Blood Rubies Saga Part 2

North Valley…

Bulma checked her Dragon Radar one more time and then glanced back up at the plane flying by above her. They were definitely headed in the same direction and that meant one thing: she had completion. Big competition, she deduced, judging by the plane's military style. Could it be that fierce Red Ribbon Army she'd heard so much about?

Rather than be intimidated by this possibility, the Capsule Corp heiress just grew more determined. Finally, she'd have a chance to prove herself and show up her stupid big sister! Tights was so full of it due to being in the stupid Galactic Patrol with that Jaco. She was always bragging about beating up bad guys and being a "space hero" whenever she got to visit Earth. It was so infuriating! Nobody even paid attention to Bulma's inventions anymore because of it.

To her credit, Tights had learned to fight rather well since joining the patrol and was actually not bad at the job. Bulma just hated losing to her in every physical competition they'd ever had because of it. From tennis to basketball and even the occasional bout of arm wrestling, Tights always came out on top. The one thing that the younger Briefs sibling could count as a win was that strawberry eating contest they'd had on Tights' last visit. Their parents hadn't even noticed because they were so enthralled with the latest intergalactic news to come their way.

This was the reason why Bulma had built the Dragon Radar and began her quest. Once she'd found all seven Dragon Balls, she'd wish to have strength equal to her intellect and become more mighty than Tights or anyone else. Then she would focus on her other goal of finding the perfect boyfriend. But first, it was time to kick Red Ribbon butt!

Mounting her motorcycle, the Capsule Corp heiress began following the plane as close as she possibly could. They lead her to the Mount Paozu area, where she was shocked to see an old man walk directly in her path. "Oh no! Get out of the way!"

The old man responded to Bulma's cry by dropping the rather large fish he was carrying and holding out his hands. To her shock, he stopped her bike cold. "Whoa there, young lady! Where exactly did you come from?"

Bulma shook off her shock and glanced at her radar instead of answering. The Dragon Ball had begun moving away from it's location: she was too late! Now frustrated, she dismounted her bike and glared at the old man.

"Look, Grandpa, I don't have time to explain! All you need to know is that there are thieves in that direction and they're after something I need. Now move it!"

The old man bristled at her tone, then looked in the direction she was pointing. His expression soon became serious. "Thieves, you say? That happens to be in the direction of my home. Stay here and we'll discuss this more very soon."

The old man was gone before Bulma could snap back. He was out of her sight in seconds, moving must faster than she ever could. Even her bike at full throttle couldn't match that speed! She sweat-dropped while recalling how he'd stopped the same bike with his bare hands.

That's just great! Not only is my sister way stronger and faster than me, so is some weird old mountain man!? I gotta get those Dragon balls!

…

Pasta and Bongo had found the Dragonball and were putting a coin in it's place when the old man who lived in the house appeared in the doorway. " My name is Son Gohan. I don't know who you are, but I don't tolerate thieves! Leave now and you won't be hurt."

Pasta responded with a nod to Bongo and the latter sauntered over to the old man with a cruel grin on his face. Son Gohan responded by assuming a fighting stance and shouting "rock!" He proceeded to punch Bongo hard in the face before the brute could make a move. "Paper!" Next came an equally hard palm to the chest. "Scissors!"

This last blow, two fingers jabbed into both his eyes, made Bongo stagger back. As he cursed and covered his eyes, he turned his back on his opponent. "You old bastard! Just you wait until I-!"

Son Gohan rushed forward and delivered a flying kick straight to Bongo's back. The brute was sent crashing through the wall and deep into the forest. Pasta swallowed her shock after a moment and drew her gun, opening fire. Her target proceeded to dodge every shot and appear in front of her in an instant, disarming her with a karate chop.

"I don't like to harm women, especially pretty ones. Give up now and make it easier on yourself." Pasta prepared to do just that when Son Gohan noticed something fall from her satchel. "Say, is that a Blood Ruby? I've never seen one up close. Never seen one so big either."

He knelt down to reach for it, only to have Pasta seize his wrist. Her grip was far stronger than expected. The old man looked up and was shocked to see a mad gleam appear in her eyes and a blood red aura appear around her form.

" The Blood Rubies are mine! Hands off!" With this declaration, Pasta grew a few inches and bulked up a bit. Her new aura also got a bit larger as well. Son Gohan wrenched himself from her grip and stood up just in time to evade the punch she threw. It struck the wall with enough force to make a rather large hole.

Son Gohan sweat-dropped when he saw this. "Well, Master Roshi did always say never to get between women and jewelry." Pasta only growled in response and attacked again. She seemed to grow stronger and faster by the second, making it all the more difficult for the old martial artist to evade her strikes. Even using his master's rare skill of moving without conscious thought was proving futile. All the while, Pasta kept shouting "mine!"

It's incredible! She seems to be consumed by greed and it's changing her! Is this the curse of the blood rubies I've heard about?

The old martial artist now found himself forced out of his home and backed into a tree. Pasta was glaring at him with blood red glowing eyes. There seemed to be only one option left.

"I hate to use this on a woman but you leave me no choice!" Son Gohan proceeded to cup his hands at his side and begin gathering ki. "Ka…me…ha…me-!"

Before the Kame School's signature attack could be unleashed, a spray of bullets suddenly got between the two opponents. Pasta growled and turned her attention to the blue-haired girl from earlier, driving towards them with one hand and wielding a gun with the other. The sight made the glow in the female soldier's eyes darken and she darted towards the intruder before Son Gohan could think to stop her. He honestly doubted he could at this point.

…

Bulma's eyes widened as she saw the crazed glowing woman charging straight at her. She had only meant to scare her off with a few warning shots and save the old man, not become a target! Her horror only grew as she fired more bullets and found her attacker wasn't even slowing down. The woman wasn't human!

The Capsule Corp heiress soon decided to abandon her vehicle and make a run for it. She managed to do this just as the crazed woman destroyed her bike with one punch! As she cowered behind a tree, Bulma heard her attacker curse loud enough to be heard across the mountain.

"I KNOW YOU WANT MY BLOOD RUBIES! THEY'RE MINE, YOU HEAR ME!? MINE!"

Bulma gulped. She hadheard about Blood Rubies before and how rare and valuable they were. She honestly might have wanted some if the same book of legends that told her about the Dragon Balls hadn't also mentioned how Blood Rubies were cursed and could turn people into literal monsters if their greed got the best of them. This woman was clearly a prime example.

" Man, I hate to say it, but I wish Tights was here right now. I'd even take Jaco at this point." Mentioning the Galactic Patrolman suddenly caused Bulma to remember something rather important. She quickly threw her pistol away and pulled out the laser gun she'd built at the age of five. She'd been modifying it in her spare time and had taken it with her on a whim. It now had enough power to kill a full grown dinosaur on it's weakest setting. That had to be enough to get her out of this jam!

"Hey lady, eat this!" The Capsule Corp heiress leaped out from the tree and took her shot. It struck the woman square in the chest and made her yell in agony. Her aura fizzled out and her eyes lost their glow, but she was still standing when it ended. Bulma was absolutely shocked. No way! How is anyone that tough!? Am I just the biggest wimp on the planet or what!?

But the woman just looked around confused. She didn't even seem to notice that Bulma was there "What's going on!? Bongo, where are you!?"

"Right here!" It was then that a huge man wearing the same uniform as the woman appeared on a flying hover disk. It looked just like the technology found in the Land of Gurumes. Bulma had often wondered how they had managed to make such an advancement before Capsule Corp had. The thing was so fast that the new arrival swooped in and snatched up his apparent partner before she even knew what happened. By the time that Bulma's Dragon Radar went off, their plane was already in the air.

"Hey, those two have my Dragonball! I'll show them just what happens when you mess with Bulma!" The young heiress quickly withdrew a capsule containing a plane of her own and took to the air in hot pursuit.

…

Son Gohan ran up just in time to watch the girl called Bulma take off after the thieves. He was about to pursue both when he sensed an incredible power approaching. "Why, what's this? Can it be?"

The old martial artist looked up to see a figure flying through the sky with his aura blazing. It was a young boy with dark spiky hair and a monkey tail. He was dressed in a white gi and blue undershirt with Kami's symbol on the front and back of the former. The sight made Son Gohan smile broadly and try to wave the boy down.

"Hey! Hey Goku! Over here, little friend!"

The boy soon landed before the old martial artist and favored him with a respectful bow. "Greetings, Master Gohan. I've come to request your help on a matter of grave importance. The fate of this world could be at stake."

Son Gohan chuckled and returned the bow. "Of course, my boy. But could you possibly give me a lift first? I need to catch someone rather quickly and those flying lessons you tried to give me haven't quite caught on yet."

Goku nodded and lifted the old martial artist up by the armpits before launching back into the air. They soon caught sight of Bulma engaged in an aerial duel with the two soldiers, laughing cockily as she fired a round of bullets at them. Goku found himself rather intrigued.

"I've never seen a live girl before. I never knew they could be so aggressive. My father always told me they were more passive and delicate than men." Another lie, the monkey tailed boy thought to himself bitterly.

Son Gohan chuckled again, oblivious to any of this. "Women are full of surprises. You'll learn soon enough, my boy. Now what say we make sure you get the chance to know this one a little better?"

Another nod and the old martial artist was tossed through the air. Son Gohan calmly reached behind his back and withdrew his old child weapon while in mid-flight. "Power Pole, extend!"

The magical staff obeyed and grew to the length of a pole vault, allowing him to control his trajectory and land right on the wing of Bulma's plane. She caught sight of his appearance and shrieked in surprise and anger. "What the hell!? Where'd you come from, old man!?"

Son Gohan ignored this outburst and focused on the woman whom he'd fought earlier. She'd emerged from the cockpit of her own plane and was wielding a rocket launcher. Only his entrance had distracted her from firing it at Bulma. This distraction was further compounded by Goku landing on his opposite side. The two martial artists nodded to each other and assumed identical stances.

"Ka…me…ha…me…ha!" Twin waves of blue ki shot out and destroyed the enemy plane in a massive explosion. Bulma's jaw dropped for what felt like the fifth time that day and Son Gohan chortled proudly.

"Well, that was easier than expected. I thought I'd have to go all out. Thanks, lad." Goku was about to respond when he sensed something concerning.

"Don't think me yet, Master Gohan. Look!" The trio was soon greeted by the sight of the female soldier flying out of the explosion on her hover-disk. She turned back to them with pure red eyes and snarled.

"This isn't over! You think you've won!? I've still got the Dragon ball and soon, all seven will belong to m-I mean, King Gurumes!"

This statement immediately got Bulma's attention and she checked her Dragon Radar to confirm it. "Crap, she's right! We gotta go after her!"

Son Gohan shook his head. "No chance of that, young lady. I can't fly and neither your plane or even my young friend can catch up with her at this rate. We'd best land and talk all of this out before we make another move."

Bulma was frustrated. She wanted to argue, but she had to admit that these two actually did save her life. What was the harm in hearing them out?

…

The group was soon gathered at Son Gohan's kitchen table for a meal. The old master had yet to seat himself and Goku was struggling not to eat the food before him until he had. Kami had always been a bit overwhelmed by his adopted son's appetite and been adamant about controlling it with lessons in table manners. These lessons were so ingrained in the boy's psyche that they were even able to override his current frustrations with the old guardian. That, and of course his genuine respect for Son Gohan.

"So your dad actually created the Dragon Balls? I don't suppose he told you where he hid the rest of them? Even with my radar, it hasn't been easy. And I wouldn't mind knowing some short cuts. " Bulma spoke up suddenly from across the table while sipping her tea

"No," Goku replied, doing his best not to sound terse at the mention of his father, "he didn't. My father has no control over that kind of thing either. The balls just scatter randomly after a wish is made and he said it's been at least a century since the last time that happened."

"Yeah. My book said it was the ancestor of King Furry himself that made the wish. If this Gurumes guy is already a king, what else could he possibly want?" Bulma complained before starting to pout.

It was at that moment that Son Gohan walked up to take his place at the table. Goku gave what almost sounded like a sigh of relief and tore into his meal with gusto. The old master favored him with an amused smile before addressing Bulma.

"I've heard rumors of Gurumes for the past several years. They say he was once kindly until he was cursed by the Blood Rubies and now seeks to conquer everything in his quest for wealth. I don't doubt that whatever he wants with these magical wishing orbs will not be pleasant for anyone. That's why it is up to us to stop him from doing so."

Bulma took out her radar and scowled. "Easier said than done, old man. Your Dragon Ball was the only one I've been able to find lately and it's long gone. Who knows when the next one will pop up?"

It was at that moment that Goku abruptly stopped eating. A vision flashed before his eyes of a huge man in a horned helmet handing Bulma a Dragonball. They seemed to be standing in a castle surrounded by flames. He was about to speak up when the vision changed to show his friend Upa on his knees in some kind of fighting arena. The native boy was weeping over the body of his father, Bora.

"Goku? Goku!? Are you alright, little friend?" The concerned voice of Son Gohan finally snapped the monkey tailed boy from his trance. He took several deep breaths to calm his anxiety before he spoke, promising himself to visit the Sacred Land of Korin when this was over. "I think I know where we need to go. Does anyone here know of a mountain made of fire?"

…

Pansy did her best not to look scared as her group wandered through the dark forest. Yurin had already made it clear that she hated being in the younger girl's debt and would have just loved an excuse to tease her. Not that the witch hadn't made it clear she never needed an excuse for anything.

Lucky for her, she had Tenshinhan. The three-eyed warrior had insisted on staying close to Pansy the whole time and provided her with a sense of warmth and protection. It was almost like having a big brother around. She felt the warmth fade as soon as the monster appeared.

"Well,well, what have we here? Have you four little morsels lost your way? It looks like my dinner is served!"

Tenshinhan quickly pushed Pansy behind him as he and the others took fighting stances. "It's not dinner time for you yet. In fact, you'll never eat again unless you get out of our way right now!"

The monster laughed a bit nervously at this threat "Oh, a tough guy, huh? It's been a while since anyone's spoke to Oolong the Terrible that way. Let's see what you're made of."

Oolong the Terrible gestured to a nearby tree that was as tall as he was. "Let's see you break this thing in half as easy as I can." This challenge simply made Tenshinhan smirk.

"Very well, but I may need your help." The three-eyed warrior proceeded to do a flying kick that sent Oolong flying backwards at incredible speed. His body struck the great tree and split it in half with ease. The monster groaned in pain as he lay among the wreckage and was soon surrounded by a puff of smoke. Where it faded, there was a small pig in his place wearing a uniform.

Pansy walked up and stared at the sight with wide eyes. "That's Oolong the Terrible? What happened?"

Yurin appeared interested as she inspected their fallen foe. "He looks like a shape shifter, probably from that school I've heard about. That could be a useful skill to learn. Is he alive?"

Tenshinhan nodded. "I sensed that he was far too weak to be a threat and didn't bother with finishing him. It would have been a waste of time."

His witch companion smirked. "Good, then we'll take him with us and he can teach me what he knows." This seemed to make Oolong bolt awake and he began backing away in fear.

"No! I-I-mean, you don't want me! I flunked out of the academy and never learned to hold a shape for more than five minutes."

Yurin shrugged and conjured a fire ball in her hand. "Really? Too bad. I guess I'll just roast you then."

Oolong gulped. "Then again, a smart girl like you could probably do a lot in five minutes. I'm in!"

End Part 2 of Blood Rubies Saga

Power Levels:

Goku: 400

Son Gohan: 125

Pasta{normal}: 25

Pasta{cursed by Blood Rubies}: 100 and rising

Bongo: 30

Bulma: 6

Tenshinhan: 100

Yurin: 30

Chioutzu: 45

Pansy:5

Oolong: 2

What ifs used:

What if Bulma wanted to be stronger?

What if Grandpa Gohan survived?

What if Oolong met Tenshinhan first?

What if Tights joined the Galactic Patrol?