary got into his stance and put his fists underneath his armpits in preparation for his training.

"Let's begin with learning the Chum Kiu form," Master Chu said, putting his feet together and motioning for Zackary to do the same. "Follow my movements as best you can."

Zackary: G'day, it's me, Zack! I'm so excited to be Master Chu's personal apprentice, but how the hell did I beat a student two levels more advanced than me?

Bulma: I hope this Moondancer can help us figure out what you are, Zack!

Zackary: Well, we'll find out in the next chapter: Moondancer Arrives... With Answers?