Chapter 2

Unaware of his surroundings, a familiar bald man walked to the edge of the beach. Without hesitation, he dove into the crystal blue water. Soon everything around him was a captivating blue, and he found himself sinking. Deeper and deeper he went underwater. Then he panicked, he was running out of air. He struggled to reach the surface, but found it growing farther and farther away. Unable to control himself, his mouth opened, trying to pull in air that wasn't there. Just when he thought all was going to end, he felt relief in his lungs. What? Breathing underwater?

He inhaled and exhaled deeply, then sighed. The man tried again to swim up to the surface, but to no avail. Giving up hope, he rested his body as it continued to sink lower. As he began nodding off, he heard a strange sound. Unable to make out what the muffled noise was, he closed his eyes in concentration.

It came again, but this time clearer. "Come." That was all he could understand. Quickly he turned his head, searching for the source. In the distance he saw the entrance to a small cavern, surrounded by coral. Considering it was the only place in range, he decided to take the chance and check it out. He started out slow, then began picking up speed. The sound came again and again, clearer each time. Soon he managed to understand.

"Come find me." He didn't understand why this person wanted for him to find them, but he continued swimming. The voice sounded all too familiar. When it came again, he closed his eyes. "Come find me," said the voice. It sounded alluring, enchanting, and above of all feminine.

Only one picture popped into his head once he heard the voice. It was 18. As soon as he concentrated he knew it was her. She wanted him to find her.

The calls came again, this time sounding more desperate. He put more power into his strokes, and finally made it to the entrance. Growing impatient, he forced himself quickly into the cavern. His head popped up through the surface and he climbed onto land. Wringing out his clothing, he saw two figures standing before him, backs turned.

"Krillin," they said in unison. Their voices echoed through the cavern, sending chills down his spine.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to get a better look.

Then, the two turned around to face him. There stood Android 18 and Goku. He couldn't help but smile at their presence, but noticed an eeriness emanating from them. They seemed almost faded in appearance, like they would disappear with the slightest touch.

Carefully, he took a step forward. "I can't believe it," he said. As his foot found its way back to the ground, everything seemed to fall apart. Loud crashing could be heard from behind. He turned his head in shock and saw the cavern beginning to cave in. Large pieces of the ceiling crashed down to the ground, cutting off the exit.

He turned back to Goku and 18 with worry, but they were unphased. Soon large amounts of rubble fell from the ceiling, surrounding the three.

"Krillin," they repeated. "Save us."

"Me, save you? You've got to be kidding! Come on, let's go!" he said, prepared to leave.

As he ran towards them, he grabbed both of their hands and tugged. Neither moved.

"You must choose one of us, Krillin," they said.

His eyes widened with fear and panic. "Quit messing around, guys! We all have to leave now!"

"Choose now, Krillin," they demanded.

He shifted his eyes back and forth between the two. How could he choose between the most important people of his life? Beads of sweat began forming at the peak of his forehead. He hung his head down in shame and didn't respond.

"You betrayed me, Krillin," they said. Then everything faded away as the cavern's roof collapsed on its occupants.

Krillin awoke in a state of panic. A thin layer of sweat covered his bald head, increasing the regular shine. He rolled out of bed and made his way to the window. Cracking the window open, Krillin inhaled the fresh aroma of salt. No matter how long he lived there, he would never get sick of the refreshing ocean scent. The sun hung high in the center of the sky, beating down on the earth. He calculated that it be about noon, and affirmed his guess when laying eyes on the clock.

His stomach groaned with desire. Krillin walked sluggishly down the stairs and headed to the kitchen. As he approached the refrigerator, Krillin spotted a small sticky note hung next to the handle.

'Krillin,

Oolong and I have headed to town for a few days. Don't fret, we've gone strictly for business purposes...Anyways, you might want to head into town to pick up some groceries. Besides, it will do you some good, you need to get out more. So have fun and we'll see you when we get back.

- Master Roshi'

Sounds like Master Roshi to leave the house after he emptied out the fridge. Krillin swung the door of the fridge open to find empty cartons of juice and containers of old leftovers. After realizing he had no alternative, Krillin hiked back upstairs and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

It's been days since he's stepped outside, but it's felt like an eternity. What more did he have to live for? That was the question he pondered every day for the past three months. What good was living in times of peace when you don't have a reason for living? Unable to help it, Krillin continued to pick away at himself. Ever since Goku died, it's like Krillin wasn't even part of the gang. Everyone else moved on, trying to make the best of their lives. It's been ages since they've gotten together, let alone contact him. Unless there's a huge crisis that needs to be taken care of, he never sees them.

Then there was 18. She was sophisticated, powerful, beautiful...and he fell for her. As soon as she placed that one kiss on his cheek, she became his top priority. He knew then on that he wanted to give her everything, even if she didn't ask. Something about her made him lose himself. When she came into his mind, he felt that he couldn't survive without her. It drove him mad.

His heart began to race just at the mere thought of her. Over the past few months, his crush had developed into deep infatuation. But nobody else understood, not even his closest friends. They thought he was crazy, and assumed he was still in shock after Goku's sacrifice. But he knew what he wanted, what he felt. Too bad nothing was ever going to change, he would remain lonely forever.

To top it all off, he received a visit from Maron. It was brief, but just as painful as he expected. She was just as he remembered, whiney and disgustingly needy. Maron had called to let Krillin know she still had a few random things of his that she had at her apartment.

"Keep it, I don't want it," Krillin had said. It was true, he didn't want anything. Even if he did, that would mean her coming back to Kame Island. And now that he thought about it, she didn't even feel real. It was as if her existence was something merely out of a dream.

Krillin opened the front door and flew towards town. In about five minutes time, Krillin set foot on the streets of the busiest city nearby. "Great," he said as he landed, "I had to come to town on its busiest day." He headed down the street towards the market, tossing the money around in his pocket. Up ahead he heard a loud voice that seemed to stick out from all the rest.

"Hey, lady! Are you getting on or not?"

He saw someone waiting at the bus stop, although the bus was right in front of them. Quietly, he made his way around the bench. He heard her sigh, and for some reason he felt connected. It satisfied him to know that he wasn't the only one out there suffering. As the woman boarded the bus, Krillin noticed a few strands of hair poking out the back of her hat. He laid eyes on the blonde hair and couldn't help but think of 18.

'Stop it, Krillin. Just get the damn groceries.' Krillin proceeded to the grocery store. But he knew as soon as he got the food he needed, he probably wouldn't be stepping outside again for a while. Maybe being lonely did have its perks.