"I must admit..." Master Sheru said, leaning heavily on his staff, looking like nothing more than a strange old man. "I will miss you both. You are some of the best students I've ever had the pleasure of teaching." A brief frown crossed his face. "Although you ate enough food for a dozen people."
Uru giggled at that, and Cana smiled. They were back on Turtle Hermit Island, the small sandbar that Kame House had originally stood on when the Saiyan and the Majin had first found their teacher, dressed in their old travel clothes. The month had flown by... the days of delivering milk, of farm and construction work, of dodging bees and outrunning sharks were over, already fading like a half-remembered dream. All the changes the two had gone through, the things they had learned, would remain much longer. Uru had begun to tap into her latent power as well as learning to read, write, and do basic arithmetic... the old man was a multi-faceted teacher.
As for Cana... she had unearthed a part of herself that had been buried for two years and found – to her surprise – she had survived. She had retained her sense of self. "Thank you, Master Sheru," the Saiyan said. "You taught us well, took care of us when you didn't have to." She glanced down. "I've spent my time on Earth being afraid of getting too close to others, scared that they'd reject me. I see now I've missed out on meeting some great people."
"Ah..." the old man mumbled, pushing out his chin and turning away. "Ah..." He remained that way for a moment before taking a deep, shaking breath. "Now don't be getting all emotional on me, girl," he said, and Cana could tell that he was trying very hard to keep his voice gruff. "You've got Dragon Balls to find, don't you?" He turned back towards them and made a shooing motion with his staff. "Only a little over a month left... you better get going."
Cana pretended not to notice the Turtle Hermit's sentiment, hiding her grin. "You have a point," she said. "Ready to go, Uru?"
"Ready!" the Majin exclaimed, raising one hand and hopping in place, something she'd been doing a lot of since the two of them had shed their weighted, violet turtle shells. "Light as feather," she sang, bouncing back to the rowboat that had first taken the duo to the island. With a corkscrewing backflip, she landed right in her seat and gave a big wave of her arm to Master Sheru. "Bye, old guy! Thanks for everything!"
The old man chuckled under his breath and shook his head. "So energetic. She's a handful, girl, but I think you can keep her in line and keep her safe."
"Count on it," Cana said with a nod. Feeling an urge to show off, she bent her knees and leapt up and back, twenty feet in the air and directly into the boat. Her right foot hit one end of the oar and it catapulted into the air. The Saiyan caught it without looking and used it to push away from the island one-handed. The rowboat spun into the open water and she pulled them through the gentle waves and into the glittering sea.
Uru waved the entire time, until Kame House was out of sight over the horizon.
"What did you think?" the older girl asked her pink-skinned companion.
"He was a funny old man," Uru said brightly. "Nice, though. It was hard, but I had a lot of fun." She paused, trailing a hand in the water. "What about you?"
Cana stared off into the distance, remembering the difficult training, the things she had learned, the fear she had faced. A smile crossed her face. "I had fun, too," she said.
Only one month remained before the deadline was up, and Cana had only collected three of the seven Dragon Balls. During the most frustrating parts of the Turtle Hermit's training, she had despaired of ever being able to complete her mission, positive that the month delay would cost her any chance of fulfilling her promise to Tenshinhan. While the odds were still against her and Uru, Cana had not reckoned on one very important fact...
After their training, the Saiyan and the Majin could move.
All the exercise – not to mention the weighted clothes – had been just about he most perfect preparation for their journey. The duo dashed and leapt across the landscape, covering nearly a mile a minute, the countryside sliding away like a blurred map. Uru laughed, and Cana laughed with her, sounds of pure joy for movement, for activity, for life.
The distance to the next Dragon Ball shrank every day, more than the older girl would have believed possible without bukujutsu flight. Even better, the Saiyan realized that what she had thought was one dot was actually two, close enough that they had appeared to indicate a single ball. If they could keep up this pace, then she just might manage to gather all seven of the mystical orbs by the end of September, just about the time that Jesi would be fighting in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Maybe even before then! Cana thought. I could watch her fight in the Budokai!
She grinned and ran faster, happy and proud to see her young Majin friend keeping pace, sprinting close by, body low to the ground, arms stretched out to either side and slightly behind her. The little pink girl was also smiling.
A few days later, they had reached the land where the next Dragon Balls rested, a country of forests and rolling hills and sparkling little rivers. Leading them on like a beacon was a strange structure of a kind Cana had never seen before, a tall, narrow tower that stretched into the cloudless blue sky and out of sight, as if it went straight up to the heavens.
They slowed as they entered the lands surrounding the tower, which was visible even though it still appeared to be very far away. The countryside was hushed, not watchful or suspicious, but peaceful. Sacred, the word came to Cana. Even the normally boisterous Uru seemed to sense it, quiet when she talked, restrained when she moved. Birds sang in trees and small animals crossed their path or hurried around the branches of the trees. They saw deer often, and once they spotted a bear trying to catch fish in a small stream. That stream joined up with a river that the two followed deeper into this serene country. If the Dragon Radar was correct, the waterway should lead them straight to the next ball.
In the hazy distance of the later morning, closer to the impossible tower, light smoke curled into the sky, so Cana knew there were people somewhere around here, but she did not see anyone. Nonetheless, the Saiyan became convinced someone was watching them. She saw nothing, heard nothing, and sensed nothing, but the feeling grew stronger the further they traveled.
"What's wrong, Cana?" Uru asked, seeming to notice her companion's increasing unease. The older girl could only shake her head, staring at the radar. They should have reached the Dragon Ball by now, but it seemed to be moving ahead of them even as they walked. Perhaps it was caught in the current of the river.
At last the river they had been following turned into their path, necessitating a crossing. And yet, Cana hesitated at the bank. It was less than thirty feet broad and she could make the leap easily. The Majin girl could, as well, but there was something forbidding about the place, almost as if there were a large sign that read "Turn Back Now". But nothing was visible. In fact, everything here seemed healthy and peaceful. It was only unfriendly to outsiders.
Cana shrugged off the sensation and shook her tense muscles loose. "Ready to jump, kiddo?" she asked.
Uru shivered. "Do we have to? There's something weird about this place."
"It'll be fine," the older girl said, forcing herself to smile and hoping it didn't look as unconvincing as it felt. "Here, I'll go first, there's nothing to be afraid of." The Majin nodded, dubious, and Cana patted her squishy pink head to reassure her. The Saiyan turned to the water, sprinted to the edge, and leapt up and forward in classic long-jumping form. She watched the far shore approach, already tensing her muscles for the landing when two things happened at once.
The first was the sound of Uru's scream: "Watch out!"
The second was the sensation of a strong hand grabbing her shoulder and yanking her back. She was too surprised to resist the pull and in seconds she was slammed into the ground near where she had started, grinding a long furrow into the grassy turf with her impact. A yelp of surprise and pain escaped her, but she didn't hesitate, vaulting back to her feet and readying herself in a fighting stance.
She had regained her feet just in time to see a long, green snake slither away from her through the tussocks. Her red eyes followed the sinuous motion, tracing it back to...
A creature. It had green skin and dark eyes; patches of light, almost yellow flesh seemed to mark muscle groups on both arms and abdominals. Twin antennae and a pair of pointed ears extended from the creature's otherwise very humanoid head. It was shirtless, revealing a slender but muscular physique of medium height, definitely masculine. A necklace of animal teeth hung around his neck and he wore fringed leather pants of a deep tan. Red, horizontal tribal marks slashed across either cheek.
But it wasn't the savage looking dress or make-up that caught Cana's attention. She knew this creature. Or at least she knew his kind. They were rare, and their homeworld was a well-kept secret, but the Saiyan had seen others like him. An all-male race, subsisting only on water; strong and – some said – capable of strange powers.
"A Namekian," she breathed as the green-skinned man's arm – what she had mistaken for a snake – shortened to a normal length to match its twin. He had somehow extended the limb to grab her from over twenty feet away. The alien must have been suppressing his energy earlier, because she hadn't felt him. Now she could sense the creature's power, as different from Master Sheru's as her Majin companion's was.
At the whispered word, the Namekian's gaze, which had already been directed at her in a glare, sharpened further. "How do you know that name?" he asked, and Cana was surprised to hear how much younger he sounded than she had expected. His tone was more like a sullen teenager than the primitive warrior he appeared to be.
"I've seen others of your race," Cana said.
The green-skinned man sneered at her. "There are no others like me on Earth. Let me guess... you're not from around here." He tapped his hairless head with one finger. "I'm familiar with Majin, but you don't feel quite human. What are you and what are you doing here?"
Something about his attitude irritated the Saiyan. "That's none of your business," she said. "We're passing through, that's all I need to tell you."
"Not good enough," he said. "Everything beyond the bounds of this river as far as you can see is my business and my responsibility. My name is Arion. I watch over the Karinga, and I won't allow strong, possibly hostile strangers to walk into the Sacred Land of Korin." The Namekian reached into a pocket and pulled out a familiar looking object that glittered in the sun. "Especially ones that are looking for Dragon Balls."
Uru gasped from behind her, but Cana kept her face expressionless. "Interesting trinket you've got there."
"Don't play dumb," the Namekian snorted. "You were heading straight for me this entire time." He shoved the orb back into his pocket. "I'm not sure how you knew where to find the ball, but it doesn't matter. Don't you have any idea how dangerous these things are?! They're not toys!"
"I've heard the stories," Cana admitted. "For what it's worth, I'm not planning on using the Dragon Balls. I'm just collecting them."
Laughter was the green alien's response. "That makes sense," he said, sarcastic. "Either way, I'm afraid that your collection will always be at least one ball short. I won't give it up to you or to anybody else."
"And there's nothing I can do to convince you?"
"Not a chance," Arion said. He looked up and down at the girl and glanced at her shorter companion. "Why? Are you going to fight for it?"
Cana felt a thrill run through her. A battle against a Namekian. Her Saiyan blood warmed at the idea, and she focused her attention on the ki she could sense from the other alien. He was strong. He would have to be to survive out here like this. But Cana had been trained by the Turtle Hermit and found at least a fragment of the power she had utilized as a peacekeeper. She was his match. Before she was aware of it, a predatory smile had spread across her face and she had settled into a fighting posture.
"You can take him, Cana," Uru urged. The Majin girl didn't comprehend the gravity of the situation, seeing it as a contest or a game rather than a life-threatening situation.
That realization allowed the Saiyan's brain to catch up with her body. Do I really want to hurt this person for no real gain? She wondered. I keep getting lucky with the Dragon Balls, but fortune doesn't smile on anyone forever. At some point there will be an orb that I can't get without really fighting someone. Not a sparring match like with Bock, but an actual fight.
And I won't cross that line.
She ached for a fight, but she straightened, opening her fists and shaking her head. "No. I told you I don't want to use it. It's not worth a battle."
Arion crossed his arms slowly and nodded. "Your restraint speaks to your character," he said. "But I keep the ball, and you will have to go around these lands." The Namekian turned away. "I wish you safe travels... as long as they take you away from here."
"Much appreciated," Cana said, unable to keep the sardonic tone from her words. She gestured to Uru. "Let's get going, kiddo," she said to the Majin. "Looks like we're not welcome here." For a moment, the pink girl glanced back and forth between her friend and Arion, frowning, but she followed without a word of complaint. In seconds, the two had left the Namekian behind, angling away from the river that marked the border of Karinga lands.
They traveled in silence for a bit, but Cana could tell that her young companion was fit to bursting with frustration. The Saiyan understood and shared the feeling, but her decision was made, for better or for worse. At last Uru asked the question that was eating at her. "Why didn't you try and get the shiny stone from that guy?"
Cana stopped, and the Majin halted next to her. "Uru..." the older girl began, kneeling to lower herself to the Majin's height. "Do you remember the day we met?"
"Of course! Those two bad guys tried to steal my treasure, but you chased 'em down and got it back super fast! You were so cool."
A smile spread across Cana's face at the young Majin's description of events. "I chased the thieves down and got the Dragon Ball. I could have just kept going, Uru. I could have left you behind and just taken what I wanted. I thought about it."
Uru stared at her, a little of the sparkle leaving her red and black eyes. "But you didn't," she said quietly.
"I didn't. I returned and gave the ball back to you. I didn't know you would follow me. I thought I was leaving it behind for good. You know why?" Uru shook her head. "Because it belongs to you. I decided that I wasn't going to steal it, no matter what my mission is. I wasn't going to steal, and I was going to try very hard not to injure anyone."
"Is this because of what happened before?" Uru asked. "With that girl that hurt you?"
Cana nodded and stood. "Exactly. I won't follow in her footsteps. And if that means I fail, then that's the way it is. You get it?"
"Uh-huh! That's why you're the coolest, Cana!" Uru exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, and the Saiyan laughed.
"Let's get going," the older girl said with a grin. "We'll do what we can and hope Master Tien understands."
"Captain!" a voice called from across the cavernous hangar, audible over the sounds of hammering and welding and talking. Machines and vehicles littered the building, most in various states of disrepair, and the smell of ozone, metal, and lubricants filled the air. The majority of the floor space, however, was taken up by a single gigantic object, vaguely man-shaped but rounded and headless. It was incomplete, but still dominated the structure, blocking the light and leaning threateningly over the heads of the soldiers working all around it. Sparks arced and flashed from various spots across the thing's body, marking where technicians had concentrated their efforts. "Captain Riso!"
A tall man turned away from his contemplation of the titanic machine under construction in front of him. His hair was bristly and gray, though he was not that old. A long scar ran down one side of his face over his steely eyes. "Report, soldier," he said, brief and succinct as ever.
The messenger approached to within five feet and snapped a smart salute. "Sir! The readings have all but converged! We have four readings right on top each other."
Captain Riso's eyes brightened. If his Rice Raiders could get a hold of those four targets, they would have five of the balls with only be two left to obtain, and then...
But there was a fly in the ointment, as always. "The girl?" he asked.
His subordinate hesitated before answering, confirming his suspicions. "It's likely, sir. We have been following her progress and it appears that she has carried three of the balls to the fourth. She must have a radar as well."
"Of course she does," another voice came from behind the captain. He didn't bother turning. He knew who it was: Their benefactor and greatest resource "And we know where she obtained it." The third man stopped at Riso's side. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair and a neat mustache, well-muscled under his ever-present white labcoat; surprising for a scientist. "It's not a problem. In fact, it makes our job much easier. Instead of running all over the world looking for the Dragon Balls, she's done most of the work for us."
"She's dangerous," Riso grunted.
The mustachioed scientist nodded. "Oh she's quite dangerous, I agree. Your soldiers that ran into her before were weak and easily frightened and I don't take their reports at face value, but this girl should not be under-estimated."
"Should I prepare a company of our soldiers, sir?" the soldier asked, still standing at attention.
"A company, a battalion, a regiment, it would make no difference," the scientist laughed. "No, I think we have a much better option for dealing with this particular pest." He turned to face Riso fully. "Captain, allow me to send Five-Nine. This would be a good opportunity to put him through his paces, and he has a much better chance of handling the girl."
Riso crossed his arms. "I've heard the stories of your... predecessor, Doctor," he rumbled. "Are you sure that it's loyal to you?"
The scientist's eyes glinted and he bared his teeth in a vicious smile. "Perfectly loyal," he said. "Gero's experiments may have been much more powerful, but his data was lost long ago. Five-Nine is closer to the old Red Ribbon Army's Android 8 than the later models, but I've had to re-create his work from scratch and I've taken all the necessary precautions. Trust me, Captain... once you see what he's capable of, you'll want an entire army of my creations to augment the Neo Battle Jacket we're building here."
Unlikely, Riso thought, keeping his face expressionless. They may be strong, but I don't trust your soulless machines over my men. "Do it," he said out loud. He would use the scientist and his creations for now, but once the Dragon Balls were in his possession, the captain would have no need for the doctor's services.
He would have no need for anything ever again.