Skies above Karin Sanctuary
Gokū and Caulifla sat aboard Kinto'un with their new dragon radar in tow, eager to find the next Dragon Ball. While they're eager to find the next ball, they're not eager about sitting in silence. Caulifla was still pouting and Gokū lacked any words to help cheer her up. Both were snapped from their musings when they heard the scream of a child up ahead. Surveying the forest floor below, a second cry out diverted their attention to the sky, where an impossibly tall and thin column was sticking out of the forest and puncturing the skies with its height.
The two caught sight of an old propeller plane piloted by a tiger man, carrying a small boy by the scruff of his vest. The plane wasn't anything special, except for the fact that the Red Ribbon insignia was plastered on the sides.
"You wanna take this one? Blow off some steam?" Gokū asked his friend.
"Sure," Caulifla accepted as she stood up. What they heard next got both of them angry.
"THROW THE BALL UP HERE AND I WON'T DROP YOUR BRAT!" The tiger man shouted to the ground below.
"Okay, that does it!" Caulifla growled, standing up and launching herself towards the small aircraft. When she gripped onto the windshield, the tiger man grimaced with surprise and fear. Caulifla gave a sinister grin at the anthropomorphized man. "Hi there."
"Oh crap!" The tiger man screamed, losing his grip on the small child. "It's one of the brats!"
"UPA!" A large tribal man down below shouted as the boy now known as Upa fell from the sky, only to be caught by a zooming yellow cloud.
"Yo!" Gokū greeted the boy with his usual jovial demeanor. "Sorry about the tumble. You alright?"
"I-I'm fine!" Upa stammered, still shook up from today's events.
"Alright, let's get you down to the ground," Gokū suggested as Kinto'un followed his orders, parking itself at the base of the monolithic tower. "There ya go!"
Upa hopped off the somersault cloud and ran over to the larger man. "Father!" The child screamed as the man scooped him up with a genuine smile on his face. The moment was interrupted by the sound of a plane crashing a kilometer away and Caulifla landing gracefully next to Gokū.
"The Yellow Baron should be out for a few hours," Caulifla said, gesturing a thumb in the direction of the crashed plane. A loud explosion racked the area a few seconds later from the same direction, causing both monkey children to flinch and wince. Caulifla scratched the back of her head nervously, almost in a similar manner to Gokū. "...Assuming he's still alive after that."
"He and his comrades have made the error of disgracing this hallowed ground with their wanton hostility," The large man stated before smiling at the two visitors. "I can tell you two are nothing like them, and I thank you for saving my son Upa. My name is Bora, guardian of Karin Sanctuary."
"It was nothing, really," Gokū replied, now scratching the back of his own head, as he is known for. "The guy in the plane mentioned a ball. Is it orange with stars floating inside?"
"Yes," The man now known as Bora confirmed, holding the small sphere outward. "To cause so much sacrilege over such a small trinket seems odd."
Gokū looked at the sphere intently, counting the number of stars floating inside. One, Two, Three…
"My grandpa's Dragon Ball!" Gokū exclaimed with glee. "If it's no trouble, may we have it?"
"You have some attachment to this object?" Bora inquired. "That still leaves me to wonder why those men were after it."
"There's seven in total," Caulifla explained. "Gather all seven and you can summon a dragon to grant any wish, and since we've run into these guys before, we can tell you for sure they have bad plans for 'em."
"I don't really have a wish in mind, and I'm only after the one with four stars," Gokū elaborated. "Caulifla here is curious to see what happens when they're gathered. This one with four stars was my grandpa's before he died, and keeping it out of those Red Ribbon guys' hands is a great bonus."
"Well, since you've saved my son, and I sense no ill will, you may have it," Bora smiled, lowering the amber sphere to Gokū, who gladly took it and tucked it into his gi.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's with the giant pole?" Caulifla asked, now curious about the obvious landmark. It was a large totem pole that put the term skyscraper to absolute shame, with several elaborate effigies of various animals carved into its trunk as it pierced the heavens.
"That?" Bora turned to the totem in question. "That is the sacred tower of Karin extending to the heavens. It is said that those who climb to the top with their bare hands will find a hermit master living at its zenith. If one drinks the holy water proffered by said master - the Chōshinsui, as it is called - their strength will become legendary. My clan are guardians who have defended this totem for generations."
"Whoa…" Gokū gaped at the impressive height of the tower. "Have you ever tried climbing it?"
"Once when I was little," Bora answered. "But I did not succeed. I do not believe anyone has, though my grandfather mentioned one who had success centuries ago, but I cannot say for certain."
"So, the climb is a sort of test?" Caulifla mused. "Since you have to climb with your bare hands, I'm guessing Kinto'un's help would be out of the question."
"I kinda wanna try to climb it now," Gokū muttered, now mildly excited about the challenge presented to him. "I got what I came for, so I don't see why not. Caulifla?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious," Caulifla shrugged, still looking up at the tower's height. "And this Chōshinsui stuff sounds-"
"Father!" Upa cried out pointing at the horizon. "What's that?! It's flying this way!"
Everyone turned their gaze to where Upa was pointing. At first it looked like a mere speck, but it quickly grew, showing that it was a large concrete pole with a man standing on top, his gaze cold and unwavering. Everyone jumped out of the way as the column impacted the earth as the man launched it into the ground with his feet before landing gracefully on the end of it.
"Hello," The man greeted with a shrill voice.
"Who are you?!" Bora shouted, displeased by this intruder's entrance.
"I am the world's greatest assassin, Tao Pai Pai," The man introduced with a sinister smirk.
"Assassin? What business does a killer like you have here?" Bora questioned, putting his guard up.
"I have no business with this place, but with the two children with tails over there."
"Don't tell me: Red Ribbon?" Caulifla asked in a deadpan manner as she squared up.
"Perceptive, aren't you?" Tao Pai Pai confirmed. "I've been hired to kill you and take the plunder my employers have been frothing over."
"You guys are really stubborn, you know that?" Gokū shouted, also squaring up.
"Feh," The assassin spat. "The truly stubborn ones are you, trying to fight a world-class assassin. Unless my eyes deceive me, your gis appear to be in the style of the Turtle School, correct?"
"You will not be killing them, or anyone here on these grounds," Bora threatened the assassin, his tone dark. "These two saved my son's life, and it is my duty to defend these grounds, especially from the likes of you."
"Are you sure about that?" Gokū asked, slightly worried. "This guy gives me bad vibes."
"I am," Bora nodded as he picked up a large spear and faced the intruder. "This madness ends now."
"So you have a death wish, do you?" Tao smirked devilishly. "So be it."
"Good luck father!" Upa cheered from behind a tree while Gokū and Caulifla stood, ready to jump in if things became dire. Tao made the first move and immediately grabbed Bora's spear, surprising the duo with his speed. The tribeman struggled to move his spear while Tao was completely unfazed. It was easy to hear the wood of the spear crackling and groaning under Bora's grip, meaning that he was not feigning weakness in the slightest.
"What's the matter?" The assassin asked in a mocking tone. "You're not moving at all. Allow me to move you if you won't move yourself."
Tao, with a single hand, lifted the spear, and Bora along with him, with absolute ease and sent the native man flying upwards. Gokū, Caulifla, and Upa especially were shocked at this effortless display of strength. The assassin spun the spear around, aiming the arrowhead upwards and he grinned with murderous delight.
"Would you like this back?" Tao shouted as he threw the spear upwards at the airborne Bora.
"No!" Gokū and Caulifla exclaimed in unison. "KINTO'UN!"
The somersault cloud rushed to its masters' commands to try and catch Bora and carry him away from the oncoming projectile, but arrived too late as the pole went right through the man as he fell to the ground with a loud thud, snapping an end of the spear off with the impact.
"FATHER!" Upa cried out, tears filling the little boy's eyes as he raced over to Bora's side. Gokū and Caulifla meanwhile were shocked and absolutely angry.
"YOU... BASTARD!" Gokū cursed with a roar as he charged towards Tao Pai Pai, fist outstretched, only for the man to jump up and avoid his attack completely and kick him into the large totem, knocking the wind out of him.
"Is that all?" Tao asked in a mocking tone. Gokū slowly pushed himself up, impressing the assassin with his resilience. "Well now. Still alive eh?"
"You won't be after this!" Caulifla shouted as she cupped her hands to her side. "Ka… Me… Ha… Me…"
"That incantation…" Tao muttered, eyes widening ever so slightly at what this girl was about to do.'
"HAAAA!"
Caulifla thrust her hands forward and unleashed the Turtle School's patented technique upon the assassin. He quickly rose his forearms to his face to try and block the blast. When the light died down, Caulifla panted, having launched the technique without proper build-up, only to see that her target, besides his clothes being burnt to shreds, was completely unscathed.
"So you are students of the turtle school, eh?" Tao commented with a small smile, before it warped into a furious scowl. "You also ruined my favorite gi…"
"Oh crap…" Caulifla muttered, seeing this man shrug off the Kamehameha with ease and looking no worse for wear. The now indecent assassin extended his index finger, pointing directly at Caulifla with cold intent.
"DODONPA!"
A narrow orange beam of ki shot outward from his finger like a gun, aimed directly at Caulifla. Before she could react, Gokū jumped in front and took the brunt of the blast, burning the turtle kanji away from his gi and knocking him back into Caulifla's frame, and knocking the wind right out of her. The two fell into a motionless heap. Upa watched this development with fear in his eyes as the assassin picked up the bag Gokū was carrying, looking inside to inspect its contents.
"Orange spheres with red stars," Tao muttered with a grin. "And two targets down with one shot. I impress even myself sometimes. Still, I cannot return to my contractors looking like this. Time to go find a tailor.~"
"You… monster!" Upa stammered out, slowly picking up a rock. "You killed my father and my two friends!"
With all the strength he could muster, the boy threw the rock directly at Tao, who was uprooting the support beam he arrived on, only to turn his head and literally blow the rock back at the boy.
"Ha, You should be lucky to be alive," Tao retorted with sardonic humor. "You should be thanking me, really!"
With that, Tao aimed the large concrete cylinder and threw it into the air before jumping on top, carrying the pilfered bag in hand. As soon as he was long out of sight, Caulifla began to stir from underneath Gokū. She let out a tired groan as she propped herself up, only to spring right to her feet when she saw Gokū not moving.
"Gokū!" She screamed, rushing over to check his pulse. Much to her horror, it was not there. Thinking quickly, she placed her hands on his chest and proceeded to press down with swift rhythmic jolts to get his blood pumping, amplifying the compressions with her own ki to try and defibrillate the boy. "C'mon, c'mon! Don't be dead!"
Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as he was still not breathing. Taking a deep breath, Caulifla gently opened the boy's jaw and locked her lips with his, forcing her lung air into his. After two seconds, Gokū began to cough and sputter, and the girl pulled back and sighed with relief. Caulifla then pulled him in for a relaxed hug.
"Oh thank God you're alright!" Caulifla sobbed out, now letting her pent up emotions flow forth. Gokū sat there mildly confused as to what happened. A sharp discomfort in his left side ribs caused him to reach for it, only to pull out the four star Dragon Ball from where he was struck. Looking down upon the amber relic he began to wonder.
"Did… Did my grandpa save my life?" Gokū muttered, causing Caulifla to push back her hug with confusion, only to remember the boy's attachment to the four star ball.
"Huh," Caulifla eyed the amber jewel within Gokū's hand, her breath still shaky. "If that wasn't there, you might've had a hole run through you."
"But, what happened exactly?" Gokū inquired. "I remember I jumped in to take that shot, but everything went dark after."
"Your… Your heart stopped for a moment," Caulifla strained out, causing Gokū to flinch ever so slightly. "You're lucky I was here to revive you when you were out. Speaking of, why did you take that shot?"
"I'm… not quite sure," Gokū shrugged. "I knew that Tao guy was strong, since he tanked a Kamehameha no problem, so any attacks by him would've been lethal. I guess deep down I was probably banking on Sushinchu to block the blast."
"But, to stick your neck out for me?" Caulifla asked, unsure of what to think of the situation.
Before Gokū could come up with an answer, the patting of dirt with a shovel caught his ear, and he turned to see Upa mourning over his father's grave. The spiky-haired boy's gaze harshened to a degree not seen often as he looked down at the Dragon Ball clutched within his hand, pondering what to do next. He then turned to caulifla with a question.
"You said we could figure out a wish down the road, right?" Gokū asked his friend, leaving her slightly confused. "I say we have it. We'll gather all seven and revive Upa's father."
Upa snapped from his depressive reverie and turned to Gokū with surprise and astonishment. "You can do that?!"
"It's worth a shot, right?" Gokū answered with a determined grin. "Shenlong should be able to grant any wish. Who's to say reviving those who were killed is out of the question?"
"Hold up a sec!" Caulifla interrupted the celebration of this plan. "That Tao jerk ran off with the Dragon Balls after he kicked our butts effortlessly! And even if we gather them, I'm still skeptical about what Shenlong will do when we specify the wish!"
"Well, he didn't take this one," Gokū retorted, holding Sushinchu out for all to see. "He'll be back, but in the meantime…"
Gokū looked up at the massive totem, and soon Caulifla caught on to what the boy was planning. Upa was first to voice his opinions. "Of course! The Hermit Master's Chōshinsui!"
Caulifla's initial curiosity regarding the tower was piqued once more and she looked up at the tower with a challenging grin. "If it means we can kick that assassin's butt after this, I'm more than game!"
"So, the rule is to climb without any extra help?" Gokū asked Upa, just to make sure.
"Yes," The tribal boy nodded. "The master up top can make sure."
"I suggest you go hide in case that Tao guy shows up again," Caulifla warned Upa, who nodded and ran off.
"Welp, no time like the present!" Gokū cheered as he leaped up the tower with a blur of speed, Caulifla following close behind him. It did not take very long for the duo to go out of sight as they climbed the heaven-scraping obelisk. By the time they were well above the clouds, Caulifla felt compelled to speak up. "Hey Gokū?"
"What's up?" Gokū asked. "Well, besides our destination, that is."
Caulifla couldn't help but chuckle at the joke, but pushed the humorous thought aside to ask her question. "Well, probably a bad time to ask since we're climbing a giant totem pole, but you didn't answer my question before."
"Which que-Oooh right, why I jumped in to take that ki blast!" Gokū began to ask until the epiphany hit him.
"Well?"
"Well," Gokū began with a touch of hesitation. "I know you can handle your own fights, but… seeing as how that Tao guy had you beat by tanking your blast and he came here specifically to kill us, I didn't want him to kill you."
Gokū's cheeks began to tint a shade of red as he hesitated a bit more. "I uh, also, might… have a crush… Oh-hey-look-at-the-time-we-should-keep-climbing!"
Gokū bolted up the tower with new energy, not born of excitement but nervousness, leaving Caulifla visibly surprised and confused. He had a crush on her? Caulifla knew she let slip that she herself had a crush on the boy shortly before the Tenka'ichi Budōkai and Bulma was now privy to her secret, but Gokū felt the same way towards her? She pondered what Gokū said for a few seconds before realizing she was now lagging behind. Not wanting to be left out of the prospects of the Chōshinsui, she steeled herself and began vaulting up the totem up to the top.
1 day later
Gokū and Caulifla had been climbing for what felt like an eternity. Night had fallen at some point and they had to rest, all while clinging to the impossibly tall totem for dear life. When dawn broke, they resumed their climb, not without any slips of grip, of which they were quick to recover, thanks to their tails. Both looked up to see if there was anything different, only to see more animal effigies with each rung of the totem they climbed.
"This… This tower is nuts!" Gokū gasped, desparate for air.
"Are you… saying that… because we passed… some squirrel carvings... a little while ago?" Caulifla joked in between tired gasps for air.
"Ha… Ha…" Gokū sarcastically laughed, emphasized by his heavy breathing.
Caulifla ignored the sarcasm in Gokū's haggard laugh and trekked onward, every fiber in her arms and legs wanting to give out. She looked up to see if progress was being made and saw something different. At the zenith where the tower's top would normally vanish, she saw something else. As she climbed up, it seemed to get bigger. "Gokū?" She asked with a sigh. "Am I hallucinating, or does that look like the top?"
"Huh?" Gokū turned to look upwards and saw the difference she was seeing, growing larger with each inch higher he climbed. Elation soon filled his body at what he was seeing. "I think you're right!"
The two proceeded to hasten their climb upwards and were sure enough rapidly approaching a large pod atop the tower, resembling an onion almost, with 4 port holes at its base, perfect for them to climb through. Gokū and Caulifla picked out a port hole to climb through and, while using their tails as leverage, clambered through and onto solid ground for what felt like ages. The two panted, trying to catch their breath, grinning the entire time. "We… made it!"
"Let's look for that Chōshinsui!" Gokū suggested with renewed vigor. Looking around the room they were in, there was a bathtub next to a decorated changing partition, a bed on the opposite side of the chamber, and various urns with different labels on them.
"Now, if I were a mystical power-granting holy water, where would I be?" Caulifla asked aloud as she looked around.
"Maybe you should try upstairs!" A mysterious voice called out from above, startling the two children.
"Oh right," Gokū sighed with relief. "The hermit master lives here."
"Well, might as well introduce ourselves, right?" Caulifla suggested with a shrug.
The two followed a stairwell that was just outside and upward. At the top was a large gazebo that made up the majority of the tower itself. At the center was an ornate effigy of several elephants holding up a well-decorated flask with their trunks. Beyond that was a short, pudgy blue cat with a wooden cane, its eyes squinted so tightly, they might as well have been closed.
"Congratulations on climbing all the way up here," The cat spoke, surprising the two children. "Even more impressive is that you didn't assist each other on the climb. You two squirts made great time."
"'Squirt?'" Gokū repeated, his expression blank as paper. "You're shorter than either of us."
"Okay, shot in the dark, but are you the Hermit Master?" Caulifla asked, looking at the cat quizzically.
"The very same," The cat nodded, earning a surprised look from Caulifla and Gokū, the latter moreso. The both proceeded to bow and greet politely. "Well, it's nice to see you two have manners. Yes, I am the Hermit Master Karin. Or if you're feeling silly, Hermit Meowster.~"
Gokū stifled a snort at the light humor the cat was displaying while Caulifla rolled her eyes at the pun. The former began speaking again.
"Jokes aside, we came here looking for this Chōshinsui stuff," Gokū explained. "We heard it can make us stronger by several fold."
"Huh," Karin mulled as he scratched his chin. "Haven't heard that name for quite a bit. It's in that flask on top of the podium right over there."
The cat pointed his cane at the ornate flask resting in the center of the gazebo. "Though you two are seeking even greater strength? You guys seem strong enough as it is."
"It's a long story," Caulifla began. "You see-"
"Save your words," Karin interrupted. "You don't have to explain."
"Whuh?" Caulifla retorted, somewhat slack-jawed. "But you asked."
"Really! You don't have to say a word!"
The three stood in silence for a moment, uneasy as to what Karin was going on about. The blue cat then simply nodded and hummed in understanding.
"So you came here to gain the strength to defeat this assassin, Tao Pai Pai?" Karin explained. "And then you'll seek out the Dragon Balls to revive Upa's father, Bora?"
"Wha-How'd you figure that out?!" Gokū stammered out, absolutely stunned that this talking cat figured out the whole story.
"Ha! If I couldn't read minds, I'd make for a very lousy hermit master, now wouldn't I?" Karin laughed. "Well, I'm pleased to see your motives are pure. You two are free to take from the flask."
"Really?" The two exclaimed in disbelief as they walked over to the podium.
"Indeed," Karin nodded. "That is, if you can get to it."
In a swift blur, the pudgy blue cat swung his cane and upset the footing of both children, causing them to backpedal away from the podium.
"Of course there's a catch!" Caulifla groaned. "There's always a catch when it looks too easy!"
"If you want the contents of the flask, then take it!" Karin light-heartedly offered, but the two were onto his game.
"Oh, I get it," Gokū muttered, coming to the same realization as Caulifla. "This is a test, and if we get the water, we pass, right?"
"Yep!" Karin confirmed, pleased to see that the two caught on so quickly. The cat hermit slipped the pointed end of his cane through the flask's handle and shook it in a taunting fashion. "Now the question is, do you have the perseverance to succeed?"
The duo charged at Karin, eager to claim the Chōshinsui nonchalantly dangling from his cane, but with each attempt to grab the ornate flask, the cat was three steps ahead of them, dodging their efforts with ease. Gokū and Caulifla's respective frustrations began to mount ever so slightly as the blue-furred hermit playfully dodged their efforts. Eventually they were both run ragged, gasping for air once again.
"Tired already?" Karin commented, seeing the two desperately trying to fill their lungs with oxygen. "At this rate you'll get me after a second lifetime!"
"Hungry…" Gokū gasped as he buckled to his knees. "Need… Food…"
"Oh, silly me!" Karin chuckled. "I forgot you two were climbing my tower for a whole day. Here, for your troubles."
The cat flicked two small objects over to the duo, and each caught them, only to see that Karin had given them each a tiny green bean.
"Are you serious right now?" Caulifla questioned incredulously. "This is just a bean!"
"'Just a bean' she says!" Karin laughed. "Some folks received divine punishment for such remarks. That's no ordinary bean, lass. That is a Senzu bean! One of those and you'll be sated for 10 days! Though from what I could gather about your appetites, it might keep you fed for just one day."
Gokū sniffed it and shrugged, chowing down on the bean and soon inspecting its taste. "Kinda tastes like fish," He surmised. "Though cats like fish, so I shouldn't be surprised."
Gokū swallowed the bean, and suddenly all of the fatigue he felt earlier had vanished, and his stomach felt full - fuller than it had ever been. The boy turned to Caulifla with excitement. "He's not kidding! I feel great!"
Caulifla proceeded to eat the bean she was given, and had similar musings about the taste. The moment she swallowed, she felt the same rejuvenation Gokū had just experienced, and was now excited to claim that flask.
"Whoo! Suck it kale, you busch-league super food!" Caulifla exclaimed with jubilation.
Unknown location
"Uh, aaaah, AaaaAACHOO!" A girl wearing strange red armor let out a massive sneeze. She sniffled, trying to understand what caused such an abrupt sneeze.
"What's the matter? Catching a cold?" An older gruff voice mockingly teased the girl as she sniffed to clear her sinuses.
"I… think someone's talking about me," The girl meekly responded.
"So, you wanna try again?" Karin asked, slightly shaking the flask from his cane.
"Bring it!" Gokū exclaimed, now pumped. "That flask is as good as ours!"
The duo charged at the master once more, trying to grab the Chōshinsui flask from the master's cane, but each attempt was met with failure as the pudgy cat dodged each attempt with ease. What seemed like hours had passed, and the duo were on opposite sides of Karin, charging at the master, only for him to deftly leap up, and have the two smash into each other. The cat watched this development with amusement as Gokū and Caulifla quickly recomposed themselves, a tint of red in their face, not looking at each other. More time had passed, and eventually the two monkey children were laying on their backs, gasping for air like they did at the start.
"Tired already?" Karin commented, seeing them tired once more.
"We're… We're not the first up here, are we?" Gokū groaned as he propped himself up.
"Nope, you're certainly not the first," Karin nodded. "In fact, the last one who was able to scale my tower was here 300 years ago."
"H-How old are you?" Caulifla asked, dumbfounded at the number Karin just casually listed off.
"Mmmmm, About 800-something?" Karin answered, leaving the two absolutely slack-jawed. "I kinda lost track about half a millennium ago.~"
"Well, if it's worth anything, you've aged well," Caulifla commented, seeing an 800+ year old cat before her.
"Why thank you lass,~" Karin chuckled at the compliment. "As for the one who showed up 3 centuries ago, I think you both know him, judging by your style. Something to do with a weighted turtle shell perhaps?"
"Wait… Wawawawawawaaaaait…" Gokū paused, raising his hands up for emphasis. "Are you telling me that-"
"Yep, Muten Roshi was my last visitor here," Karin nodded, leaving the duo even more surprised than before.
"So, he came here forever ago and drank the water?!" Gokū stammered, earning a nod from Karin. "Well, Sorry for not paying proper respect earlier, Master Karin."
The duo bowed while Karin cracked a smile - at least what can be considered a smile with the face of a cat.
"So, how long did it take Muten Roshi to claim that flask?" Caulifla asked, now wondering how long it took their teacher. Karin simply raised three claws. "Three minutes?" The cat shook his head. "Three days?"
"No," Karin shook his head again. "Three years."
Dodonpa - Dodon Ray
Chōshinsui - Ultra Divine Water
Karin - Korin
A/N: Hookay! This was a fun one! Again, I apologize for the lack of updates. Inertia - or the lack thereof - is an absolute bitch. Anyways, Tao shows up and curb-stomps our monkey duo, and they meet up with our favorite wonder cat! (I can tell some harmony gold haters are going to eat my limbs for that one) Even better, the magical beans are here at last! The TFS quote was too good to pass up, along with the sneeze joke. That said, I do have plans down the road.~ That aside, more feelings have been made known, only this time by Goku of all people! Hope this was a fun read for everyone, and hopefully inertia will persist for the foreseeable future. :)