The dishes had been emptied and refilled several times over, but finally Mr Popo could begin washing up. Vegeta, despite his size, had eaten the lion's share and now stood watching the sky impatiently.
"You know what I miss?" Elizabeth said, sitting up from where she had been lying upon the ground.
"Dancin' by the bay?" Booker hazarded a guess.
"Close enough. I was thinking of that cotton candy they had there." she said dreamily.
"Heh. You had the strangest damn smile when you first tried it; sittin' on the bench and nibblin' at it like you were afraid it was gonna bite back." They sat in silence for a while longer, until Vegeta gave a grunt, half-exasperation and half-satisfaction.
"What took you so long?" he demanded as Goku swept in for a landing.
"Well first there was an evil wizard who wanted to resurrect a monster his father made. And then the monster lost some weight and became really tall and even meaner...!" Goku said, with a wink at Elizabeth.
"Enough clowning around, Kakarot! In case you hadn't noticed, we're on a tight schedule here! You're only allowed back on Earth for a day, and half the day is already gone!" Vegeta shouted.
"Hey, don't worry. Baba didn't say what KIND of day it was. It could be twenty-four hours from when I got here, or it could be until midnight!" Goku said. He began setting a group of small orange balls on the ground, wrapped in his waistband to prevent them from rolling away. "But I intend to put every minute of it to good use. Starting now!" He raised his arms to the sky. "Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth: Shenron!"
The sky darkened. The hair on Booker's arms stood on end as the balls began to glow brighter and brighter, until, with a loud bang and a faraway roar, they began to shoot energy upward. He took a step back, shielding his eyes from the glow. When it finally abated somewhat, he lowered his hand and saw an enormous dragon towering above the Lookout. Aliens and dragons. Why the hell not? This world's getting crazier by the minute.
"It has been a long time, Goku. I regret that I cannot now bring you back to life." the dragon boomed.
"Thanks Shenron, but I'm still okay being dead. With Gohan and the others here, the Earth's in good hands! Actually, this wish is for some friends of mine." Goku turned to Elizabeth. "He's all yours! Just remember: the dragon won't kill people. And I'm pretty sure he can't go into another dimension and remove that city of yours, if that's what you were thinking."
Elizabeth took a hesitant step forward. "When you ask a girl for anything she wants, her mind just goes blank." She looked at Booker. "What do you think?"
"Beats me. How 'bout something you always wanted, ever since you were a kid?"
She frowned thoughtfully. "Everything I wished for back then has come true. I'm out of the tower, I've got a family. Haven't been to Paris though, but I think we can manage that on our own."
"I grow impatient; state your wish." the dragon growled. Elizabeth gazed up at the creature before she let out a small "Oh!" of realization. "I always wondered what it was like being Songbird. Soaring through the air, with naught a care in the world except me and my flights of fancy." She stepped forward again, and raised her voice. "Shenron, this might sound a little strange, but...I'd like to ride you." Everyone gasped at that, except Vegeta and Booker, the former because he simply didn't care, and the latter because he cared too much. "I am an Eternal Dragon, not a common mule." Shenron grumbled. "However, such a wish would be well within my power to grant." He paused for a while in thought. "Very well." He snaked down through the air until he was only a foot away from Elizabeth. "Climb upon my neck."
Even from a distance, Booker could hear Krillin mutter, "Isn't he all neck?" Elizabeth gripped the dragon's side and tried her best to pull herself up onto him. Booker rushed forward and boosted her up. "Up you go. Watch you don't cut yourself on that hide of his."
She beamed at him. "What do you think, Booker? Fancy a trip through the sky on the back of an ancient magical dragon?"
"Long as he doesn't try and buck me off, I'm game." He looked at Shenron for confirmation.
"If that is your second wish, then it shall be so." Elizabeth leaned down and offered her hand to Booker, who gripped it and, finding a foothold in the dragon's scales, clambered up in front of her. "Hold on tight, I think he's takin' offffff!" He was right; Shenron shot up into the sky, which returned to the beautiful blue of before. "Whoaaaaa!" Elizabeth yelped, with one arm wrapped tightly around Booker's waist, using the other to wave goodbye to the group on the Lookout. They came to a halt before a towering bushel of a cloud. "Where do you wish to go?" the dragon rumbled, sending shivers down his passengers' spines. "I... I think... Just around the Earth once, nice and low so we can watch the world go by." Elizabeth replied, panting for breath.
"As you say." Shenron intoned. With a roar that was as much for Booker and Elizabeth's benefit as his own, he dove headlong into the cloud and they were off.
