Chapter 12: Let the Tournament Begin!
We stood at the entrance to the Tournament grounds. Goku, Krillian and I were in nervous wonder at how many people there was. Master herded us past a man that was very loud to a booth to sign up for the tournament. The officials were uncomfortable signing us up, Goku and Krillian for being so young and me because I looked too fragile to fight in the dress I'm wearing. I mentally huffed at that.
Soon the paperwork was done and Master wanted to give us something. It was a set of bright orange gi's. The boys dressed in them on the spot, outside. Krillian reminded me that I should change in the bathroom. The boy's gi was simple while mine was form fitting and easy to move in. It felt much better than being in a dress. The dress was stashed in the suit case that Master brought. I noticed that Krillian and Master were blushing and glancing at me. I wondered if there has smuge on my gi or something.
I kept the strip of cloth in my hair to pull it into a pony tail. I was going to do it low – traditional, but I felt something and a flash of a woman that looked like me came to my mind. Kikyo. She had her hair down in a low pony tail. I frowned and did my hair up in a samurai style.
I heard Krillian about our outfits. They were bright but cool like Goku said. Master assured us that he was going to be watching us fight. Goku, Killian, and I entered the building for preliminaries to start. There were so many fighters. Krillian started to lose confidence.
"Relax Krillian, you're going to do fine. I don't remember these people training with us under Master Roshi."
I smiled and he did too.
"Your right!"
We started to listen to the rules of the Preliminaries. 137 people is a lot. Krillian started to freak out when he and Goku were put in block 3 together, but Goku assured him that they wouldn't have to fight until they were up in the final eight. I was put in a different block so it was the same case for me too.
Goku got called for his first match. I cheered him on and glared at people who doubted on Goku. His opponent was big but was knocked down by a poke from Goku.
'So weak … or was Goku too strong?"
Goku told us his assumption and that we should hold back until the finals since our strength was a too much for the other contenders. Then some men that look like Krillian when he was still in his old gi, only taller and older. One was tall and thin the other one was shorter than the other one and round.
They started to belittle Krillian, making me frown. I stood behind Krillian and picked him up in a backward hug.
"I would like it that you stop degrading my friend. You two don't even feel strong. I would recommend you guys go away until you have to face us."
I gave an evil smile to them, making them scared. It, apparently, goes to show that the tall, thin one was to go against Krillian next up. I didn't see the blush on his face; I did see his red ears when I was hugging Krillian. Goku and I encouraged him to beat him senseless. Goku's warning to hold back was given an exception for these meanies.
Krillian kicked him out of the building through the wall. Goku and I got onto the mat to congratulate him. I hugged him tightly, making his head turn red from embarrassment. Everyone else was staring at us in shock. I watched Goku and Krillian fight, cheering them on. I did my matches too on a different mat, mat 4 second ring.
At Goku's last match, I met up with Yamucha. He blushed at my outfit from Master Roshi. I didn't quite understand why he was blushing from it, but shrugged it off. I then noticed his hair. He looked so different with his hair cut. I reached up to feel it, soft but short. He blushed darkened to that. I asked him how he was doing after retracting my hand. He stuttered about how he was and then complimented on how Goku got stronger. I smiled and did a victory sign to him. I looked back to Goku when he came to our side. I finished my matches earlier to watch Goku and Krillian. My last match was with a woman with large puffy purple hair. She was pretty, but weak.
Goku tackled Krillian with joy to be going to the finals. Then Krillian was up next for his last match against a big bear person in a white gi. When Goku noticed Yamucha, Goku didn't recognize him until Yamucha did his signature move. His hair being chopped off was Bulma's idea. I pouted. His long hair looked good, but can't change it now. I sighed.
I looked at Goku and Krillian rejoicing on getting into the finals. I smiled a bittersweet smile.
Yamucha must have noticed it for commenting on it (unknown to her he was glancing quite often at her ;P) I looked to the ceiling then to Yamucha with a placid expression.
"I was just thinking about when we were still on our mountain. When it was just us living there. Now that we are exploring the world a bit more and he is making so many friends, is it selfish of me to want to return to that time? Back then he would rely on me so much, and, now, he's growing so fast. I can't keep up."
I sighed, noticing that I'm looking down while remembering the past. I smiled brightly at him. He was strangely quiet with a small smile.
"But, I'm happy that he's happy and making so many friends."
Goku and Krillian were monkeying around (A/N: hehehehe I coundn't help myself ;P) when Yamucha announced to them that Bulma, Oolong, and Puwar was here too. I grinned with Goku.
I can't wait to see them! I wonder if I would be able to see them before the finals begin or in the crowd during the fights.