The four had long left the village behind and had been driving through the mushroom spotted desert of several hours.
"Are we close?" Kari complained, finally bored of doing nothing but sitting the whole time. Bulma pulled out her radar. "it wont be long guys." she reassured them. Kari sighed and leaned further back. Kari grew bored after sometime and started to poke Goku, who was asleep.
She poked him, and in his sleep state he flicked it away with his tail, and Kari pulled her hand back but he didn't wake. She smiled and continued to poke at him.
She stopped suddenly, and grew aware. Her tail was tingling. *who could be watching us all the way out here?* she wondered. Shifting she scanned the vastness around them. The tingling increased, in tell it started hurting slightly. "Hey guys…" she started to saw before a loud explosion broke the semi silence and she and everyone in the hover car was thrown into the air.
Kari looked back, as she was thrown, to see the car smashing on of the tall mushrooms and explode.
She landed on her shoulder and flipped over. Sitting up she looked around at the others. She saw Goku, confused as ever, Bulma looked as though she was about to cry and Oolong was rubbing his head. "Are you guys ok?" she asked slowly.
Before anyone could answer, a robot of some sort landed in front of them. "what the?" "whoa!" "huh?" they all said as it lifted itself off the ground with the rockets in it's feet.
* what.. What is that?* Kari thought. It flew over to their demolished car as started looking through it. "what's it doing?" Goku asked. "more like what is it." Bulma said.
The robot thing answered them, without turning. "I have come to reposes your dragon balls." "that's not good." Kari said now standing with the others.
The bot turned to them, holding Bulma's brief case that contained the four dragon balls. "thank you for your dragon balls, and so long suckers!" it said. Bulma gasped, as it leaped into the air and flew away calling as it left. "the balls are mine now ha-ha!"
"that thing just stole our dragon balls!" Bulma said still shocked. "repossessed them." Goku said. "it stole them." Oolong said, agitated. "it stole four of them, me and Goku still have two.." Kari said pointing at Goku's pouch attached under his tail, at pulled out hers from around her neck. " so we still have a chance, they more than likely have the last ball, to right?" She asked, tucking the ball back under her baggy shirt.
"yes but we have to get the others back!, Kari, Goku your our only hope, hurry call for the flying nimbus!" Goku nodded. "Flying Nimbus!" Kari saw the little cloud come rocketing out of the sky, and dove down towards them.
Kari and Goku both leaped on before the nimbus could stop, and it flew upwards again.
"were could they have gone?" Kari said scanning the ground. "I don't see them, oh wait there!" she called and pointed to the robot on the ground. "ok!" he replied and they both leaped off the nimbus, withdrawing their poles as the fell. They landed in front of the metal thing, when Kari noticed the inside front was showing. She stepped forwards cautiously holding her pole outwards. She stopped in front of the thing. "Grr monster give us our dragon balls back!" Goku yelled at it. "hey Goku.." she started when the open piece suddenly came down and closed. Kari leaped back, as did Goku. "grr…. Do you thing its playing died?" she asked in a whisper. Goku looked at her then straightened his shoulders and marched forwards. "hey you!" he said and poked the thing with his power pole. The metal creature shook and fell over backwards. "ohm.." they both started at it confused. *what just happened?* she asked herself.
Goku tapped it. "hmm stiff as a board, ya its dead." he said. "well I guess we should, go and tell Bulma that its dead." Kari said before she called the flying nimbus, and climbed onto it. Goku stared at the metal thing for a second long before he joined her and the speed off the tell Bulma the news. "I hope Bulma doesn't get mad and yell at us." Kari said to her brother as they flew. "ya me to." he said.
They flew a couple more second and saw the other two. "do you want to tell her, or do you want me to?" she whispered as the landed. he hesitated. Kari snorted and stepped forwards. "Bulma we found the thing, but it was dead." she said, glancing back at her brother who looked sheepish.
"UM..KARI WHO HAS THE DRAGON BALLS!" Bulma screeched at her. "well I don't know." Kari said hotly. *what, I never snap like that.* she thought, as Bulma fell to her knees crying. "oh no now its all over!" Kari stood there feeling unsure of what she should do. "My.. My boyfriend, its unfair. They probably summoned the dragon already…" the older girl, sobbed her shoulders shaking. "But Bulma me and Goku still have our dragon balls." Kari said reminding her. Bulma lifted her head and stared at her. A smile instantly light her face and she got to her feet laughing. " Ha-Ha of course they thought they could out smart us!" she turned on the twins and grabbed them both in a hug. "you two did it you're the best." "uh.. It was easy you don't have to thank us." Goku said. Bulma dropped them, straightening. "come on guy lets go out there and get back our dragon balls!" she declared. "her mood changes to much." Kari whispered to her brother. "ya I now, its weird, and it scares me." he whispered back. Kari smile. "ya me to."
"ok guy get in the car!" Bulma shouted. "oh fearless leader, you forget, we don't have a car anymore, remember it got blown up?" Oolong said. Bulma waved a finger at him. "no I still have my dinocaps.." she froze, then started crying again. "oh no their in the brief case!" "there she goes again." Kari said softly, then felt a tingling from her tail. * huh?* She glanced around. * Jeez tail, why are you doing that?* she asked it mentally.
"Bulma stop crying, we'll think of something, beside they cant do anything since we still have two dragon balls." Goku said. Bulma sniffed.
Her tail tingled again. *Oh now what!* she asked it angrily and turned around. A car stopped in front of her before she could call the others. "Hey guess who it is." the driver said and every turned and looked at him. Kari glanced back to see Bulma's face lift, and Kari smiled slightly.
"hey Yamcha." Kari said waving her tail at him. "Hi Yamcha." Bulma said holding her face, smiling broadly. "hi." Goku said from behind his sister. "hey.. What a coincidence, hehe are you guys stuck out here?" he asked nervously. Before anyone could speak Bulma leaped in beside him. "ya we were in tell yoooouu showed up, will you give us a ride Yamcha? Pretty please" she asked making her voice sweet and winked at him. *hey tail, I'll try and listen to you more often, and I'm sorry.* Kari said silently to her tail as she wrapped it around her waist.
"Ya sure… we.. We'd be h..happy to." he said stuttering.
Kari smirked. "I'll ride the nimbus, want to ride with me Goku?" she asked leaping onto the cloud as Oolong climbed aboard with Bulma, who was snuggling up to Yamcha. "ya ok." he said as he climbed next to her.
They started off after their stolen dragon balls
Bulma was being weird the whole time.
"Hey look at that!" Kari called out as she spotted a castle ahead of them. "Wow would you look at the size of that place." Bulma said gasping. "its huge." Goku said. They all stopped in front of the sandy colored castle and stepped off and out of their transportations.
"looks as though no ones home." Oolong said. "Hey Kari, Goku see if its open." Bulma called to the twins. "I don't think that's a good idea." Oolong muttered, but the siblings had already placed their hands on the door and were slowly pushing it back.
Kari pushed and dug her heels into the ground as the massive door moved inch by inch. *almost there.* she thought as she and Goku pushed to door back wide enough for them all to fit through.
"there." said Goku wiping his brow, and Kari dusted off her hands. Everyone behind them gasped as they stared into the long dark hallway.
"well lets go!" Kari said cheerfully as she entered first, followed by Goku, Yamcha. Bulma, Puar and Oolong.
"wow it sure is dark in here." Kari commented mostly to herself. "ya darker than night." Bulma said from some where behind her. "Ya and twice as scary." Oolong whispered.
As they trek though the long hallway. Kari could make out the yelps of bats and the scratches of rats she even say the bats above her, their eyes glowing a faint red.. * I wonder why their not scared of the dark.* she wondered.
"do you guys hear something?" Oolong asked a little to loudly. "shh quit Oolong." Bulma hissed at him, but it was to late the bats were flying down at them.
"ah bats!" Yamcha yelped, and every one ducked and covered their heads.
The bats flew out the door, the gang had come in through.
Kari sighed in relief, stood up and helped her brother up. "Thanks." "no problem." she said. "Bats sure are weird." Goku said dusting himself off. "Come on you guys lets keep going. Yamcha said now some ways ahead of them with Bulma and the two shape shifters
She looked at her twin, then raced off after the other, Goku on her heels.
After some more walking, they came to a corner. "well least we're getting somewhere and not just going straight." Puar said trying to lighten the mood. Kari smiled slightly and looked around the bend. *Nothing but more long hallway.* she thought as she looked at another vast straight stretch. "Just another hallway, but it's the only way to go." she said and started walking. The others followed her, no one speaking.
Kari was now in front when the ground started to shake violently. "Ah what's happening!" she yelped. Trying to keep her balance. Suddenly large pillars started shooting from the walls around the six.
Kari looked back at the others. Goku dodged one that came up under his feet. Oolong dove under another that almost took his head off. Yamcha sidestepped on as it shot from the wall in front of him. And Bulma jumped back as another dropped from the ceiling.
Kari yelped as one of the pillars shot into her back and drove her towards the other wall. Thinking fast she dug her heels into the ground and jumped away her tail, trailing behind her. She landed on the balls of her feet, when the pillar crushed into the wall, pining her tail. Kari screamed and dropped to her hands and knees in agony. Tears streamed down her face as white hot pain ripped up her spine.
She glanced back, though watery eyes, to see if the others were ok. She saw, blurry images of Bulma getting caught under a pillar, and being propelled upwards. She gasped, and looked away, sharp pain shooting everywhere.
She turned her head slightly, though the pain forced her to take movements slow. Bulma was safe, she glimpsed her in Yamcha's arms. Before a pillar smashed down in front of her face blocking her in.
The ground had stopped shaking, and was deathly quit. Kari soon heard the others breathing, forgetting her tail was caught, since that area was now numb, she jerked to her feet. A raging fire raced up her spine, and Kari's visions flashed white, though she was in darkness. She collapsed on her side, her tail still stuck firmly between the rock wall and pillar. Her strength seemed to be flowing away from her, as she found even blinking her eyes, a breath taking problem. so she just lay there, she knew she should call the others but her voice seemed to have abandon her.
So she lay there, barely moving, except for the small, slightly visible intakes of breath. Kari closed her eyes a little, pain thumping like the beat of her heart in every part of her body.
Kari head the others start to move around and Goku ask if everyone was ok, and heard their muffled replies. *well at least their safe and ok.* she thought, a small smile tugged at her lips. And then added an after thought. * and from now on I'm keeping me tail around my waist*
"Hey guys where's Kari?" she heard Goku say, as she clearly noticed the concern and worry in his voice. "she probably run up ahead to escape, come on we better go and find her, besides there's only one way she could have gone, and that's straight. And I'd hate to think of her under one of those pillars." Yamcha said.
"Oh…but..ok.." she heard Goku's hesitant reply and listen to them head away from her. Sadness gripped her heart as the others left her behind. *but I can't blame them, they don't know where I am, and I can't do anything." she thought.
"I hope we find her." she heard Bulma say, before she heard nothing at all.
*Wait I cant let them leave, I still have one of the dragon balls!* she suddenly remembered. *Bulma wont be able to make her wish! I have to get to them…but how? She though sadly. *but I have to try, I can't just give up without a fight!* she thought with a new determination. *maybe..if I could use the kamehamehas I can blast the pillars away….. no never mind if I did I'd be to weak to move and get crushed by the rocks.* think think…* a sickening thought came to her head. *No I can't do that." but then she subconsciously, felt the dragon ball around her neck as if to remind her. *but I have to..* she sighed inwardly. * for the others and I cant leave Goku alone, alright here it goes.* Kari then willed her hand to move behind her. Her fingers brushed the fur of her tail, and tiny pricks of pain clawed at her spine. But she wrapped her fingers around her furry abandage, grimacing as she waited out the next round of pain.
*ok.. Ok* she thought as spots swam in front of her eyes, and slowly crawled to her hand and knees. *I really don't want to do this.* she started having after thought. *will it ever come back?* she thought. *No no! my friends think of your friends, think of Goku, he'll never stop worrying! And he'll probably be hurt forever!, I have to do this* she mentally slapped herself. Bracing her other hand against the pillar in front of her, she yanked her tail with all the strength she could muster.
A scream torn from her throat. And her body threatened to fail her, but she ground her teeth together and pulled harder. Tears spilled down her face, pooling under her. " I have to… for…. Them.." she whispered, pained. Giving one more finally yank, she felt the tail pop from her body. Then pain, far worse than she had ever experienced ripped up her spine and she wailed, collapsing onto her stomach. The searing pain seemed to last for an eternity before it slowly vanished and Kari was left feeling as though something was missing.
Sitting up she looked back at her tail, that hung limply from it's pinned position. She sighed and tried to stand but instantly fell on her sore rear and she yelped. It took her several more tries to just get the hang of standing. "Finally." she whispered, then took a cautious step forwards, in the small space she was trapped in. it took her several more minutes to get used to walking. "ok, now I have to get to the other, but how?" she asked herself. Then she crouched down and spread her legs apart and touched her wrists together "Ka." she moved them to her side. "me." "hama" a green energy ball formed in her hands. "Ha!" she yelled and released it. It connected to the pillar she aimed at and exploded. Kari shielded her face with her arm and waited out the blast. The light behind her eyes faded and she slowly looked around. She was free! Without hesitation she sprinted after the others, her foot steps echoing in the empty hallways.
"I don't see her you guys." Goku said feeling sick to his stomach with worry. "she probably ran really far ahead, we've only been walking for an hour." Bulma said, though she was worried to. Hey what's that?" Oolong whispered pointing up ahead. They all turned as saw a faint pink light. The group slowly walked over towards it. "its just an arrow." Yamcha said. "hey look there's another one up ahead." Bulma said in a hushed voice. The five followed the arrows. "hey its just a dead end." Goku said hitting a wall. "what but.. Why?" Bulma asked confused. A sound of rock grinding against rock. Made the five turn to see a rock was falling down behind them.
Kari sprinted around the corner just in time to see her friends' shocked faces as a wall fell between her and them. She skidded to a halt but still crashed into the wall. "ah man, so close!" she growled angrily, and turned, leaning against the wall. Suddenly another wall fell down in front of her trapping her again. "Hey what the!" she yelped surprised.
She paced back and forth for an hour before a screen came from the ceiling. "what is that?" she whispered to herself. Before the screen blinked and on it she saw her friends. "Ah Bulma! Goku! Yamcha! Oolong! Puar! Can you here me!" she shouted at the screen, but to no avail. Another screen came on but in the others' caged off area. Kari squinted and made out a little blue man with a weird frilly thing around his neck. He started to move his mouth and surprisingly she could her him through her screen thing.
"ha-ha what's wrong fools? Are you trapped?" it asked in a strange femaleish voice. "who are you?" She heard Bulma say. "I am the all powerful empire Pilaf!" he shouted. Kari say Bulma ball up her fists. "grr. So you're the jerk that stole my dragon balls!" "yes that is true but, I didn't get all of them, see two of you have them, and I want them." the empire said.
"I know you have the four and three start ball so hand them over and you'll all get out alive." he finished.
Kari clutched her hands. "grr nope, no way he cant have our balls." she whispered.
"Maybe in the next millennia, check this jerk face!" Bulma said as she stuck her tongue out at him. Kari fell over laughing. "ha-ha you go Bulma!" she called to her from the other room, though she knew she couldn't hear her.
The little blue man growled. "so that's how you want to play little girl?" Bulma froze, everyone did, even Kari. "looks like you need a little treatment." he said, calmly. And pulled a lever near him.
A large metal hand came through an opening in the ceiling above her friends. And Kari watched hopeless as it grabbed Bulma and took her away. Kari growled and looked back to her screen. She saw Bulma appear in front of the little man, still in the metal thing. "Let me out of here you freak!" Bulma screeched, thrashing about. "fool I make the orders not you." he said.
"Now where are the last two balls at, tell me now!" he yelled at her. "well my finger says in somewhere in the ceiling!" she yelled back, pointing her middle finger up.
*is that an insult or was she really pointing?* Kari asked herself.
"ok then looks like you want the treatment, ok, but you'll be wishing I killed you, insolent, girl." he said and started to laugh. Bulma stopped struggling in fear.
Kari growled, "grr what's he going to…" she whispered.
He told a step forwards, placing a hand over his mouth, then… blow her a kiss.
Kari fell back on her rear, she had been staring so close to the screen in fear of her friend. Now she lay there shocked. *he blew a kiss thingy at her, wow I though she was going to die,…* her thoughts were interrupted as Bulma began to speak. "was that it a simple kiss, are you kidding I thought you guys were tough. A first grader could have came up with something better than that!" she said laughing. And the empire narrowed his eyes in angry. * or maybe she is..* Kari finished her thought, slapping a hand to her forehead.
"oh that does it!" he screamed and made the thing throw Bulma back down with the others. * I've got to get out of here.* Kari thought glancing around her at the bare, cold walls.
She heard coughing coming from her screen that showed her the others. A yellow gas had filled their small area and they staggered around sputtering and hacking. Raging she instantly leaped to her feet and found her hands on either side of the small screen as she stared angrily. A sudden noise soft at first then came faster, caused Kari to look behind her. The same yellow gas was filling inside her caged off place as well. Kari fell the gas filling her lungs, she fought to stay upright but soon was on her side, coughing. Her eyes grew heavy and she looked back at the screen to see the last of her friends fall, before she to closed her eyes, her dragon ball slipping out slightly.
Kari woke after sometime and sat up sleepily rubbing her eyes. *the others.* her brain clicked slowly and she turned to her screen, only to find it black, dead. Kari jolted to her feet, grabbing her power pole. *wait something's missing.* she thought feeling a tiny fraction lighter. Her free hand instinctively went to her neckline. The ball it was gone! "My dragon ball!" she yelped and stepped back. "they..they got it, then..then they have..have Goku's to. Oh no they have all seven!" she breathed, shocked to her core.
Angry bubbled in her stomach. "they cant just take my dragon ball! It was mine" she shouted at the wall, since no one could hear her. She lunged forwards and slammed her pole into the wall. Small fragments of rock fell, and that encouraged her to hit again. She reared back when she thought. *wait I could us the kamehamehas!* she smirked and crouched. Forming a green ball of energy she waited filling the energy ball more. "ha." she breathed out the last of the move and thrust her hands forward allowing the ball to speed from her hands and into the wall. Light erupted around her along with sharp bits of rock, that stung her. unshielding her eyes, she view the damage she had done.
A huge gapping hole was there, showing the desert though it was dark. She looked around and saw a tiny hole had been made on the opposite wall from what she had aimed at.
She ran over to it and look through. She saw dust and….her friends! "Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, Puar, Oolong!" she yelled to them through the tiny peep hole.
"Kari!, KARI!" she heard Goku hollered and run towards her voice. "over here by this tiny hole." she said. He knelt down and looked back at her. "What happened to you, we lost you, you scared me!" he whispered, his eyes watering slightly. "hey don't cry, I'll tell you everything after we get out of here." she said. "Now go tell the others to stand back." he nodded and ran looked back at the other. "Stand back guys, Kari's going to do something." surprisingly everyone obeyed without a word.
"ok." she stood and breathed out. Stepping several feet back and got into her stance. "Ka..ma..ha.. !" she weakened this ball though so it would get though but not all the way to the other wall on their side.
The dust cleared and everyone was fine, just temporarily blinded. "Guys come on, I blasted a hole to outside, we have to get the dragon balls!" she said before running and leaping out of the hole.
"Rise eternal dragon and heed the wish of he who summons you!" she hit the ground and rolled leaping to her feet as she heard the small blue empire call for a distance away from her. She held back and waited for the others. Goku leaped out beside her, then Yamcha, who looked like he was about to die since he was caring Bulma down with him, then Puar and Oolong but fluttered down as bats. "come on we have to hurry!" Bulma cried out, and they started to run towards the evil villains.
The balls started to glow a bright golden even from the distance away the gang was. Dark clouds covered the sky.
Lighting stuck the balls, then a thick beam of light shot into the air twisting and curling as it went.
It slowly took form, revealing a giant green dragon, with huge white fangs and long whiskers, and long deer horns. The gang gasped and stared awestruck.
The dragon descended from the skies it's huge body making the people below seem smaller than ants.
"Who has summoned me!" it spoke in a thick raspy voice, only a dragon could posses, and Kari saw Pilaf shake in his shoes.
"that. Would be me , I did." he said shakily. The giant dragon stared at him for a moment his red eyes unblinking. "tell me your wish." his voice echoed over the desert.
Her friends behind her gasped.
"but beware! For it will come true!" the beast warned.
Pilaf stepped back a foot, and the dragon growled. "Speak!" "all right than, I'm ready." the little man said his voice catching a higher pitch. "you try my patients!" it growled. "ok, I wish for.." he stopped, fear slowly creeping up his face. "Make a wish now!"
Kari heard Oolong take a sharp breath and she turned to him. "what's?.." she started but Oolong got a determined look on his pig face and ran towards the dragon. "I don't want to be the hero, I'm a coward.." he said as he ran. "w.." she started again but froze as she heard the emperor speak.
"I wish for supreme.." everyone held their breaths.
"I wont the world's" he continued.
"Most comfortable pair of underwear!" Oolong said bounding in to the midget and leaping of his back.
*holly, wow what?* she asked herself.
The dragons red eyes glowed brighter and he growled.
The skies started to clear of their clouds.
And a white pair of underwear floated down from above, landing on Oolong's face.
"I think that little pervert just saved the world!" Yamcha yelled from beside Bulma.
The dragon lifted up, drawing Kari's attention back to it. "your wish has been granted!" he snarled, and started to glow so bright the kids were forced to cover their eyes.
The seven balls then lifted up into the sky. * ah my dragon ball!* she thought then broke out into a full on sprint. "Nimbus come to me, hurry!" she yelled into the night air. The yellow cloud zipped down and she leaped on never braking her strides.
"hurry nimbus hurry." she urged the little cloud faster as she watched the balls begin to spin, keeping her eyes on the only one that had a leather sting attached to it.
The balls glowed golden and started shooting the balls away. "come on come on.." she muttered franticly. The balls streaked a crossed the sky. "three left." she thought. "two." and she leaped off her cloud the rest of the distance. Her fingers missed and she felt her heart sink, when the ball blasted into her hand leaving a short gold dust trail. Kari smiled with joy then remembered she was falling, but the nimbus catch her and turned her around back to her friends.
*oh no.* she thought sickly, as she placed the stone ball around her neck. *I forgot to grab grandpa!* Kari felt like crying as she stepped off the cloud and fell to her knees in the sand. *I was ..I was selfish… I cant.. Believe ..myself..* she thought sadly. Goku and the others ran to her and she looked up sadly. "Goku, I didn't grab grandpa.." she whispered, her voice cracking. Kari hung her and expected her brother to yell at her. But he came over and touched her shoulder with his tail. It's ok Kari…" his voice trailed off. And she hung her head further.
"Goku are you ok?" she heard Bulma ask, and Kari glanced back at her twin. He was staring up at the sky. * probably missing grandpa, and it's my fault.* she thought bitterly.
Still looking at him she saw his body start to grow and his outfit soon ripped as he grew up and out. "What is he doing!" Kari yelped and leaped back. He had changed, he had fur , he was a giant monkey. He roared and threw his fists up into the air, lashing his tail madly. "what is that thing!" Bulma shrieked from behind her.
The huge ape whirled swing his tail full speed, and force at the small group standing there. "AH move!" Kari screamed and shoved Yamcha and Bulma out of the way, just as the huge tail smashed into her head, propelling her backwards. As she flew darkness clouded her vision and she remembered thinking ouch and I'm really hungry just before she passed out.