Chapter 4
Gohan watched his brother and Trunks fight from a distance. They were innocent and sweet and incredibly powerful. The spat from the schoolyard hadn't even phased them, neither seemed to be able to stay mad at the other for any length of time. He was almost jealous of their relationship. Growing up with a real peer looked like a lot of fun, at least from where he was standing. "I wonder if they'll still get along so well when they start wanting the girls to kiss them, eh?" Krillin said. He nudged Gohan in the ribs. "You and Videl still getting along?"
His little kiss from earlier still fresh on his mind, Gohan went into full blush. "Hey, we're..." He had been going to say, just friends. That had been the standard response since forever, but it wasn't true anymore. "So what, we're going out."
"Ha ha ha, I knew it," Krillian said. He nodded and patted Gohan on the back. "Everyone figured it was coming. That's great. She coming over to train today?"
"Yeah, actually. I told her you were going to spar with her," Gohan said.
Krillin frowned. "Hey, she doesn't pull any punches. Last time we sparred, I needed Ben-Gay. I'm not an old man yet either." Krillin sighed deeply. "I suppose I'll survive it though. The things I do for your love life."
"Hey boys, how's it going over here," Master Roshi said. He had moved in between the Gohan and Krillin and was staring up at the rapid sparing match playing out above the ground. "Number 18 just called, something about milk and cracking your head like a walnut if you didn't bring it to her before dinner, Krillian. Thought you'd want to know."
Krillian smiled nervously. "She means that in an affectionate way, really. I guess I should head out a little early then. Tell Videl, I'm sorry about missing her."
******************************
Piccolo faced the setting sun and allowed its rays to warm and relax him. His connection to the Earth was strongest at these quiet moments, passing from day to night or night to day. She was strong and vibrant, this planet. Piccolo breathed her through him, a normally smooth process, but something drew his attention. A sharp cold, Piccolo reached for the numb place in the pattern of the world. Something that didn't belong on this plane of existence was disrupting the very substance of reality.
Piccolo's eyes snapped open. "Something is very wrong."
*****************************
"I am so late," Videl whispered. Office hours had been required for everyone who failed the first Calculus test, and unfortunately that included her. Well dating a brain was going to change all that. Gohan was a great tutor by all accounts. Videl jogged down the sidewalk toward her house. Gohan had probably already given up on her and gone home. It was practically dinnertime. She turned up the walk at her apartment building and her mouth dropped open at the hole in her front stoop. Who the heck would have blasted the front door off its hinges? "Dad." Videl dashed up the stairs, and sure enough, there was another hole in their apartment door. "Hey Dad, are you in here?" The light wouldn't switch on and her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dark.
A blue light erupted in the corner. Videl blinked stars out of her eyes and the room slowly came into focus. There was a man glowing in her living room, and her dad. "Daddy, are you okay." Videl dropped down beside her prostrate father and tried to shake him awake. "What did you do to him?!" Videl shouted.
"The man is well, only resting. Are you the lovely Videl?" Rinback motioned for the lone sprite to go and it passed through Videl and back.
"She knows. She knows. She knows. She knows." The sprite's whispers were sinister and frantic.
"That's my name. Who are you? And what do you think you're doing?" Videl was holding her father's head and trying not to panic. She could fight, but this wasn't her kind of battle. It was one of those, toss energy and blow things up fights, unless she missed her guess. Not my boyfriend for one day and he's already missing vital moments. I need you, Gohan.
"My name is Rinback. I'm on a holy mission for my lady. I seek a golden warrior, that you are aquainted with." He didn't openly acknowledge the sprite whispering in his ear.
"You want Gohan's help on some holy quest? Why'd you attack my dad? Why did you come here?"
"I came here, because your father is the acknowledged champion of this world. I thought he might be the warrior I sought, but I was wrong. He was unreasonable and tried to battle me. I thought it best for him if he slept through my visit. Killing natives isn't part of my quest. Neither is it my wish to harm your friend, Gohan." Rinback smiled at the information pouring from his sprite. This Gohan was a formidable fighter. He sounded almost too perfect. The profile, though, the damn sprite had tip toed around everything but that one very important bit of information.
Videl had to acknowledge that her dad could be a bit unreasonable, and he did appear unhurt. "What is your mission, if you don't mind my asking?"
Rinback paused and held out a tiny crystal similar to the one, which spawned the pixies. "I am trying to save the woman I love from a slow death. This is hers."
"Give it to her!" The pixie screamed. "She loves him! Give it to HER!"
Videl rested her father's head carefully on the ground and made her way over to the dully glowing man. She couldn't take her eyes off the little crystal. It glowed with it's own light, shining brightly even against his already glowing palm. Videl reached out her hand as if to touch it, but pulled back. "I'm sorry."
Rinback smiled sadly. "No, you take it. I know she would like that. You are a lot like her."
"MAKE HER TAKE IT!!!" the sprite shouted. It was changing colors and sparks were flying from it. "SHE MUST TAKE IT!!!!"
"I shouldn't." Even as she refused her hand moved toward the tiny trinket. It was so mesmerizing. She'd just hold it for a moment. Videl's hand closed over the crystal, and she was gone in a flash of blue light.
The tiny sprite immediately softened to a pale blue. "Good, good, the lady will be pleased."
Rinback opened his hand and the sprite perched there. "My friend, we must now travel to this Golden Warrior, Gohan. My destiny awaits."
The sprite nodded and flew to the door. "We will fly now?"
"Yes fly, we must get there as soon as possible, before the lady loses too much strength." Rinback took flight after the tiny wisp of sprite and they disappeared into the night sky.
**********************
Piccolo was flying at top speed, toward the familiar energy signatures of his allies, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Krillin. He had considered heading straight to the sight of the disturbance, but he had a nasty suspicion he would need back up. Piccolo reflexively checked the cold numb spot in the biosphere, making sure it was still stationary. Unfortunately, that was no longer the case. "It's moving, toward them..." It couldn't be construed as anything but bad if something that felt like that thing, was headed toward Gohan and the gang at Master Roshi's. "I must arrive first and warn them." Piccolo redoubled his speed.
Gohan watched his brother and Trunks fight from a distance. They were innocent and sweet and incredibly powerful. The spat from the schoolyard hadn't even phased them, neither seemed to be able to stay mad at the other for any length of time. He was almost jealous of their relationship. Growing up with a real peer looked like a lot of fun, at least from where he was standing. "I wonder if they'll still get along so well when they start wanting the girls to kiss them, eh?" Krillin said. He nudged Gohan in the ribs. "You and Videl still getting along?"
His little kiss from earlier still fresh on his mind, Gohan went into full blush. "Hey, we're..." He had been going to say, just friends. That had been the standard response since forever, but it wasn't true anymore. "So what, we're going out."
"Ha ha ha, I knew it," Krillian said. He nodded and patted Gohan on the back. "Everyone figured it was coming. That's great. She coming over to train today?"
"Yeah, actually. I told her you were going to spar with her," Gohan said.
Krillin frowned. "Hey, she doesn't pull any punches. Last time we sparred, I needed Ben-Gay. I'm not an old man yet either." Krillin sighed deeply. "I suppose I'll survive it though. The things I do for your love life."
"Hey boys, how's it going over here," Master Roshi said. He had moved in between the Gohan and Krillin and was staring up at the rapid sparing match playing out above the ground. "Number 18 just called, something about milk and cracking your head like a walnut if you didn't bring it to her before dinner, Krillian. Thought you'd want to know."
Krillian smiled nervously. "She means that in an affectionate way, really. I guess I should head out a little early then. Tell Videl, I'm sorry about missing her."
******************************
Piccolo faced the setting sun and allowed its rays to warm and relax him. His connection to the Earth was strongest at these quiet moments, passing from day to night or night to day. She was strong and vibrant, this planet. Piccolo breathed her through him, a normally smooth process, but something drew his attention. A sharp cold, Piccolo reached for the numb place in the pattern of the world. Something that didn't belong on this plane of existence was disrupting the very substance of reality.
Piccolo's eyes snapped open. "Something is very wrong."
*****************************
"I am so late," Videl whispered. Office hours had been required for everyone who failed the first Calculus test, and unfortunately that included her. Well dating a brain was going to change all that. Gohan was a great tutor by all accounts. Videl jogged down the sidewalk toward her house. Gohan had probably already given up on her and gone home. It was practically dinnertime. She turned up the walk at her apartment building and her mouth dropped open at the hole in her front stoop. Who the heck would have blasted the front door off its hinges? "Dad." Videl dashed up the stairs, and sure enough, there was another hole in their apartment door. "Hey Dad, are you in here?" The light wouldn't switch on and her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dark.
A blue light erupted in the corner. Videl blinked stars out of her eyes and the room slowly came into focus. There was a man glowing in her living room, and her dad. "Daddy, are you okay." Videl dropped down beside her prostrate father and tried to shake him awake. "What did you do to him?!" Videl shouted.
"The man is well, only resting. Are you the lovely Videl?" Rinback motioned for the lone sprite to go and it passed through Videl and back.
"She knows. She knows. She knows. She knows." The sprite's whispers were sinister and frantic.
"That's my name. Who are you? And what do you think you're doing?" Videl was holding her father's head and trying not to panic. She could fight, but this wasn't her kind of battle. It was one of those, toss energy and blow things up fights, unless she missed her guess. Not my boyfriend for one day and he's already missing vital moments. I need you, Gohan.
"My name is Rinback. I'm on a holy mission for my lady. I seek a golden warrior, that you are aquainted with." He didn't openly acknowledge the sprite whispering in his ear.
"You want Gohan's help on some holy quest? Why'd you attack my dad? Why did you come here?"
"I came here, because your father is the acknowledged champion of this world. I thought he might be the warrior I sought, but I was wrong. He was unreasonable and tried to battle me. I thought it best for him if he slept through my visit. Killing natives isn't part of my quest. Neither is it my wish to harm your friend, Gohan." Rinback smiled at the information pouring from his sprite. This Gohan was a formidable fighter. He sounded almost too perfect. The profile, though, the damn sprite had tip toed around everything but that one very important bit of information.
Videl had to acknowledge that her dad could be a bit unreasonable, and he did appear unhurt. "What is your mission, if you don't mind my asking?"
Rinback paused and held out a tiny crystal similar to the one, which spawned the pixies. "I am trying to save the woman I love from a slow death. This is hers."
"Give it to her!" The pixie screamed. "She loves him! Give it to HER!"
Videl rested her father's head carefully on the ground and made her way over to the dully glowing man. She couldn't take her eyes off the little crystal. It glowed with it's own light, shining brightly even against his already glowing palm. Videl reached out her hand as if to touch it, but pulled back. "I'm sorry."
Rinback smiled sadly. "No, you take it. I know she would like that. You are a lot like her."
"MAKE HER TAKE IT!!!" the sprite shouted. It was changing colors and sparks were flying from it. "SHE MUST TAKE IT!!!!"
"I shouldn't." Even as she refused her hand moved toward the tiny trinket. It was so mesmerizing. She'd just hold it for a moment. Videl's hand closed over the crystal, and she was gone in a flash of blue light.
The tiny sprite immediately softened to a pale blue. "Good, good, the lady will be pleased."
Rinback opened his hand and the sprite perched there. "My friend, we must now travel to this Golden Warrior, Gohan. My destiny awaits."
The sprite nodded and flew to the door. "We will fly now?"
"Yes fly, we must get there as soon as possible, before the lady loses too much strength." Rinback took flight after the tiny wisp of sprite and they disappeared into the night sky.
**********************
Piccolo was flying at top speed, toward the familiar energy signatures of his allies, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Krillin. He had considered heading straight to the sight of the disturbance, but he had a nasty suspicion he would need back up. Piccolo reflexively checked the cold numb spot in the biosphere, making sure it was still stationary. Unfortunately, that was no longer the case. "It's moving, toward them..." It couldn't be construed as anything but bad if something that felt like that thing, was headed toward Gohan and the gang at Master Roshi's. "I must arrive first and warn them." Piccolo redoubled his speed.
