Rewoven Tapestry
The Searches Saga: Chapter 1
by Contrail
Disclaimer: Dragonball was created by Akira Toriyama. The American translation is done by Funimation.
September 1st, 749 - East Mountain Area
Bulma drove her car quickly up the winding mountain road. Well, as quickly as she could manage given the poor quality of the dirt road she was driving on, which wasn't quickly enough for her tastes. After rounding a curve, she drew the car to a halt, deciding that it was time to take a small break from driving and stretch her legs. She got out of the car and stretched her arms and back with a sigh.
Taking her Dragonball radar out of the pouch she carried it in, she checked to make sure she was still heading in the right direction. Yep, she was much closer to one of the dots the radar showed now. It shouldn't be too much longer before she reached it. She smiled to herself. Soon, she would have all seven Dragonballs and make her wish for a perfect boyfriend! So far her search for the Dragonballs had been so simple that she wondered why no one else had gather them for decades. Of course, not everyone could be a beautiful technical genius like her. Without the Dragonball radar she'd built, she would have had no idea where to start looking for the Dragonballs.
As she got back into her car to continue on, she idly wondered what one of the Dragonballs was doing way out here in the middle of nowhere anyway. The last Dragonball she'd found had been inside a cave, so maybe this one was similarly situated. She gave a little shrug as she drove. Wherever this one was, she knew she'd be there soon. The unpaved road continued on up into the mountains, and the area between the drop downwards on one side and side of the mountain on the other gradually widened. Soon there was a strip of grass and trees on either side of the road, instead of there being little more than a car's width of space between empty air on one side and solid rock on the other.
Eventually Bulma reached the end of the road and screeched to a halt. She quickly turned off the car and got out to examine the small structure that sat in front of her. It was made out of brick, with a pointed roof of dark blue tiles, and it couldn't have had more than a single room inside of it. She took out her radar and fiddled with it for a few moments. The Dragonball certainly seemed to be in the small shrine, or house, or whatever it was. It looked to be in too good of shape to have been abandoned, so she'd just have to hope whoever owned the place was around and willing to sell their Dragonball.
Striding to the teal-colored wooden doors to the hut, she straightened the skirt of her pink dress. It never hurt to try to make a good first impression. She knocked briskly on the doors three times. Listening, she heard someone stirring within the hut, and soon one of the doors opened to reveal the wrinkled face of an old man blinking at her. "Oh, my," he said in a somewhat wheezing voice. "It's been a long time since anyone bothered to come all the way up here. Can I help you, miss?"
"Yes, my name is Bulma Briefs." Bulma paused there for a moment to see if he recognized her name. He didn't show any signs of doing so, which didn't entirely surprise her. This old guy probably didn't get out much or listen to the news. "I believe you have in your possession one of a set of objects that I'm collecting. May I please come in and look around for it?"
"Please forgive my poor manners, Miss Briefs, keeping you out here on the step," he replied as he stepped back out of the doorway, making room for her to enter the small house. "I am Son Gohan, and I doubt there is anything I own that would be of interest to you, but you are welcome to look. May I offer you some tea at least? You must have come a very long way."
Bulma stepped inside and began looking around as she answered absently, "No, that's okay." There wasn't much to see inside the place. A single patterned window on one wall let light into the place. The furniture was fairly plain but looked well-made. There wasn't much furniture, just a bed, a table, a couple of stools to sit on, a dresser... What was sitting on top of the dresser made her stop her examination and smile happily. Resting on top of a small purple cushion was a small orange ball with four red stars imprinted in it, softly glowing in response to the presence of the two Dragonballs she already had. "Yes! There it is!"
Gohan followed Bulma's gaze to discover what item had caught her interest. "I'd almost forgotten I had that," he muttered to himself. More audibly, he continued, "That ball is what you are looking for then, miss?"
Bulma nodded. "I can offer any sum you would consider reasonable for it."
Gohan chuckled a little. "I don't have much need for money, living out here like I do. But I do wonder how you knew that I had this ball."
Irritation flashed through Bulma's mind. How dare this old man question her! But in an unaccustomed action, she pushed the feeling aside. She needed the old guy's cooperation if she wanted to get his Dragonball. She did have a gun on her, and she knew how to use it, but she didn't want to threaten an old man just to get his Dragonball unless she had to. So she was going to have to tell him about the Dragonball radar. She figured she might as well tell him the whole story, since he'd probably keep asking questions until he found out the rest anyway.
"Seven magical Dragonballs exist and are scattered all over the world. That," Bulma said, indicating the small orange ball, "is one of them. Each ball has a name and a different number of stars marked on it, from one to seven. Anyone who can gather together all seven of them can use them to summon forth the Eternal Dragon to grant themself a single wish. After I found one of the Dragonballs, I studied them and discovered that they emit a faint electric pulse." She reached into the pouch she carried on her belt and pulled out the Dragonball radar as she continued talking. "Using my amazing technical genius I constructed this little device that lets me track them down no matter where in the world they are."
Showing Gohan the round palm-sized device's green screen, she pointed to the three dots that were together in the middle of it. "That's where we are, with the two Dragonballs I've already collected and the one you have. I found you and your Dragonball by simply heading toward one of the dots on here."
"I see." Gohan had been listening quietly while Bulma explained, his eyes looking at her intently all the while. "What happens to the Dragonballs after they have been used to summon the Eternal Dragon?"
"After the wish has been made, the Dragonballs rise up in the air and each one flies off in a different direction, scattering them all over the world again. They also become inert for a full year."
Gohan nodded. "And what are you planning to wish for?"
"That's my business, not yours, old man! What does it matter to you what I want to wish for, anyway?" Bulma snapped, losing her hold on her temper.
"I will not allow the Dragonball I possess to be used for ill purposes," Gohan replied firmly. "So you can either tell me what you plan to use the wish for, miss, or you can leave without the Dragonball."
Bulma grumbled under her breath. Like she really wanted to tell this geezer her heart's fondest wish. But it looked like he was going to be stubborn about this, and he did have the upper hand since he was the one who had the Dragonball. "Fine. I want to wish for the perfect boyfriend for me."
Silence stretched between them for several long moments as Gohan gave her a considering look. His sharp eyes peered out at her from his wrinkled face, seeming to try to pierce through flesh and blood to read her very soul. It was rather unnerving, actually, although she'd be damned if she was going to let this old guy know that. Finally, he gave a small nod and said, "I will give you my Dragonball if you agree to perform a task for me."
Like Bulma wanted to be his errand girl. Still, she really needed that Dragonball. She might as well hear what he wanted at least... "Tell me what you want me to do and I'll tell you if I'm willing to do it."
Gohan nodded again. "I need you to take my staff to my old martial arts sensei. He is known as Master Roshi or the Turtle Hermit. Tell him I said to find someone worthy to pass it on to. I had hoped to do so myself, but..."
"If this guy was your teacher, are you sure he's still alive? I mean, you're not exactly young yourself."
Gohan smiled a little. "I'm quite sure, miss."
"O-kay... So where does this guy live?"
"He lives on a small island to the south of here. I believe that he has one of the Dragonballs you are searching for in his possession. So you should be able to find your way there with that radar of yours. I don't know if crossing part of the ocean will be a difficulty for you..."
Bulma shook her head. "No, I'm well prepared to travel by water if necessary." Just carrying a staff for a little bit and giving it to someone didn't sound too bad, particularly since she'd apparently need to head that direction anyway... "Alright, I'll do it!"
Gohan picked up the staff from where it was laying propped up against a wall and handed it to her. It was a simple red staff with no decorations or anything, held within an equally plain carrying case. She wondered what was so important about it, then shrugged. Probably just some weird martial artist thing. She held the staff in one hand and accepted the Dragonball from Gohan with her other hand. She happily slipped it into the pouch that held the other two Dragonballs she'd already gotten. Only four more to go!
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Son. Now I really must be going, I need to deliver this for you, and work on finding the rest of the Dragonballs."
Gohan nodded. "Have a safe journey, miss."
Bulma left the hut and hurried back outside to her car. Setting the staff down on the seat beside her, she started the car back up and turned it around so she could head back down the road. Her next destination was clear - the island of the Turtle Hermit!
Son Gohan watched the young woman leave his house and sighed quietly to himself. It was foolish of her to try to gain love by wishing for it, but he would let her discover that truth herself. Experience was the best teacher in some areas of life. It wasn't the sort of wish that would cause harm, though, and he felt that she wouldn't change her mind and ask for a harmful wish instead. She was rather selfish, to be sure, but he thought she had a fairly good heart despite that. Well, he had done what he thought was the right thing, and there was no point on dwelling on the matter further. With one last sigh, he returned to what he had been doing before the arrival of his unexpected visitor.
Author's Note
Ah, the fun of writing a character that appeared maybe a handful of times in all of Dragonball. Hopefully I didn't do too badly with the elder Son Gohan. I think this chapter ended up being a little short, but it seemed like a good place to stop.
I'd love to hear any feedback about this story, either through FF.net's review system or e-mail.
Next time on Rewoven Tapestry, Bulma stumbles over a certain turtle (literally) and meets Master Roshi, wrinkled old pervert, er, I mean legendary martial arts sensei, for the first time.
