Why Can't I
I'm getting desperate for reviews! I want to know how I'm doing with this! I need opinions! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!
Chapter 7: King of Fire Mountain
Yamcha kept a close view as he followed Rikku and her friends out of his territory and into a new stretch of road. It had been pure luck that he stumbled across the story of the dragon balls. He had listened in to Rikku and Oolong talking one night while they were camped out. He didn't long for riches or eternal life like some other selfish evils of the world what he longed for was the courage to approach women, to have a girlfriend and perchance one day get married. His wish was clear… he would wish for the dragon to take away his fear of women.
"Looks like our friends are heading to Fire Mountain. Maybe if we're lucky the Ox king will take them out for us." Puar suggested peering through binoculars in order to keep their targets in sight.
"Either way works just fine, after all they're the key to leading us to the rest of the dragon balls."
Oolong fidgeted in his seat, so far they had run into wall to wall danger and if it wasn't for the dragon balls he would have made a break for it days ago. He had heard legends about fire mountain and the mere thought of seeing the towering flame wall was enough to have him smelling smoked bacon.
"Whew," Bulma began to fan herself the bunny suit Oolong had given her being anything but comfortable. First thing on her list when they hit a town was to buy some dino caps and new clothes. "Is it just me or is it getting hotter all of a sudden."
"Yeah, but hey at least there's a great view of the sunset from here. Look Bulma!"
Bulma leaned over Rikku's shoulder and smiled. "Wow, what incredible sunset."
"That's no sunset that's fire mountain!"
"No way, so the legend's of the Ox King are true?"
Bulma was dumbstruck as they get out of the car to admire the burning wall of endless flames that was fire mountain. According to legend the Great Ox King had lived at the castle atop the mountain and hired a sorceress to surround the castle with fire so to protect his treasures inside. Unfortunately for the Ox King he too was trapped outside his castle living out among the abandoned ruins of a town and killing anyone who tried to breach the fire.
"Well I've seen enough let's beat it!"
"No way I want that Dragon Ball!" Bulma pushed him back into the car before he could run away and the three drove further into the deserted town at the base of the mountain. "Wow this place is war wrecked."
Oolong grimaced and shook backing away from a corpse. "ooh boy this looks recent, the Ox King is probably still around. We have to be very quiet or we're all dead meat. "
Rikku who was intrigued by the skeleton poked it with her power pole and picked up the skull laughing a little at the funny face.
Bulma's eyes never left the mountain but even her scientist brain was coming up short of a way to walk the mountain unscathed. "Impossible from our point but… Rikku do you think you can get to it on your flying nimbus?"
Rikku turned to her grinning and then put the skull in front of her face. "I tried that once and look what happened. He, he."
" Rikku you goof." She laughed and pointed to the top. "Well give it a try , you've got tougher skin than anyone I know so you're our best chance to get up there."
Rikku's tail twitched watching the flames. "Hmm, okay Bulma I'll get the Dragon Ball." She jumped onto a nearby boulder and called out to the darkened skies. "Come to me Flying Nimbus!"
Oolong squealed a fit. "now you've done it the Ox King heard that for sure!"
In a whirl of creamy white the nimbus cloud zoomed through the air and straight to Rikku. Jumping on it she gave a peace sign and zoomed off heading straight to the top of the flaming mountain.
Yamcha watched at a safe distance his binoculars zooming in on Bulma and Oolong as they watched Rikku fly off. "I see so I was right the next Dragon Ball is inside that castle."
"Well that ball is as good as lost."
"Hmm." Yamcha got out of the car and leaned on the hood. "So you think they have no chance."
"Actually they have two chances. Slim and none."
"Well I suppose you're right, but let's stick around for the show."
"Wahl! Somebody help me!" Yamcha jolted whirling around at the high pitch scream coming there way. A young girl about Rikku's age in bikini armor and a horned helmet ran for dear life across the grass with a T-rex right on her tail. She scampered and screamed her hands going to the horn on her head and the horn acting like a blade launched from her helmet slicing the Dino's head clean off. This naturally caused the girl to freak out more. A beam shot from her helmet acting as a laser and blowing whatever was left of the dino up in flames.
Yamcha and Puar stood at the car dumbstruck. Yamcha wobbled up cautiously to check on the girl who was still sobbing. "Hey that was nice work."
The young girl looked up and glared. "I was told to never talk to strangers." Putting her hand to her helmet again she shot out and barely missing Yamcha with another beam of light. Yamcha in mid air screamed and slammed his fists into the back of her head knocking her out.
"That girl is dangerous."
"Geez master did you really have to hit her like that?"
"Don't worry I just knocked her out Now let's get a little closer to the mountain I'm sure that Rikku has gotten close enough to the mountain already."
Rikku looked out over the flames the heat making it nearly unbearable to be so close. "Wow it's hotter than I thought up here. Well here it goes." She went in the closer she got the hotter her body became as she tried to go into a window a tower of fire shot up burning her tail and making her abort her mission and fly to the nearest body of water. She panted and fell into the little lake steam rising up as the fire on her body is put out and cooled,
Bulma could barely see the fire making her squint and unable to detect Rikku's movements. "I wonder if she got inside."
"I don't know but this place is really creeping me out Bulma. Let's go a little further away."
"Oh Oolong you worry too WAH-" Bulma held back a shriek of panic as she watched a giant ax zoom by trimming toe inches off her beautiful hair. Both Oolong and Bulma turn around and stare up into the eyes of a giant.
Rikku blew on her tail whimpering. "Boy that's smarts… are you alright tail?" Bulma's loud pitched scream catches her ears and she jolts up. "Power pole extend!" The pole shot up in the sky giving her a bird's eye view of the distant village. She could make out two tiny forms making a run in any direction available to them. On their tail was a lumbering giant of a man with thick armor and a helmet in the shape of an ox. Using the pole as a spring she catapulted herself over to Bulma and Oolong who had been cornered between the giant and a large stone wall. "Hey guys it's going to be a lot more difficult than we thought to get into that castle."
"Wahl you dummy!"
"Ah hah I knew it. You are after my treasure." The thunderous voice alerted Rikku to the giant. The Ox King glared down his bearded face practically snarling in rage at the other two. "You three are just stinking treasure hunters."
Rikku pouted putting her hands behind her head. "That's not true sir."
"What would you know about truth you thief!"
Rikku dodged back as the giant ax came down in a bang, The rock underneath crumbling like stale bread. Rikku stayed evasive rather enjoying herself as the Ox King further tried to do her in with that mighty ax.
Nearby Yamcha watched in amazement at how equally matched they seemed to be. In fact to his eyes the great Ox King was no where fast enough to land a single blow to the girl.
"incredible she's matching his strength with her speed."
"Okay time to get serious!" Rikku announced and called her flying nimbus to her. With the help of the cloud she spun around and around the great giant making faces as the giant was soon dizzy from watching her movements. Trying to use his misbalance she kicked the back of his head but the tough skinned giant made no movement. "Man this guy's a rock."
"Rikku are you crazy? Get out of there you can't beat the Ox King!"
"Wait you're the Ox King? Wow no wonder you're so strong."
"That cloud, where did you get it? You couldn't ride it if you stole it."
"Some turtle hermit gave it to me."
"My goodness turtle hermit, that has to be him, that is the great master Roshi. He was my old teacher. Do you know where I could find him?"
Rikku thought for a minute and looked down at Bulma and Oolong. Bulma would now more about this than she would. "Hey Bulma, do you think we could find the island were that hermit lives? The Ox king wants to know."
"Probably," Bulma thought suddenly puzzled by the scenario. "It has to be close to that beach we were on.
"Woo wee!" Dancing happily the Ox King shouted for joy. Rikku laughed a little at his behavior where as Oolong and Bulma stood there dumbfounded. What exactly just happened?
Rikku turned back to Bulma to get more details about the island, but stopped when she felt the Ox King's movements. He studied her back where her power pole rested.
"Hey where did you get this tooth pick thingy you carry on your back."
"He he, silly that's no tooth pick that's my power pole. My grandfather gave it to me before he died so I could protect myself with it."
The Ox King's smiled widened. "Was his name by any chance Gohan."
"It sure was. You knew my grandfather?"
"Yeah, your grandpa Gohan once tried to break that stick over my head. We were students of Master Roshi's and trained together on his island. Ah what luck, the last time I spoke with Gohan he mentioned finding a baby girl. So you're Gohan's girl."
"Yeah My name is Rikku."
Oolong and Bulma were both shocked by the news. This made a lot of sense. If Rikku's grandfather had been as strong a s the ox king it would explain Rikku's incredible strength. Bulma wondered if Rikku would still want to go search for the other Dragon Balls especially now that she found a friend whom she could talk about her grandpa with.
Yamcha listened in both him and Puar a little miffed at Rikku somehow knowing The Ox King. Good for him though as he continued to listen in. Apparently The Ox King was in search of the Bancho Fan which powerful waves could diminish the flames. In return for finding Roshi who possessed the fan Rikku and her friends would retireve the Dragon Ball that was inside the burning castle. "With that we're one step closer to receiving all seven dragon balls.
"Now before you go Rikku I have one more request. I sent my only daughter Chichi to retrieve the fan but It's been several days and I'm afraid something might have happened to her."
"I see, so you want me to find you daughter."
"Yes she's a bit of a coward but I think you two will get along great. Why you might be best friends like me and your grandpa Gohan were."
That was all the enthusiasm that Rikku needed. She was suddenly very interested in meeting this Chichi. Oolong was holding abck a snort trying to imagine the girl as a mimic of her father. However, The Ox King pulled out a picture revealing a cute girl in armor and a horned helmet. "Wow, all things considered she's quite a looker."
Yamcha felt like he was going to be sick! The picture he just caught a glimpse of he didn't need to guess where the girl might be for he knew she was laying in the ground probably still unconscious.
"This is not good!" Puar exclaimed as she too saw the picture. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking Yamcha?"
"Yeah I'm dead meat if that girl's not okay!"
Chichi groaned the back of her neck sore and her head feeling quite fuzzy. As she came to she looked into the eyes of a handsome teenage boy probably 8 years older or so than herself. She gasped jolting back and preparing to use her weapon if necessary. However when she heard her name being calle dby the stranger she paused. "How do you know my name is Chichi?"
Yamcha started to draw a blank but then tried something knew going into some smooth moves he had been practicing in the mirror. "Well let's just say im a secret fan of yours. To be perfectly honest I'm in love with you ever since I laid eyes on you I was tormented by your beauty."
"Wow," Chichi blushed. She had no idea she was so admired. "You're in love with me? That's the first time anyone's ever told me that." Chichi's mind suddenly was a world of heart shapes and flowers as she thought of herself just a little older and in the arms of the handsome stranger she just met, "Oh I wonder if Papa would approve of him? Am I even old enough to have a boyfriend? This is happening all so fast!" She cried out a whirling stopping her thoughts. The handsome stranger vanishing and taking his place was a young girl riding a cloud.
"Hey are you chichi?" Rikku asked admiring the girl. She looked like the picture.
"Yes I am, you're the second stranger who knows my name. You're not in love with me too are you?"
"Huh love? No I don't think so I'm Rikku your father sent me here to find you so we can go find master Roshi and retrieve the Bancho Fan."
"Oh really, that's very kind of you."
"Uh huh, now come on hop onto my cloud and let's be off."
"You mean I can ride this thing without falling?"
"Well yeah but you have to have a pure heart."
"Oh No need to worry." Chichi giggled approaching the funny cloud. "When your father's the Ox King you always behave well." She climbed onto the cloud finding it more difficult than she first realized.
"Do you need help?" Chichi looked up when Rikku asked and spotted a rope looking thing right in her face.
"Ah nope I got it." She grabbed it Rikku Tensing up and holding back a scream as pain shot up and down her body causing her to wobble and fall off the cloud. "Oh my are you okay?"
"Well you grabbed my tail," getting herself together Rikku stood groaning and rubbing her tailbone and the back of her head. "I lose all my power when someone does that it's the one thing I cannot stand."
"Oh I'm sorry."
Oh but I'm not, Yamcha thought slyly as he listened in from a safe distance. He finally knew that little Brat's weakness. With that power on his foe he would be able to follow along letting the others collect the balls and then with one fell swoop he would dispatch of Rikku and make his wish to the dragon. Things were finally looking up!
~In Distant Space~
Confound this tail! Vegeta thought staring at the appendage with bitter and disgust. For too long the weakness of all saiyans was made public in battle giving them a disadvantage despite their great strength. If only there was a way to strengthen it. Ah yes. Vegeta Smirked his tail coiling about his waist as he stood atop the mountain of bodies he had disposed of himself.
He was strong enough to be sure but his tail needed training of it's own. No longer will his tail be a weakness instead it will provide him with even further strength and the art of surprise.
"Hey Vegeta," Nappa called out across the deserted land. "Lord Frieza has made contact. He wants us to return to base." Radditz at his side his own tail twitching to show his excitement from the recent kill
"Fine, we can't ignore the exalted one's wishes now can we Nappa?" Vegeta snorted and walked to meet his fellow saiyans to the pods. "Soon Frieza your day will come. The day of your demise."
End of chapter 7! Soon the long awaited time will come at last. The next chapter "The Kamehameha Wave" will have Rikku witnessing the legendary technique. Review please! :3