Questline: The Power of One
Chapter 7.
The Sleep We Need
It was in the middle of the night when I wake up to feeling a sinister presence. As I open my eyes, I see Caulifla jump over me in my bed as she tries to strike me with a punch but I quickly tilt my head and dodge it and roll to the side and out of the bed landing on all fours.
She looks over to me and says, "Your sense of awareness and speed have improved conciderably. But can you handle two saiyans?"
After she finishes speaking, I notice Cabba behind me. He lunges in and throws a strike but I dodge it and grab his arm, pulling him into me as I throw a knee to his stomach. Then I pull my knee back and roundhouse kick him to the wall. I turn back to Caulifla and as I do, she then lunges at me and strikes with a flurry of strikes and punches with me dodging and blocking each blow she throws.
When she stops, I look to her and say, "Lets take this outside before we destroy your house."
She then says, "Nah, I can see you have really have improved a lot but we can't let any of the other saiyans know of your power, remember?"
"Hey Cabba, how about you head out to the canyon with me to... oh..." I say as I look over to Cabba to see him laying up against the wall unconscious.
"Well theres your proof your getting significantly stronger Aleks. You Put Cabba to sleep already." Caulifla laughs and says.
"What do you say we get back to sleep ourselves?" Caulifla asks.
"Sure, just give me one second." I tell Caulifla as I pick Cabba up and place him in my bed.
"Where are you going to sleep then? Your not getting my bed if thats what your thinking." Caulifla explains.
"That's fine. I'm not a bed stealing kind of person. I'll head to the living room and sleep on the couch." I explain.
"Tch, your too nice for your own good. Opponents in battle will use that against you the first chance they get." She says.
Later the next morning I wake up to Kasa poking me. She seems to have a curious look on her face as she looks at me but says nothing.
I was about to get up to see what she wanted but I noticed that I felt heavier than usual. So I picked my head up to look across the couch only to see some girl laying ontop of me.
I look back to Kasa and whisper to her, "What the hell?"
She can't help but quietly laugh a little as she watches me try to squirm my way out of the clutches of this mystery girl without waking her up.
After I somehow successfully get away, I walk up to Kasa and ask her, "Who the hell is the mystery girl who thought I looked like a damn teddy bear?"
Kasa pulls me outside and starts busting up laughing. I just stand there waiting for her to settle down so she can enlighten me and when she does finally start to calm daown, she says, "That mystery girl is Kale. She must have came by last night and was so tired she didn't even notice you and passed out instantly."
"Normally shes very timid and shy but your lucky I woke you up when I did." Kasa says.
"If there are any gods or goddesses out there listening, then please don't let this Kale be the next Holo. Please! I'm beggeing you! Don't let it be so!" I plead.
"Who is Holo?" Kasa asks.
"A girl who wouldn't sleep in her own damn bed. I kept waking up to find her next to me." I said.
"That sounds so adorable!" Kasa says.
"I'll tell you exactly what I told the last person who said that. It may be adorable to you but your not the one waking up with a fist in your face." I said.
"Don't you get that anyways with Caulifla?" Kasa asked.
"Yes but with Caulifla, it's expected." I told her.
"Anyways, I think we should head back inside. I need caffine. It's a god given miracle you guys have coffee on this planet." I state.
As we walk back inside we see Caulifla and Kale both awake. Caulifla seems to be showing Kale something but I don't really pay much attention as I head to the kitchen to pour me a cup of coffee.
After I take a sip, I turn around and Kale is right behind me looking me in the eyes. I stand there and look at her but then she says, " I'm so sorry for just falling asleep right ontop of you last night but both beds were taken and I had no other place I could look to. I'm sorry, please forgive me."
I hold out my fist out to her and say, " Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing if I were you. But next time just wake me up and I'll make room on one end for you."
She looks at me puzzled and says, "Oh, uh, okay, are you sure your okay with that?"
"Waking me up is better than me struggling to get off the couch without waking you up in the mornings." I said.
She smiles and puts her fist softly to mine as she says, " Okay. Your very nice."
I smile back and then begin walking over to Caulifla and say, "You never told me about this Kale girl. She gave me quite a startle this morning."
Caulifla looks to me and laughs and says, "Well it sure was funny as hell to see this morning. I woke up earlier and when I walked out and saw both your faces touching as she layed there. I had to try hard not to laugh."
"If you do decide to take a saiyan girl as a girlfriend, I would approve if you chose her. As funny as it was to see you two this morning, it was still kind of cute. You know I mean it if I the word cute. I hate that word." Caulifla said.
"You thought what?" Kale asks with an emberrassed look on her face.
"Oh relax Kale. Aleks is one of those, I'm to serious and busy for girls, kind of guy. He won't act on it. I bet you one take out lunch he won't." Caulifla says.
"Stop trying to pressure Aleks Caulifla. He might still have that girl waiting for him in that other world. He still misses her." Kasa says.
"Everyone please, quit talking like I'm not here." I ask.
"Aleks would definitely date you if that girl was out of the picture. Have no fear Kale. Besides, you heard Aleks Kasa. She might have already left him when she woke up and he wasn't there." Caulifla said.
"That does it. I'm going to go seek company from the only reasonable, unconscious person here." I said as I got up and started walking to my room were Cabba was sleeping.
Later that day, Caulifla and I went out for more training and Kasa went with Kale over to Sakata's place to help him with a few errands. Cabba woke up before Caulifla and I left, saying he had something he needed to do today.
Out in the canyon, Caulifla and I sat for some rest. I heard Caulifla ask me, "Hey Aleks, why are you holding onto hope for this girl if your so certain she isn't going to be there when you get back?"
"Because hope has been the only thing driving me to move forward in this Quest. Without her. I'm not sure if I'll have the strength or willpower to continue on without her." I told her.
"Well if that happens. I'll hunt her down and hurt her good for hurting you." Caulifla says as she swings her fists.
"Having you is like having a little sister Caulifla. Thank you. You always have a place with me." I say as I look to her and smile.
"You to Aleks, I feel like I have a cool new brother with you around. I missed having one around." She said as she smirked.
I softly fist bump her in her face and her smirk turned into a smile.
Again, later that day. We got back to the house and saw Kale and Kasa sitting on the couch. They were passed out. Right behind us was Cabba.
"Aleks, I have great news. I found a way to get you some great training." Cabba said.
Caulifla looks to Cabba and asked, "How Cabba?"
"I signed Aleks up for an up coming tornament." Cabba said.
"YOU DID WHAT?" Caulifla shouts and accidentally wakes up Kale and Kasa.
"Whats with all the shouting?" Kasa asks.
"Cabba, there's only one tornament coming up soon and it's the last one on all of Sadala that we want Aleks in." Caulifla says as she holds herself back from punching Cabba.
"Uhh, why wouldn't we want him in the coming tornament?" Cabba asks.
"Because it's a tornament to set you up with a damn girl Cabba. This tornament is for those who want to get macthed up with their female equivalent in rank according to the number of your victories." Caulifla said.
"Can't I just back out of the tornament?" I asked.
"No you can't. On our world it's concidered a crime to back out of this tornament. But I'm sure Cabba didn't take that into concideration when he signed your damn name." Caulifla said.
"Well that can be fixed you guy's." Kasa said.
"Okay, How?" Caulifla asked.
" Well if you, Kale, and I all join the tornament, then the odds of one of us winning him are greater than if none of us entered." Kasa said.
Kasa, it's risky. but I like the way you think. Now how can I get Kale to win Aleks?" Caulifla asks.
"Caulifla, this isn't about setting Aleks and Kale up. It's about saving Aleks from all the other female participants!" kasa states.
"Besides, knowing you. You'll just loose focus and just shoot for the top rank Caulifla." Kasa says.
"I don't want to win Aleks. So why wouldn't I shoot for the top?" Caulifla says.
"Cabba, I think you, Kale, and I are being ignored here." I told him.
"Don't worry Aleks, I'll do my best to help you." Kale says.
"I'm sorry Aleks. I didn't think this through." Cabba said.
"Don't sweat it Cabba. You were just trying to help me out." I said.
"Well it's getting late in the day. Kale, do you want the bed or the couch? I asked.
"Wait, you would let me have your bed?" She asked.
"Sure, I don't mind. I'm use to sleeping just about anywere to be honest." I told her.
"Well, uhh, I'm not sure which to take. It's your bed." She thinks out loud.
"Kale, you get the bed tonight. No questions." I hoI said as I held my fist out to her and smiled.
She smiled and put her fist to mine as she said, "If you keep treating me this nicely, I just might actually take what Caulifla said seriously and fight to win you."
"What happened to the shy and timid Kale?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe she feels comfortable around you." Cabba said as Kale walks to the bedroom.
"I saw those moves Aleks. Nice going. I'm proud of you." Caulifla says as she walks past me to go to the kitchen.
"That does it. I give up. I'm going to sleep now." I shout across thje living room.
As I head to the couch I notice Kasa sitting in the chair and then I look to the couch. Once I lay down, I start getting lost in thought. I start thinking of Hyrule and all my friends there. I think of where Holo might be. I wonder if little Cecilia has been okay without me being around. I always look to my heart to find princess Zelda. I think about whether or not Link, Gaius, Raven, and Tabatha went to Kardia already.
A few minutes after I close my eyes I open them again. But I'm no longer on the couch. I look around to view my surroundings.
Next thing I know, I feel someone reach around me and grasp me as they hug me. I turn around to see this girl I've never seen before. As I stand there looking at her I here a familiar voice behind me asking, "Aleks? Please tell me that's really you Aleks?"
I turn around again to see both Malon and Kasa Standing right behind me.
"Please tell me you both are real." I ask them.
Malon gasps in excitement as she then says, "I can't believe it's really you! She then runs up to me and grabs me as she begins to hug the life out of me.
"Okay! Malon's real! Malon's real! I say as I struggle for air.
"Oh my goddess have you been all this time?" Malon asks.
Kasa walks up and then says, "He's been with us this whole time. Aleks was found by a friend of ours, asleep under a dead tree. He said that all he remembered was falling asleep and next thing he knew, he woke up in our world."
Malon looks back to me and says, "So you didn't just wake up and leave us behind to do it all yourself. It really did happen again. You really did travel in your sleep."
"Yeah. Let me guess. Holo's gone isn't she?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Aleks." she said as she looked down as if saddened.
"Don't be sorry, Malon. It's not your fault. I thought I would be heartbroken and left empty. But I think it's for the best that she left. I don't want to see her get hurt or killed. Atleast this way I won't be missed if I die." I told Malon.
Malon rests one hand on my shoulder and then proceeds to slap me with the other as she says, "Don't ever let me ever catch you saying such a stupid thing again. We all miss you very much. I'm sure Holo does to. But right now she's hurt because she thinks you don't want her around you."
Kasa then turns me to look to her and says, "Aleks, Malon is right. You have us too. Cabba, Sakata, Kale, Caulifla, and myself. We would all be heartbroken if you died."
"Malon? I need you to understand that I'm trying my best to get back to you guy's and when I see you I will be bringing company. Tell everyone you can, what I said." I demaded.
"You got it buddy. Oh and Aleks? I'm really glad I met you. And just know that everyone here misses you and wants the best for you. Even if it's not Holo at the moment. Just move on and give Holo her space. I'm sure she will realize the truth in her own time. Even too late is never truly too late."
"Wow!" I said.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Malon asked.
"No. Quite the opposite infact. I never, in a million years, thought you would ever say something that would actually make me feel a lot better. Malon, thank you. Really, thank you," I say as a tear of joy falls down my face.
I walk up to Malon and hug her. She wraps her arms around me and it was then that we both knew that this was a our first true friend to friend moment that we just shared.
We let go of each other and then...
My eyes jump open and I jump up and look at my surroundings.
Im back in Cauliflas house and on the couch. I then look over to the chair to see Kasa looking right at me.
"Aleks? Please tell me that was real and I wasn't just dreaming." Kasa says with a worried voice.
"Kasa, that was real. I remember it to." I said
"So that Hyrule place you spoke of was real. I really like your choice in friends there." She said with a smile on her face.
The next morning I woke up and saw Caulifla sitting in the chair and Kasa was leaning up against me asleep.
"So what happened last night to bring you two that close." Caulifla asks as she grins.
"Kasa met one of my friends from Hyrule and we spent all night talking. We must have both past out on the couch." I said.
Caulifla then stops grinning and looks suprised as she says, "You brought Kasa off this planet?"
"Not quite. We were in some dark hall made of some dark mist of fog. Almost like a portral straight from hell or something." I said.
"But it look like that girl I liked did leave. " I told her.
"Aleks, I'm so sorry." Caulifla tried to say, but right as she finished I told her, "Don't worry Caulifla. I was taught something really important last night in that place."
"Whats that?" She asked.
"To move on." I said.
"Yeah, that and a slap was also required." Kasa said as she sat up and stretched.
"Aleks. Do you want to know why people enjoy cuddling with you?" Kasa asked.
"Do I really want to know your answer?" I asked her in return.
"Your very huggable in your sleep and easy to lay next to. That and you give off a really good vibe that would make anyone feel safe and secure." Kasa says.
She then adds to it by saying, "I should take you home with me, Its really soothing and therapeutic."
"Huh, well thats news to me. Well anyways, next time that happens, we might need all of us sleeping together so we can travel through that place to get back to Hyrule." I said.
"I agree with you Aleks." Kasa said.
" I have to sleep with Aleks? That's too weird." Caulifla said.
"I don't know Caulifla. I think you might like the feeling." Kasa said.
"Wait Kasa? Did you and Aleks...You know. Do..." Kale asked as she came walking out of the bed room.
"What? No. No we didn't Kale. Never." Kasa said.
"I think Kale walked out at the wrong moment to have misunderstood it that badly." I said after I finished laughing.
"Kale, it's you turn tonight." I said with every intention of it sounding wrong just to get a few more laughs.
kale's face turned red but the look on her face was an annoyed look.
"Don't worry Kale. I'll take the turn tonight. I want to see what they're talking about for myself anyways
