The Coming Storm
Chapter 11: A Momentous Day
A/N: Now we're cooking with gas!
'Hmph.' Master Roshi tapped his walking stick once into the porch, then turned and went inside Kame House.
Krillin glanced over at Rayne once more- she was glaring back with deadly intent- and then walked past her and up the steps into Kame House. He closed the door behind him.
Chi-Chi and Yamcha approached Rayne, who stood with her hands clenched at her sides, watching the closed door. Hesitantly, Chi-Chi approached Rayne and placed a reassuring hand on her back.
Surprisingly, Rayne seemed to relax, letting out a long exhale as she worked her hands free of her anger. Waves churned and crashed on the shore, sending a thin film of foam to lap at their feet. Rayne turned to Yamcha and Chi-Chi, a gleam of tranquility in her eyes. 'I'm okay.'
'...Are you sure,' Yamcha said skeptically, 'because I'm pretty certain you just tried to kill Krillin.'
'That was my first reaction, I'll admit. It was a bit… hasty. But I understand what this means now. This is an opportunity for me. For all of us. That was our problem before… we had no goal, nothing to motivate us. Everyone and everything was out of reach.'
'Wait,' Chi-Chi interrupted, 'what did you mean by hasty? What goal do we have now?'
With an air of a calm fall breeze, Rayne smiled. 'Krillin is stronger than us. We get stronger than him. Then we kill him.'
The waves continued to crash against the sand. 'Okay…'
0o0o0o0o0
Master Roshi unceremoniously plopped down on his couch, gesturing Krillin to do the same on an adjacent one. He adjusted himself until he was comfortably half-submerged in the cushions. 'I expect this will be a long conversation, Krillin.
Krillin arched an eyebrow. 'How-'
'Let's just say that I had a source that kept me informed in the afterlife about you- including your name- and your party's quest. And, of course, I remember you from the day I died.'
'Alright'. Krillin leaned forward, propping his arms up from his legs. 'I expect you have questions. Please, before we begin, answer mine. Will you train me or not?'
'That depends,' Master Roshi said while removing his shades, taking a moment to rub them with a corner of his shirt, 'on how you answer my questions. The Turtle School doesn't take just anyone who shows up on this island.'
'Fair enough... Ask and I'll answer.'
'Well, for starters, tell me why you left. After I was resurrected you were nowhere to be found. By now I've pieced together why you did this, but I still want to hear it from your own mouth.'
Krillin brought his hands to his head, covering the lower half of his face with interlocking fingers. 'The short answer? I was scared. The long answer is a bit more complicated.' Krillin sighed.
'I hated myself for not killing Kakarot. Tortured myself, really. Here was someone so evil, who caused so much death, who almost killed me, completely helpless before me. He clearly deserved to die. It would have been quick. Painless for someone who was unconscious. Easy. I think that was the problem. Easy. Since I've left my temple, I've done a lot of good things. I've saved people from the rule of autocratic pigs, befriended bandits for the better, and defeated a monster in hand-to-hand combat-hell, I've even broken an innocent tiger-man out of jail. But none of these things were easy. See, the thing is, I don't think good acts should be effortless. If they were, I think the world would be a better place than it is now. Instead, good actions are difficult- they aren't the first or most attractive option that comes to mind. Good actions are hidden away behind all the tempting, selfish actions. They're buried. They're never easy.
'So, in that moment, with the object of all my hatred helpless before me, I chose the difficult option. I let him go. Was it difficult because it was the right thing to do, or because I was afraid of the consequences? I don't know. Either way, if I couldn't be certain that taking another person's life was the right thing to do, then I wouldn't do it. I decided this long before Kakarot was at my mercy.'
'Indecision hurts. I've questioned that decision every day since. And it didn't help that my teammates, people I would have died for, voiced my own doubts out loud. I couldn't take the rejection. I gave them the dragonball, told them what I had done, and turned away from their horrified looks. I didn't have a place by their sides anymore. That much was obvious the moment I walked away from Kakarot. I never shared their confidence in death solving things…
Krillin tailed off. He glanced up and saw Master Roshi's passively gazing back at Krillin. 'You've explained to me why you left,' Master Roshi stated, 'but you haven't explained why you returned. What changed?'
Shaking his head, Krillin leaned back on the couch to stare up at the ceiling. 'I'd love to tell you that I've defeated my mental demons. That'd be a lie, though. My self-doubt hasn't ceased. I still regret what I did.'
'But,' Krillin said, glancing back at Master Roshi, 'I can't wallow in my own self-misery. Not when I've been recently reminded that Kakarot is still killing people. I don't think I told anyone, and I don't know what they think happened, but I didn't actually beat Kakarot fairly. I wasn't stronger than him. I might have survived long enough to defeat him, but I didn't outlast him. If I hadn't discovered that grabbing his tail paralyzed him, neither of us would be here. I wasn't stronger than him then. I…' Krillin closed his eyes, letting out a breath. '... And I couldn't beat him now. I couldn't stop him if I needed to. And it's obvious now that something needs to be done. You agree, don't you?'
'Krillin,' Master Roshi answered, 'finish what you were saying. Because you can't stop Kakarot now, you want what?'
'I want to train with you. To grow stronger. To surpass Kakarot, and be able to do something.'
'You mean to kill him?'
Krillin paused. 'I don't know.'
Master Roshi let those words hang in the air, before rising a bit from the couch to sit at an even level with Krillin. 'Let me say this first, Krillin. The fact that you struggle to end a life is a blessing, not a curse. There are some with power who always choose to kill- like Kakarot- and as a result they close many paths off to themselves. Sparing someone is a recognition that we are fallible, that we sometimes don't know what to do when given the overwhelming power of judge, jury, and executioner.
Master Roshi rose. 'But that's a conversation for another time. There's another, more relevant question to answer.' He allowed the slightest smile to cross his face. 'I will train you, Krillin.'
'Even though-'
'To be a student of the Turtle School you must be willing to confront evil wherever it threatens innocent people. In you, and in Yamcha, Chi-Chi, and Rayne, I've seen that desire. I would be proud to call you all students.'
For the second time that day, Krillin bent down on one knee, as awkwardly as he could among all the furniture in the one-room floor of Kame House. 'Thank you, Master Roshi.'
'Get up, my boy. Time to announce to everyone the news- uh, but first, could you do me a favor?' A mischievous grin crept onto Master Roshi's face. 'There are some turtle shells in a closet in the corner,' he said, pointing. 'Be a dear and pull them out onto the porch.'
'Turtle shells? Will they be heavy?'
'Oh, nothing you can't handle, I'm sure.'
0o0o0o0o0
This was agony.
Yamcha had lived in the desert. He had trained under the beating sun, driving himself to near exhaustion and clinical levels of dehydration to adapt to the harsh environment.
And he was being defeated by a turtle shell.
He, Krillin, Rayne, and Chi-Chi stood in a line on the beach, every person straining to stand upright. Master Roshi himself had donned a turtle shell, unfazed by the weight, and had asked each person to stand as long as possible. That had been an hour ago.
This thing must weigh at least as much as myself! If not more! I'm not going to be able to feel my shoulders after this! Yamcha spared a glance down the line- everyone was pretty much in the same position as himself. Chi-Chi looked ready to faint. Krillin, for all his swagger earlier, was sweating like a madman from the effort. And Rayne… it looked like she was putting what she said earlier into practice. Her face was a mixture of anger, concentration, and sheer will, which seemed to be the only things keeping herself upright.
This is insanity…
Master Roshi's face, with his eyes hidden by his shades, was blank. 'Everyone, I'll be honest. I had planned to take an afternoon nap right about now after the four of you had tapped out. But, everyone is still standing. So I'll give credit where credit is due- you're all stronger than you look. I still, however, want to take my nap.' Master Roshi approached Chi-Chi, and with the gentlest touch, tapped Chi-Chi in the chest with his stick. She fell over backward like a felled tree.
There was no escape. In a matter of seconds, Master Roshi had toppled everyone. Above everyone's panting a quiet chuckle rolled over them, as Master Roshi walked away towards Kame House.
Exhausted, everyone lengthily unclasped themselves from the shells on their backs, rubbing their shoulders as they stood. Krillin, however, was still on the ground. 'That's it? You're all giving up so easily?' Krillin asked testily.
'Oh please,' Chi-Chi scoffed, 'show us how it's done.'
Krillin screwed his face, as he attempted to surge forward into a sitting position. His face burned red; eventually, he released himself backward with a groan. 'Not today… then. But... tomorrow…'
Chi-Chi shook her head and walked away. After a moment, Rayne followed her.
Yamcha crouched down to Krillin. 'Hey man, just so you know,' he said as he helped unclasp Krillin from the turtle shell, 'it's good to have you back.'
Krillin gave a weak smile, before squirming loose and grasping Yamcha's outstretched hand. 'Nice to know I'm not totally hated here.' Krillin stretched his shoulder muscles as he stood. 'That means a lot Yamcha. Thank you.'
'Look- I know it looks bad now. Chi-Chi and Rayne probably won't be on speaking terms with you for a few months. Hell, I'm still not on speaking terms with them… but maybe you could start with an apology? Clear the air as soon as possible. Try to start over.'
'How can I apologize for sparing Kakarot when I'm not even sure it was the wrong- or even the right- decision?'
'That's not the point Krillin. You just need to apologize for how you affected them. They had a stake in how Kakarot was dealt with. You robbed them of their say.'
'Huh. That's actually really… smart, Yamcha. And you? Do you feel the same?'
'You know me. I'm not the bloodthirsty type… but I think on that day, with my arm as it was, I would have damn tried. I'm going to be honest Krillin- I have no idea whether you did the right thing letting Kakarot go. He's probably killed more people. But I can't hold you accountable for that. Not when I'm not sure that I would have done something different in your shoes. We have to live with the choices we make.'
'You're telling me…'
0o0o0o0
'I think we need to present our case to Master Roshi. Krillin is a disgrace to the Turtle School. He's a coward! He deserves to be thrown out!'
'What's with the change of heart? I thought you felt the Turtle Hermit was full of crap.'
Rayne was pacing back and forth in the living room, while Chi-Chi sat lazily on the corner of a couch. 'The last thing we need here is more charlatans. Don't you think it's going to be harder to train, to get anything we want to get done done, with such a distraction here! The very person who put us in this situation! I feel like I'm losing my mind!'
'What happened to your cold-hearted calm from yesterday?'
'I'm allowed to vent! I'm allowed to-'
A knock on the door interrupted Rayne. The door opened a crack and Krillin's head hesitantly poked through. 'Uh… don't want to interrupt or anything… but I just wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything. I'm sorry for what I did to you two. That's it. Uhh… bye.' Krillin quickly withdrew his head and closed the door.
Rayne's face was a mixture of rage and bewilderment. 'Well,' Chi-Chi finally said, 'maybe he's not a total ass.'
0o0o0o0
It wasn't until noon did Kakarot realized he was being tracked. Not tracked in the traditional sense, that is, but tracked regardless. The sky above him was lousy with all types of planes and helicopters- not only that, but they were flying low as if looking for someone.
And then there was the squad he had come across and killed, of course.
They had been outfitted with heavy armament as far as puny earthling standards go- they had obviously planned to get into a firefight. Unlucky for them. Kakarot didn't fight by their rules. Strange though- if they're tracking me shouldn't they know guns won't work on me? Nothing will work short of a dirty trick.
Oh, but I stopped that, didn't I? Oh yes, if a weakness existed I had to remove it, purge it, eliminate it! Kakarot's hands crept to grip the stub of his tail, feeling twinges of paralysis flash through his body. He made it a weakness. He forced my hand! I had to remove it- no weakness-no weak-
Kakarot found himself in a forest grove. What? How did...
A helicopter was steadily descending to land on the other end. I'm in control… breathe… Kakarot clenched his teeth, forcing out of his mind visceral imagery of blood and gore, memories of anger, weakness, hatred, so much hatred… for myself? I don't under-
'-So you die here, now. Do you have anything to say?'
Kakarot blinked. He was facing a tall man, who wore army pants and a long, unbuttoned jacket, but no shirt underneath. 'I… what?'
'You're dead.'
The man bounded forwards, aiming a chop at Kakarot's head. Kakarot easily dodged out of the way but didn't see the man side-step at the last second, following Kakarot and forcing him to block the strike. Kakarot sank to the ground, trying to kick the man in his chest, but the man grabbed his legs before they made contact. Then the man heaved and flipped Kakarot over his head, smashing him down into the ground. Kakarot kicked the man's hands off and rolled away, taking a moment to catch his breath. What? Catching my breath? Since when?
The man straightened, turning to Kakarot. 'I can see how you dispatched my men so easily. You're clearly above their level. Unfortunately,' he said while tensing, 'you're below the level of Colonel Silver!'
Kakarot stood, bracing himself for his counterattack. Once this fool overextends, I'll trap him, and then-
He hacked blood, his vision flipped, as he realized that he was being held upside down by his leg. He willed his head to look up- oh god my head, my face, oh god everything hurts- and saw Colonel Silver menacing over him, his hand flattened into a point.
'You put up a good fight, but I'll be honest. I'm a little disappointed. Here I thought this would be an actual challenge. He drew his hand back.
No no NO! Need to do something-Kakarot spread out his arms- NOW!- and flung them towards Colonel Silver, expelling a flurry of unfocused ki towards him. The space between them filled with light, heat, and pain, as Colonel Silver yelled and dropped Kakarot. Taking his chance, Kakarot used what little energy he had left to speed into the forest, keeping low to the ground. Eventually, he came across a hollowed base of a tree stump and collapsed into it from exertion. Feebly, he brought his hand to his forehead and rubbed. His hand came back bloody.
What… happened?
0o0o0o0
The next day Master Roshi was nowhere to be found. A little piece of paper was taped to the interior side of the door to Kame House; 'GONE FISHING, WILL BE BACK AROUND NOON'.
'Well,' Chi-Chi said as one of four heads cramming to see the note, 'I assume he wanted us to continue what we were doing yesterday… might as well get to it.'
It took some time for everyone to suit up, but soon enough everyone was standing on the beach, groaning under the weight of the turtle shells. 'Not to complain or anything-,' Yamcha wheezed while sucking in air, 'but does this feel harder than it was yesterday?'
'We're probably more exhausted than we think. We did push ourselves yesterday. But, as long as we're not doing anything else than this,' Chi-Chi said while bumping her fist against her turtle shell, making a hollow dmph, 'I think we'll be fine.'
For the duration of their conversation, Rayne had been standing next to the sea. 'Guys? I think Master Roshi is coming back.'
The other three painstakingly waddled over to the shoreline to get a better look. There was the tiniest blip on the horizon that seemed to be coming towards them. It took a few seconds for them to realize it was moving far too fast for a standard wooden rowboat. Additionally, alongside the first blip two other ones were also rapidly approaching the island.
'Yea,' Krillin spoke, 'that's not Roshi. Everyone out of our shells, quick!'
There was a frantic fumbling with the complicated harnesses of their shells, but they were too securely fastened. 'Crap!' Yamcha yelled, 'we can't take these shells off while standing! The weight makes it impossible! We need to plop down on our backs like yesterday!'
'If we do that we'll be sitting ducks!' Chi-Chi said, 'and we don't have that much time!' A mechanical whirr was steadily growing louder. 'We're already tired and unless we get the shells off while we're on the ground quickly, we'll be stuck! Don't try to-'
Chi-Chi turned and saw that Rayne was on the ground, strangling her harness in an effort to work herself free.
'Okay, new plan! Krillin, Yamcha, we defend Rayne until she can get up off the ground. Spread out around her!
They nodded. 'You're certain that we're going to be attacked?' Krillin asked.
'Take a look for yourself.'
The three patrol boats made contact with the beach, skidding up and coming to a stop on the sand. A Red Ribbon Army flag billowed out from each boat.
What a pain…
Out of the middle, and presumably lead boat, climbed out two people, who stood in front of the disembarking Red Ribbon detachment. One of them was dressed in beige army fatigues, a whip in one hand and a bulging body showcasing his original enlistment as an officer, not a soldier. The other person was a tiger-man, hugely built, a permanent snarl glued to his face. He was holding a PDA and was hurriedly glancing between it and the four Turtle students. 'That's them,' he said, 'for sure. That's four of the five right there. What a surprise.'
The other officer sneered at them. 'See, Yellow, this is what you get for having initiative. Once we haul these four back, dead or alive, we'll be back on the officer track before you know it.' He unfurled a whip from his right hand and tightened his grip on the handle. 'I think you agree that confrontation is more suited to our capabilities.
The tiger-man hooted in agreement. 'Boys, open fire!'
Oh crap.
Reflexively, Krillin, Yamcha, and Chi-Chi turned around and dropped to their knees, forming a makeshift turtle shell shield wall. Amazingly, their shells held, and the bullets starting madly ricocheting off and back towards the Red Ribbon soldiers. Bodies hit the sand before Captains Dark and Yellow succeeding in stopping the gunfire.
'Krillin,' Chi-Chi said as the din of gunfire died down, 'did you know that would happen?'
Krillin was wild-eyed. 'Absolutely not! I just wanted them to try and get closer- that way we won't have to move around as much in these shells.'
'They stopped firing. Which means…'
'Get ready.'
'Soldiers!', Captain Dark shouted, 'hand to hand weapons! Charge!' The still standing Red Ribbon troopers ran at Yamcha, Krillin, and Chi-Chi, who turned to meet them. Even with their shells the three of them were able to keep themselves ahead of the soldiers' clumsy strikes. Yamcha found himself opposite Captain Dark. 'It's obvious that the Red Ribbon Army doesn't teach their soldiers anything about martial arts!' he taunted.
'Shut your mouth!' Captain Dark drew back his arm and flashed out his whip, catching Yamcha on his abdomen and stitching a horrible burning sensation across his belly. Yamcha staggered back, surprised by the pain of the blow. This guy is a weakling! I must be more exhausted than I thought.' Yamcha barely kept out of range of Captain Dark's whip, slowly being pushed back towards Kame House. Crap, I'm running out of room. Welp, if there's nothing that way… Yamcha shifted his weight forward, to the point of almost toppling, but then forced his legs to run forwards, desperately trying to move fast enough to resist falling over. He barreled through a whip strike and crashed into Captain Dark, sending them both spinning to the ground. Thankfully, Yamcha's impact was blunted by Captain Dark's body. The officer was knocked out cold. Thank Kami that worked. Now to just… uhh- oh.
Yamcha realized he couldn't get back up. The shell. Right. I guess there are worse things to be stuck on top of- that's a short list, though…
While this was happening Krillin was skipping around Captain Yellow. The tiger-man had more talent in martial arts than his soldiers, though that wasn't saying much. He's not quick but those claws could really mess me up- YIKES! Krillin hopped a half-step backward to avoid a slash, but in the process collided shell-to-shell with Chi-Chi. The bump turned out to be too much- both lost their footing and fell to the ground, literal turtles on their backs. Captain Yellow triumphantly lorded over them. 'Just like stupid turtles, hah! Alright, round em-
'Stop!'
Captain Yellow turned to see a giant tortoise in a martial arts pose, staring down the remaining 10-odd Red Ribbon soldiers that were still upright. He broke out into laughter. 'Okay, I think I've seen it all now. You plan to fight us?'
'No,' Turtle looked towards something behind Captain Yellow, 'I plan to distract you.'
'What-' Suddenly a hand chopped down on Captain Yellow's neck, knocking him unconscious and sending him crumbling to the ground. Rayne stood with one hand raised, sizing up the rest of the Red Ribbon Army soldiers. She moved as quick as the wind, winding between sloppy and overreaching attacks to pummel through numerous Red Ribbon Army soldiers. She took a few down before the rest of the troopers' morale broke and they fled, dragging their wounded and unconscious as they went. Rayne kept her guard up as she intently watched them go when a shot rang out- Rayne flinched forwards. Captain Dark had woken up and pulled out his pistol from under Yamcha. He grinned until Yamcha knocked him unconscious again.
'Rayne!'
She didn't fall over. Instead, she straightened, turning to them without a single bullet wound. She crouched down in the sand and picked up a bullet. 'I… thought I was dead,' she murmured. 'How did I survive being shot? How did I survive this?'
'Thank goodness you're alive!' Krillin exclaimed. He paused for a moment. 'We should talk about that, but could you please get us out of these stupid shells first?' he pleaded from the ground next to Chi-Chi. 'I don't think any of us have any energy left… Also, did everyone see a giant turtle just now? That has since disappeared?'
'Yep,' Yamcha and Chi-Chi said in unison.
'You all might have to wait a couple minutes for me to get you out.' Rayne gestured towards the massive man underneath Yamcha. 'I need to throw that man into the ocean first.'
'Are you serious?'
'Half'.
0o0o0o0o0
When Rayne returned to the island- in the end she decided to untie everyone before rowing out an unconscious Captain Dark to the mainland- she noticed a small helicopter was parked next to Kame House. Krillin, Yamcha, and Chi-Chi were standing in a circle, facing someone Rayne couldn't see. More Red Ribbon Army? This could be trouble…
Her fears were unfounded. By the time she finished disembarking and pulling the boat onto the island, she could hear laughter rolling down to the shore. Despite her mood, she smiled.
As Rayne approached their circle, she saw Bulma standing next to the helicopter, pride evident in how she was sweeping her arms around it. '... and this part took me the longest. See how the plate has a thin slit built into it? It's designed to enable airflow through it instead of around it. Took me a while for me to realize that the path of least resistance is no resistance is all.'
'Bulma, this is incredible,' Yamcha said in awe, 'how did you even come up with the idea to build this?'
'Oh, that was the easy part. I spent too long in that Red Ribbon chopper we stole a few months back and couldn't help but notice all the crappy design flaws. It would have been a scientific crime if I didn't rectify them in any way.
'Some things don't change,' Krillin said wistfully. 'It's nice to see you again Bulma.'
'You too, Krillin,' Bulma bumped fists with him.
'Bulma, can I look inside?' Chi-Chi asked excitedly.
'Sure, go ahead!' Bulma tapped a code into the door and it popped open- Chi-Chi eagerly jumped inside.
Rayne walked over. 'Bulma, it's good to see you. Really.' She smiled.
'Rayne!' Bulma practically jumped and drew Rayne into a hug. 'I didn't know you were here.' Bulma said after they had separated.
'Yea, the four of us… well, three of us, have been here awhile… but that's beside the point. You're not just here to gloat and take that thing out for a joyride, are you?
Bulma threw a funny look at Rayne. 'And what if I was?'
'Then that'd be okay.'
Bulma shook her head. 'You're right. I do have something else to show you all.'
From a pouch at her side, she withdrew a tiny capsule. She clicked it and dropped it at her feet. A few seconds later and the characteristic phooom sounded, a puff of smoke revealing a… 'uhh… is that… is that a cell phone? A walkie-talkie?' Krillin asked hesitantly.
'Do you really think I'd come all the way here to deliver mass produced technology? Disgusting! This little wonder was made by yours truly. Though you're on the right track. It's essentially a walkie-talkie… that works everywhere. 10000 feet below water, 10 miles up in the sky… I didn't get the chance to find out but I'm pretty certain this thing could work in space, too. It's a direct link to a series of Capsule Corp satellites orbiting the Earth, which then directly beam any transmission to its sister units.'
'Units? How many are there?' Yamcha asked.
'At the moment, three. One for me, one for you all, and one for Puar and Oolong… when I find them.' A weak smile clung to her face. 'Would any of you happen to know where they are, by the way? I'll admit I spent a lot of stubborn time trying to find them first to no success… don't know why I would try to find shapeshifters first…'
'Actually, yea,' Yamcha said, 'Puar told me that she would be periodically returning to a camp somewhere on the outskirts of East City, for when we'd meet up later on. Just stay in that spot for a while and I'm sure they'll turn up. Do you have a PDA? I can type the coordinates in…'
As Yamcha and Bulma were fiddling with a finicky geolocator app, Rayne turned to Krillin, who had been admiring Bulma's helicopter. 'Krillin, I should mention. Thanks for the help today.'
'It's what… allies do, I guess.'
'Allies. Yea.' Rayne looked as if she was turning the word over and over in her head. Allies. Well, against the Red Ribbon Army, he better be.
'Done. Thanks Yamcha.' She smiled, causing Yamcha to quickly turn his head away to hide his slight blush.
'It was nothing. Is that everything?'
'Fraid so. Keep the walkie talking handy- actually, don't call it a walkie-talkie. Too generic. Call it a… uh… the handheld.'
'Isn't that just another word for cell phone?' Krillin asked, confused.
'It's a single thing! Not generic! So the handheld.'
A line of blank faces stared at Bulma.
'Well fine! Call the stupid thing whatever you want. Just keep it handy.'
Bulma shooed Chi-Chi out of her helicopter, and with a slight scowl on her face powered up her aircraft and flew off. Yamcha was the only one waving.
'Off she goes...' he sighed.
0o0o0o0
Kakarot spent what felt like an eternity hidden. His breath was shallow, quiet, as he intensely listened to the ambiance of the forest around him. Once or twice a soft patter of footsteps had come near, but it always passed in a minute or two. He was being hunted. And he was hiding. Why am I hiding?
There were… two possibilities that Kakarot didn't want to believe could be true. Either that man from before is stronger than me… or something's wrong with me. Seriously wrong.
For the first time in his life, he felt reflective.
I know- I need to kill people. Everyone here. I… I don't know why… but the need is there.
But why does that feel so… foreign? Intrusive? Is that really me who wants to kill? Do I actually care about any of these weaklings? No, I don't think so. Killing them is effortless… boring. But it's different when I meet someone strong… I don't know how to describe it… Maybe I don't want to kill them outright? Is that why I spent so much time with that first man… who took me in and sheltered me?... Because I respected his strength? But why…
Is that what's going on? Am I holding back? Losing concentration, intentionally or unintentionally? Kakarot glanced down to the dried, crusty blood on his hand.
…
Why did I have a tail? And why do I feel so naked without it?
Night was falling. The sounds of the day slowly faded for the cacophony of nocturnal creatures to unveil. Inexplicably, Kakarot felt a need to step out of his hiding spot, momentarily ignoring his pursuers in the surrounding area. He looked towards the starry night sky. A full moon was out, shining brighter than any other star in the sky.
Kakarot felt a… familiar sensation, though he couldn't place it. He suddenly felt energized, the pain from his wounds disappearing. A calm settled on his mind.
The night is my element. Fear the night.
0o0o0o0
The sun was dipping in the sky by the time Master Roshi returned. Conspicuously, his boat contained no fishing rod or fish. He was also shirtless. At this point, the four turtle students knew better than to ask.
'So,' Master Roshi said as he disembarked, 'did you entertain our visitors?'
Chi-Chi cocked her head 'How did you-'
'What kind of master would I be if I didn't have techniques that are vastly beyond my students?'
'But-' Krillin interrupted.
Master Roshi held up his hand to stop them. 'I will teach what you all need to know at the exact moment you need to know. Who's the master here?'
'You are…' they groaned in unison.
'Good. Now listen up! I have some news.' He gestured to the turtle shells piled to their right. 'You're all acquainted with those. From now on you're going to be living in them! They will be on all day, every day, for the foreseeable future. The goal is to make you all forget you're wearing them.'
'Second- you're going to be learning a special technique of the turtle school over the next few months. But before that, we need to make sure you all have a basic grasp of ki. So know that.'
Rayne glanced Chi-Chi, grinning.
'Third- our training is on a deadline. Has anyone ever heard of the World Martial Arts Tournament?'
Everyone gave their own version of an unknowing frown.
'Figures. The youth these days know nothing.' Master Roshi smiled to himself. 'The World Martial Arts Tournament is a competition to see who is, quite literally, the World's Strongest. I am going to accompany you to that tournament in about half a year's time. And I expect you to win! Your actions there will reflect my skills as a teacher, and I can't have my brand suffer!' For emphasis, he excessively swung his walking stick back and forth in their direction.
He paused for a moment. 'Of course, if you lose, that's okay too. I expect that you'll have some tough competition… hehe. Everyone understand?'
A row of heads nodded.
'Good. Now from what I see you all look exhausted, so we'll break for the rest of the day and start fresh tomorrow. Bring your A-game!'
As the group broke Krillin caught Master Roshi before he had entered Kame House. 'Master Roshi,' he said quietly, 'is there- are you really going to say nothing about him? About Kakarot? What are you planning to do?'
Master Roshi glanced back. 'What is there to say?' Without another word, he entered Kame House and closed the door behind him.
Once inside Master Roshi climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom on the top floor. He sat cross-legged on the ground, facing the soon-to-set sun in the west. He closed his eyes and gradually reached out with his ki- sensing his students, then the life of the sea, his circle growing ever larger. Soon enough his ki sense was racing across the land, spreading in every direction. He noted a few familiar flickers. Shen was surrounded by smaller, but still powerful, ki signatures. Shen must be training a new class of crane students. Ironic that they feel around the same age as my own… Master Roshi could also sense Shen's brother, Tao. Not surprised by that either.
He's hard to find… but… there! A dark, malevolent energy flickered at the edge of Roshi's consciousness, but it felt… weak. Is that Kakarot? I remember him being much stronger… what's going on? Concentrating, Master Roshi probed deeper, trying to fully grasp Kakarot's ki. It's not ordered right. It feels tight, almost trapped. Some sort of mental block affecting his life energy? Stranger things have happened. For a second Master Roshi felt the slightest flicker of response from Kakarot. He was somewhat startled and drew back, but whatever he felt subsided as soon as he withdrew. What am I doing? Kakarot has never been taught anything related to ki. Just a coincidence.
Master Roshi took a moment to focus where Kakarot was geographically, and then spread his ki sense out from that spot. Now, this is odd. The carnage, the death around him- it's nothing like what I felt months ago. Nothing like what compelled me to act. It's dropped, considerably.
Why change now?
0o0o0o0o0
Kakarot was running through the forest when suddenly he felt… something. It felt like… his skull was itchy. He stopped, scratching furiously at his head, feeling a waving, prickly sensation wander through it. Changing tactics, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the sensation, but before he could focus on the feeling, it vanished. He then felt something else though- almost like an itch outside of his body. Something itching behind him. Turning, Kakarot opened his eyes. A small, furry creature with an acorn in its mouth was staring at him. The itch was coming from where it sat.
What?
Brawls, ki, and preparations begin for the World Martial Arts Tournament! Big plans and bigger fights on the horizon!
Reviews:
Q: Glad to see a new chapter !
So Krillin is with everyone now...
Tension ahead ?
A: I'm glad too! And right you are.
