Yes! Finally getting into a deviation from the main cannon! So, let's see how this goes.
It didn't take too much longer before the airship touched down just in front of the Son house. Bulma popped open the door and Rinka began to climb out. However, she hesitated when she realized that no one was making a move to get out with her. Okay, so, maybe she was feeling just a little anxious about breaking the bad news to her mom, especially if she had to do it all by herself!
"Aren't you gonna come with me?" she asked, specifically looking at Krillin.
"Hey, you said you could handle this," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but –" she cast a glance towards the house. "Won't it look kinda bad? Me showing up back home all by myself?" she reasoned, but he still didn't seem convinced. Rinka's face contorted into a scowl. "You could at least walk me to the door," she suggested moodily.
Krillin's shoulders sagged in a display of defeat. "Fine, I'll walk you to your door," he consented.
He followed her out of the ship and walked along beside her. Rinka subconsciously reached up and grabbed his hand. He flinched at the touch and looked down at her in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that! She didn't return his gaze, just stared straight ahead with a stern expression. She seemed nervous.
Huh, maybe she isn't quite as tough as she makes herself out to be, he thought. Well, he admitted that made him feel a little bit better. She had made them all feel like wimps before! But he also felt a small twinge of guilt, it didn't really seem right to be putting all of this on her. He was glad he at least agreed to come with her. He returned her grip with a reassuring squeeze.
Once they were at the door, Rinka let out a long sigh before letting go of Krillin and twisting the knob to enter the house. Meanwhile, Krillin had a thought that it might be a good idea to return to the airship before the hammer dropped. However, a morbid since of curiosity kept him in his place. Not to mention, he didn't want to just completely abandon Rinka if things turned particularly sour.
"Mom? I'm home," Rinka called uncertainly, glancing around the entry way. It took only half a second for her mother to come thundering up to her.
"Rinka?!" she hollered back in confusion, and then switched to a very angry expression when she spotted her. "Rin! There you are! What on earth is going on?!" she asked, wildly glancing around. "Where is your father? Where's my Gohan?!" she demanded.
"They're – not here," Rinka told her dumbly. She was still trying to figure out the best way to go about saying this.
"What do you mean: 'they're not here'?! Did you seriously come all the way back here by yourself?!" she yelled.
"No, the others are outside," Rinka told her.
"What are you saying? What others? You're not making any sense! Why aren't they here? Why would you come back without them?" Chi Chi attempted to push past her daughter to get outside to see what she was talking about, but Rinka held her back and managed to stop her.
"Mom, wait! I can explain, just give me a second," she grunted against the strain.
"Explain what?! How your irresponsible father has kept you both out way longer than he should have hanging out with his friends, and what? Did he send you ahead to try and butter me up so I won't get mad? Well it's too late for that! He's gonna hear it from me whether he likes it or not!" she lectured.
"Now Chi Chi, please try to calm down," the Ox King said, as he came up behind her to see for himself what all the commotion was about. Rinka blinked up at him in surprise. She hadn't realized he was there.
"Stay out of this, dad," she snapped at him, and he fell silent.
"No, mom, it's not like that. It's –" Rinka paused for a moment. "I don't exactly know how to say this, so I guess I'll just say it. Dad's – gone."
Even after everything that had happened, it was still hard to say. Rinka could feel herself tearing up just thinking about it. Her mom must have noticed her going all bleary-eyed, because her posture relaxed a bit and she looked concerned.
"What do you mean, 'he's gone'? What's going on, sweetie, what's wrong?" Chi Chi asked in a kinder tone. Rinka didn't cry very often, but whenever she did, she could usually get a little motherly affection out of the normally tempestuous woman.
"Well, we were hanging out on Master Roshi's island, when this bad man suddenly appeared. . ." Rinka then went on to explain to her mother all of the events that had transpired that afternoon. What they had learned about their father from Raditz, how he had kidnapped her and Gohan, and how Goku had teamed up with Piccolo to try and fight him to get them back. Then about how two more Saiyans were on their way to earth right now.
"Daddy and Piccolo were able to beat him, but mom – dad – he – he didn't make it. And then after that, Piccolo took Gohan with him for special training, so he can prepare for the other bad guys who are coming. So, I'm guessing we probably won't see them for a while, and – that's the whole story," Rinka finally finished.
Chi Chi just stood stone still, staring at her daughter. She didn't speak for a full minute. Until finally, her face broke into a huge smile, but one that didn't seem to have any kind of happiness or humor behind it. It was a similar sensation to right before a kettle begins to boil, and Rinka felt herself subconsciously take a few steps back.
"Oh, Rinka honey. You really shouldn't be making up stories like that. Now please, would you just – tell me where your father is?" she asked with false sweetness, slowly advancing on her.
Rinka continued to back away. "But mom, I'm not making it up! It all really happened! Just ask the others," Rinka protested.
She had backed all the way outside at this point, and glanced behind her to see if she could get some support. Master Roshi and Bulma had exited the airship and were waiting next to it to see what would happen, and Krillin was still standing by the door. So since he was the closest, Chi Chi naturally rounded on him first.
"Krillin?! What is going on?! Where are Goku and Gohan?! What is my daughter rambling on about?!" she demanded, appearing terrifyingly enraged.
Krillin looked extremely uncomfortable and put his hands up as a measure of defense. "Chi Chi! Well, I, Rin, uh – s-she, what she – uh. . ." he was trying to talk, but couldn't quite seem to get the words out.
"Stop babbling and answer me! WHERE ARE THEY!?" she screamed at him.
Krillin flinched hard and began cowering under her wrathful glare. The others looked startled as well, and that's when Master Roshi finally decided to intervene. Cane in hand, he slowly walked up to the fearsome woman, and she turned her piercing gaze onto him.
By this time, Ox King had come out of the house as well. He cast a wide grin in the direction of his old mentor, before getting on his hands and knees and bowing in a sign of respect.
"It's so good to see you, Master Roshi! My finest memories are still of when you taught me as a boy," he told him merrily.
"You were a good pupil," Roshi agreed, but then let out a long, deep sigh. "I'm really sorry to have to tell you both this, but Rinka isn't making up stories. What she is saying is all true. Goku, is gone, and the Earth is in great danger once again," he confessed sadly to them.
They both looked quite shocked at the news, finally understanding the seriousness of the situation.
"AH! You guys seriously let that green monster take my son!?" Chi Chi shrieked.
"So, your saying that Goku really had to – I mean – that's he's really –" Ox King stuttered out.
"Yep, he's uh – dead," Master Roshi just finally admitted.
Chi Chi stood trembling for moment, before eventually turning blue in the face and passing out cold.
"Whoa! Chi Chi!" Ox King exclaimed, kneeling down by her side. He looked up with a sheepish expression. "Uh, get the smelling salts, Krillin," he requested.
"Uh," Krillin glanced unsurely back at the house.
"Oh, never mind, I'll get them," Rinka said with a sigh and headed inside. "Well, it could've gone worse," she mumbled to them as she went.
. . .
It took a little time, but eventually Ox King was able to get Chi Chi revived and calmed down. Well, a bit anyway. She still kind of looked like she was about to hyperventilate. Since her grandfather seemed to be keeping her mother under control, Rinka left her side and moved back over to where the others were gathered.
"Welp, not much more we can do here. It's time we headed back home. There's still a lot of work to be done, and no time like the present to get started," Master Roshi said to them all.
They all headed to Bulma's airship in response, except for Rinka. Krillin stopped and turned to her when he realized she wasn't following.
"You coming, Rin?" he wondered.
"Not just yet. I've got some packing to do if I'm going to be away from home for a year. You guys go ahead, and I'll meet you back at Kame house when I'm ready," she explained, then glanced off towards the horizon to see that the sun was starting to set. "Probably tomorrow," she added.
Krillin glanced behind her towards her still nearly-panicking mother. "You sure you're gonna be okay just you and your mom?" he asked.
Rinka smiled in response. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure grandpa will spend the night tonight, considering. . ." she trailed.
"Okay, well, see you tomorrow then," he finished, getting into the airship with the others and taking off.
Rinka took a couple steps back as the wind from the motors blew her hair around. She waved farewell, and stood watching until they were out of sight. Turning back to the task at hand, she then hurried inside to begin getting her things together.
A few minutes later, a commotion outside her room told her that her mother must have finally recovered and come back inside. She hobbled across the threshold of Rinka's door, looking somber.
"How could you – how could you let this happen to your little brother? You're his big sister, you're supposed to help take care of him," her mother lamented.
"I know that, mom! And I tried, I really did, but I just wasn't strong enough. I didn't have a choice!" Rinka paused for a moment to let that sink in. "But – starting now, that's all gonna change! I'm going to train with Krillin and Master Roshi, so that when the other Saiyans come, and next time something like this happens, I'll actually be able to do something to help!" she declared. Chi Chi seemed to reel at that.
"What?! Rinka, what are you saying?! There is no way I'm letting you go off to train to fight some aliens! It's out of the question!" she lectured.
"Mom, you said it yourself! I wasn't strong enough to protect Gohan like I'm supposed to. So, that's exactly what I plan on doing a year from now. I need to get stronger, so that I can look after Gohan like a good big sister. Just like you always want me to," she argued. Her mother's face soften a bit at her logic.
"Yes, but – Rinka, it's so dangerous," she reasoned.
"I know that, but I'm my father's daughter, after all," she said, putting a fist up and cupping the other hand around her bicep. "I'm sure I can handle it," she tried to reassure her.
"And what about your studies? You're going to fall behind," she reminded her.
"Don't worry about that. I'll take my books and my laptop. I'll be sure and get some work done too," she promised.
Meanwhile, Ox King came into view behind his daughter, gripping her shoulders in his giant hands.
"Come on, Chi Chi. You should let the girl train. You can tell she really wants to, and I bet you're going to have a hard time stopping her. Martial Arts runs in the family, after all," Ox King reasoned with a big grin.
"Well, I suppose you may have a point, and if she'll be able to help keep my Gohan safe – but I still don't have to like it!" she decided, crossing her arms and turning away in a huff.
"Never mind your mom," her grandpa told her after she'd left. "She just worries about you, but you're gonna do great, training under Master Roshi just like I did! I'm so proud, and I know your daddy will be too," he praised.
"Thanks grandpa. I hope I can live up to your expectations," Rinka said.
"I'm sure you will. We'll make a fighter out of you yet!" he beamed down at her, before scooping her up into a big bear hug.
. . .
The next morning, Rinka woke up bright and early to head out to the island. She said her farewells to her mom and grandfather, and carried a bed roll along with a bag out to the front of the house. She had undergone a change in wardrobe into a more practical outfit. She was now dressed head to toe in black – black strapped on sandals, black cargo pants, and a black cropped shirt with capped sleeves that showed off a section of her mid drift. She didn't actually own a legit Karategi, so this would have to do.
Strapped onto her back was a backpack that contained her study materials among some other things, along with her father's power pole. She figured she may as well take it as not, he wouldn't been needing it anytime soon, after all.
Rinka took a few steps forward and looked up into the sky. "Nimbus!" she called out loud and clear, and in moments, the magical golden cloud appeared before her. She grinned happily when it did. She'd never tried calling the Nimbus herself before, but she had hoped that through some process of inheritance that it would respond to her as it did her father. It seemed she had hoped correctly.
Rinka tossed her belongings onto the back of the cloud before hopping onto the front of it herself. She turned to see her mother and grandfather had come out to see her off.
"Good luck with your training, Rin. I hope you have a good time!" Ox King called to her.
"Thanks grandpa, I'll try," she told him.
"Rinka – please be careful," Chi Chi pleaded one last time.
"I will mom, I promise," Rinka assured her. And with that, she took off into the sky.
"Bye! I'll see you both again in a year!" she shouted to them, before disappearing over the horizon.
It didn't take long before Rinka once again descended on the little island, but this time feeling wiser and considerably more grown up. Master Roshi was lounging outside in a chair next to his house. He had his nose buried in the usual risque material. Rinka tried not to look too closely at it when she hopped down beside him.
"Hello again, Master Roshi," she said with a respectful bow. "Where's Krillin? I figured you two would have already started training," she wondered.
"Ah, Rinka. There you are." He set his magazine down and rose to greet her. "So about that, there's been a slight change in plans. We had a visit from Yajirobe yesterday with a message from Korin. He and all of your father's friends are supposed to be meeting at his tower for special training," he explained.
"Korin tower? Isn't that where Kami lives, the – guardian of Earth guy?" she wondered.
"That's right. Guess he's got something in mind for more than just your father," Roshi told her.
"So, does that mean I'm supposed to go there too?" she asked.
"Hmmm, not really sure. He didn't mention you in his message like the others. . ." he trailed.
"But, Krillin said I could train with him! Could you tell me how to get to the tower?" she requested.
"Well – I don't know, Rin. That's a long journey to make for such a young girl by herself. Besides, I'm not sure it's such a good idea to try and go to the Lookout uninvited," he debated, rubbing at his chin.
Rinka frowned at him. "Please just tell me, Master Roshi. I'm going one way or another, and it'll save me the trouble of having to try and find it myself. Plus, I'm stronger than I look. I'll be fine," she assured him.
"Oh, very well then," He consented, after realizing there was nothing he could do to stop her. He pointed off towards the east. "If you just keep heading in that direction, you'll eventually come across a large, stone pillar that seems to reach into space. That's Korin's tower. The Lookout sits at the very top," he instructed.
"Thanks Master Roshi," Rinka said with a small smile. "Oh, and, before I go." She slung the backpack off her shoulders and opened the top zipper, pulling out two small, orange orbs and handing them to him. "I went ahead and brought these from my house to go with the other one."
"Thank you, Rin. I'll keep them safe until the time comes to wish Goku back," he told her.
She replaced the backpack and leapt back onto the waiting Nimbus. "You're welcome! See you later!" she called and was off once again.
. . .
High atop Korin tower, the other members of the Z warriors have gathered. Eagerly, they await their first martial arts training session with the one and only Kami. They were all taking serious stances in a kind of face-off. Krillin, Yamcha, and Yajirobe on one side, while Tien and Chiaotzu stood on the other.
"I'm glad to see that you two guys were called up. This is great! I'm totally psyched!" Yamcha said, almost giddy with anticipation.
"Me too! It'll be a treat. This training should be excellent," Tien added.
"Um-hmm," Krillin nodded in agreement.
"Nice crib!" Yajirobe called out, ruining the moment. "I'll bet the food's good."
Krillin glared at him. "We're not here for a barbeque, Yajirobe," he lectured.
Suddenly, there was a loud rushing of air to one side of the Lookout, disturbing the peaceful tranquility of the place. All eyes turned to see a flash of gold break through the cloud cover, and zoom over right beside them. They all took a hesitant step back, not knowing what to expect. However, after a moment, they were all able to see that it was a little girl riding a Nimbus cloud. Everyone blinked at her in surprise.
"What the. . .? Who's the kid?" Tien asked, finding his voice first.
Rinka took this opportunity for a dramatic introduction. She leapt off the cloud, did a single flip in the air, and landed gently on the tile below. She then unsheathed the power pole, and stuck it to the ground like she was claiming it as her territory.
"Greetings! I am Rinka! First-born to Son Goku, at your service!" she announced dramatically, and proceeded to give them all a very flourished bow.
Everyone just stared, unsure of how to respond, except for Krillin. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Don't you think that was just a bit over the top, Rin?" he asked.
"Sorry. I've always wanted to do that," she told him with a big grin.
"Oh, so this is one of Goku's kids that you were telling us about?" Yamcha clarified with Krillin. "His daughter, huh? Well, look at you," he squatted down in front of her. "Riding in on a Nimbus cloud with the power pole. I could'a sworn that I was having déjà vu from when we were kids," he chuckled and Rinka smiled at him. "Just like your daddy, huh? You're like his spitting image, ya know, if he were a girl," he added sheepishly.
"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment," she assured him.
"So whatcha doin' here? You come to train with us?" Yamcha asked. His tone was indicative of someone humoring a child. Rinka wasn't real thrilled with him talking down to her like that.
"That is correct," she declared, swinging the power pole around and pointing it at his face. He looked a bit taken aback at the gesture. "My little brother Gohan is already in training with Piccolo, but he left me behind," she muttered the last part. "So, Krillin told me that I could come and train with you instead," she explained in a serious tone.
All eyes then rotated around to peer at Krillin inquisitively. He just chuckled awkwardly, putting a hand behind his head.
"Oh yeah – well – I mean I did tell her that she could try training with me, b–but that was before I knew we were going to be training up here," he stuttered out.
"Well that's just great, Krillin. So now we're gonna be stuck with this runt?" Yajirobe barked irritability.
"Hey! I am not a runt! And I bet I could whoop your ass without even breaking a sweat, fatso!" she shot back at him.
"What did you say?! How dare you talk to me that way! I'm gonna have ta teach you a lesson, you little pipsqueak!" he started to advance on her, but Krillin jumped in front of him before anything could happen.
"Hey, come on. Cool it, Yajirobe! She's just a kid," he tried to reason, putting his arms up and holding him back.
"I don't care! She's gonna pay for that insult," he grunted, trying to push past him.
Meanwhile, Chiaotzu was pulling on Tien's pant-leg, attempting to get his attention. Tien looked down at him.
"Hey Tien, is that girl really going to train with us?" he asked skeptically. "But, she didn't climb the tower like you're supposed to. Isn't that cheating?" he continued, before he had a chance to answer.
"Chiaotzu has a point. She hasn't exactly earned the right to train with Kami," he agreed, then turned to address her directly. "Just because you're Goku's daughter, that doesn't mean you're entitled to special treatment. You need to go back down and climb the tower properly, just like the rest of us. Otherwise, you're not worthy to be up here," Tien lectured harshly, glaring down at the girl.
Rinka met his gaze with a glare of her own. She'd been afraid of this, that they weren't going to take her seriously, either. But she was willing to do whatever it took to earn that respect.
"Alright – fine, I will," she snapped at him. If climbing the tower was how she was going to prove her worth, then that's what she was going to do. She turned away sharply, and set her things down next to a tree that was out of the way.
"I'll be back soon," she assured them all, hopping back onto the now empty Nimbus. With a whoosh, she flew over the side of the Lookout and disappeared into the clouds below.
"Yeah, sure you will," Tien mumbled with a smirk, fully believing that she would never make it back up on her own.
"Hey man, don't you think you were a little hard on her?" Yamcha asked, looking a bit concerned.
"No. I'm sure that'll be nothing compared to how ruthless these Saiyans are going to be. If she's going to be fighting monsters from another planet, then she's gotta prove she can pull her own weight. Otherwise, she's just going to be in the way," he reasoned.
"Yeah, I guess when you put it that way. . ." Yamcha trailed.
Krillin, on the other hand, wasn't convinced. He felt worried about her making that climb all on her own. He really hoped that she would be okay.
Rinka, on the final hand, knew that she would be okay. She knew that she would be able to handle this, no problem. It kinda felt like a waste of time to her, but if this is what it was going to take to make them happy. . .
The bottom of the tower was surrounded by a large forest. Rinka hadn't paid it much mind when she'd flown by the first time, but now she was standing at the base, staring up into the void. It had taken her long enough to fly up by Nimbus. How long would it take to climb? Well, no sense standing around wondering. It was time to get started. She pulled off her black, fingerless gloves in anticipation and tucked them in a back pocket, to give her hands a better grip.
Before she could latch on and begin the climb, a commotion behind her suddenly caught her attention. She flipped around to see a young, native man. He was watching her closely. Once he realized he'd been spotted, he began to approach her.
"Who are you, little girl? And what do you think you're doing here?" he asked cautiously.
She cocked her head and considered him for a moment before answering. "My name is Rinka," she told him.
"Rinka, huh?" he glanced at the tower and back at the girl. "You're not – considering climbing Korin tower, are you?" he asked skeptically.
"Well – yeah," she said like it should be obvious. "Why else would anyone come here?" she reasoned.
"Ha! I've spent my entire life training my body and mind in order to accomplish the feat of climbing the tower, and I have never once succeeded. What makes you think a little kid like you can do it?" he scoffed at her. Rinka glowered back at him.
"Now Upa, you should know better than to mock. What have I taught you about how a man should never judge by outward appearances? Remember that Goku himself was only a child when he first climbed the tower," An older, and more stoutly built man said, as he came from around the other side of the massive pillar.
"That's true, and I should know, being his daughter and all," Rinka mentioned slyly.
"What?! Can it be true? You're really the daughter of Goku?" he asked, sounding dumbfounded.
"That's right, and if you're Upa, that means you must be Bora," she said gesturing to them respectfully. "My daddy told me about you."
"Well, then I am honored to meet you. I see you even possess the tail that Goku once had. So, are you here to follow in your father's footsteps and test your strength?" Bora asked her.
Rinka's expression turned serious. "More than just that. There are some very bad men from another planet heading to Earth as we speak. They are going to try to wipe out all life in the world." Rinka watched their faces grow somber as she gazed up into the sky. "My father's friends are already up there, training to hopefully get strong enough to defeat them before they arrive. They told me I needed to climb the tower too before I could join them," she explained.
"Ah yes, we saw your father's friends arrive and begin the climb very recently. They mentioned something about our world being in jeopardy, but didn't tell us more than that," Bora mentioned.
"Really? Aliens from outer space are coming here?" Upa asked, sounding a bit dubious at the idea. "But why?"
"They heard about the Dragonballs," Rinka stated flatly.
That seemed to be enough explanation for them, as comprehension washed over Upa's face. He understood the power of the Dragonballs all too well, after all.
"Then I suppose you have no time to lose. Just be careful, daughter of Goku. The journey up the tower is a treacherous one indeed," Bora warned.
"Thank you, Bora. I will be," she affirmed.
For a final touch, she pulled out a pair of over-the-ear headphones and placed them on her head, turning her music player to a motivational playlist. The Mountain began blasting in her ears and she leapt at the tower, scampering up it like a lizard across the desert sands. If she could keep up this pace, she'd be able to reach the top in no time!
Hours past, Rinka wasn't sure how long, but she was getting tired, and hungry! Not to mention that the air was getting pretty thin, making it difficult to keep her breath. She knew the breakneck pace was probably not the best idea, but she had a goal. Not only did she want to make it to the top, but she wanted to break her father's record in the process. So, on she climbed, determined to prove herself to them all.
Just when she thought she'd have to slow down, before she risked falling off, a large dome structure suddenly came into view. Rinka grinned at the sight, and used her excitement for a final boost of energy to scramble up and onto the visible landing. She flopped down on her back and heaved, taking a minute to catch her breath before climbing the stairs that lead inside. By now the music player's battery had died, so she put the headphones away.
"Hey! Who goes there?" she suddenly heard a voice calling down to her from above. Rinka glanced up to see where it was coming from.
She saw a lone figure leaning out from the railing that ran all the way around the middle of the dome. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a chubby, little cat holding a wooden staff in his furry, white paws. Rinka rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple of times, but that didn't seem to change anything. He was still a cat.
She slowly pushed herself up and trudged up the stairs into what appeared to be a little dwelling. The cat-person padded over to greet her.
"Are you – Master Korin?" she asked curiously.
"That's right, little lady," he confirmed, peering at her with slitted eyes.
"Oh, dad never told me you were a kitty," she mentioned casually, before plopping back down onto her backside. She felt exhausted, her arms and legs like jelly. She didn't think she'd ever exerted herself so much in such a short amount of time before.
"So, you must be Goku's daughter. I heard about you. Congratulations on making it up the tower," he praised.
"Thank you," she told him with a small smile.
"Here, eat this. It'll make you feel better," he handed her a little, green bean. A Senzu, she guessed.
"Are you sure I can have one?" she asked hesitantly. She'd heard about the miraculous healing powers that they had, but also how they were rare and difficult to grow.
"You climbed the tower, didn't you? So you've earned it," he encouraged, pressing it into her hand.
Well, if he insisted. Rinka popped the bean into her mouth. It kinda had a fresh taste to it, like green tea. What was really amazing was what happened as soon as she swallowed. It was like she was instantly revitalized! She hopped up and tested her legs.
"Wow, those things really work! I feel like I could climb the tower a dozen times!" she exclaimed.
"You probably could, but that won't be necessary," he said.
"So, does that mean I'm worthy to go up to Kami's Lookout now?" she asked him hopefully.
"Almost, you're supposed to get the sacred water from me first," he told her, gesturing to an ornate, blue bottle, sitting on a stand in the middle of the room.
"You mean your magical tap water?" she asked, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in her tone.
"Oh, so I see Goku's already gone and spilled the beans," Korin huffed.
"Well, to be fair – I don't think he ever expected the Earth to be threatened by super powered aliens," she pointed out with a shrug.
"Yes, I suppose that's only fair," he agreed. "However, if he told you about the water, then he must have explained that the water itself isn't the point," he added.
"Yeah, okay. He might have, but do we really have to go through all the motions? Time isn't exactly on our side right now," she reminded him.
"Be that as it may, everyone else who's up there right now had to get the water from me before I allowed them assess to the Lookout. It wouldn't be right if you didn't take the same tests that they did, or do you want them to think you're getting special treatment?" he asked her seriously.
"No – heaven forbid anyone thought that!" she lamented.
"Then as soon as you get the water, I'll give you a bell, and you can use that pole on your back to get to the Lookout," he said matter-of-factly.
Rinka glanced behind her at her dad's power pole. It was the only thing she didn't leave at Kami's when she'd agreed to go back to the ground. She thought that it might come in handy.
"Great, so when do we start?" she asked.
"Right now, if you'd like. Didn't you say you were in a hurry?" he reminded her.
"Yeah, but – are you sure you're ready?" she wondered, glancing up at the seemingly unguarded bottle. "Don't you wanna like, grab it or something?" He let out a suspicious chuckle.
"You let me worry about that. You just focus on getting that water," he said.
"Alright, if you're sure. . ." Rinka trailed.
It all seemed too easy, which meant that it probably wasn't! She could just lunge for the bottle and hope that she was faster than Korin, but something told her that's exactly what he wanted her to do. Which meant that it would be a bad idea. She wasn't about to fall for such an obvious trick! So, time for a little bait and switch, since he never actually specified on what strategy she could use to get the water.
Moving as quickly and subtly as she could, Rinka pulled out a small, purple orb from out of her pocket. Before Korin could react, she had slammed it against the floor, causing a thick, violet cloud to suddenly envelop the surrounding area. However, this wasn't just any old, regular smoke, as Korin quickly discovered. As soon as he took just one breath, his eyes began stinging and his throat began burning.
He made an attempt to get between the girl and the bottle, trying to sense out where she was in the noxious fumes. But as the burning sensation intensified, he quickly realized that he wasn't going to be able to sense her. He wasn't going to be able to concentrate on anything while stumbling around with everything feeling like it was on fire! In that moment, it's like his whole life had devolved down into two words: fresh air!
Korin refocused his efforts, and used his energy to whip up a wind and push the horrendous gas out of his tower and into the sky beyond, where it was able to dissipate harmlessly into the atmosphere. He began coughing and gasping in relief at the now toxin-free air. He hurriedly glanced around, only to see that it was already too late.
Rinka sat at the base of the pedestal, bottle in hand. She blew out a long breath that she'd clearly been holding to avoid breathing her own bomb. Then to add insult to injury, she uncorked the bottle and took a swig of the water with a cocky smirk.
"That wasn't very sporting," he choked out, still recovering from the amount of gas he'd inhaled. "Didn't think you'd resort to using such a cheap, dirty trick as a pepper bomb," he wheezed out moodily.
"You never said I couldn't, and why do you automatically call it 'cheap' and 'dirty'? It worked, didn't it?" she reasoned.
"But you missed the point of the training," he pointed out.
"I thought the point was to get the bottle. Why does it matter how I did it, as long as I accomplished the task? Brute force doesn't solve everything, you know. There's more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak," she argued.
"Hmmm, while I don't appreciate your way of putting it, I can't deny your logic. Never let it be said that I'm not a cat of my word," he told her, handing her a little, gold sphere. "Here's your bell. Good luck training up there with the others. Kami and Mr. Po Po are no pushovers, remember that," he warned.
Rinka nodded her understanding. "Thank you, Master Korin. I'm grateful for the opportunity," she told him sincerely, bowing her head slightly in respect.
"Just go," he insisted waving her off.
Rinka scurried up to the very top of the dome that was the roof of Korin's home. Sure enough, there was a hole carved into the stone that appeared to be just the right size to hold the power pole. Rinka quickly unsheathed the pole, slipped it into the opening, and took a tight grip around it.
"Power pole, extend!" she ordered, and began to slowly rise even higher into the stratosphere above.
Slowly climbing by pole was a lot different than riding the Nimbus up. She remembered sailing through these brackish-looking clouds without so much as a sideways glance. But now, she felt nervous sitting in the middle of them. Veins of light were flashing all around her. The thunder it was making almost deafening in her ears. She gripped the pole tighter, hoping this was mostly just for show, a way to intimidate those making the journey to Kami's Lookout. She wasn't real thrilled with the idea of getting struck by lightning.
When the pole reached the Lookout, it seemed to automatically move into the matching hole at the base, and then stop. Rinka glanced up and saw that there was a ladder leading up to the surface. She abandoned the pole and began shimming up the ladder. She'd probably still get lectured if she just tried to fly the rest of the way!
She poked her head up over the edge to find the guys busy sparring with each other. In the distance, she saw Kami watching, and she guessed the dark figure next to him must be Mr. Po Po. Rinka climbed the rest of the way up onto the platform and strolled over to the group like she owned the place. They all stopped and stared when they saw her.
Before anyone had a chance to speak, Rinka chucked the bell straight at Tien with an underhanded toss. He reflexively snatched it out of the air and glanced down at it with surprise.
"So, what did I miss?" she asked cheekily with a big grin.
