Gohan's nightmares were particularly bad that evening after going back to the hotel. The screams from when Roshi held Goku in suspension, electrocuting him continuously, were dreadfully haunting, especially because he rarely ever saw his father in pain or at least his father rarely let him see when he was in pain. He woke up in a cold sweat, looking over to his right just for assurance that it was only a nightmare. Seeing his father's relaxed face, carrying a slight smile as he slept, calmed him down. It made him realize just how bewildering it was that he was with him again. He felt like he almost didn't deserve it, the opportunity to spend time with him after what he did, after how he failed him. His introspection was cut short as the morning alarm rung waking his two roommates from their slumber.
Goku carefully sat up making sure not to put any pressure on his bruised ribs. He rubbed his eyes and greeted the two. "Good mornin' Jack. Good mornin' Krillin"
Gohan responded with a warm "Morning Goku."
Krillin was still under his covers and mumbled out "G- morn'"
The sun glistened over the city as the morning routine dragged people from their beds and onto the streets. Cafe's and restaurants flooded with people as everyone tried to get something in their stomachs before going to work. The whole gang met up just outside the tournament grounds, Yamcha was the first to greet them.
"Hey, guys! So you ready for another round of training at Jackie Chun's place! Or should I say Master Roshi's?"
Roshi wasn't upset by his heckling and decided to play it cool. "Now just hold on a minute, I think you boys have earned yourself a break from training. I think what you need is a little experience from the greatest teacher of all: life."
Yamcha was visibly irritated because he knew the turtle hermit said that just to spite him. Goku, on the other hand, looked more than excited.
"Great! Then I'll go find my grampa's four-star ball." He paused to take in a deep breath. "NIMBUS!" The cloud swooped in from the sky above and he patted it. "Hold on just a second Nimbus. " He turned to his elderly friend. "Master does that blue box have my stuff in it?"
Roshi looked to his feet, the only blue box there was his suitcase. "Yes Goku it does, however, it's no ordinary box, this is a suitcase."
Goku opened it and sifted through the magazines to grab his power pole and dragon radar. "A suitcase? Wow, I'll never get used to all this great stuff in the city!"
Bulma intruded, "Woah, what's the rush? There's plenty of time to go looking for it, why start now?"
Roshi also felt the need to intervene, he did not want to go back to his home just to begin another phase of training. He needed time to delve into his 'personal studies' of aerobics. "Oh don't discourage the boy look at how excited he is, but Goku, don't you think it would be a good idea to take someone with you? Say...Krillin?"
Krillin caught onto his master's scheme quickly and there was no way he would let Roshi get rid of him that easily. "Well master, I was actually looking forward to coming back to your island to start training for the next tournament. I don't want my legacy to be 'beaten up by an old guy at his first tournament'."
The 'old guy' grunted. "Okay, fine Krillin. When we get back I'll start your training again, but don't be surprised if I am not training you as hard as I did the first time. I have been missing out on my workout videos."
Gohan stood awkwardly as everyone worked out where they were going. Bulma Puar, Oolong, and Yamcha decided they were going back to West City and promptly left in a little red car they had parked nearby. Master Roshi, Krillin, and Launch also said their goodbyes and headed off into the city for some end-of-trip shopping, leaving Goku and Gohan alone.
"So Jack, are you gonna' head home? I'm sure your mom misses you."
Gohan looked at the floor "No Goku, she's used to me taking long trips out." He rubbed his arm as Gero's image returned to focus in his mind. "But I really should be going, I have something I need to take care of."
An idea popped into Goku's head. "Do you think it can wait? I really like having you around Jack, you are one of the nicest people I've met since Bulma found me at my Grampa's house. Do you wanna come on an adventure with me?" He extended his right hand to help lift Gohan onto the cloud. "I just want to go find grampa's dragon ball, but it could take a while" He held the radar with his left. "I don't think the radar says which ball is which."
The offer was far too tempting, he knew he needed to track down Doctor Gero and destroy whatever lab he was hiding in, but spending more time with his father was something he couldn't refuse.
He smiled ear to ear and grabbed his hand. "Yeah Goku, I'll go with you."
Goku pulled him up and clapped as he saw that Gohan didn't fall through the ever so picky cloud. "Yeah! I knew it'd like you!"
Flying had been a breeze since he was five but usually, whenever he was flying, it was towards some great danger or to get somewhere important really quickly. This time, however, riding on the nimbus with his father was just for fun. It had been years since he'd ridden on the cloud, he had forgotten just how soft it was and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't move as slow as he thought it might. The entire experience felt like a dream come true; he sat side by side with his father taking in the beauty of the ocean as they flew from the island and hovered above the deep blue waters. The many sea creatures that jumped from the water, greeting them as they passed by, was wonderous, to say the least. Goku was pleased as he checked the dragon radar, seeing that they were heading in the right direction.
They covered the massive breadth of the ocean rather quickly and came upon a dry, empty desert. The temperature increased as they flew deeper into the land yet the wind kept them cool as they passed over countless dunes. Eventually, the peace was broken when Goku spotted a pterodactyl carrying a man in the far distance.
"Jack, do you see that? That big mean bird is carrying someone. We've gotta help him!"
Gohan blocked the sun with his hand as he looked at the giant blue-winged dinosaur carry someone "Your right, it definitely has somebody." He bumped his shoulder playfully with a closed fist. "Let's get em'!"
Goku stood up and pointed towards the beast "Go faster nimbus we've gotta' catch that bird!"
The distance between them shrunk and it was now visible that the pterodactyl was carrying Nam from the tournament.
He exclaimed surprisedly, "Goku? Jack? Where did you two come from?"
Goku hadn't heard the question he already drew his power pole and was preparing to smack his friend's captor.
"You're a mean old bird and I won't let you hurt him! Power pole extend!" And he slammed the pole down onto the creature's back, causing it to squeal in pain and drop Nam. Gohan nearly flew over to catch the man but he stopped himself, having faith his father would have time to do so.
Goku quickly moved the cloud beneath Nam, giving him a soft and comfortable landing that otherwise would have been much sandier.
Gohan, curious as to why Nam was out here, looked beneath them to find that they had been following the dragon radar up a dried river. He shifted himself to face Nam as he posed a question.
"Were you following the riverbed?"
Nam rubbed his bicep where the large claws of the pterodactyl had nearly dug into. "Why yes, I was. Jackie Chun gave me a capsule full of water back at the tournament after I had lost, but it will not sustain us for long. My village has put their faith in me one final time in the hopes that I will find the legendary wandering lake; however, I believe it to be just a fairy tale. The real reason I follow the riverbed is because, in the past, the river had always been strong, flowing with crystal clear water that gave life to all around it. But then mysteriously, a few years ago it stopped. I believe either someone stopped its flow or the gods have doomed us with this drought that will last an eternity."
Eager to help, Goku said, "We'll help you look for it. You said it's just up this old river right?"
He nodded thankfully, "Yes, just up ahead however it could take some time to get there. This river stretches for miles"
The three followed the winding path of cracked and dried clay until the landscape gradually changed from a deep golden yellow to a sea of green. In the distance a giant dam made of some strange sticky pink material was visible.
The Indian man straightened his robe and triumphantly exclaimed, "Aha! I knew it, someone has stopped the flow of water. Please, let us get in for a closer look."
Goku agreed and guided the group over the top of the dam where they all looked in disbelief as they saw an entire colony of dragons bathing in their artificially created spring. The water steamed as they heated it with their own firey breath.
Goku saw a division near the edge of the dam where only a few much older dragons huddled around one large one.
"Guys look, it's Giren from the tournament! I know he wasn't very nice then but maybe if we ask him he'll let us take the dam down."
He directed the nimbus towards the dragon who relaxed in the water alongside his closest advisors. They all hopped off with Goku leading in front
"Hey Giren what's up?"
The older dragons instinctively leaped from the water forming a wall around Giren.
"Little boy, leave before you get one gets to see the boss."
They all turned as they heard their leader's distinctively cruel laugh, one that caused chills to run down their spines.
"Don't worry my friends, there's no need for alarm. This is that boy I was telling you about. His name is Goku and you will show him some respect."
They all stood straight and set their hands at their sides "Yes boss! Sorry boss!"
He raised himself out of the water and slowly walked over to his former adversary "Now what brings you and your friends all the way to my neighborhood? If you're looking for a rematch now is not the time, I am far too busy enjoying my summer."
Goku shook his head "No, but thanks for the offer. I just came by to ask you to take down this dam please, my friend Nam can't get water for his village if it stays up."
The giant beast rubbed his chin with his claw. "Straight to the point and full of vigor, you have some admiral qualities, my little amigo. You see, I would love to take down this dam but was made long ago by my great great grandfather. It is constructed of his ancient merry-go-round gum and is quite unbreakable.
Nam fell to his knees as he slammed his fist into the ground "Then I have failed my entire village. It is hopeless." Gohan put his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort the defeated man that kneeled before him. He happily heard what he had only come to expect from his father.
"I'll break the dam. After all, I did break some of that meric-o gum at the tournament."
Nam broke from his distress. "You really think you can do it Goku? You heard him yourself, it must be at least a hundred years old, hardened by many winters."
Goku untied his power pole from his back and handed it to Nam. "I can try a kamehameha, but it would be nice to have some help. Jack, do you think you can do it?"
His question bothered Gohan, he had trouble suppressing his power level this much, and doing a kamehameha as small as Goku's seemed impossible. "M-me? You saw just how easy you beat me at the tournament what makes you think I can do it."
"Because...you're so much stronger than you think you are."
If there were any words he could have said to convince Gohan, those were it. The number of times he had heard that phrase throughout his life was beyond count. He actually heard it so often from everyone around him he began to hate it, but it always really meant something to him when his father said it. Gohan knew he always told him the truth. "All right. Let's do it." he said.
They hopped back onto the nimbus, which waited patiently for the end of the conversation, and flew down to the bottom of the dam. Giren and Nam watched as Goku steadied Gohan and himself on the only stone that protruded from the empty riverbed below.
"So you stand like this." He stood sideways with one foot far in front of the other and drew back his hands cupping them, his technique and skill honed with every opportunity he had to use his favorite attack. "Try your best to focus on your hands, it's the only way I've been able to do it. Try and block everything else out and think of only your hands and your goal. You can do it, I believe in you." Gohan thought back to the time chamber where his father gave him almost the same advice as he did now. He stood in an identical stance and squared his shoulders focusing on the tiniest kamehameha he could make.
Goku was impressed at Gohan's perfect form. "Good, now let's take down this dam together!"
They both spoke at the same time "KAME-HAME-HA!"
The waves mixed and flew with blinding speed. They collided with the dam smashing a massive hole into it. Water came spilling out from the newly created hole, and the pressure it created caused the rest of the dam to rapidly collapse. Goku quickly grabbed Gohan and threw him on the nimbus before jumping on, himself. "See that was amazing! I told you, you could do it. Now let's get outta' here" He patted the cloud quickly and said, "Go, nimbus go!"
Girens eyes were bulging out of his skull, he turned to Nam. "I'm happy I gave up when I did at the tournament. I don't want to mess with that kid, little monster would probably cook me with one of those blasts."
When the two had returned to the top of the dam, now a large waterfall, Nam took one hand of each boy as they sat on the cloud. "Thank you so much! My village is saved. Please, would you two join me in coming back to my home? My elders would love to meet you."
Goku looked over at Gohan who nodded in agreement "Sure we'll go" Goku extended his hand to Nam and lifted him up onto the cloud.
"Bye Giren thanks a lot. I hope you enjoy your summer." Goku said, waving.
Giren waved happily back as they flew away from him. Still in shock that the dam was now gone, he looked contemplatively as the dried river below filled and expanded. He was happy, he had always thought the dam looked ugly. Its almost industrial look contrasted with the only thing he found peaceful in life: mother nature.
The village was lush with laughter and happiness as the sun began to set on the refreshed desert. Each farmer took their fair share of the water and wetted their thirsty crops. The elders all gathered around the amazing boys showering them with praise.
"We are eternally grateful for your help today. Your contributions will not be soon forgotten; however, I am afraid we don't have any money to give you and for that, I am truly sorry."
Goku smiled "That's okay all that money stuff smells funny and I don't know what it's for anyway." Separating himself from the elders, Goku walked over to Nam who was meditating by the renewed riverside. "Hey, I'm sorry but Jack and I have to go. We're looking for the dragon balls and it's getting kind of late. I also want to set up camp in somewhere grassy and get a little fishing in before the fish go to sleep."
Rising from his calming meditation, Nam shook hands with Goku and Gohan as they said their final goodbyes. He watched silently as they rode back upriver facing the beautiful golden sunset, the moment was bittersweet as he made peace with not seeing them for the next three years. He knew without a doubt that there was no way those boys wouldn't be at the next tournament and the thought of another test of strength excited him.