Krillin shook his head and scowled out at the tree trunks that were almost as big around as the ship. "Dammit! Where the hell IS this place anyway? The freaking south POLE?" He shivered against his better will and growled at nothing. "I am going to KILL something!"

"Krillin! Wait up!"

He turned at the sound of Goku's voice. Then he shook his head and smacked himself just below his ear. "Great. Now I'm hearing things too!" He looked down at his dangling legs and kicked them impatiently. "I need a vacation!"

"Krillin!" Goku tackled his friend, knocking them both off the stump. He looked his friend over and grinned. Then the smile faded and he effortlessly hauled the human to his feet and bushed him off. 'Wow. You really got beat up."

"No, shit, Goku," he muttered as he slapped his friend's hands away. He was still extremely confused. Even now Goku's ki was barely detectable. "Goku? How did you find me?"

The Saiyan gave him a strange look. "Well, I could feel you were there, so I came to find you. And anyone could hear you crashing around!"

"Wait a sec!" Krillin held up his hands in a "time out" position. "How come I can't sense you, and you're standing right next to me, but you could tell I was HERE and you were... farther away?"

Goku seemed puzzled by that. "I don't know." Then he shrugged and went back to trying to find the extent of Krillin's injuries, still chattering. There was nothing for Krillin to do, so he just sat there and... endured.

============================================

Bulma struggled to her feet as she backpedaled away from the strange kid. He wore something that looked like it was straight out of the Bible, tied together with a sash. Then she noticed the young kid, probably not older than Gohan staring at her with a look of amusement. And she HATED being laughed at.

The older boy -- a kid with straight, jet black hair and eyes the same color as the fog, and a somehow pale complexion -- the one with the stick, had a look of childish curiosity. "You're weird," he said in something that sounded remarkably like Spanish. It took Bulma a moment to realize it was Italian. She had never really gotten into a study of it, just enough to talk with her father's partner in Italy.

"You're one to talk," she muttered back, speaking so he could understand. She looked up when he started poking her with the stick and grabbed it at lighting speed. "Yes, I'm real," she growled, yanking it out of his hands. "As you'll find out after I kick your ass!"

"Hey! give me back my staff!" he yelled, lunging for the three-foot stick she held. She pulled it just beyond his reach and stuck her arm out to stop him.

"Kid, please. I am NOT in the mood for you damn games!" She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him off the ground, then turned to face the little boy. "What do YOU want?" she snapped. This one had a sort of tannish complexion and curly brown hair with impish green eyes that seemed to promise something that she wouldn't like.

"I want you to put my brother down," an older voice snapped. Bulma sighed and noted the form of a taller boy, one that was almost as tall as herself. Being short, and hearing the gravelly voice, she put him in his late teens, around seventeen.

"Didn't you tell him never to talk to strangers?" she retorted, but dropped the unsuspecting boy. He scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, glaring at her. The action only made her want to laugh. "So, who the hell are you?"

"Roshon. Leader of this circle," he answered, stepping into the light. He was also pale, with black hair hanging to his shoulders and haunting blue eyes. He looked like an older version of the kid she'd just put down, also carrying a stick. He glared at her sternly, then commanded simply, "Give him back his staff."

Bulma turned it over in her hand. "What? This thing? Sure. No use to me anyway." She tossed it back to the boy, who grabbed it and held it to him like it was a new teddy bear he'd just gotten.

Roshon kept a wary eye on her as he went to kneel by his brother's side. "Are you all right, Abtoni?"

Abtoni nodded. "She didn't hurt me. Just scared me a little." He glared at Bulma. "Why don't you need a staff? All practisers of the Art need one eventually. Even Roshon, and there's NO one more powerful than HE is!"

"Kid, I have NO idea WHAT you're talking about! What the HELL is the ART?"

Roshon looked taken aback by the question. "You must not be of our guild to not know the Art." He looked at her, then seemed to be listening for something. "You ARE strange. I can't tell your magic type at all."

Bulma barely held in a laugh. "Magic! You're talking about MAGIC?!"

Roshon nodded, serious. "Of course. What else would I be talking about?"

"Well, I don't know. I'm not from around here."

Roshon looked at her curiously. "All of this planet knows of magic. It is how we survive. How can one live without?"

Bulma bit her lower lip to keep from giving the guy a list. "I'm not FROM this planet! I crashed here trying to get home!"

That seemed to shock them into silence. All except the little one. He grinned and stepped up to her. "Can I try a spell on you?" he asked innocently.

"No you cannot try a spell on me!" Bulma quickly snapped. "Besides, I don't believe in magic!"

"Dareno! Come back!" Abtoni yelled over to his friend.

Dareno ignored him and grinned up at Bulma mischievously. "What if I did anyway?"

Bulma sighed and shook her head. "Kid, I've got SHOES older than you! You don't scare me! HE doesn't either!" she said, pointing to Roshon. "All right? Back off!"

Roshon stood and pulled Dareno back by his robe collar. "I told you to make sure of their magic type FIRST!" he lectured. "She could be a WIZARD!"

Dareno looked indignant. "I DID, and she doesn't HAVE one!"

Roshon looked over at Bulma. "No magic? But how..."

"I TOLD you," Bulma said impatiently. "On my planet, we don't HAVE magic! Or ever DID as far as we know! Men! No matter WHAT planet they're on, they're STILL the stupidest beings there are!"

"Really? I'm sure we not all THAT bad!" A deep bass voice echoed among the trees and Bulma froze. The huge man dropped down to the ground, staff in hand and looking her over. He was tall, much taller than Bulma, muscular and looked like he'd been swinging a sword since he was four. Intense brown eyes were constantly moving, blond hair falling to his shoulders, and an air of great importance about him. Bulma knew right away he was a warrior.

'I'm in DEEP shit,' Bulma thought to herself. 'DEEP.'

============================================

Gohan skipped all the way back to his friend's house, humming a lullaby he'd picked up somewhere. Princess Snake was waiting for him on the road with more cookies than he could have ever imagined. Well THAT went a bit far, but it was a LOT. Even at the speed HE ate, he wouldn't be able to finish them all quickly. And for once, he was utterly speechless.

After he finally got his jaw back in place, he grinned up at her and bowed slightly as he took them. "Thank you," he breathed. "No one's ever been THIS nice to me before!"

Snake looked surprised and she ruffled his hair. "Well, they should be. You're a sweet, charming, POLITE little boy. I bet you're going to grow up and be a lady killer." She winked at him, then laughed as King Kai fell over in shock.

"I hope not," Gohan said as he shivered.

Snake laughed again and picked him up, setting him on one shoulder and the five garbage can sized bags on the other. "No, that just means the girls will like you a lot. Silly," she insulted affectionately.

Gohan stuck out his tongue. "Yuck! I hope not!"

She shook her head and sat him in the back of the car. "Come on. I'll drive you back."

"Can I start eating these now?" he asked hopefully, peering into one bag.

"Of course. Go right ahead," she said as she slipped into the driver's seat.

He stopped with the first one touching his lips. He held it out a little sheepishly. "Want some?"

"No thanks. We made them all for you. They're yours."

"Wow! Thanks!" Snake kept her eyes on the road for fear that she would become occupied trying to watch his hands. She knew he was eating because of the crumbs littering the floor and the bulge in the bags decreasing, but other than that, she wouldn't know. She couldn't see his hands move.

"Hey! What's this?" He showed her the black oval cosmetics case she'd put in the bottom of the bag. From the way he was rubbing his mouth, she guessed he'd tried to eat it.

Giggling a little, she gently pulled it from his hands and opened it. "See? It's a mirror."

Gohan made a face. "That's the stuff my mom uses. Make-up, she says. You're giving me blush?"

"No. That's only what it looks like." She pulled the bottom up to reveal a keyboard. "You see? This is so we can stay in touch. There's a button to say something to King Kai, and something there to contact me."

"Wow! This is neat!" Gohan looked at it carefully before putting it in his shirt, in the new pocket he'd gotten. "Thank you!"

"Anything for you, Gohan." She suddenly realized that they were there, having not taken the road. "Well, here we are."

"Already?!" He looked out and saw it was indeed the snake head at the end of the road. "Wow. That didn't even take a whole DAY, I don't think."

"I know. Go on. They're waiting for you." She smiled sadly at him, this kid who'd somehow charmed his way into her heart.

He looked back at her. "I'll miss you." He gave her a quick hug and a small kiss on her forehead. "I promise I'll visit next time I die!" Before she could look up again he was gone.

"Well, I never was much of one for goodbyes," he said to herself as she waved. "Goodbye Gohan. I'll miss you too."

============================================

"Krillin? Where do you think Bulma and Vegeta are?" Goku asked as he plunked down on a branch and rubbed his arms a little.

"Hopefully not together," he muttered back. "Otherwise we can probably kiss THIS planet goodbye." He shivered and cursed the strange weather here. Anywhere under the trees was like a Maine winter, but anything above them was like a tropical summer, complete with volcanoes. Taking cold over being hot, they flew just under the top branches to rise and warm up if need be.

"Hmm," he said as he kicked a piece of scrap. The skittering, jagged piece of the ship was the most action they'd seen in over an hour and a half.

"I think we should look for them. Hell, I'd even want to find VEGETA right now so we can get out of here." He watched Goku slide off and fall the sixty-something meters to the ground. "Hey! Where ya going?" he called down as he followed, though much more carefully and slowly.

"Looking for them," Goku said as he lifted the corner of a rock.

Krillin rolled his eyes. "Goku, I DON'T think they're under there."

He gave his friend a look. "They could've been."

Krillin bit his lip to keep from saying something that would undoubtedly get him pummelled into the ground. His slight hesitation was interrupted by the ground splintering, throwing the two warriors off their feet.

"What the hell was THAT?" Krillin asked himself as he shot up to view the damage from above the trees.

"Earthquake? Bulma and Vegeta?" Goku guessed as he appeared next to the monk.

"No," Krillin said breathlessly. They were barely at a safe distance from the exploding lava and the thick ashy black smoke that was being forced out of the mountain in front of them. "It's a volcano."

"Is that bad?"

Krillin grabbed his friend's arm and started to fly for all he was worth. "Is that bad?" he muttered under his breath. "Yes, Goku, that's VERY bad!"

"Oh. Why?"

Krillin felt the urge to smack his best friend, but there was no time. "Because! That red stuff could probably turn you into a little pile of dogfood in about three seconds!"

"Why?"

Krillin felt the urge to beat on him grow stronger. "Because it's hot. And you ask me why one more time I'll THROW you in it!" he growled through gritted teeth.

"OK." Goku was silent before saying, "It would be faster if *I* pulled YOU."

"Fine." Krillin, clearly annoyed by now, allowed Goku to get a hold on one arm. "Let's go, will you!"

Goku smiled back at him and nodded once. That was the only thing Krillin could see before they were off in a mad rush to nowhere.

============================================

Bulma gulped as she took a step back, the tall man giving a dangerous smirk. "Who the hell ARE you people?" she finally cried.

Roshon looked at her and shook his head. "I've already told you. We are from the Winding Circle."

"You told me no such thing!" Bulma protested, keeping an eye on the big man in front of her. "Not to mention I don't know what the hell that means!"

"A circle is a group of magicians," Dareno explained impatiently, like it was obvious. "That's the name of ours. And Roshon is our leader. He could probably beat the wizards!"

"Dareno!" Roshon snapped. "Don't tell her THAT! She COULD be working with them! The last thing we need is for them to know one of US is rising in power!"

He looked sheepish. "Sorry."

Abtoni looked at Bulma and scowled. "She doesn't know them. If she did, she wouldn't be as afraid as she is."

Bulma laughed despite herself. "You know, this KID is pretty damn smart. Why can't you guys figure that out?"

"My brother has learned some of the wizards' ways. It had affected his magic and his mind."

"For the better," Bulma muttered. "Hey! Do you mind calling off your pet here?" She eyed the man angrily. "Will you stop? I don't need any more people looking at me like that! Vegeta's enough!"

Roshon, about to tell the Incredible Hulk to back off, forgot to close his mouth. "VEGETA! You know VEGETA?!"

Bulma crossed her arms. "Unfortunately. Man, did that guy get AROUND!"

Roshon grabbed her arm and scowled. "Byraem, carry her. I think we've just found a spy."

"What? Bullshit!" Bulma yelled as she was hoisted onto the guy's shoulder. Pounding on the broad back, she screamed as loud as she could, "I'm going to KILL you Vegeta!"

Not even looking down, her fist encountered a large gash in his back. Needless to say, she was immediately dropped. He spun and scowled at her, saber drawn. "I know you are working for Vegeta. No one else would strike at an open wound!"

"Well, no one that I know would carry off a woman and say she was a spy either," Bulma shot back as she got to her feet. "And if you COVERED the damn thing, I wouldn't have been able to HIT it. In fact, if you didn't try to take me away, I wouldn't have HAD to!"

"You've got a big mouth for such a little thing," he lectured as he put his saber away.

"I know. And you've got such a small brain for such a FAT HEAD!"

He was about to draw his sword when Roshon tapped his arm. "Do as you wish, but don't kill her." He shot a look at Bulma. "If she DOES work for Vegeta I want him to know his forces are weak."

"All right! I've had ENOUGH! If I get called weak ONE more FREAKING TIME--" She cut herself off at the look in Byraem's eye. She swallowed thickly then found that the others were already gone.

'I know that look,' Bulma thought to herself. 'He's a big guy.' She took a step back. 'And he looks lustful.' And another step away. 'And I'm dressed like THIS!' She turned and ran all-out.

She didn't get far before the mental order to run got caught somewhere between her head and her waist because her legs refused to obey. "Damn!" she swore as she slowed down, then her arms stopped working as well. "What the--"

She was cut off by the staff hitting her in the mouth. "Silence, spy," Byraem ordered sharply, then tapped the sharpened end against the hollow of her throat. "You might as well relax. You're not going anywhere."

Bulma found that the only thing she could move was her head. So she did the only thing she could think of. She tilted her head back and screamed for all she was worth. The soldier whacked her again, so this time she yelled in pain instead of in fear.

"I told you to be quiet," he hissed dangerously, gently placing his staff on the ground. "Or this will be much more painful for you."

"If I'm NOT quiet, then I won't get help," Bulma muttered. Once he got close enough she spit out the blood that was seeping into her mouth. Right into his outstretched hand.

Byraem chuckled. "You don't know when to stop, do you?"

"Nope. I never have before, and I don't see the point in starting now."

He grinned satanically and advanced again, wiping the blood from his hand onto her chest. "You'll find out," he threatened. He turned around, and when he turned back, his blond hair was now missing in the back. Vegeta stood behind him, holding the strands, back to both of them.

Byraem growled at Bulma, then faced Vegeta, abruptly turning white. "You should know better by now, magician. No one does that to my mate." Bulma rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet. As long as he got her out of this right now she would be perfectly content to play along. Vegeta turned, death clearly defined in his eyes. "And I protect what is mine."

============================================

Goku set an overheated Krillin down on the top branch of the nearest tree. "Krillin? Are you all right?"

He opened one eye carefully. "Yeah. Fine." He sat up and rubbed his head, shaking it. "I'm just really hot!"

Goku thought for a minute, then pushed Krillin off the branch to fall into the cold. He followed just to make sure Krillin didn't really hurt himself on anything because of his slower reaction time.

"Holy shit!" Goku could barely understand him because of Krillin's badly chattering teeth. "Get me out of here!" He tried to fly up, but was somehow unable to.

"I thought you were too hot," Goku said, even as he obeyed. "I was trying to cool you down."

Once they were back where they started from, Krillin shot Goku a sharp look. "You've been hanging around Bulma since you were seven, and you didn't know not to go from extreme heat to extreme cold? WHY does that amaze me?"

"Why shouldn't you do that?"

"Most humans something really bad happens, like DEATH sometimes. Me? I just hurt all over and my power gets low." He shivered again and shook his head. Then his gaze fell downward and he saw a group of six. Four were dressed in robes similar to what the other monks had worn, and one had armor, and the other... "Goku! That's Bulma and Vegeta down there!"

"What?!" Goku leaned over, mouth open. "Hey! You're right! Let's get them!" Without waiting, he charged ahead.

"Um, GOKU?!" The taller man stopped and looked back. "A little help? I can't fly!"

"Sure," Goku said, looking sheepish. "Sorry."

Krillin allowed Goku to pick him up and nodded. "I'll bet we'll be even MORE sorry we went, but..." He shook his head. "Ready for a trip into hell?" At Goku's confused nod, Krillin sighed and said, "Then get your ass moving!"

============================================

Bulma forcefully bit back a remark about Vegeta, and somehow restrained herself from saying she wasn't his. Vegeta noticed the look she had and smirked, guessing what it was for.

Bulma had to give Byraem SOME credit. He knew it was useless to fight Vegeta, but he didn't back down. 'Stupid, but brave,' Bulma thought to herself. 'And I thought that only happened in stories!'

Vegeta turned his full attention to the magic warrior. Scowling, he advanced slowly. Byraem stood his ground. Barely. Once Vegeta was inches away from the MUCH taller man, he asked quietly -- so quietly that Byraem had to lean forward to hear -- "Who ordered you to do this?"

Byraem shook his head. "I won't tell YOU."

Vegeta smiled, and Bulma's eyes widened. He had that look right before he powered up and turned Zarbon into smaller-than-dust sized particles. "Fine. Then we'll have to do this my way."

Bulma winced as Vegeta held the guy off the ground and scowled, starting to float. He smiled up at the guy devilishly, going higher until Bulma couldn't see them. Once above the trees, Vegeta freed one hand to blast a clear path down to the forest floor, narrowly missing his "mate." Now grinning from ear to ear, he lowered Byraem and whispered, "Are you going to tell me now?" The other man hesitated, then shook his head defiantly. "All right. I don't need to know. I'm going to get rid of all of you pests anyway. I would just draw it out on your commander." He held Byraem out and smiled again.

"Vegeta! What the hell are you DOING?"

"Getting rid of him!" he shouted down.

"Well, DON'T! No one ORDERED him to do that! It was all HIM!"

Vegeta cocked his head in mock thoughtfulness. "Is that so? Well, that changes things. I WON'T drop you." As a trained fighter, Vegeta saw the small amount of relief on Byraem's face. "I'll kill you with myself. With my bare hands!"

The magician's eyes widened, then he reached into his robe for something. When he pulled out a purplish colored square, Vegeta abruptly dropped him.

The stone began to glow and Byraem began to slow, until he was hovering just above the ground. Bulma shook her head in disbelief as the square faded and he dropped the last few inches to the now cleared forest floor. Vegeta scowled and landed a few paces away, hands clenched as tight as he could get them.

"What the hell was THAT?" Bulma asked, forgetting to demand the reason why Vegeta dropped him.

"It reduces magic," Vegeta said, scowling even deeper. "It works on ki, but only if we're touching the person using it." He looked at the warrior and shook his head. "Only this time he used it to increase HIS magic. He doesn't have a lot to start with since he's a Protector."

"Not even going to ask. But how about getting me the hell OUT of here?!"

"Would you like to be able to WALK when you get out?" Vegeta asked with a smirk. Bulma's opened mouth closed and she glared at him. "Then I suggest you let me do this."

"I know I'm going to be sorry I asked, but do WHAT?"

He ignored her and smirked at Byraem. "Let her go." He shook his head defiantly, still focusing on his stone. Vegeta shook his head and nonchalantly shot the now-glowing square out of the Protector's hands. "Let her go," he repeated. "Or I'll kill you."

"You'll kill me anyway, Vegeta," Byraem said with a glare. "So why does it matter?"

Vegeta shrugged and covered the few feet between them in two quick steps. Lifting Byraem up by his robe, he said simply. "It doesn't to me. But your death will either be quick or slow. THAT'S what might interest you."

"Why are you even offering?" he snapped, wiggling to get out of Vegeta's strong grip.

"Because my mate is here. And it's a great way to show how stubborn you bastards really are."

"Like YOU'RE one to talk," Bulma muttered.

He looked over at her. "That sure didn't hurt your mouth too much, did it?"

"And I'm glad it didn't!"

"Hey Vegeta!"

The Saiyan looked up to see a man hovering above them, with a cloud of green smoke swirling about him, and a smirk on his moustached lips. He didn't have the usual pointy hat or blue robe, but Bulma knew immediately he was a wizard. And she had a sinking feeling...