Chapter Fifty Four: Arale Vs Blue

Senbei looked down at the machine below, carefully examining each part of it. Kakarot and Chi Chi waited with baited breath as he continued to look at it. Kakarot shifted impatiently.

'Do you think you can fix it, Senbai?' asked Chi Chi.

'Fix it?' asked the woman 'He'll make it as good as new. Senbei is an electronic genius.'

'There's nothing to worry about.' said Senbei 'Senbei Norimaki put the possible in impossible.'

'I find that highly doubtful.' said Kakarot.

'Are you okay, papa?' asked a floating baby.

'What the fu-'

'Yes.' said Senbei 'Yes everything's wonderful son.'

'Could you tell me some more about the dragonballs?' asked Arale.

'There are seven of them. Getting all seven gets you a single wish.' said Kakarot.

There were cheers from both Arale and the Gretchens. Kakarot began to summon a kamehameha wave, before Chi Chi stepped on his foot.

'Hey kids,' said the woman, who Kakarot assumed was Senbei's wife. 'here are some snacks to tide you over.' She set before the Gretchens and Arale a plate of metal parts. 'Chi Chi, Kakarot, I made some freshbaked cookies. Have as many as you want.'

'Thank you!' said Chi Chi.

'As long as they don't have a face.' muttered Kakarot.

It dawned on him that Arale and the Gretchens were devouring metal, and drinking cups of oil. Which was ironically the least surreal thing which had happened all day. 'Out of curiousity what do nuts and bolts taste like?'

'Kind of like bronze.' said Arale.

'…And what does bronze taste like?' asked Kakarot.

'Like everything!' said Arale.

Kakarot took a cookie. He was sorry he asked. He zoned out for a while, during which Chi Chi repeated her account of their plans. The woman listened carefully.

'What and incredible story.' she said 'I had no idea such power even existed. It's so fabulous. Tell me Arale, if you had the dragonballs, what would you wish for?'

'I'd ask for a pony, a sugar plumb tree, a rainbow that never ends, and a car that changes color every day.' said Arale.

'You only get one wish.' said Kakarot.

'How come?' asked Arale.

'Magic.' said Kakarot.

'I'm finished!' called Senbei.

'Finally.' said Kakarot.


Blue made his way over the fields, Bulma bound and gagged over his shoulder and the bag with the dragonballs in one hand. He smiled as he reached the house of Senbei. 'Ah, home sweet home.'

'Mmph.' said Bulma.

'I guess I missed the welcome wagon.' said Blue, coming to a corner and peering round it. 'Oh well, I'll just have to settle for the plane instead.'

The plane was large and orange with a large propeller on the front.

'Wow,' said a voice 'you did it Senbei! It's fixed!'

'What?' said Blue 'Those damn kids again! And the girl from before! Why can't anything ever be easy!'

Kakarot and Chi Chi were here.

'MMMPH! MMMPH! MMPH!' cried Bulma, struggling-

Then Blue hit her over the back of the head and everything went black.


'For you,' said Senbei, offering the dragonradar to Chi Chi.

Chi Chi took it happily. 'Nice.' She pressed a button. 'It's working again! Thank you all so much!'

Much cheering and laughter ensued.

'Senbei, you are a genius!' said Senbei.

'That's weird.' said Chi Chi suddenly.

'What's the matter?' asked the woman.

'The radar shows there is a dragonball nearby.' said Chi Chi.

'Then Blue and Bulma are near it as well.' said Kakarot 'Come on!'

And he sprinted ahead, Chi Chi followed. However they found nothing at the front of the house. Kakarot looked at the radar. 'He's gone inside. Chi Chi, go to the back door and wait there! I'll flush him out!'

He rushed in, followed by Arale and went from room to room, looking for Blue. Yet he always seemed to evade them. Eventually he came to a dead end and saw nothing. 'Where did he go?'

'Maybe he went upstairs.' suggested Arale.

'Good thinking,' said Kakarot 'let's go.'

As he turned away, however, Blue surged down from the ceiling and grabbed Arale before setting a knife to her throat. Bulma landed hard behind him. 'That's far enough. Let's back outside, shall we?'

'You'll die slowly for this.' said Kakarot.

'Looks like you've been reunited with an old friend.' laughed Blue.

'Leave her be, you coward!' roared Kakarot.

'Easy,' said Blue, pushing the knife toward Arale's face. 'this knife is very sharp. I'd hate for my hand to slip.'

'Let her go!' said Chi Chi 'That isn't fair!'

'If any of you so much as moves a muscle, the girl gets it! Understand!' said Blue.

Nobody except Kakarot and Chi Chi seemed remotely impressed. Kakarot could only assume that they hated Arale almost as much as he did.

'Listen mister,' said Senbei 'whoever you are I wouldn't do that if I were you. It's a very bad idea.'

'I'm the only one with the bad ideas around here,' said Blue 'and believe me you don't want me to use one.'

'No, that's not what I meant.' said Senbei.

Blue began to catch on to the rather unimpressed stares of the onlookers. 'What is the matter with you people?!'

It was at this time that Arale began to lick the knife as though it were an ice cream cone. Blue flinched and Kakarot and Chi Chi surged at him. As they did so, however, Blue's eyes flashed and they were frozen in place. Every muscle was ridged and stuck.

'Kakarot, Chi Chi, what did he do to you?' asked Senbei.

'What is this…' said Chi Chi.

'Telekinisis…' gasped Kakarot.

'Kakarot is this man a friend of yours?' asked the woman.

'He put a knife to your daughters throat, kidnapped my friend, shot us out of the sky and you are seriously asking that question?!' roared Kakarot.

'You really are a glutton for punishment.' laughed Blue 'When will you learn that there is nothing which you can possess which I cannot take away? Not even your precious little radar.' And he snatched it from Kakarot's hand.

'Excuse me,' said Senbei 'but that really does belong to the boy.'

'You've been very passive thus far.' said Blue 'Do yourself a favor and don't mess it up now.'

He then went back into the house, and came out a moment later with Bulma. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta fly.'

'No problem sir.' said Senbei 'But I haven't really finished the instruments yet.'

'MMPH! MMPH!' cried Bulma.

Blue set her into the back seat and halted. 'Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something? Oh that's right, how silly of me, I almost forgot the most important thin of all…'

He swaggered up to Kakarot with a meaningful smirk on his face. 'I can't go away, without a goodbye FIST!' And he punched Kakarot across the lawn.

'Kakarot!' cried Senbei, as gasps came all around.

Blue, meanwhile, made his way over to a palm tree and sliced it down with one powerful karate chop. It had been cut with an edge so it was effectively a giant wooden stake. Carrying the stake towards Kakarot, Blue laughed hysterically as he drew closer and closer.

'You… know… this… isn't… going… to kill me…' gasped Kakarot.

'Oh I'm just killing time before my flight.' said Blue. 'Now die!'

'Arale quick!' said Senbei 'It's playtime honey! Go show the bad man how you play tag!'

'Yay!' cried Arale.

Then she ran forward towards Blue at a breakneck speed. 'Tag, your it!'

She hit him. She hit him hard and Blue went flying off into the distance. Arale watched him leave with her hand shading her eyes. 'Yeah! That was a good one! Now for the best part!'

And as Blue fell downwards, Arale surged after him and leaped into the air before head butting him even higher. He flew off into the distance with only a twinkle to mark his departure.

'I guess he didn't need the plane after all.' said Senbei.

The floating baby hovered over Kakarot and Chi Chi and restored them. Arising, Kakarot looked to Chi Chi. 'Are you all right, Chi Chi?'

'Yeah, I'm okay.' said Chi Chi 'What about Bulma?'

Getting Bulma untied was easy. Listening to her afterward was hard.

'I've spent the last few days tied up getting hauled around like cargo! Where the hell were you! I needed your help, and you couldn't even get here in time! Honestly who do you people think you are!'

'Who are you talking too?' asked Kakarot.

'Everyone! No one! Anybody!' roared Bulma.

'If it helps you looked real nice tied up in ropes.' said Kakarot.

'It doesn't!' roared Bulma. 'Can I borrow your showers?'

'Of course.' said the woman.

Shortly after Bulma finished showering Arale got back, all smiles. 'I'm here!' She saw Kakarot and Chi Chi and her smiles widened. 'Good, you're well again.'

'Where is he?' asked Kakarot.

'I don't know,' said Arale 'he hasn't come down yet silly.'

'Great,' said Kakarot 'Bulma check the dragon radar, the nearest point should be where he is.'

'I sure hope he took a snack.' said Senbei.

'Wow, you're really strong aren't you?' asked Chi Chi.

Arale laughed. 'Thank you, but I'm nothing compared to the Gretchens.'

The Gretchens cheered busily. Then they shot laserbeams to fry the tree which had been shot down.

'…I'm seen mountainranges leveled by the will of one man.' said Kakarot 'Not too impressed.'

'Oh that was nothing trust me.' said Arale 'They must be tired. You should catch them on a good day.'

'I guess we'll have to train really hard to get as strong as them, right Kakarot!' said Chi Chi.

'I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.' said Kakarot.

'Hey, Mr. Senbei,' said Bulma 'can I buy that plane off you?'

'I don't know,' said Senbei 'I built it myself. I'm not sure I'm willing to part with-' He saw the number on the check Bulma was offering him.

'Pleease…' said Bulma with bright shining eyes. 'It would be a huge help.'

'Why sure!' said Senbei 'Take it away, little lady! And we'll take a vacation!'

'So what does the dragonradar say?' said Kakarot.

'Why are you asking me?' asked Bulma 'You're the one who got it snatched from!'

'Oh damn it!' cursed Kakarot 'Blue must have it!'

'How are we going to get back home?' asked Chi Chi.

'Oh don't be sad.' said the baby 'I can make you a new one, you know.'

'You can?' asked Chi Chi.

'Yeah right.' said Bulma 'That thing took me years to design. And if it took me that long there is no way some kid can-'

Five minutes later the baby produced a dragonradar.

'…That's copyright infringement!' snapped Bulma.

'Did you actually patent it?' asked Chi Chi.

'Well… no.' said Bulma with a sigh.

'It's working.' said Kakarot 'Now we can get out of here and never visit this hellish landscape ever again.'

'Flying Nimbus!' cried Chi Chi.

Down came the Nimbus out of nowhere and Chi Chi leaped onto it, before pulling Kakarot on. Bulma, meanwhile, jumped onto the plane and started it up. Kakarot glanced up to Arale. 'Oh, and you might want to consider joining the martial arts tournament next year. You'd probably do pretty well.'

The plane took off and so did the Flying Nimbus and together they surged off into the sunset. Except it wasn't a sunset so much as midday. And they were heading away from the sun.

On to the next adventure.


Authors Note:

I'll level with you. I both dreaded and found this particular part of the story difficult to write. Since I'm not at all familiar with the source material the story feels jarring and I can't really get invested in all the cameos. Now, however, we're back to the main storyline.

Here's to hoping that improves my speed.