Chapter 10, Journey Of Wonders.
'We're going to Korin's Tower, okay, Nimbus? I think I want to see Kami.'
Gently, Goku pats his cloud, after he's successfully mounted it, and in his own fluffy and wiggly way of communication, Nimbus nods to say that he understands what he needs to do. Because of that, only that from Nimbus, Goku breaks out into a big smile, feeling a very familiar part of himself starting to come back to life within him. After everything that happened today, it feels really good to know that Nimbus is still the same friend, and that Nimbus still understands him. Unlike Kami, who seemed against him talking to Chi-Chi, and then his friends, who treated him like he can't make his own decisions, Nimbus doesn't have any problem with him, or his choices. Nimbus isn't acting any differently towards him, and that makes him feel good inside, even restoring some of his energy that he feels like he lost while talking to his friends.
'You're the best Nimbus,' he says, lovingly rubbing his cloud's side.
Again, Nimbus responds in the only way that he knows how to do, wiggling just a little bit, and then takes off at a speed that's good enough to get him to Korin's Tower in good time, without being too fast about it. Goku's not necessarily feeling adventurous anymore, but he would like the travelling time to Korin's, to recollect himself from the different events from today, in which little parts of himself stayed in. It's not often that something like that happens to him, that he puts a lot of his thinking time into the things that happen, but today was different. It was just different, and he doesn't like the effect that all of it has had on him. What he should be doing now, is celebrating with his friends, just like they traditionally do after the Tournament, much more, celebrating his victory over Piccolo, but he's really not in the spirit to do that.
He's not in the spirit to do much, actually.
Even flying to Korin's Tower, he doesn't want to do, which is why he is so grateful for Nimbus today. Thankfully, his cloud friend knows him enough to understand that if he wanted to get there in a hurry, he would've given the command, and he doesn't need to use a long string of words to make Nimbus understand him. He's had enough of trying to make people understand him today, and he's just tired of it. For a change (today), he would like to not concentrate on flying, and rather be alone to think about what he will do next. Now that he's won the Martial Arts Tournament, like it's always been his dream to do, he wonders what else there is to do, and that is what he needs to think about as Nimbus takes him to Korin's Tower. Maybe by the time that he gets there, he will have made the decision to start training.
For now at least, he certainly doesn't need to get stronger. He's already the strongest in the world after defeating Piccolo, but his match with Piccolo had been a close one. If he relaxes, he might just get back to being the second strongest in the world again, and that, he doesn't want. For most of his life, he has had the goal to be the strongest that there can be in the world, and he worked hard to make sure that he got better each time, so if he were to go back to being number two, he would feel like a failure. It's just that he can't immediately go back to training again, can he? On the other hand as well, he doesn't really want to explore the world yet. He did that too. It had been his goal to journey the world and see all its part, and he did it. Along the way, he made friends, and he helped where he promised to, but how much more of that should he continue to do?
Yeah, it had been fun to travel, but...
Something about Chi-Chi showing up at the Tournament today, made him want a different type of adventure. He doesn't know how she did it, and what it is about her that made him shift a little of his unplanned plans of living, he only understands that she made a difference in him. He could've gone off to marry Chi-Chi... If she had not rejected him, she would be riding on Nimbus with him now. She rode Nimbus with him that one time when they first met and he found her for her father, but it can't be the same as then, he thinks. All grown up, with the strength of a martial artist, he imagines that she could've easily sat behind him, or in front of him if she liked. He doesn't believe that she would've been wary like during the first experience. They probably wouldn't have been heading towards Korin's Tower on Nimbus, though, that's for sure.
Another sure thing, would've been a friendly match between them before the sun set. They could've talked about their training, and how they got so strong long before the match began... He would've liked to know what she did during her training, if she plans on doing more of it, so she could be stronger than she is now, and why she was different from other girls... Oh, oh, oh, -Goku smiles as he remembers this- he would've asked her about her unknown method, the method she used to make him lose their last match. She's obviously not stronger than him, that he knows, but what she did back then was really impressive. It showed that she could use her mind instead of her strength to win, which is something any good martial artist should be aware of. He's moved through all parts of the world to gain his physical strength, but even he remembers how he has defeated opponents when he was at his most injured, and they were at their strongest. And then for a reversal, he lost to her at his strongest...
Ah, he fondly remembers, he still likes that.
The losing part, no, he doesn't like so much, but he likes that he couldn't read her moves. And then that thing that she did to him... That was really, really, really nice. It had been ticklish too, but more nice than ticklish. Or, he probably just likes ticklish things, he doesn't really know. He doesn't have any other experience to compare it to, to know for sure that he likes the ticklish feeling. To find that out, he would have to spend time with her again. He bets that they would have all types of fun together, if not going over training strategies, they could do other things. Like maybe, he knows, the thing she did to him... He wouldn't mind her doing it again, even if he has to lose to her to get it.
He only has to see her again, which he will. Eventually, he guesses.
26Chapters
His landing is measured perfectly, as Nimbus nudges him to jump off him, and into the inside of Korin's Tower. Not one toe loses balance as his feet plant on the stone floor of the Tower, neither as her rotates his heels a bit, to deliver a proper goodbye to his cloud friend, with a wave of his right hand. He only loses part of his balance, when Korin's raspy voice speaks his name from behind him, and he moves too quickly to find the face of his former mentor. Although Goku doesn't do anything to fall onto the floor, the close-to-losing-balance movement that he makes on his right foot, to keep himself somewhat upright, teases him with the idea of him falling to the ground. Doing the little dance to restore himself to proper balance, Goku laughs at himself until both of his feet find balance on the foundation.
'Hey Korin,' he greets, still mildly chuckling at himself. 'Hey Yajirobe.'
'Goku,' Yajirobe replies.
Yajirobe's voice is the same gruff of grumpiness it always has been, but then again, Goku has never heard Yajirobe sound any more or less than that. Even when he's eating, Yajirobe sounds the same. That's just who he is, Goku guesses. It doesn't matter anyway, about Yajirobe's voice, because Yajirobe is not his stop, Kami is.
'I'm just going to see Kami,' he tells them both.
'Goku...' Korin starts to laugh with a paw under his hairy chin, 'You're the only one I know who can say that, like it's not a big honour to see Kami.'
Come on, Korin's playing around, he thinks. He knows Kami, he can't think it's an honour to see Kami, when they have a good relationship. If it was like that, then it would be an honour to see everyone else that he knows, and has a relationship with.
'Anyway, Goku,' Korin gets serious, 'congratulations on winning the Tournament.'
'Aww, thanks, Korin,' he sincerely accepts. 'Your training helped me get here. I wouldn't have won if I didn't have guidance from you.'
'No problem,' Korin waves away, 'but now that you've reached your goal of being the strongest in the world, what are you going to do?'
That's a good question. He doesn't feel like an adventure, and he doesn't immediately want to train, so maybe Kami can help him decide what he should do. He does know that at some time, he would like to train with Piccolo, so they could learn from each other, but more than that, he doesn't really know what he can do. He's not one to plan his life like that. He just goes where his feelings take him. Who knows, he might go back to his Grandpa's house for a few days, or he doesn't know... He'll figure it out after he speaks to Kami.
'I don't know, Korin. I'll see.'
'Hmm,' Korin purrs, but it really looks like he is thinking deeply about something.
With the way Korin is looking at him, Goku cannot convince himself that Korin has some type of help to give him on the subject of what to do. He would be grateful either way.
'What are you thinking, Korin?' he probes, silently hoping that he can get a push in any direction that he can follow.
'You ever think of settling down?' Korin asks him. 'Staying in one place?'
He does that, he thinks first before he can give Korin an answer. Always, if he got to a place that he liked, he would settle down. He's good at fitting in wherever he goes, so he doesn't think that he will ever have a problem with staying in one place, if that is what he wanted to do. Korin seems to be impatient to wait for his answer, though, because he asks for a response from him.
'Have you?'
Shrugging, mostly to show that it's not an important issue, Goku says, 'I don't have a problem with being as I am.'
'But were you not going to marry that girl?'
What does that have to do with anything? And anyway, he just doesn't want to talk about Chi-Chi with anyone. If he has to talk about Chi-Chi, it will have to be with Chi-Chi herself.
'Who, Chi-Chi?' he asks like there could be someone else Korin is referring to.
'Yes, her,' Korin nods. 'Marriage is not the life for you, I believe, Goku. You are too restless, and if I may give you some advice, spare Chi-Chi the trouble of trying to change you.'
'Chi-Chi's a fighter too,' he quickly responds. 'She'll definitely understand. I have to see Kami now, Korin. I'll see you again soon.'
After that, he moves quickly, going up the long pole that leads to Kami's, so as not to give Korin any time to respond to him. He respects Korin, and Korin can believe what he wants to believe, but he can't expect his thoughts to be same on the subject of Chi-Chi. He didn't give it much thought, to be honest, the idea of marriage to Chi-Chi, but he's always been good at blending in, so he wouldn't have had a problem with it.
In a matter of minutes, as he thinks and makes his way up to Kami's, he makes it to climbing over onto the white surface of Kami's Temple. It's no surprise to him that just as corrects his posture, he finds Mr. Popo waiting, looking as patient as always.
'Hey, Mr. Popo,' he happily waves to the man that he hasn't seen in a while.
'Oh, hallo, Goku,' the short man quietly welcomes. 'Did you come to visit?'
'I came to talk to Kami about training with Piccolo.'
That's not really all he came for, but he needs to give the man an answer, so that will have to do. It would've been nice to stay, visiting the Temple too, he thinks as the man who was once a teacher of his, gives him a look of surprise that would normally not be present on his face. He definitely should've just said that he came for a visit.
'Piccolo?'
'Yeah,' Goku confirms, feeling better now the he knows Mr. Popo's surprise isn't about his not-visit. 'Kami brought him here, didn't he?'
'Of course,' Mr. Popo nods, 'I'll show you to him.'
At once, with Mr. Popo leading, they begin to walk along the space of the Temple, making nearly no noise at all. First going through one door and then taking a small turn to the left, they find another door, and that is where they find Piccolo. Sitting cross-legged with his back towards the door, in the middle of the empty room, Goku instantly spots Piccolo once the door is opened. Since there is literally nothing else in the room with light blue paint on the walls, Piccolo is an easy and immediate target for an pair of eyes that opens the door.
'Get out!'
The deep command reaches Goku's ears at the door just fine. So fine, in fact, that Goku can suddenly understand why he has chosen the position of sitting with his back to the door. Whether or not he knows who opens the door -he probably doesn't care to know either- he still has no need for anyone's company but the empty room's.
Not sounding the least bit surprised about it, Mr. Popo says, 'He seems to not want company.'
'Get out now, Popo!' Piccolo's deep voice repeats. 'I will not tell you again.'
Goku finds Piccolo to be too dismissing without listening first. He can't be like that. He should at least listen to what he and Mr. Popo wants and then he can decide if he wants them to get out or not.
'Aw, don't be like that, Piccolo,' he tries to reason with his former opponent. 'I just wanna train with you, that's all.'
Much to Goku's glee, Piccolo rotates in his position, doing it slowly enough, for Goku to begin a little image projection of him toe to toe with Piccolo, in the middle of an intense training session. However, he realises that Piccolo only faces him, to apparently open one eye, and emphasise his need to be left alone.
'Get out!' he barks with just the one eye open.
It doesn't look like Piccolo will change his mind, Goku reads from his face and his now rotating movement again, taking him back to the position that he had been in when they opened the door.
'Fine,' he relents, accepting that Piccolo won't allow to be bothered anymore.
He'll let Piccolo be for now. He's already been on the rejection side today, so he'll be cautious to not keep pushing, only to be told no. Just like he let Chi-Chi be, he'll let Piccolo be. What he wants, will remain what he wants, and until he gets it, he will not stop, but for now, he will let it be. All that is left for him to do now, is speak to Kami. Thinking that way, he leaves Mr. Popo to shut the door, while he goes in whichever direction to look for Kami. It's in the middle of the corridor, where Kami meets him, almost as if Kami had been waiting for that moment.
'I am surprised to see you here, Goku. I thought you would be off with the girl by now.'
'Chi-Chi didn't want me with her,' he truthfully answers, there's no point in keeping it from Kami.
A small smile shows on Kami's face, which Goku wants to frown at, but he doesn't do. It's like Kami is smiling like that to shove it in his face that he told him so...
'I told you to let her be,' Kami says. 'It's better that way, in any case.'
No, Goku silently disagrees, hoping that his face doesn't show his rebelling, it's not better that way. If it was better that way, then he wouldn't have thought of Chi-Chi at all after she rejected him. But he has no intention of disagreeing with Kami on a topic that he is currently sensitive about. He will rather let Kami know his position and dismiss that conversation all in one sentence.
'I will see her again,' he plainly states, that way declaring his feelings and putting an end to talk about Chi-Chi.
'No matter,' Kami shrugs. 'I was anyway wondering, how about you start a new term of training?'
'Yeah, I wanna train with Piccolo, but he doesn't want me. Who else can I train with?'
He can't think of a single person in the world, anyone who entered the Tournament, who he can be really bothered to train with with the purpose of gaining a new height of strength. For fun and exercise, yeah, but nothing more than that.
'I have a place in mind,' Kami says, 'however, it will be nothing you have ever done before, Goku. It might be the most wondrous journey of your life yet. Are you prepared for it?'
Wondrous journey? That suddenly has him all excited. Kami would not suggest something with such promise, and it turns out not to be true. This wondrous journey must be something out of this world, he thinks. His excitement is so ignited, that he doesn't even consider that Kami might just be looking for an excuse to permanently keep him away from Chi-Chi.
Chapter 11, Keepsakes.