Disclaimer: I don't own DragonBallZ.
I want to thank you guys for reviewing last chapter! Reviews always make me happy, so here's to you two! Trugeta and animeprincess1452!
To Trugeta: Thank you! I'm very glad to hear that you're interested in my idea...I always try to satisfy my readers!
To animeprincess1452: Thank you so much for reviewing! I hope this chapter does well in your opinion.
On with the chapter, then...
Leela, clutching the end of Goku's tail securely, glanced over to her comrades. "What are you guys doing? Get the girl. That one's not a threat," she gazed over to Bulma in a hinting manner.
She scowled. "You guys can't get away with this!"
"Who's going to stop us?" Rail snapped. Smack. The hit echoed like a gunshot, and Rail fell back into the dirt.
Bulma stared in surprise.
"Oh no..." Leela and Pole inched back slowly.
The girl Goku had found was awake, and she stood with her arms folded. She glared at Leela. "Let him go."
She loosened her grip on the boy's tail, but hesitated to release him entirely.
"I said drop him."
She let him go and he collapsed to the ground where he lay motionless.
"Now then. Which one of you hit me on the head?"
Leela trembled when she stared directly at her.
"Do you have any idea how much that hurt?"
"This was such a bad idea," Pole whimpered.
"You cowards." Rail got to his feet. "How can you be so scared of a little kid?"
Without warning the girl leapt into the air and dropkicked him in the face. Rail was out cold.
Leela and Pole were dumbfounded, wondering whether they should help their comrade or not. The girl smiled sardonically at Leela and Pole and drove her foot into Rail's unconscious face.
Pole took off running in the opposite direction.
Leela growled angrily at the children, glanced at Rail and then turned reluctantly to follow Pole.
Bulma sighed in relief, leaning over the handles of her motorcycle. She gazed up at the child. "Thanks. I owe you one."
The girl shrugged and went to sit Goku up. "You okay?" No reply. Whatever Leela had done, she'd knocked him out. She picked him up and carried him over to Bulma. "Here, um..."
"Bulma Briefs," she told her, grinning.
"Well, you can take him, Bulma." She helped sit the boy up on the motorcycle, leaning his head on the handles.
"So what's your name, anyway?"
"Demelza," she answered.
"Demelza," she nodded. "You came to at the right moment. I thought we were goners."
"How did I end up here?"
Bulma explained everything that had happened, informing her about how Goku had found her carrying one of the Dragon Balls.
"Is that what it was?"
"You gather all seven of them and the Eternal Dragon appears before you. Then he can grant you any one wish."
"I don't think I'd have wished for anything, even if I had known what the Dragon Balls were. So you can keep it." She stared out across the road. "I'd better go."
"You're leaving?" Bulma sat up nervously. "What about those scary people? What if they come back?"
"I think they'll leave you alone after what they've been through." Demelza brushed the dirt off of her sleeve.
"But I was hoping you'd want to come with us." Her tone was almost pleading. "We're going to look for a place to eat, you know."
She smiled and hopped onto the motorcycle. "Say no more. Let's go."
"Right," she nodded, and started up her large bike.
"We're in big trouble," Pole whined, trembling at the very thought of what would happen if they went back without Demelza.
"Oh, shut up." Leela sat slumped forward with her arms crossed. She was not in a good mood.
"What are we going to do?" He grabbed her around the shoulders and shook her. "If we don't get her back, it's going to be our heads! You know that!" Pole grinned abruptly. "Hey, what about the sun, maybe it will take care of her."
"No, stupid. The king said she's immune to sunlight. We leave first thing in the morning, right after we go and get Rail."
Bulma and Demelza had turned off the path to stop at a village when Goku began to open his heavy eyes. He blinked drowsily for a moment until he looked back to see who had been holding him up. "Hey, you're awake," he exclaimed happily.
"Wide awake," she told him.
"My name is Goku. What's yours?" He smiled goofily.
"Demelza..."
"Hi, Demelza." He beamed. "Hey, what happened to those two men and that woman?"
"She beat them," Bulma chimed.
"You did? Wow. You must be strong."
Demelza stared ahead where the light from Bulma's bike illuminated the road.
The three travelers stopped at an inn, got dinner, and went to bed.
Demelza woke up. The sun seemed to burst in through her window. She started getting ready and then headed out into the street where Goku was waiting for her.
He awaited her at the steps of the inn. "Good morning, Demelza. Sleep well?"
"Actually no. The floor is hard. Haven't these people heard of mattresses?"
He smiled. "I slept well. Did you have breakfast?"
"No, and don't talk about it, either," she scowled. She had no money for food, and didn't want to think about missing the most important meal of the day.
"It sure was good." Goku grinned cluelessly.
Demelza rolled her eyes and tried to resist the urge to punch him in the mouth. She decided to change the subject. "Where's Bulma gone?"
"Oh, I almost forgot. She wanted me to tell you that one of the Dragon Balls is here somewhere in the village, and she went to look for it."
"Yeah..."
"We're supposed to try and find it, too. But she said we can't get separated no matter what," he shook a finger in the same way Bulma had. "We've got to stick together."
'...Stick together?' "I hope you're kidding me."
"No..." Goku replied uncertainly.
She rolled her eyes and sighed. This was not going to be easy.
Bulma followed her radar carefully, glancing up every now and then in the hopes of finding the Dragon Ball. But there were countless spots where it could be hidden.
She noticed a small woman selling shiny glass orbs. She browsed at the globes on display until she was certain that the Dragon Ball was not among them.
She stopped by a small tent shop where an elderly man had put baskets up for sale. She looked inside every one of them. Not there. She continued her pursuit, checking the radar one more time just to be sure.
Behind one of the tents, a tall woman peered around the corner cautiously. She was dressed in long, heavy black robes with a headscarf, a veil, and a dark pair of sunglasses.
"See anything, Leela?" Pole asked and Rail poked his blackened, disfigured head around the curve; they were both wearing long trench coats, gloves, hats, and sunglasses.
"No," she replied.
"I hate the sun..."
"Would you two can it and keep an eye out for those kids."
"We can't see! It's too bright!"
"Then ask someone," Rail grumbled.
Leela caught the attention of a passing stranger. "Excuse me."
"Hey..." Bulma narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Must be tourists, she decided.
"We're looking for some out-of-towners. Two girls and a boy. Have you seen them?"
"Lose your group?" she smiled politely. "I'm traveling too. If I see anyone...like you..." she hinted at their unusual clothing "...then I'll be sure to tell them you're looking for them."
"Don't bother. We'll find them ourselves..."
"Good luck." She moved along, clutching her radar.
Rail snarled. "We've got to find them! I've got to..."
"What if they're not here, though?"
"Then we'll keep tracking them. Now come on."
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. My brain finally started to work again! Review!
Also, not forgetting to thank my editor, who is doing an excellent job!