Chapter 6: Sibling Rivalry
Cold water and burning lungs snapped me from out of a confused state. I was under water, and then I remembered what was happening and looked around for Goku and Gohan.
I couldn't see anything, so I headed up. But I stopped when I saw three forms flying close to the surface. It was Sauzaa, Doore, and Neizu. If I went up for air I'd be caught, and if I stayed under the water I'd drown.
I decided to take my chances underwater and swam back down, looking for Goku and Gohan again. I finally found them, sinking down about twenty feet from my location. I went and got them both, and started up again. Kooler's men were still up there, searching.
Now what? If I don't go to the surface soon, the three of us will drown, but if those goons see us we'll be dead even quicker.
If I go downstream we'll still be caught because it gets shallower further down from here.
I started looking around, and that's when I saw a dark spot under the rushing water. There was a cavern behind the waterfall, thank Kami and God and the Kais, so I swam there as fast as I could.
I burst out of the water and inhaled deeply. I coughed up water, as did Goku and Gohan, but I managed to get the three of us to shore. Once on semi-dry land I collapsed and fell asleep.
I could tell I hadn't been asleep long when I woke up because it was still light outside, and the others weren't awake yet, either.
I got up and stretched for a moment, then woke up Gohan.
"Katie, where are we?" he asked when he was fully awake.
"Behind the waterfall. I had to hide us from Kooler."
"How's my dad?"
Well, what do you say when you have no idea? I had this feeling that Goku wasn't suppose to die yet, but that could just be idol hope.
"The Death Beam hit him full on. It would have killed me instantly, but Goku is strong. We need to get some Zinzu beans. We also need to hide somewhere else, the cold can't be good for Goku's injury."
"I know the perfect spot for us. I bet Krillen and Oolong are there too."
"Great, lead the way." I moved Goku and he moaned. He was in pain and his Ki was low, just like mine was low. A Zinzu bean would do us all good, but Goku was critical.
"Goku, are you awake?"
"Yeah, but I hurt all over."
"You nut, you didn't have to take that blast for me."
"If I didn't then you would have died. You're the one who always says we rely too much on the Dragonballs."
"Yeah, but what if you had died? I wouldn't have minded staying dead, you know." I asked.
"Then you'd use the Dragonballs."
"Goku, you are some piece of work. On my old earth we didn't have any Dragonballs. Once you died that was it. But people in my earth didn't fight to the death, either."
There was a path that led from behind the waterfall to the edge of the river, so we didn't have to dive again. I didn't know if Goku could make through something like that again with low Ki and health.
"Sounds weird." Goku tried to laugh at that, but he flinched.
"Yeah, well take it easy. Rest, Goku, I got you. I promise you'll be okay."
Gohan continued to lead us through the woods to this hiding spot, and Goku rested as I carried him. It was kind of hard to carry Goku since he was at least a head taller than me. Right now I'm Vegeta's height, but I imagine soon I'll be taller. I got Vegeta to tell me some about Sayjin anatomy, and lucky me I won't have but one period a year. Sayjins don't become physically mature until age 18, and even then there technically isn't puberty, though I call it that anyway. He also told me about Bonding, a way Sayjins connect to their mates, and that, though he's taller than most human males, he's shorter than most Sayjin males, and that I'd probably outgrow him in the next year.
But like Vegeta, I feel a need to best Goku. I feel like I have to prove myself to one of them by beating one of them. It's not completely my Sayjin instincts, either, but my own will to prove myself. No matter what I did back on the other earth, there was always someone better. My parents always compared me to the other kids, like 'Cody got an A in math, why not you?' or 'Erik scored higher on the spelling test than you did, how'd he do that?'. I got sick of it, but now I always feel like I can do better. I could become a Super Sayjin, but Goku did it first. I could train for weeks on end like Vegeta and get hurt, but that wouldn't help my body as much. I know I can equal Goku or Vegeta, even become stronger than that, but I just seem to always fall short.
And I could sense the same thing from Kooler. He didn't just want to defeat Goku because of his Throne being threatened, he wanted to kill Goku to prove to himself that he is better than Frieza.
"There it is, and look! Krillen and Oolong made it! Icarus, too!" Gohan ran ahead to a cave and joined the others as I carried Goku inside. The sun was starting to set now, but the last rays of light lit up the cavern. I took a look at Goku's back, and it didn't look good at all. It was bloody and raw, and his Ki was still dropping. Goku moaned as I placed him down.
"You're safe for now, Goku, so rest. I know it hurts. I'll be back in just a minute." I headed out so we could make our plans for the next move.
"How's Goku?" Krillen asked when I came out.
"He'll be fine once he gets a Zinzu bean. If I wasn't so weak right now I'd teleport, but I just can't. I'll fly there, I'm the fastest, and without their Scouters I could go as fast as I need."
"No good, Katie. Even though you're weakened, you're still the strongest one here. Better let Gohan go, he's faster than me." Krillen was right, if a fight started up I'd last longer than Gohan or Krillen.
"Okay, Gohan, be careful. They may not have Scouters, but they still have eyes and ears."
"Right, I'll be back soon. Take good care of my dad!" Then Gohan took off. We went inside and I sat right next to Goku.
I will, I swear.
"Katie, you should get some rest, too. From what Gohan told us you did a lot back there." Oolong suggested.
"I'm fine, I have to protect Goku. I promised him."
"You're not fine, you're Ki is low. It isn't bad, but you don't have to play tough girl around us. We're you're friends, Katie, and besides, we'll need you at the top of your game incase we're found."
"Thanks, Krillen. I sort of needed that. Back on the earth I grew up on I was always being teased and picked-on by the bullies, so after a while I grew cold so it wouldn't hurt."
"You don't have to do that here, Katieā¦" Goku said, trying to move.
"Goku, stay still. You need to rest." I said, moving over closer to him.
"That's the Katie we all know. You love, and that's why you're so strong. If you didn't care you wouldn't have stayed with us so long. Those aliens out there may have hi-tech armor, but you have love. That's your armor, Katie."
"Love is my armor, huh? That's kind of corny, Goku, even for you."
I leaned back against the wall, clearing my head on the cool rock. I started to laugh, I couldn't help it.
"Katie? Are you okay?" Oolong asked.
"I have to admit, it is true. I see that now. I do care. Maybe too much."
"You can't care too much." Goku said.
"Now get some rest already, you'll only get worse if you don't."
"Only if you do, too." Goku said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll rest too." So I moved around so I was comfortable, or at least as comfortable as you can get in a small, dark and cold cave, and eventually fell asleep.
