Chapter 12: The Pieces Fall Into Place
by CaBrPi
Soku felt like his chest was ablaze. He clenched his teeth, drawing his lips back away from them. Air escaped his tight throat in small bursts. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his fingers folded into fists. He could feel the tingling sensation of his own ki spreading throughout his body, pushing against the inside of his skin.
"That's it," Poya said. "Push. Push it further out, but don't let it escape."
A sound escaped from within Soku's chest, but it wasn't an answer. It was a grunt, followed shortly by another one, each successive sound building upon the last, becoming a growl, and then a scream as Soku pushed his ki further and further.
The grass seemed to grow smaller, and it crowded under his foot. The trees shrunk. Poya and Kame-Sen'nin shrunk. Goshin shrunk as well, letting out a gasp as his eyes gazed upwards, directly at Soku's head.
At last, Soku relaxed, taking in a deep breath of cool air. None of the others remained at their normal heights, at least, not relative to him. Even Poya only rose to his hip.
"You're getting there, at least," Poya said, staring up into Soku's eyes. Poya's brow was furrowed, and the deep lines around his mouth pointed downward in a frown. "You could go bigger."
"I don't think so," Soku said, in a voice he hardly recognized as his own. It had deepened considerably with his increased size. "It was pretty hard getting this far."
Poya grunted, summoning his own ki, expanding his body to twice the size of Soku's in half the time. "I can grow much larger than this," he boomed, glaring down on them all.
"Well, that's great and all," Kame-Sen'nin began, "but there is a reason Piccolo and the other Namekian warriors didn't use this technique often..."
"IS THAT A CHALLENGE!" Poya shouted, waving a fist.
Kame-Sen'nin chuckled. "No, not really. Just a statement of fact."
Poya kneeled down, staring directly into Kame-Sen'nin's eyes, and, for a second, Goshin thought he could see sparks of electricity flying between them.
"Uh, Master Kame-Sen'nin, Master Poya?" Soku said, scratching his temple.
"Senile old fool," Poya grumbled, crossing his arms and turning away from Kame-Sen'nin.
"I'm old? Look who's talking!" Kame-Sen'nin retorted, returning the gesture.
Soku looked down at Goshin, who looked back and shrugged.
It was at that moment that Banbo came crashing down between them, creating a large crater and knocking all four to the ground.
"Oww..." Soku said, rubbing the side of his face and sitting up. He wrapped one arm around himself and yanked a small tree out of his back, where it had been implanted on impact. He looked over and saw Poya picking boulders out of his arms, and Goshin dusting himself off as he stood.
"What happened this time, Banbo?" Kame-Sen'nin asked, before coughing.
"THAT PERVERT TOUCHED ME!" Ramis shrieked from somewhere up above.
Banbo clambered out of the crater, gingerly rubbing his cheek. "Aw, c'mon, Ramis, it was just a friendly little tap! It means 'good job'! You know, like the baseball players do!"
Ramis landed lightly on her feet directly in front of Banbo. "Whatever. Come on, we have a student to teach." She reached up, pinched his earlobe, and led him back off out of sight.
"I wonder how much progress Yuki is making..." Kame-Sen'nin wondered aloud...
The smell of dog breath was quickly becoming more than Yuki could bear. "Koroger, I know you're excited, but, please, remove your snout from my face," he said, pushing Koroger's face away from his own.
The sheer volume of air passing in and out of his body stung his lungs, and he could feel alternating waves of cold and hot passing through him. His stomach gurgled miserably, and sweat dripped to the ground from his nose. He was shaking slightly, but not from malnutrition.
No, he'd noticed it just as much as anyone: his ribs had filled out, and his arms, chest, and legs were slowly swelling. The pain in his body was no longer one of emptiness; it had transformed into one of healing and growth.
Now if he could just beat this dog in one race...
"Are you ready yet? Come on, I'm just barely getting started!" Koroger whined, scratching the side of his face with a hind leg.
Yuki frowned at the dog, and forced himself to stand to his full height, steadying himself by planting his hands against his hips.
Then he doubled over again and began to vomit.
"Anyways," Kame-Sen'nin continued, adjusting his glasses, "Goshin, Soku... Poya and I believe that the two of you are almost ready to take on Kandor-"
"Really!" Goshin and Soku said in unison, their eyes going wide and smiles forming on their faces.
Poya nodded. "You've both shown considerable growth over the past few weeks. In truth it's... more than I expected. At least, from you, Goshin. I won't lie, I expected more from Soku. So much power he cannot tap into yet..."
Goshin frowned, and Soku looked down, his green cheeks reddening.
"What Poya means to say is," Kame-Sen'nin interjected, "we're both proud of the progress you've made. But before we go off after the last Dragon Balls, we would like to see the two of you demonstrate your full capabilities in a quick sparring match."
"O- okay," Soku said.
He and Goshin stepped back several paces, and then turned to face each other. The two struck stances, Soku holding his hands open and Goshin with closed fists.
They both narrowed their eyes, focusing intently on each other, seemingly daring each other to strike first.
"Well?" Poya growled. "Get on with it!"
Goshin took the initiative, launching himself forward through a hole in Soku's defenses, lacing his fingers together, and bashing Soku in the back in one swift movement. Soku staggered forward, and then dropped to his hands, swinging his legs up and kicking Goshin into the air.
Soku quickly leapt after Goshin, and the two exchanged several blows in mid-air, arms flashing like lightning, blocking and striking almost faster than Kame-Sen'nin's eyes could track. Goshin managed to orient himself perpendicular to Soku, and pushed off of his chest, landing on the ground with a handspring before resuming his stance.
Soku rolled as he hit the ground, stopping in a kneeling position, and stretched his arm after Goshin, grabbing his forward hand and lifting him up and then slamming him down into the ground.
Goshin coughed, grunting as he hit. Soku retracted his arm, and then hesitated for an instant, before pouncing. The hesitation was just enough to allow Goshin to catch his breath again, and he hopped to his feet before jumping, headbutting Soku in the chest.
Soku staggered backwards, and Goshin darted forward after him, holding his fist back. Soku took a deep breath, and positioned his hands to block the attack, but Goshin let himself fall forwards just an instant short, rolled forward, and sprang upward on his hands, delivering a firm kick to Soku's chin and sending him tumbling backwards.
"Nice feint," Soku said, sounding almost bitter, as he climbed back to his feet, wiping a drip of violet blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
"Thanks," Goshin said, smirking.
"Now," Soku said, holding both hands out slightly to the sides, his fingers curved as if holding a Dragon Ball in each, "let's see you get out of this!"
A low growl began in Soku's chest, growing louder as the veins on the back of his hands began to bulge outward. Kame-Sen'nin could feel the ki flowing into them both, and he couldn't help but crack a grin.
"I call this the Double Yakyu technique!" Soku said, rearing back with one arm, as a yellow ball of light formed in his hand, and tossed the ball at Goshin, who jumped up, over the attack, which flew under him, exploding against the side of a hill.
"Goshin, that was a mistake!" Soku yelled, hurling the second ball, in his left hand, at the airborne Goshin, who, helpless, took the attack in the chest and crashed to the ground.
Kame-Sen'nin hurried over to help Goshin back to his feet. The top half of his gi had been burned off, and his hair and eyebrows were singed, but he seemed to the old man to be in no need of medical attention.
"Excellent, Soku. It's about time you started using strategy in battle, and not just brute force," Poya said, slapping Soku on the back.
"Thank you, Master Poya," Soku said, sighing. "Master Kame-Sen'nin, is Goshin going to be all right? I didn't mean to put so much into that blast."
The Muten-Dashi looked up at Soku, and could see concern in his eyes. He pursed his lip for a second before answering, "Yes, he'll be fine."
"Yeah, I'm all right," Goshin said. "That was a good battle, Soku. Maybe... we can fight again sometime."
The old man breathed a sigh of relief. Soku smiled and said, "Yeah."
The dining room of the Son residence was, thankfully, large enough to fit Kame-Sen'nin and all five of his students, as well as Koroger, Poya, and Taicho. Goshin had always thought it was weird that their dining room was so big, when it had only been the three Sons living there, but it worked for this situation.
They were all staring down at a large map of the world that had been placed on the table. Three circles had been drawn in red ink on the map: one on a small subcontinent in the far northwest, called Yunzabit; another south of the first, in the forests west of the Western Capital, where the Capsule Corporation headquarters were located; and the final one was far from the others, on a small island in one of the chains in the southeast.
"So," Kame-Sen'nin said, leaning forward, his hands planted firmly around the mountains in the vicinity of the Northern Capital, "this is what Poya and I have planned out: Ramis and Banbo, the two of you will be going to retrieve the ball in the southeastern islands. Goshin, you and Koroger will travel to Karin's sanctuary, and retrieve the ball there. And, lastly, Soku and Yuki will retrieve the ball from Yunzabit.
"Poya and I will remain here, approximately halfway between Goshin and Soku's destinations," the Muten-Dashi explained, pointing at a forested area between the circle over Yunzabit and the one over this sanctuary, whatever that meant.
"The Turtle Hermit and I believe that Kandor possesses a radar similar to the one held by Capsule Corporation, and that is how he was able to track down not only the ball near the Northern Capital, but the one here, as well," Poya said, looking down at the map. "According to our allies at Capsule Corporation, none of the remaining Dragon Balls have moved. We suspect that Kandor is waiting for us to gather the remaining Dragon Balls, and willing to bide his time until he is able to steal them. Of course, he would never risk attacking us all at once, so we're splitting up to draw him out. That is why we are sending both Ramis and Banbo to the southeast. Kandor surely would not risk attacking the invincible Muten-Dashi's two strongest students. Rather, if he is smart, he will try and attack Soku and Yuki or Goshin and Koroger."
"So, how do you know if he does?" Soku asked.
"We will be monitoring the situation through our ability to sense ki. The Turtle Hermit will be watching over Goshin and Koroger, while I will be watching over you and Yuki. If we sense a powerful ki approaching, we will intercept," Poya said, crossing his arms.
Karin's Sanctuary. The words seemed familiar to Goshin, but he could not place them. Most likely, he thought, it was a place mentioned in the tales of Son Goku passed down to him by his father.
Still, he wished that Soku would be the one to go with him, but Poya was right. Kandor would be more likely to come after them if they were alone. It was definitely a gamble: if Kandor failed to show himself, he still had the four-star ball, and nobody would be able to get their wish.
"Master Poya," Yuki said, looking up from the map.
Poya grunted an acknowledgement.
Yuki averted his gaze, though it seemed more out of thought than anything else. "If Kandor appears, and attacks one of us, will you kill him?" He looked back up.
Poya opened his mouth to respond, but ultimately said nothing.
"If we have to," Kame-Sen'nin said, nodding his head. "We will try to subdue him without killing him. It wouldn't do to have to explain his death to the authorities. We'll turn him in. Poya can conjure special handcuffs to hold him."
"But what if he kills one of us first?"
"Then that will have to be our wish," Poya answered.
The group fell silent, looking down, away from each other.
"Well, you asked. I don't like the idea of having to use them for that, either," Poya said, giving a huff.
Goshin could feel his hair swaying lightly in the cool breeze of the air conditioner. They already had a list of wishes, and couldn't Shen Long only grant one?
"With Kandor out of the way, we should be able to collect them again in one year without opposition. Then we can have a different wish granted," Poya said. "But, obviously, it's best if no one gets killed."
The chilly morning air rustled Goshin's bangs. He yawned, inhaling deeply, filling his lungs and stretching one arm toward the sky. The sun was peaking over the mountains to the east, painting the sky with pale pinks and blues as the black of night retreated westward.
The white sash of Goshin's yellow-orange gi fluttered in a sudden gust. He stepped lightly, trailing toward the back of the group. The light padding of the other's footsteps on the grass was barely audible over the continuous whine of chirping crickets.
The land still bore the scars of Goshin and Soku's training. Small craters were scattered to and fro, where blasts of ki had exploded, burning the ground's grassy blanket and scattering the dirt to the winds.
At the head of the group, Poya and Kame-Sen'nin stopped and turned to face the others.
"Poya and I feel that this is far enough away from the city to avoid attracting unwanted attention," Kame-Sen'nin said.
"You'll be taking off from here," Poya said, crossing his arms.
Goshin looked down at the tiny metal capsule he grasped in his hand, marked with the number "93".
"Uh, Master Poya?" Goshin said, raising a hand.
"Yes, Goshin, what is it?" Poya asked.
Goshin held up the plane capsule. "I don't know how to fly a plane."
"You're not going to be the one flying the plane, Goshin," Kame-Sen'nin said.
"Oh, right," Goshin said. He sighed in relief.
"Wait a minute, who is, then?"
At that moment, Koroger walked up next to Goshin and licked his hand, and then began panting.
Poya gestured toward Koroger with his head.
"What? Since when can dogs fly planes?" Ramis said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Well," Koroger said, standing up on his hind legs and reaching behind him, "I do have my pilot's license." He produced a small, leather wallet from... somewhere, and proceeded to pull a small card from it, which he held out for all to see.
Ramis, Banbo, Soku, and Goshin all squinted at it, uncertain, but none of the adults objected to its authenticity, so they shrugged and turned back to face Poya and Kame-Sen'nin.
"Now, here are the most important instructions I can give you. Goshin, Soku, if Kandor eludes us and comes for one of you, do not attempt to fight him. We're satisfied with your progress so far, but Poya and I do not wish to risk your health any more than is necessary. Take the Dragon Ball and run. We should arrive very quickly once we detect Kandor's ki, which will flare when he gives chase. We will handle him from there," Kame-Sen'nin warned.
"Now, Ramis and Banbo, you will leave first," Kame-Sen'nin said, nodding to the two.
They nodded in reply, and Ramis tossed their plane capsule into an empty area. The capsule exploded to reveal the vehicle inside, and the two climbed in. The engines began to whine and Ramis activated the plane's systems, and soon, it rose straight up into the sky, above the trees, and then zoomed off into the distance.
"Soku, you and Yuki will be leaving in a few minutes," Poya said.
Soku's parents were hugging their son tightly, weeping and wailing about their pride in him, while Yuki stood to the side, averting his eyes and grimacing, arms crossed. They cried, and cried, and Soku's green cheeks reddened and he rolled his eyes in embarrassment. Finally, Poya announced that it was time for him to leave.
Soku had to tear his parents away from himself as Yuki deployed their plane and climbed in, before climbing into the co-pilot's seat. They waved and continued to weep until the plane had disappeared from view.
Son Taicho put his hand on his son's shoulder. Goshin looked up into his father's smiling face. "I'm proud of you, son. I wish I could go with you, but I've got to stay here and watch over your mother. I'm sure she's proud, too." He patted Goshin on the back.
Goshin nodded. "Thanks, Dad."
A few minutes later, when Poya announced Goshin's time of departure had arrived, Goshin activated his capsule, and he and Koroger took their respective places inside the plane.
Taicho gave Goshin a thumbs-up, and said something that Goshin couldn't hear over the engines powering up.
Then his stomach dropped into his pelvis, then lurched into his throat, and then crashed against his spine as he and Koroger made their way to Karin's Sanctuary.
