Wherever You Will Go by Shelly

*- denotes dream sequence

CHAPTER FIVE


Later that morning, Shira received the workout of her life as she began her training with Goku. Today was Gohan's day to study, and she frequently found herself having to defend against both Goku and Piccolo. She didn't know quite what to think about the green-skinned Namek, but she did know he was a good fighter, something he apparently throught she wasn't when they were first introduced.

But as the day wore on, she thought she sensed an improvement in his attitude towards her as she showed him that she could hold her own against them both. They had an uncanny ability to anticipate what her next move would be, and she was constantly having to come up with some last minute saves.

Things between Goku and Shira had calmed down to the point where they were comfortable being around each other. She was instead having difficulty keeping a certain person out of her thoughts as her dreams had been haunted by his blue eyes, eyes that looked at her in a different way than Goku ever had. She also tried to put the kiss they had shared out of her mind. It was doing her no good to torture herself like this, but she had no choice when she could still smell his scent and feel his arms around her. Shaking her head, she focused instead on her training. If things came to pass as she suspected they might, then she would need all the training she could have.

At one point they were exchanging blows and Goku suddenly disappeared. Shira and Piccolo searched for any sign of his energy but couldn't sense him. In the end it wasn't his energy that gave him away, but his growling stomach.

"Goku, if we're ever faced with an important battle, remind me to feed you beforehand," she pointed out drily.

His face split into one of his characteristic grins. "Sorry about that. How about we call it a day?"

She had to admit she was also hungry, and they parted ways with Piccolo, promising to meet here again with Gohan tomorrow. On the way back, Shira began an impromptu race with Goku to see who was faster. They soared through the clouds, startling birds as they flew past them. It seemed that she was keeping up pretty well until Goku, with a glance back and a quick smile, went super saiyan and blasted off in a burst of golden energy. "Hey, no fair!" she cried, already going as fast as she possibly could. Then suddenly, without warning, two strong arms locked her in their grip, taking control of her direction. "Goku, what are you doing?"

"Just relax and trust me," he spoke into her ear, sending a shiver through her body.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she replied.

He feigned outrage. "Now, would I ever do anything to harm you?"

"I'm not going to answer that."

"Shira, that hurts," he said, turning sharply down towards the earth. He passed over a small pond and dropped a screaming Shira down into the water. He landed on the grassy edge and waited for her to surface, but when she didn't he dove in and looked around for her, spotting her not far away, floating underneath the surface. He swam over and grabbed her, lifting her up. "Shira!" he called, patting her lightly on the face when he saw she was unconscious. "Shira, talk to me!"

She coughed, spurting water all over him. "Thank Kami," he breathed, but wasn't prepared for the sudden punch that sent him flying. "What did you do that for?" he asked, standing waist deep in water and dripping wet.

"That was for dropping me in the water, you idiot."

"Why was that so bad?" he asked.

"Have you forgotten how strong you are? You shot me down all the way to the bottom." She winced as if in pain and touched the back of her head. "I think I hit my head on the rock."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I'm sorry, Shira. Sometimes I forget about that, especially when I'm around you, with you being half saiyan and all."

"It's okay, Goku," she amended, pulling away from him. She heard his stomach growl again and laughed. "We'd better get you back home and feed you."

By the time they arrived at Goku's, their clothes had dried as well as their hair. Chi-Chi had fixed enough food for a small army, which of course was quickly consumed. Not wanting to feel like a burden, Shira offered to help with the dishes, a chore Chi-Chi didn't mind receiving help with. After finishing, she decided to spend some time alone to see if she if she could get a grip on her life, which seemed to be spinning so out of control lately.

She remembered seeing a small pond not far from the house and decided to go there. She sat on the water's edge, the setting sun's reflection on the water blinding her so she lay back on the soft grass, staring at the pink clouds that drifted through the sky. Her eyes drifted shut as sleep overcame her and dreams played though her consciousness.

*Chaos surrounded her. Literally everything was destroyed. Buildings, homes, even lives were of no concern to the saiyans that had destroyed her world. The bodies of those she knew lie on the ground, staring up at her with lifeless eyes as she walked amongst them. She stopped as she saw eyes that belonged to her for these eyes belonged to her beloved parents. She stared in horror as her mother's head cracked loose from her neck and rolled down at Shira's feet, lifeless eyes still boring into hers. Her feet were rooted to the ground in fear as her mother's lips formed a single word. "Murderer."*

She awoke with a jolt and sat up, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she breathed deeply to get air into her lungs. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and she hastily brushed them dry with her hands. She hadn't had that dream in years, so what could've brought it back again? Only one answer came to mind, and she covered her face with her hands, brushing her fingers through her hair. "Dear Kami, no, it can't be."

"Bad dream?" asked a voice beside her.

She jumped and searched for the owner of the voice. "What are you doing here, Piccolo?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"Habit, I guess," he shrugged, his white cape flowing around him.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're hanging around to make sure nothing happens to them, right? More to the point, so I don't try to kill them or anything?"

"You said it, not me," he replied calmly.

She stood up, the breeze playing with her ebony hair. "Please. Goku already warned me about you. He told me that you trusted nothing and no one."

The edges of his mouth twitched. "He's right. It's one of the reasons I'm still alive. That's also one of Goku's weaknesses. He's too trusting of others."

"In my case it's different. I've known him a lot longer than you think I have."

"Maybe it's not you I'm worried about. Even unknowingly you could still be attracting danger here."

She was silent a moment, hoping that his words weren't true. "Don't worry. I won't let the same thing that happened to my planet happen here. Even if I have to die in the process."

"Is that what you were dreaming about?" he asked.

She shivered, the grip of the nightmare still upon her. "I don't want to talk about it."

Piccolo watched her for a moment. "It's not your fault."

Her head whipped around in surprise. "Yes, it is," she whispered, floating into the sky and back to Goku's house.



Somewhere deep in space, a man stood silently, staring out at the cold light of the stars from the safety of his ship. :Soon,: he thought. :Soon this will all be mine.:

The intercom buzzed on the wall next to him. He pressed the button. "Yes, Captain?"

"Lord Frieza and his father have been destroyed, my lord."

"Thank you, Captain," the man replied, continuing to gaze at the stars, a slow, evil smile spreading across his lips. :Perfect. Now only one thing stands in my way, and soon I'll be rid of him, thanks to you, my unwitting little pawn.:

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