Now, now, Tsuru Sennin, don't be such a sore loser, it's bad for your health

CHAPTER 15

THE LIFE OF A MARTIAL ARTIST IS FRAUGHT WITH PERIL

The last match was about to start. Goku vs Tien Shinhan, no less, and it might be the match of the century, according to some experts. Once again, the spectators were trying to foresee how long Tien would last against Goku, especially after the former had broken Yamcha's leg and the latter had vowed he would avenge him. Yes, they were still remembering how horrible the sound of the leg breaking up had been, and how evil had Tien been by doing it, especially knowing Yamcha was already defeated when he fell upon the floor of the tatami. So, when the referee announced Tien's name, the public started to boo at him, just like they did when he appeared in his fight against Jackie Chun.

He's clearly scared, thought Goku, following him towards the tatami, just when he heard the referee calling his name. He's constantly looking at his master. If he fights with fear, he won't be a challenge to me. Too bad, I wanted to fight him at full strength and have fun, now that he's one of us.

'This is the final match, ladies and gentlemen!' announced the referee. 'Again, the Kame Style fights against the Tsuru Style! On one hand, Son Goku, who is the best fighter I've ever seen. On the other hand, Tien Shinhan, unfortunately the dirtiest fighter I've seen as well despite his strength and technique and—'

'Could you please lend me the microphone for a second?' asked Tien in a low voice, startling the referee because of his sudden good manners, and he nodded before complying. 'Ladies and gentlemen,' said the three-eyed fighter via microphone. 'I know you have a grudge against me because of my previous actions and I understand why. I've done several dreadful things in this tournament that I regret now, things that I shouldn't have done, such as the already infamous broken leg, and now I apologize.'

'What?' roared Tsuru Sennin, furious. 'What the hell are you talking about, Tien Shinhan? Are you nuts?'

'I've already spoken with Yamcha about it, apologizing for what I've done, and now I apologize again in public, in front of you all.'

He bowed to the spectators and they clapped their hands for his sincerity, at the same time Tsuru Sennin was swearing, some words not appropriate for children to hear. Tien could not help but smile, unaware of his master's words. His focus was on the public's mercy, in his opinion, and their encouragement. But his face turned serious again. He had not finished yet.

'I'm sorry, Tsuru Sennin-sama, but I won't follow your teachings any longer,' he continued, angering his master even more, if possible. 'I appreciate all your teachings; they have been invaluable to me and I give you thanks for them, for without them I wouldn't be the man I am now. But I've understood that your way only leads to the life of an assassin and I don't want to turn into a murderer. I don't want to become paranoid, afraid of everything and everyone, I don't want to die alone and bitter, most likely at the hands of another assassin who kills me in my sleep or when I'm too tired to defend myself. Instead, I want to live with a family, with friends and, if possible, I want to marry a beautiful woman and have children. My most immediate dream now is waking up in the morning and hearing sweet and cheerful voices calling me "daddy, daddy". I want love in my life, not hatred. That's the life I want now. For that I apologize to you, Tsuru Sennin-sama. I know you wouldn't allow me to do that, but as I said, I won't follow you anymore. And Chaozu, I would like you to be like me, to be by my side, to have a chance to live in peace. The life of an assassin can destroy you, trust me, I know what it is and I don't want you to suffer what I suffered. So, please, come with me.'

'Tien...' barely whispered Chaozu, moved.

'I know!' boomed Tsuru Sennin, choleric, startling Chaozu. 'I know what happens! You've been brainwashed by Kame Sennin, I'm sure of it! How dare you betray me? You're gonna die by my hand right now! Chaozu, immobilize him!'

But Chaozu was so afraid he could not even move a muscle save for trembling in fear. Tsuru Sennin glared at him now and raised a fist, just to be stopped by Goku, who grabbed his arm in the nick of time.

'Enough!' yelled the saiyan in anger. 'If you want to kill someone, try to kill me if you dare! But leave the kid alone!'

'What are you doing, Goku?' asked Tien, astonished.

'I'm trying to save our mutual friend, Tien,' answered Goku, lending his tail for Chaozu to grab, while holding Tsuru Sennin's arm with one hand and keeping the other free just in case the evil master tried to attack him or Chaozu. 'Grab my tail, Chaozu, and don't worry. You won't live in fear again.'

The white-skinned child took Goku's tail and climbed to the tatami, still shivering. Tsuru Sennin tried to intervene, but Goku was attentive and prevented it with a glare.

'I'll get you for this, son of a bitch,' spat Tsuru Sennin, looking daggers at Goku, who glared back. 'Soon you'll know my anger, I swear!'

'Try to kill me and you'll be the one who dies,' hissed Goku, releasing him after a punch in his guts, strong enough to deprive him from air, doubling him over. 'Kame Sennin's teachings don't make us soft, I can assure you that, so don't provoke me. Now go, and don't you dare seek revenge if you want to live.'

'You'll regret this!' yelled Tsuru Sennin, floating out of the stadium. 'All of you! Mark my words!'

'Whatever you say, old coot,' grumbled Goku. He faced the referee, who had lost the colour of his face since the beginning of the conflict. 'Sorry for the inconvenience, referee-san,' he apologised. 'Please, let us begin.'

'Watch out!' yelled Tien. 'Dodonpa!'

That Dodonpa was not aimed at Goku, but at another Dodonpa that was heading towards him, coming from the air. Fortunately, Tien's technique was as strong as Tsuru Sennin's, and he could block it with his own. But that Dodonpa technique was not the only one thrown. Other beams of energy followed the first one, hitting Chaozu in the forehead, Tien in his left arm, Krillin in a leg and Goku in the face, even though that one was not aimed at him but at Bulma. Roshi as well received another one, but the old master simply blocked it out of the way effortlessly as if he were shooing a bug instead; he did not even have to look at it for that. After that, he cared for Krillin's leg.

'You coward!' shouted Goku in rage as they could hear Tsuru Sennin's cackles from afar.

But the evil master had made a mistake with that, because he had shown his position and Kame Sennin took advantage of this with a well-aimed Kamehameha. The following yell moving away indicated he was unwillingly moving out of the stadium, pushed away by the supernatural technique.

'And good riddance,' concluded Roshi. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, thanks, Kame Sennin-sama,' said Tien. 'My arm's dumb but I can fight. Chaozu?'

'I'm fine,' said Chaozu, his forehead bleeding. 'A little dizzy but okay.'

'Being a blockhead is good for that, it seems,' groaned Krillin. 'No offence, Chaozu, it's a compliment this time. My leg's worse though. I think I'll be Yamcha's roommate for a while.'

'Not quite, it's not fractured,' said Roshi, examining the leg. 'A thick bandage will do for now.'

'I'm alive thanks to Goku,' added Bulma, scared. 'But he can't fight, the Dodonpa got him in the face.'

'Don't worry, I'm fine,' said Goku, trying to stand, his face bleeding. 'I've endured tougher blows.'

'But don't get up, don't be reckless!' exclaimed Bulma, trying to keep him laying down the floor.

'I'm fine, Bulma,' insisted Goku, standing with some difficulty. 'I'll fight. What about you, Tien?'

'Me too, of course,' accepted Tien with a smile despite his dumb arm. 'And I'll win.'

'In your dreams,' joked Goku, smiling.

'You're stubborn as a mule, you know that?' grunted Bulma. She sighed. 'Ok, be careful, and take this.'

And she suddenly kissed him in front of everybody, much to Krillin's chagrin.

'Fuck, lucky bastard,' he muttered under his breath. 'Go to a hotel!'

Bulma laughed and went towards Krillin, kissing him on the forehead, while Goku smiled dumbly.

'There. Happy now?' teased Bulma, grinning.

'It's not the same!' complained Krillin. 'I want one in the mouth too!'

'Sorry, I can't help you with this,' said Bulma, approaching the wall beside the tatami to look at the match. 'But don't worry, you'll get it sooner or later.'

'If you say so…' mumbled Krillin. 'Here I am, my leg wounded while my best friend hooks up with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. My luck.'

'We're not dating yet,' corrected Bulma. 'It was only a kiss. Although…' she added, smirking.

'A "mouth-to-mouth" kiss no less! And I've given you an idea to boot!' complained Krillin. 'What does he have that I haven't?'

'Dunno… hair?' joked Bulma, grinning.

'A furry tail too,' added Chaozu, laughing.

'And a nose…' went on Roshi, smirking.

'Very funny,' grunted Krillin, frowning.

'Don't be upset, it was just a joke,' said Bulma, trying to comfort him. 'Look, when the tournament finishes, we could go to a disco or something, so you can approach a girl if you feel like it. Or you might ask Lunch when she's blue-haired. She's beautiful enough, isn't she?'

'Or you can be a hermit like me,' added Roshi.

'What? Krillin Sennin? No way!' rejected Krillin. 'I prefer being a lucky bastard like Goku, thank you very much. Maybe I can ask Bluette Lunch later, when she's available.'

'Ladies and gentlemen,' announced the referee, 'due to this unprecedented scene, I was about to cancel the tournament, but I decided to let it go this time. It seems that there's no longer a match of unhealthy rivalry between two martial arts' schools, but a proper final match of the Tenkaichi Budokai. So, without further ado, I'll give you my presentation again. On one hand, we have Son Goku, still the best fighter I've ever seen, only defeated in the nick of time by the outstanding Jackie Chun, which is not a small fit at all,' the public applauded at him almost fervently. 'On the other hand, here is Tien Shinhan, another stunningly talented young man of great strength and skill, who has defeated even Jackie Chun in a very thrilling match that made all of us feel in awe despite its rudeness.'

Tien got surprised when the public started to applaud him as well, timidly at first and with enthusiasm later, and he could not help but smile, his morale rising up.

Yes, that must be what you feel when someone cheers you up, he thought, bowing at the spectators, who rewarded the gesture with more claps. I feel boosted somehow, but the boost is mixed with something else, something I can't describe, but it's wonderful. Is this what Kame Sennin was referring to? This pleasant warmth? If that's so, I think I can live with it.

'Listen, Tien, they're singing your name,' said Goku, surprised. 'Do you hear it?'

Tien could hear it, his name mixed with Goku's, sang in a cheerful way, and it was the most pleasant thing he had ever felt, so he had to reward them by bowing at them again. Next he bowed at Goku, who bowed back, and after that, both fighters adopted an initial stance, ready to begin the final match of the Tenkaichi Budokai.

They were friends now, but the start of the match turned them into rivals again and they started with a quick attack, in which Goku blocked a fist with his arm and counterattacked with a blow, blocked this time by Tien's injured arm. A grimace of pain appeared in the three-eyed fighter, but it was not enough to make him stop the fight. With the boost of the public, Tien would endure any pain imaginable. The spectators deserved a great fight and they would get it. He tried a punch in Goku's injured cheek, but he thought twice and redirected the fist into his ribs instead, at the same time Goku threw his own fist to Tien's chin in an upward arc. However, none of those hits were enough to unbalance the match to any others' favour.

'They're good,' muttered Bulma, thrilled, Krillin by her side with a bandage in his injured leg.

'Very good,' he added, watching the match carefully. 'They're still warming up, but they could beat me already.'

'I've never seen Tien fight like now,' intervened Chaozu, floating next to them. 'He seems to be calm somehow.'

'He has nothing to show but his own skill,' said Roshi, approaching them. 'The burden he was carrying is gone and that is reflected in his moves. I have to admit he's stronger than me, both of them are in fact, and I'm glad of it.'

'Are you sure, Muten Roshi-sama?' asked Krillin, astonished.

'Positive,' confirmed the old master. 'This Tien Shinhan isn't the Tien Shinhan who fought me in the semifinals. This one is free, the other one was a slave of himself and Tsuru. And I'm sure, Chaozu, that you feel the same now.'

'Yes, Kame Sennin-sama,' said Chaozu, smiling. 'I'm happy now and I don't know why, but I don't care. I'm watching how Tien fights and I'm learning a lot. Oh, he's smiling, look!'

'Both of them,' confirmed Bulma. 'Both of them are having fun now. I have to train more, so I can have fun like them in a fight.'

'You fought well with your boyfriend,' said Roshi, half saying the truth, half teasing her.

'Yes, he let me show my techniques,' she said, this time without denying her feelings. 'He was testing me and he seemed pleased, despite the fact that he's far stronger than me. Oh, look, he's now showing his parents' techniques.'

Now Tien was having serious difficulties resisting Goku's attacks. The saiyan was, as Bulma said, executing a series of moves based on his planet's fighting style and it seemed to be very effective against Tien's tough defence due to the mobility Goku was showing. The three-eyed fighter was now overwhelmed by Goku's five extremities. He could cope with Goku's arms and legs, but his tail was beyond his defensive skills and now he was receiving more than he was giving.

He's unbelievably fast, he thought, trying to avoid Goku's tail-whips. He has a stunning control of his tail. I won't grab it like Krillin did though, it seems it was once his weak point but it's obvious he's trained it. I have to do something or I'll lose. I know!

'Taiyoken!'

Tien had blinded the entire stadium again with his technique. He knew as well the referee could see despite the blinding flash of light he produced, so he could tell he was not going to hurt Goku but simply throw him out of the tatami. However…

'What the…?' he exclaimed, astonished. 'Where and when did you get those sunglasses?'

'Kame Sennin,' explained Goku briefly by motioning his head towards the old master, who was indeed looking for his sunglasses. 'After the match I want to learn that flash, Tien, it's very useful. If it weren't for these eye-protectors…'

'S-sure…' babbled Tien, still in amazement, while Goku was giving Roshi back his sunglasses. My, he's faster than me. How in the world can I defeat him? Maybe….

And he started to concentrate while Goku was coming back to his place in the tatami. The teenager looked at him with concern because Tien was clearly suffering from severe pain at that moment.

'Are you okay?' he asked.

'Wait, Tien, what are you doing?' yelled Chaozu, suddenly worried. 'Don't do that!'

'Do what?' asked Bulma, puzzled.

'Phew, thank goodness, it wasn't that, but the Devil's Arms,' said Chaozu, relieved, when he saw two huge bumps emerging from Tien's scapulae. It was not pleasant to see though, because his shoulder blades were turning into no less than two additional arms! Chaozu smiled and gave the "thumbs-up" to his teammate. 'Now he's invincible,' he declared. 'If Goku can attack with his two arms, two legs and a tail, now Tien can attack with his four arms and two legs.'

'My, he looks like a Machamp,' muttered Krillin in disbelief.

'You shouldn't play Pokémon so much time, Krillin,' advised Bulma. 'It's bad for your sanity.'

'His sanity's gone already, don't fret,' joked Roshi, laughing.

Krillin rolled his eyes and sighed, while Bulma giggled. However, the bluette turned worried when she saw that maybe Chaozu was right. If Tien was tough because of his strength, speed and resilience, now with four arms he was even more dangerous and Goku could only defend himself, and barely. With some effort, Tien could grab Goku's arms and legs, so he was now defenceless. He tried to struggle, but it was useless. He could not move, Tien was too strong.

'What now, eh?' defied Tien, grinning. 'Now you can't move, you're at my mercy.'

'Hey, no fair!' complained Goku. 'You now have four arms!'

'And you have a tail,' countered Tien. 'Besides, I need concentration to keep my spare arms, whereas you always have the tail. Who's the cheater here?'

'What? It's not my fault I've been born with a tail! And take that!'

And he hit him with a tail-whip to the face.

'Ow! Why you…!'

Tien avoided another round of swipes so there was nothing decided yet. Goku could only move his tail, but Tien could not grab it as well because he had his four arms busy. Besides, the spectators were laughing at the hilarious situation, especially when Goku started to growl and snarl like a dog.

Oh, for crying out loud, he has no sense of embarrassment, thought Bulma, ashamed. And Chaozu was laughing as well to boot, which was even worse for her.

'You folks are pretty funny, I like you!' he said, still laughing, and Bulma sighed in embarrassment, but she could not help but smile as well.

Finally, Tien could bite Goku's tail, making him scream in pain. Even so, he tried to make Tien open his mouth by tickling his nose. It was obvious Goku would never give up and he could even make Tien release him when he made him sneeze.

'Eeew, you've covered me in snot and spit!' complained the alien. 'And you bit my tail! It hurts!'

'And you covered my mouth with fur! Why don't you give up?' grumbled Tien, frustrated because not even by multiplying the number of his arms could destabilise the match to his favour. 'I don't know how to defeat you, dammit. You're full of tricks.'

'Of course, and I have still more to show you,' said Goku, proud. 'One of them is this one.'

And he started to run and stop so quickly he was leaving afterimages around Tien. However, the three-eyed fighter smirked.

Not bad, like his master, he thought. Only one of them is real, of course. Let's see….

He looked both to his left and his right at the same time thanks to his third eye, which moved independently from the other two, so he covered much more space. When he identified the real Goku, he launched a punch that scored in his objective.

'How did you find me so easily?' asked Goku, rubbing his face because of the punch.

'I have three eyes, you cannot trick me,' said Tien. 'You fell for the same as your master, I can't believe it.'

'Let's see if that's true,' defied Goku, and he repeated the technique.

'Your girlfriend is right, you're stubborn as a mule,' insisted Tien. 'I told you that you can't trick me with this. Take this.'

He launched another punch, but Goku was not there this time, to Tien's surprise. The former Tsuru Sennin's student tried to hit his opponent again with the same result. He kept trying, but Goku was faster. Frustrated, Tien tried a series of Dodonpa, but it was no use.

'Catch me if you can, slowpoke,' mocked Goku while leaving one afterimage after another.

'Stay still, so I can hit you!' yelled Tien in frustration.

What's happening?, he thought, puzzled. It's like he accelerates just when I throw my attacks, as if he were even faster than he's showing. The afterimages I'm trying to hit are incomplete somehow. And he's not even following a concrete pattern to boot, but he's just appearing and disappearing randomly, changing his direction every other minute! How can I hit him now? Let's see….

'Taiyoken!' he shouted out loud, repeating his blinding technique. However, he found Goku was not blinded this time either, not in front of him at least, despite Roshi having his sunglasses on. Suddenly, he felt a hit in his back, not very strong, only as if Goku had bumped into him, but it was not the case. 'What in blazes…?' yelled Tien, astonished. 'I can't believe it, how on Earth have you covered yourself against the Taiyoken if not with a pair of shades?'

'I knew that was your only chance to stop me, so I placed myself back-to-back with you when you started your technique and closed my eyes. I'm slightly blinded right now, but I can see you nonetheless.'

'I'm amazed, I have to admit it,' said Tien, smiling. 'You're very good. I have another technique in my arsenal, one so strong that I could destroy the entire stadium with one blast, but I won't use it because it would end my life as well as yours and the lives of everybody here. You deserve the victory, Goku, so you win. I forfeit. I'm declaring it out loud.'

'What? Why?' asked Goku, astonished. 'You can still fight!'

'Yes, but we can be fighting for hours and the result would still be the same, draw,' explained Tien. 'You're as strong as I am, it's useless trying to defeat each other, so I give up. But know this: in the next tournament I'm sure I'll beat you.'

'It's not fair,' said Goku, serious. 'Let's talk with the ref and see if we can settle the match with a draw. If not, we can decide it with the first hit wins or something like that. I don't feel well winning like that.'

'Fine, let's reach an agreement with him then,' accepted Tien.

'What are they doing now?' asked Bulma, unaware of their negotiation. Justifiable though, taking into consideration that they spoke just for themselves and the public was making so much noise due to the thrilling match.

'They're speaking with the referee,' said Roshi. 'Curious.'

Soon, the referee offered a solution for a match that could be endless the usual way. 'Due to the length of the fight,' he explained via microphone, 'and since it might be even longer according to the contestants, I'll change the rules just for now: the first participant who clearly hits his opponent, wins. That's not applicable if the opponent blocks the blow. In other words, they'll look for the golden point. Place yourselves in the centre of the tatami, if you please,' they did it, 'and begin!'

They nodded at each other and, suddenly, both of them disappeared from view, literally, and the public muted, amazed. An instant later, a great amount of hits were heard, but nobody could say if any of them had entered as a point or not. However, a blow sounded louder than the rest, followed by two crashes, and after a yelp from everyone, something could be finally seen.

'There they are, on the borders north and south of the tatami!' boomed the referee. 'Kami, they seem unconscious, what a terrible end of fight they have endured! As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, the arms of both contestants are covered in bruises, which indicates the extraordinary strength they have applied to their blows, something we've heard but, alas, not seen! I'm proceeding to examine their bodies in search of a bruise or any other sign of a hit that I can classify as a point and— oh, that won't be necessary! Goku's tail has touched the out of bounds! It means Tien Shinhan wins!'

Bulma and Chaozu among others went towards the unconscious fighters, while the doctors of the stadium were running towards them too, just in case, at the same time the public was cheering both contestants with a round of applause that turned into an ovation. Fortunately, their intervention was not necessary because they just recovered their conscience and were looking around, surprised.

'What happened?' asked Tien.

'You've won, Tien Shinhan, congratulations,' said a tall, strong man from among the public, a man strong enough to lift him and place him on his shoulders, despite the height and mass of the three-eyed fighter. 'I'm wondering if you can sign an autograph for my daughter?'

'S-sure…' babbled Tien, perplexed.

Not only Tien had to sign autographs, but also Goku and the other participants, much to their astonishment. They could not believe it.

It's odd, thought Bulma, while Goku was signing in the hat of a teenage girl while her friends were giggling behind. They even wanted her own sign as well, what was even odder for her, considering she had lost in the quarterfinals. That didn't happen in the last tournament.

The stadium was getting empty at last. Even the referee was surprised by the public's reaction to the end of the tournament. He had said there had been no other Tenkaichi Budokai with such expectation before, not to mention the autographs after the finals or the change of opinion from both the public towards a contestant, as well as the contestant himself towards not only the public but also life itself.

'I mean,' concluded the referee once the public was almost gone and he could speak with them freely, 'no offence, but you've turned from a despicable person to a quite nice one during this tournament, and I appreciate this.'

'Thanks for your understanding,' said Tien, ashamed. 'I've been training with Tsuru Sennin-sama since I was a child, I was raised by him so I knew nothing else. That's why I behave in such a manner. I apologize for everything.'

'Me too,' added Chaozu, floating beside his teammate, clearly ashamed. 'I thought that was the right thing to do. I was just playing the only way I knew until Tsuru Sennin-sama ordered me to kill.'

'So our fight was just a game for you?' complained Krillin.

'I'm sorry,' muttered Chaozu, crestfallen.

'It's ok,' said Krillin, shrugging. 'But you should look for other ways to play, something less dangerous.'

Chaozu smiled and nodded in acceptance. Lunch suddenly clung to Tien's arm, something Chaozu found odd, so he asked about it.

'I've realised I love your wildness, Tien,' she said, squeezing his hand smoothly while blushing severely. 'If you come with us to Kame House I'll take good care of you in more ways than you could ever imagine.'

'W-what?' he stammered, pink.

Crap, thought Krillin meanwhile, frowning.

'Why, Tien's face is red,' observed Chaozu, curious. 'Why?'

'She likes him and he seems to like her too,' answered Bulma, amazed. 'That's why she can't be far from him and that's why they're blushing.'

'And that's why you can't be far from Goku too?' asked Chaozu innocently, making her blush instantly and making the rest of the group laugh as well.

'Something like that, yes,' she admitted, her face red.

'Really?' asked Goku, surprised. 'I thought grabbing my hand was just a symbol of friendship. That means you like your workmates at the university as well, doesn't it?'

'It's different,' said Bulma. 'They're my friends, that's all. You're something more for me, and I hope I'm something more than a simple friend for you as well.'

'Of course,' assured Goku. 'I feel different when I'm with you than when I'm with anybody else, a strange amusement, I don't know how to explain it…'

'And when I do this?' continued Bulma, grabbing Goku's head and kissing him.

'I think it's the same as before, but up to eleven,' said Goku, smiling mischievously. 'But I'm not sure. Let's give it another try, shall we?'

'Only because it's you,' she accepted, kissing him again.

'And is this the way you're nice to women, Goku?' teased Lunch mischievously, still grabbing Tien's arm tightly.

'Not exactly,' said Goku, grinning, still with the same mischief in his face she had in hers. 'This is the way I'm nice to Bulma. I wouldn't be so far with other women.'

'I hope so for your own sake,' replied Bulma, with a mid-threat clearly noticeable by everyone, including Goku, who nodded in agreement. 'Good. Now let's go gather our stuff and go home.'

'You're not coming with us to celebrate?' asked Yamcha, who needed a crutch to walk. Krillin was luckier and a thick bandage was enough for him.

'Of course, but first things first,' said Goku. 'Are you coming too, Tien and Chaozu?'

'A-are you inviting us?' babbled Tien, astonished. He was not expecting this at all, that was clear.

'Of course,' added Roshi, who clearly approved the idea. 'Unless you have other plans, that is.'

'Not really,' muttered Tien, down. 'We've betrayed Tsuru Sennin, so we have nowhere to go.'

'You can come with us then,' decided Roshi, lending them a hand. 'I'm sure everyone will accept you.'

'Sure thing,' accepted Krillin. 'The more strong people we are, the better for us to improve.'

'Exactly,' added Yamcha. 'And in the next tournament I want my rematch.'

'If you want to be defeated again…' said Tien, shrugging. 'With no breaking bones, of course.'

'It's a deal then, but I'm not sure you'll be able to defeat me,' concluded Yamcha, shaking hands with his former enemy, now friend and rival. 'By the way, where are Goku and Bulma? Are they still packing?'

'I bet they're giving each other the mouth-to-mouth,' grumbled Krillin. 'If so, they should wait 'til they get married or something, no?'

'Jealous?' mocked Lunch.

'Frustrated,' clarified Krillin, annoyed. 'That's just not fair. I want a girlfriend too and…'

He stopped abruptly. Suddenly, a terrifying scream was heard and all of them knew who had screamed.

Review time!:

There are many ways of increasing your power, that fact is clear. Divine power? I think that won't be easy to obtain. The Dragon Balls can't help you with that, y'know. But that possibility is something I can think of for the future. Hmm... how does that last sentence sound to native English speakers, by the way? (thoughtful).

Leaving my possible grammar mistakes aside, let's continue, shall we? The problem with divine powers is that they have to meet Beerus or other gods of destruction, and they wouldn't be prepared for that until Super. Unless... (more thoughtful than before). I have to think about this carefully.

About the "turn into a saiyan" subject, it should't be easy to obtain. Think about it. If humans were still humans in Super, despite their uselessness at that time, that's because 1) there's no way to change your race or 2) they didn't think about it. Well, there's a three: Toriyama and company didn't think about it, which is as plausible as other theories, all things considering... or they thought against it. But anyway, taking for granted they could somehow change races, why should they do such a thing? Because of their phenomenal cosmic powers and so on and so forth? It's true that humans can't have access to saiyan transformations, but that fact shouldn't be the excuse to turn themselves into saiyans. There are other options available, and, if there aren't, that's where imagination is for, innit? I'll think about all of this in due time, it's still too soon. I appreciate the ideas though, and some of them could be put into practice in the future with some thought.

What else...? Yeah, the thing about saiyans not being able to create their own techniques. I admit I was wrong about that. Vegeta, for example, created some techniques no one else used, such as the Galick Gun, the Final Flash, etc etc. And the same could be said about Raditz, Nappa, Bardock and many others. It's Goku who fancies learning techniques from others instead of making them up, it seems, and it doesn't even matter. He can tweak his techniques when the situation calls for it and that shows he has imagination too. In other words, I was wrong, I apologise for that.

Bulma, a female saiyan just to give Goku a sparring partner? Well, we have Vegeta for that, although he's quite a jerk. Maybe Bulma's brains could help Goku, but I still don't see her changing her race just for that; she's a scientist after all, she could invent something, for example, or develop a different kind of training just for humans, so they could be on par with more gifted races. Besides, for the moment it's not necessary, we're still too early in the series and many things would turn out different from canon, especially when we reach the Z part, so don't fret. For the moment, I have everything under control.

Keep the feedback coming though, it's really stimulating knowing I have people who're reading this and enjoying it. And I'm still not convinced with my grammar, especially the damned prepositions. There are things where Wordreference and the Word corrector don't help, after all...