Gohan's Moving Castle

Journey to the Wastes

Early Morning…

East City…

After a long, grueling night, day finally came in to relieve the sleeping citizens. The sun broke over the horizon, filling the skies with its orangey glow. As time passed and the sun continued to rise, things began to brighten up more. The sky was blue, the landscapes were green again and the city was restored to its utmost, formal glory. The stacks from the North side factories were continuously pouring their smoke into the air. Despite this, it failed to obstruct the glamorous sights of the whole city. That one picture was perfect.

The loud whistle of the train was heard echoing throughout the entire city. One whistle, one chance to track its location. It wasn't very far, but it was close enough to some places to wake a block's work of people. When the time was felt to be right, everyone began getting up. Those who were had night shifts slept in, seeing no point in getting up at this time. Nevertheless, life began to stir in the once dormant town and already people were walking the streets again. The remains of the parade was being cleared up at this very moment, with the Royal Army called away from the town, leaving two infantry divisions, one armored unit, a battleship, five aircraft and a naval division on guard. At least law enforcement was still active.

Most of the commotion was occurring outside the walls of the Satan mansion, whereas the home of the Satan's was relatively quiet. Buses and cars drove by the mansion with people only chancing a glance through the gates to see if they could spot Hercule. Sadly for them, their luck was cut short as the 'great savior of the world' was in Kingsbury, 600 miles North-West of East City. You must have great eyesight to see that far.

Anyway, with all the people up and walking around on the outside world, one particular, raven haired girl was too worried and too 'stubborn' to get up. Up on the second floor in the room of Mr. Satan's daughter, Ashleigh the maid was doing all she can to get the raven haired girl out of bed. So far, the only response she was able to get out of Videl was a groan of protest and a 'leave me alone.' She was becoming really irritated now.

"Come on Miss Satan, you have school today. By Kami, yesterday you were in a better mood," Ashleigh exclaimed, shaking the girl. Videl pulled the covers more over her while turning away.

"Not now Ashleigh, give me a few more minutes. I'll be up and going soon, just give me some more time," Videl groaned her reply. Ashleigh pulled away and placed her hands on her hips. She glared down at the girl with a annoyed expression. Though she wasn't allowed to curse at Videl, it didn't mean she could complain inwardly.

"Fine then, but I want you up, you hear? Your father will be very upset when he hears you're not going to school. Would you like your breakfast packed for you for the trip?" Ashleigh asked. Videl nodded with a very sleepy moan.

"Sure Ashleigh…whatever…"

With a bow and a silent mutter, Ashleigh turned around and marched out of Videl's bedroom. The door slammed itself shut behind her, several pieces of furniture vibrating from the strength of the slam. When Videl heard the door close, she immediately sat up and leapt out of bed. Throwing the covers aside, the raven haired girl then took a detour over to her mirror and checked her backside. As expected, she saw the furry tail still attached to her and waving out about lazily. It flicked sharply several times, indicating an emotion she wasn't experiencing at the moment. She scowled at its reflection.

"What are you so happy about? At least you don't have to worry about your reputation…"

"What are you talking about, that is you…"

Shrugging it off Videl smiled and swayed her hips from side to side. After just a few hours she was already gaining control over her extra appendage. She began contemplating the other extra changes she had acquired as well; something she found lifted the better side from the worse side.

"This isn't so bad though. Not only do I feel stronger, but I also feel more confident in my own abilities. I think my reflexes have increased ten fold as well. Wow…" she heard the clatter of dishes downstairs but mistook it to be close by in the hall. She crouched low behind her desk table, glancing over at her door. When she finally realized that it was just Ashleigh working on her breakfast she sighed and smiled. "But I can't stay here…I have to get help. Even though I'm feeling much better, this tail will be quite a bother. People will think I'm a freak with this thing, I'll have to leave town for a while and try to figure out how I'm going to get this off of me…"

With that, Videl got herself ready for the journey she had decided to go on right on the spot. Dressing into a new set of her usually clothes and putting on a purple jacket (not only to keep her warm but also to hide her tail), Videl quickly headed downstairs to collect her stuff. Along the way she managed to acquire a cloak from the cupboard in the hall. It was basically a plain, cloth like material that enhanced as a raincoat. As soon as she hung it over her shoulder, she took off for the stairs. Scampering down it she arrived at the kitchen soon enough. Seeing her bag packed with a small box of three Capsules set up beside it that were obviously hers, she dashed over to it and snatched them up. Ashleigh was a little surprised to see Videl down so soon. Videl thanked Ashleigh before taking off out of the kitchen and out of the house.

With the gates locked up behind her, Videl then took a walk…a very long walk. With her gear flung up behind her in her backpack, the raven haired girl headed out toward the edge of town. Crossing roads and walking down the main roads, Videl headed north towards the wastes.

While she was taking a stroll along some far off footpath not too far from a group of crossroads, she overheard a group of civilians talking about the recent news. Her ears opened up a bit, making sure to catch at least a hint of what was going on outside of the city so she knew not where to go. The three workers were looking at the newspapers in short shock and dismay.

"Have you heard here? The Southern Kingdom is saying that their prince is missing!" the first guy said loudly, pointing at the front page. The second worker wearing a bowler cap nodded and poked at the sixth paragraph.

"Yeah, and they're blaming us! This is outrageous. They said that they are dispatching our military forces to the South to set up trenches and other defenses to stop the Southern armies from invading," he stated. The third man clenched his fists, throwing them out to the side.

"This is insane. The Southern army is so big! There is no way we can win!"

"Well, we'd better hope their prince turns up soon," the first guy said again, cutting in. Videl's ears twitched with her brow furrowing. That was all she needed to hear. All she had to do was stay as far away from the Southern cities as possible. And so from there, she continued on trek. Weaving through buildings and the city streets, she was sure to keep out of sight from curious eyes. Hopefully the Witch of the Waste was long gone.

She faced a couple of problems on her way though. But they were nothing too serious or too complicated to bypass. It was just a simple matter of getting through the border guards and asking for a ride out of the city. A local farmer and his son had just finished shopping and restocking for the incoming month, and were just heading back out to their farm. Videl took this as the perfect opportunity for a quick ride out.

"Sure, where're you heading Miss Satan?" the bearded man asked, looking down from his seat up front on the cart. Videl smiled and nodded out toward the mountains.

"Just a little ways further then where you're going," she replied. The farmer smiled and nodded, gesturing to the back of the carts. Piles of hay, baskets and crates had been mounted on the cart. It looked as though there wasn't any room left. Fortunately, Videl's luck continued to drive.

"Alrighty then. There's some room in the back, hop in…"

Well, that was easier then she thought. Anyway, hopping onto the back of his cart, Videl sat back and enjoyed the ride. The horse did the rest of the work and began towing them out of the city and toward the wastes. Videl wasn't concerned about anything else but getting as far away from here as possible. Ever since last night she was confirmed that stories of magic and creatures did exist, but that barely shook her up, now that she was already touched by a curse. If she was to come across anything again, she would handle it herself. After the farmer arrived at his stop, he let Videl off with the girl thanking him in advance.

Throwing the cloak over her shoulders she began her hike up into the mountain like hills surrounding the city. This was just her first few steps into her long, perilous journey. Before she was out of earshot, the farmer called out to her.

"You're crazy doing this Miss Satan, there's nothing but weird and scary stuff out there. The witches and wizards are also something to worry about," the man called, his pitch fork jabbing at the ground. Videl waved over her shoulder while continuing her walk.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind…"

The wife of the farmer had come out to help him unload the supplies. When she heard that Videl Satan was heading out into the wastes, she was deeply surprised. Watching Videl continue on with her trek, the farmer's wife turned to her husband with a puzzled and worried expression. "She's going to the wastes by herself?" The farmer turned to his wife and nodded.

"Yeah, she said she was looking for her younger sister, I don't know." He turned back in the direction Videl was heading off in. "I didn't even know she had a younger sister…"

So there she was, hiking up endless hills and mountains. It was way cooler out here then it was in the city. The air was clearer and thinner too. After about a kilometer or so, Videl began to feel the effects of exhaustion. She panted slightly as she climbed up a really steep hill, this one being the fifth one she had to climb in order to get over.

All throughout her hike she kept on glancing at her wrist watch. It was a surprise how fast time was. It had taken her over two hours to get to the edge of the city and two more as she continued venturing into the wastes. After a while her legs began to get tired and she had a rest on an embedded boulder in the side of a hillside. Getting comfortable the raven haired girl then dug into some late breakfast. Ashleigh had packed her some rice cakes and buns, as well as lunch and a small dinner if she was late. Little did the maid know was that Videl didn't plan on going back any time soon.

Sitting halfway up the hill the girl looked out over the landscapes she had just crossed. The town sat at the base of the wastes, gleaming like a jewel in the sun. The river that cut through East city and through the mountains sparkled brightly, supplying the people with fresh water. Videl was relieved she had brought several bottles with her. As for the landscapes beyond the city and around her, it was beautiful. People may have seen it as a real dangerous place, but so far she didn't find any beasts or animals. Maybe they were just myths after all.

It was so peaceful and quiet up here, with the sounds of the city so distant. The mountains surrounding her were snow caped and high. They reached up into the sky; so high that they cut chunks into the clouds. It was clear blue, with no signs of rains or storms. The mists that usually clouded the wastes had lifted, which was a good thing. At least she didn't have to suffer under intense colds or would have to blindly make her way through one of those thick hazes. She sighed with satisfaction after finishing one of the rice cakes.

"Man…who said hiking wasn't easy. The air is so thin up here it's hard to breathe. I bet it's even worse up at the top of those mountains," Videl whispered to herself. She wrapped her jacket more securely around her. The cloak she had brought along was folded up and shoved into her backpack. She found very little use for it at the moment.

Packing up her food into a handkerchief, the raven haired girl put the rest of her breakfast away. After a sip of her open up drink bottle, Videl rested back and looked around her. There wasn't much around her, just a lot of grass, bushes and rocks. The wastes were practically clear. Glancing to her left, her eyes then suddenly fell upon one of the bushes. She blinked.

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn the bush had moved. Getting up, she quickly took a fighting stance. Something was in there, she didn't know what. The bush shook again, this time for sure. Videl scowled and narrowed her eyes further on the shrubby plant. After several more shakes, the bush suddenly stopped, a thick stick poking out of it. Videl raised an eyebrow and dropped out of her fighting stance, relaxing her muscles.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Videl walked over to the bush. "Hmm…what is that? It can't be an animal…"

Walking up to the bush, the girl took a closer look at the stick. Seeing it twitch slightly, Videl decided to get a better look. Grabbing the stick, she tried to pull it out. The stubborn thing didn't even budge. Failing to get it out with one hand, the girl then grabbed it with two hands and began tugging at it. The stick moved, but it didn't break loose. Videl knew something big was to follow and so she tried a different approach.

"Man, this is one stubborn branch…" she muttered, rubbing her gloved hands together.

Taking a more firm stance, she gripped the stick tightly and began pulling on it as hard as she could. With a growl and a mighty pull of strength, the branch freed itself. What followed startled Videl out of her skin and she leapt back. The branch she had been holding suddenly leapt out of her hands and stood straight up on its own. It appeared to be attached to something and Videl was afraid it was an animal, but as it turned out, it was something completely different. The large branch was actually a pole with a second pole crossing across it near the top, making a lower case t. The two cross over poles also wore pants, a jacket, T-shirt, bowtie, white gloves and a top hat.

When she saw what it was, Videl sighed in relief and placed her hand on her chest. The thing gave her quite a start. She smiled up at it. "Oh…you're just a scarecrow. I thought you were one of those blob men things…" She then suddenly made a startling discovery. Looking it up and down, the girl saw that it was standing up on its own. The only scarecrows she knew that stood up on their own were ones embedded in the ground. This one seemed to have a good sense of balance, as if it were…alive? She looked back up at its face hidden underneath its hat. "How are you standing on your own like that?"

The scarecrow said nothing and just stood there, waving about in the breeze. Its clothes blew wildly, its pebble eyes shining and stitched mouth smiling. It also had a pipe stuck in its mouth, something that you wouldn't find in your everyday scarecrows. When Videl took a second glance at its head, she pulled back, a little disgusted. There was nothing appalling about its facial features or clothes, but Videl saw what made up its head.

"Your head's a turnip, I never liked turnips. In soup, yes, but on there own, no. Of all the vegetables…oh well, at least your not upside-down now," Videl stated with a small smile. She nodded curtly to the scarecrow and turned around, heading back over to her stuff. Putting on her cloak and gathering up her backpack, she flung it over her shoulder. After which she waved over to the scarecrow and so, began her long walk through the mountains again. "So long…"

The scarecrow stared after the girl, as if dazed. Well, what do you expect after being pulled up? He must have been stuck there for a while. Anyway, the field watcher remained stationary where it was, seeing the raven haired girl walk off into the distance and disappear over a cluster of hills. When it saw the girl leave, it tilted its head slightly and started hopping after her. Standing on one pole with no legs, there was little it could do except hop.

Videl shivered and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her in hopes that it would stop the gales of wind rushing into her. She had been walking for another couple of hours now and the sun was beginning to dip into the afternoon. In her travel from the point of her rest stop she had walked up and over three more hills, a majority of them steeper then the last ones. The path she was following was dirt ridden and a bit narrow. It zigzagged up the hillsides, leading deeper and deeper into the wastes. It was a miracle such a thing existed.

After a little while longer, the girl began shivering with the cold and glanced behind her. She groaned in frustration and stopped, seeing that East city was still in sight. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"Man…this is really hard. It's so cold and I can still see the city, I've barely moved," Videl muttered. The winds whipped at her hair, taking her cloak with the flow of the gale. Her backpack continued to hang onto her. After all the clothes she had slipped onto her the cold was still able to penetrate her jacket.

Looking over the hillsides and over the mountains, Videl began making out distinguishable points. She couldn't make anything out of the mountains since they were all relatively the same height and diameter, and the hills seemed to roll on for hours on end. Looking up into the skies, Videl saw to her surprise that a grey cloud formation had drifted in. It was getting really thick, like smoke from factory funnels. Her brow furrowed and eyes narrowed as she looked straight up. Her body swayed with the wind.

"Looks like a storm is brewing… boy, it's going to be even tougher getting over these mountains," Videl said. She looked toward the path ahead of her. She couldn't see anything from where she stood since the hill carried on up for several hundred more meters. On either side she could see mountains and other hills stretching on, but from here, nil. Maybe if she got to the top she could get a better view of things. This was the highest hill she was forced to climb so far.

Videl scowled. "But where do I go from here? Where am I going? Gee, I should have saved this place for last. Oh well Videl, you've gotten this far…can't turn back now." She looked down at her watch. For a brief moment she could have sworn she saw a flake of snow float by, but maybe it was just her imagination. When she looked at her watch, she cursed. "Damn, it's already 3:45…this really isn't easy after all…"

Throwing her arm back down to her side she looked up the path she would have to take. Taking in a deep breath of air she frowned with determination. "Well…no use standing around. I may as well find a place to set up camp…"

She felt her tail quiver underneath her jacket and she looked down. Placing her hand where the tail began, she found that it was in a very uncomfortable position. It was squashed up against her backside and was scratching her badly. Frowning, the girl let out a sigh and lifted her cloak a bit. With albeit relief, she allowed her tail to fall freely and shake itself off from cramps. The raven haired girl couldn't help but smile.

"Who said having a tail isn't easy either…"

A sudden tapping sound caught her attention, distracting her from her previous thoughts. She glanced behind her over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow, ignoring the raging winds and cold. Staring down the path she had taken, Videl saw the familiar form of the sticky, tall and skinny scarecrow hopping up the path and heading towards her. Surprisingly, it was unheeded by the fierce winds blowing across the hills and was showing no sign of tiring out.

Videl was a little worried about having the thing following her and waved at it, only this time to tell it to go away. "Hey, quit following me! There's no need to thank me, you don't owe me a thing," Videl shouted, her voice carrying across the hills. The scarecrow caught it and stopped in its tracks, coming to stand some way down the path. It swayed on the spot, looking up at the girl with that ever peculiar smile. "Listen, I don't mean to be rude but I am in no mood of being followed. I'm sure you've got some kind of spell on you and I have had more then enough of witches and spells. So if you please, don't follow me…"

With that, the girl nodded her head and spun around. As fast as she could, she began her walk again. The quickened pace in her hike didn't seem to make things better for her. Because of the thin air, she became exhausted faster then usual. By the time she got to the top of the hill, she was panting hard. As a result, she nearly collapsed to her knees. Bending over, she caught her breath, her breathing raspy and uncontrolled. The sun was beginning to hide itself behind a mass of clouds and the mountains on the horizon. The sky turned a bright orange and the warmth dropped even more.

The scarecrow that had been following Videl ignored Videl's plight to be left alone and eventually reached her at the top of the hill. He was unexhausted and was still standing tall. It swayed on the spot beside the girl, looking down at her with curiosity. Videl sighed and looked up at the walking stick, seeing it staring at her. She wondered how a cursed thing could still have life in it. Well, she guessed it was reasonable, since everything seemed to be messed up around here.

After finally catching her breath and wiping her brow of any sweat, she stood up straighter and stretched herself out. She smirked up at the scarecrow and spoke. "You don't take no for an answer do you…?" The scarecrow just stood there. Even though Videl received no physical or facial response she knew it must have been listening to her and she just chuckled. "Well, at least you're not that much of a bother. I know that you're not an animal, I also know for a fact that you can't talk either. I'll just call you Turnip-head…how does that sound?"

The scarecrow leapt up and down on the spot, its head bouncing on the stick. Videl laughed. She guessed it rather liked the name.

"Well, at least I know you don't intend to do any harm. Say…since you know this place more then I do, do you think you can run off and find me a place to crash for the night. It's getting really cold out here, and the wastes really aren't the safest places to be," Videl said. She asked it kindly, which means she was meaning well. The scarecrow bounced on the spot a couple of times before turning round and hopping off in the direction it had come. Videl grinned and waved after it. By the time it had disappeared over another hill beyond her sight, the girl turned around and began walking again.

"Heh…that may have been a bit mean, but at least he isn't following me anymore," Videl exclaimed quietly, beginning her long hike again.

The wind seemed to have picked up a bit more. The cold essence of weather wiped at her clothes, tossing the cloak that covered her about. Deciding that it was for the better and that she had her health to be concerned about, she lifted the hood of her purple jacket and pulled it over her head. She added up the coverings by slipping the hood of the cloak she wore over as well, tightening it with the strings. It may have seemed a little bit weird, but at least she was a bit warmer. The wind grew fiercer.

For at least an hour longer she walked on, biting down against the harsh winds. She struggled not only against the hillsides but also against the winds. Her cloak lashed out, being pulled along with the wind. It seemed to weigh her down all the more, holding her back. Looking around, she saw that the hillsides had thinned out a bit. She also took note that the air had thinned out a bit as well. The grass was shorter and grew less around here. Now the place was turning into a wasteland. She presumed it got its name from the barren likeness surrounding the hillsides. The wind may have been cold, but it was also dry. It was an odd combination indeed.

As she continued marching on through the terrain, she became aware of a strange, rumbling noise. Looking up and around at the hills around her, her brow furrowed and face clenched with suspicion. There was nothing around for miles, and she finally lost sight of the city. So what could be making that terrible sound? A gust of wind hit the place she was standing, tearing at her at a wild speed. It didn't move her though, but it clued her in on what could be making that machine like sound. Looking up, the girl sensed quite a large, unseen presence floating high above.

When her eyes drew itself up toward the skies high above, drifting above the clouds was a giant, blimp like machine. It was definitely blimp shaped, but it was armor plated, had fan like wings that beat as fast as humming bird wings and lining its hull were massive 75mm caliber anti-tank guns and 250 land flattening guns. It streamlined like a boat, with outer fins holding it above the ground. Videl's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the gigantic war machine, her thoughts whirling as she captured the image of it.

For some time the ship continued flying on above her, high into the range where aircraft flew. It seemed impossible that such a giant piece of machinery could keep itself airborne like. Videl didn't have time to think about the possibilities though. Within moments, the cloud cover pulled over and blocked all view of it as it flew out of sight, concealing itself.

Videl's mouth quivered. "What the…? A Saxon Mk IV Air-Battleship! What's a massive Northern military dreadnaught class airship doing all the way out here?" The wind picked up again, this time with a more moist touch. It was as cold as opening a freezer or steeping barefoot out on a particular cold morning.

Videl gasped and tucked herself up into her jacket and cloak. The winds that wiped away at her this time were colder and fiercer then ever. To top it off, it was freezing!

"Ugh…why does it get so cold up here? I'm wearing five layers of clothes, yet the wind cuts into me like a knife through butter," Videl growled, expressing her thoughts of the situation. It had been hours now of walking through this hell of a wasteland and she was breaking.

Under the strain of ice cold conditions, Videl walked on. She didn't know what was worse: walking through the snow back in the city during winter or this. Shaking her head, the girl tried to keep her head clear. If she didn't know any better this weather was making her delirious. The sound of the battleship was long gone now, replaced by the haunting breeze of the wild winds of the wastes.

For a few more minutes Videl continued walking, still fighting against the headwinds. This place was definitely unpredictable, holding all sorts of surprises. The conditions were atrocious. She was unable to think for long though about the wastes anymore when she suddenly became aware of a vaguely familiar scent. Looking up, Videl sniffed, her nose twitching with each sniff. The air was warm and carried a certain tone of smoke. That or her nose has definitely sharpened.

"Hmm…it smells like a fire. Maybe there's a cabin nearby…" Videl exclaimed quietly, her tail waving more frequently underneath her cloak and jacket.

Determined to find out what that smell was, as well as being desperate to find shelter, Videl picked up the speed. The wind and cold was all but ignored, disposed of and sent to rot in the back of her mind.

Trekking up one of the small hills donning the wastes, she reached the top. The path seemed to have stretched itself out a bit more, which meant easier walking. As soon as she reached the top, she stopped dead in her tracks. The vibrations in the ground, the sound of gears grinding and the evidence of large machinery at work suddenly became known to her through her sharp ears. Her eyes widened slowly as something massive climbed into view from the other side of the large hill many meters ahead of her.

Videl's mouth opened up like her eyes, her expression completely frozen with shock. The rest of her body wouldn't respond either. Heavy stomping, crunching and earth shaking footsteps accompanied the hissing and whirs of machinery as the walking hulk came into view. Videl's eyes followed the thing upwards as it suddenly towered over her and the rest of the hills surrounding her. The giant machine was covered with balls of armor, chunks of houses and piled together with all sorts of other objects. Her first thought of what it was sort of came in the form or an armor plated monster, but it was way different then that.

Hopping faster then the giant machine, also accompanying it over the hill but keeping ahead of the beast was the familiar scarecrow Videl had helped out before. It hopped toward Videl quickly, bouncing around her before coming to a stop beside her. Videl's eyes tore away from the walking machine and turned to the scarecrow standing not to far from her. She scowled.

"You Turnip head! That's Gohan's castle! That's not what I meant when I asked for a place to stay!" Videl shouted. Turnip-Head took it lightly with no response.

The castle walked on, towering over the pair. It seemed as if it would continue on this pace, but a second later, it suddenly came to a sharp stop. There were echoing clangs and a jerk like clank as the hulking bulk of a castle stopped. The funnels and armored makeup of the gigantic machine's form shuddered and shifted, its momentum continuing but stabilizing as soon as it lost movement. There were loud hisses as gushes of white steam shot out of the spaces dotting the castle. To add to it, the front of the castle which resembled the face of a fish leaned forward and opened up a gaping mouth, a metallic tongue prodding out with its deep throat letting out a discomforting groan. Videl blinked in shock as she and Turnip head looked up at the beast.

"Well, would you look at that, they call this a castle. I call it a monster," Videl said, confining it in Turnip head.

As if the giant castle had just taken a rest, it suddenly began moving again. Clanging and gushing out a bit more steam, the giant machine began its grueling walk again. Its massive, clawed feet pounded the ground with each step, remarkably keeping the heavy castle off the ground. It marched over the shocked pair, both of them passing unknown underneath it. Videl let out a startled yell and stepped away when a chunk of the castle hanging low underneath it came chopping by. Turnip-head followed her, but as soon as the castle marched by, the scarecrow followed it.

Videl was rather surprised by Turnip-head's speed and followed him with wide eyes. When she saw the friendly scarecrow begin bouncing by what looked to be a way in, the raven haired girl blinked and nodded in understanding. The tail like, thick part of the castle that hung behind it (and also nearly knocked Videl and Turnip-head down) was a doorway entrance, similar to a ramp but designed to suit the rest of the castle. It had steps leading up to a small porch, a lamp hanging above it from a metallic wired arm and a green door lit up by the small fire light. It was a small display, nothing too fancy.

As the castle continued walking away, Videl gave chase. She ran after it, with Turnip-head hopping easily after it.

"Hey, wait up!" Videl shouted, running down hill and after the doorway. It took her some time to catch up with the castle as it descended down the hill, but she eventually grabbed onto the railings. With a mighty pull and push of effort, she leapt up onto the small porch, grabbing the railings with both hands. As a result of her sprint, the hoods of her jacket and cloak pulled free, her hair now wiping in the winds. All the while Turnip-head bounced after the castle, watching over Videl carefully, as if making sure she didn't fall off.

"Boy, that was tough," Videl panted. She still wasn't used to the altitude. After a quick breather, Videl reached up and grabbed the door handle. Pulling it down, she pushed the door open. The wooden obstacle creaked open easily.

Cautiously, Videl took a peak into the dark interior beyond the door. As soon as she did so, she was met with a staircase leading up to a unknown room. A warm, yellow glow shone just above the staircase, arousing Videl's curiosity and adventurous side. After careful observations and checks for anything strange, Videl turned around and smiled at the scarecrow still hopping after the castle.

"It's nice and warm in there. I guess I'll go on in. I don't really have much of a choice. Either go into Gohan's castle or risk freezing to death out here," Videl said. She smiled happily. Surprise overtook her delighted expression when she saw Turnip-head begin to fall back. She figured the scarecrow had lost breath and was now getting tired. So there was a limit to the scarecrow's energy. The raven haired girl waved after him, seeing him pull back and stop a distance away. "It was a pleasure meeting you, even if you are my least favorite vegetable. Thanks for all your help! Take care Turnip-head!"

With a final nod of appreciation, Videl opened the door fully and stepped into the castle. Making sure she had pulled all of herself in, she closed the door behind her. It clicked itself shut. Then, as if her ears had lost their abilities, all the rumbling, pounding and other loud noises produced by the castle were silenced.

As of now, she was inside the mysterious Gohan's Moving Castle…

TO BE CONTINUED…