A/N: I actually don't own the cover image for this story, but it is nearly perfect for what I imagined was happening- which is why I borrowed it off of Google. If anyone knows the artist, I'd love to give them credit!

START AN ADVENTURE

Apparently the orb that Grandpa Gohan brought back for Harri's seventh birthday had more secrets than Grandpa Gohan had known. Protectively cradling the orange sphere in his hands, Goku stared down at the four red stars that floated perfectly centered within the amber-like insides. Then he looked up at the blue haired teen in front of him, skeptical but wanting to believe.

"How long would this adventure take?" He asked her, still not sure of his choice.

For a moment the teen looked shocked at the question. Then her blue eyes- matching to the hair color nearly perfectly- fluttered as though she'd gotten something in those long lashes and she put a gloved hand on her cheek.

Pouting, "kid, does it matter?" Bulma Briefs asked back. "You said your Grandpa passed, and you're clearly by yourself out here- unless you have better things to do than go on an adventure?"

"Yes. It does." Goku answered back, narrowing his eyes much to the older teen's surprise. "And I do. How long would it take?"

"Oh, um. I'm not sure." Bulma answered, a little stunned. From the way he'd acted she hadn't expected him to have anything here he needed to do. "It took a better part of a month for me to find one of these two..." when she saw how his expression fell she hurried on, "but I'm sure it's just because I had to go back home and make some adjustments on my radar. That did take a little while. But I found you and your Dragonball right after! So it's working a lot better now and we should find the other ones fairly quick... where are you going?"

Already walking out of the hut, orb still held protectively in his hands, Goku called back over his shoulder. "I'll think about it," and disappeared from her sight.

Bulma stood still for a full minute before she seemed to come back to herself. Lurching out after him, "wait a minute!" Bulma called desperately, "just where are you going with that Dragonball?!"

From his spot now laid down behind his Grandpa's hut, Goku didn't bother to respond to the question. He held the orange orb in his hands, lifting it above his face so that it covered the early morning sun from his sight. The rays seemed to catch in the orb and cast moving shadows, reminding Goku of what the sun looked like when he glanced up at it from under the water.

"Gok- oh. There you are. Why didn't you answer me?" Bulma asked and stood at his side so she could peer down at him.

Goku lowered his Grandpa's Dragonball so that it'd be over his heart and looked up at her suspiciously. "Why do you want the Dragonballs?" He asked instead.

"Well that's easy, I want my wish granted of course!" Bulma answered. "But I can't do that without all seven Dragonballs-"

"Goku?"

The boy sat up so fast he might as well have been tasered. Face bright, "Ri!" He answered her instantly.

Bulma stared at the little Window in the wall of the hut. It looked no bigger than a fist, was a little more egg shaped than oval or circular, and it glowed at the edges. Within it was the clear face of a little girl around Goku's age with taped together glasses on her face. Around the girl was dark, most of the space covered in shadow, but the shapes of boxes and paint cans could be just made out with a ceiling that seemed jut out and up the farther back it went reminding Bulma sharply of the underside of stairs. The teen was 100% certain that there had been no other presence within Goku's hut, in fact the back wall had been completely clear of anything. Yet here, clearly, was a little girl speaking to Goku through a little Window that was on said wall.

"Goku..." Harri didn't even register the gawking blue haired teen that was standing behind her friend. "Do you remember those letters I told you about?"

"The one with your name on it? And where you sleep? That your Uncle burned only when you could see?"

"Yeah."

"What about them?"

"It's gotten worse."

"Worse than the letters pouring out of a tea kettle? Or popping out of the floor like daisies?"

"Uncle Vernon had boarded up the fireplace-"

"What's a-"

"A spot to make a fire inside a house so that you can be warm but don't burn down your house at the same time."

"Okay." Goku nodded even as he tried to imagine it.

"He boarded up the fireplace and the mail slot on the door and even sealed the windows shut with cement and got a carpet for the floors. He was certain it was going to work and I was too- but then..." Harri's eyes began to tear up and Goku scooched closer to her.

"What? What happened? What did he do?"

"There were owls everywhere, Goku. On all the cars down the street, the power lines, the rooves... hundreds. I had seen it and Aunt Petunia had commented on it when she noticed that I had stopped my chores, which got Uncle Vernon to remind us that there's no post on Sundays... But then the entire house started to shake. The wood over the fireplace broke and letters came flying out at the hundreds in a whirlwind! I tried to catch one but as soon as I did Uncle Vernon ripped it out of my hands and shoved me in here again."

Mouth wide open, Bulma couldn't seem to get a word out. Instead she stared on, trying to wrap her head around what this girl on the other side of a Window had just described to Goku and failed. Meanwhile the tailed boy patiently waited for his friend to recover enough to keep talking.

"He's sending us away, Goku!" Harri eventually managed to choke out, and Goku stilled completely. "I- I don't know when I'd get to t- talk to you next, if I ge- et to come back at all. If whomever is sending these l- letters is being this persistent, they must really want m- me for something but I can't think of anyone who'd want som- omething from me. I don't even know if it's a good thing or a- a bad thing but Uncle Vernon and Aunt Pet- tunia seem to think it's very b- bad."

"Ri! Ri, it's okay!" Goku rushed, and he put a hand beside the Window. Hiccuping, Harri looked at him with glossy eyes, questioning. So Goku held up his Grandpa's Dragonball so the girl could see it too. "Remember what Grandpa said about this?"

"T- that it w- wou- oud grant any- y wish?"

"Yeah! Well, I know why it didn't work now! See the person behind me? That's Bulma. She came to steal Grandpa's starball-"

"What?!" Interrupted both females, one with surprise and the other with offense, but Goku kept going as though he hadn't heard it.

"-and told me how it's actually called a Dragonball! It won't work unless you gather together seven Dragonballs, which have been scattered all across the world. Once you get all seven then a great dragon will appear to grant you a single wish."

"A- across the whole world...?" Harri asked, tears slowly drying as horror dawned on her at the implication. "G- Goku you don't... you don't mean..?"

"Yeah." Goku gave a determined nod. "Remember that adventure you asked me to go on for your birthday?"

"Our birthday." Harri corrected, though the response was more automatic than anything. "I didn't mean something like this..."

"No, you didn't." Goku acknowledged, but gave her a smile anyways. "But it's certainly an adventure of a lifetime isn't it? And maybe, after Bulma gets her wish, we can get ours."

"Goku..." Harri had no real words for that. She looked at the tailed boy on the other side of her Window in awe and reverence. While she'd gotten used to the notion of him wanting her to be in his world with him, never had she imagined that he'd be willing to travel around the whole world for that very same cause. Doubt suddenly took a hold of her, wrenching her heart down to her gut. "You... you really want to?"

"Of course! I'll get you here, Ri. It's a promise!"

"O- okay!" Harri smiled at that- really smiled- and Goku puffed up at the knowledge that he'd been the cause of that rare sight. He always thought it looked much better than tears. Then her smile dimmed, "then... I really won't be able to talk to you.. and not for a very long time..."

At that sobering thought, even Goku couldn't find it in himself to smile. "No." He confirmed, hating it already.

For the first time the entire conversation, Bulma finally found her voice. "How are you doing that?!"

It startled the two children so much Goku's tail puffed out much like a startled cat.

"Do what?" Goku asked, looking over at the tall teen with narrowed eyes and a frown.

"You're-! She's not inside your house!" Bulma pointed out blandly, "how can you be talking through wood like that?!"

"I- I just do it..." Harri answered quietly, folding in on herself defensively as she stared at this teen. Even when Goku had mentioned her presence Harri hadn't thought that this Bulma was listening to their conversation. "It's... it's like... magic, I guess."

"Magic." Bulma repeated and Harri looked away self-consciously. "Magic doesn't exist."

Goku looked at the blue haired teen incredulously. "You just said you wanted a wish granted by a dragon." He pointed out.

"A mystical dragon not a magic dragon. There's a difference." And Bulma put up her nose at that.

"...sure." Goku shook his head, then he blinked. He turned his attention back to the Window, or more precisely the outline of it. "Hey, Ri. What if I can take this with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"The wall, or well, the part of it that the Window shows up on. What if I take that with me? Would it still work you think?"

"I..." Harri swallowed, "I don't know." She said quietly, "I don't know if it would or not. It could be the house on my side or the hut on yours or it could just be the wood for the both of us. But if it doesn't work..."

"This could be the last time we talk until we get our wish." Goku finished for her when Harri couldn't bring herself to do say it.

"Yes." The girl forced out, swallowing her tears. "It could be."

They both stared at one another, silently debating.

"I think it's worth a shot." Goku stated eventually. "Will you be able to get it out from behind the stairs alright?"

Harri's eyes roamed the outline of the Window on her end, but eventually nodded. "Somehow. I will."

"Okay. I'll go first. Keep it up as long as you can so I don't miss okay?"

More dust fell from above but unlike all the other times, Harri didn't hide her face from it. As loud thuds came down the stairs her expression became panicked.

"They've already packed!" Some shouting could be heard but it was only distinguishable to Harri. Her tense shoulders slumped with relief. "Oh... Dudley is having a fit over what to bring, apparently. We have a little more time then."

With that Goku stood, setting his Grandpa's Dragonball aside, and Harri watched anxiously as he made a fist. "I'll find another way." Harri nearly shouted to get the words out fast enough as Goku prepared himself to punch. He paused though at the words, blinking at her curiously. "If it doesn't work... I'll keep looking for another way to talk to you. Unless the wish is granted and I then won't need to, I'll find another way."

A small smile made itself known on Goku's face. All the different things they had already done to try exactly that ran through his mind. His gut told him there wouldn't be another way and he knew with one look that she felt the same. But he wouldn't tell her no. She seemed to read the answer off of him like he was an open book.

"I'd miss you too much not to." Harri confessed with more tears springing to her eyes as she did. It felt like he'd taken a sudden dive off a cliff with how much his stomach squirmed from the heartfelt words.

"I'll keep looking too," Goku promised in return, widening his smile for her. "If the wish doesn't work, I'll keep looking. Even if it takes me till I'm older than Grandpa. I'll find a way."

They both looked at each other then, taking in the possible very last time they'd see one another for a very long time. Nothing else needed to be said because everything of importance was said already. They cared, cared a lot for one another. Even Bulma- who felt very much like an unwilling third wheel at this point- could see it plain as day.

Goku took in a steadying breath, clenched his fist tight, and punched through the wall. The Window flickered like a flame that almost died out from a strong gust of wind. A look of concentration appeared on Harri's face and the next time that Goku's fist went through the wall, the image only rippled like disturbed water. Twice more and he was half way around the Window.

Harri looked like she was in pain but Goku didn't hear her complain- something he'd noticed Harri never did when it came to pain, which was why he was in the habit of asking her to show any injuries that she got, which was another thing he'd started to do after his Grandpa hadn't been able to anymore- and kept going.

When he'd made the last hit the piece of the wall that had the Window displayed fell backwards into the hut and Goku was quick about reaching through the hole to pick it up.

Something in him seemed to break when he finally got to look at the piece of crudely cut wood in his hands. It was blank. No Window. No Harri looking back at him through it. He felt like going into the forest and challenging the T-Rex that was nearby to see if he'd finally get eaten. He felt like throwing the piece of blank wood as far as he could and then going after it to throw it even farther.

He felt like crying.

"It's blank?" Came Bulma's voice, reminding Goku of his company.

"...yeah."

The tailed boy forced himself to straighten. He tucked the prickly piece of wood into his gi top and bent down to pick up his Grandpa's Dragonball once more.

"Where to, Bulma?"

Gasping in pain, Harri curled up with her arms tight around her chest as though trying to keep herself together. It felt like Dudley and his goons had come along and began kicking her but didn't stop when she was short of breath. If there was an elastic band in her chest Harri would have said that it was now stretched so thin, if she pushed it any more it would snap and instinctively she knew that wasn't an option. So there Harri stayed, curled in on herself, hoping the pain would go away soon just as much as she hoped that the effort was worth it in that she'd still be able to speak to Goku later.

The door to the cupboard was thrown open and Harri felt Uncle Vernon grab her by the arm.

"Common then, in the car!" He growled at her and Harri only got one more glace to the wood under the stairs before she was dragged off out of the house. "You better not get my car bloody, or so help me..."

The car door opened and Harri was shoved into the boxes that they weren't able to fit into the boot. There wasn't any room left unoccupied on the seat so Harri had to huddle herself on the floor between the back and and front seats. She rubbed her elbow gingerly where it had hit a particularly hard corner and stared out the window of the car door that had been slammed in her face. Aunt Petunia straightened after putting something small under her petunia flower pot before quickly joining them all in the car.

"Give the girl that talk when we get there," Uncle Vernon grumbled to his wife as he pulled out of the drive. "Found her rolling around clutching her middle. I won't have her bleeding all over those clothes we had to get her and ruining them."

"I suppose it's around that time for her," Petunia said skeptically as she glanced back in the car at the two children.

"What are you talking about?" Dudley asked, and Harri cringed at how eager he looked to get a hold of something that might be incriminating to Harri.

"Strapped in Dudley-kins?" Aunt Petunia asked instead, surprising Harri. Her green eyes flicked up towards her Aunt curiously; Dudley being denied? Harri never thought that she'd ever hear it.

"Yes, mum!"

Harri tiredly looked to her own seat, where a stuffed teddy- nearly as large as Dudley himself- sat strapped in between the box closest to the door and the smaller box in the center of the seats.

"Got Mr. Honey strapped in too!" Dudley announced proudly when he saw where Harri was looking.

"That's wonderful, Dudley-kins." Petunia praised without looking back at her son as the car pealed out of Little Winning. Instead her attention was on a map now opened up on her lap. She addressed her husband, "you want the nearest hotel, correct? Then take your left here, dear."

Slowly Harri let the side of her head rest against the back of the driver's seat. A shiver went down her spine as the car's air conditioning turned on and Harri used her hands to cover her exposed ankles from the icy wind blowing from under the seats. With each jolt and jerk the car made as it went along bumpy roads Harri felt that pain in her chest spike and flare. It made her feel quite sick. A small groan left her as she let her forehead fall against her knees and closed her eyes.

While to Harri it felt like only a blink, the next time she opened her emerald green eyes it was to the car door being opened.

"Out." Uncle Vernon growled at her. It took Harri less than a moment to understand the order and comply, lest she invoke the man's ire. Her chest flared in pain at the quick motion and she stumbled out of the car because of it. With a gasp she quickly put her arms around her middle, trying to elevate the pain with pressure.

"Well there's no blood." Harri heard Uncle Vernon say before he'd turned to face her. She caught sight of his grimace before he addressed his wife, "you see Petunia? Go talk to the girl. Dudley you'll help me get some of this inside until your mum is done with the girl."

"But dad!" Harri heard Dudley protest. She wanted to stay and see what would happen but she'd already been snatched by the wrist.

Aunt Petunia dragged her towards a tall old styled building. She opened a set of double doors which seemed to lead to a well furnished lobby. They walked down a red carpeted floor to the nearest dark wood desk where a man in a smart-looking suit waited.

"I'm Petunia Dursley, my husband Vernon called you earlier about a reservation? We'd like our room please and a bellboy to help get our things in. My husband and boy are both just outside beside the car." Aunt Petunia demanded of him. Harri opened her eyes then and noticed how the man behind the counter stared at her with concern. Her Aunt must have noticed too because there was pained look on the woman's face as she then continued, "and some paracetamol too."

Oddly enough Harri saw a look of understanding cross the older man's face at the last request.

"I understand, growing into a fine young lady, I'm sure." The man stated as he turned behind him and plucked a key with a plaque attached to it from a hook on the wall. When he turned back to face them, he gave Harri a smile before handing the key over to Aunt Petunia. "Here's your room key, madam. Go up the stairs here, it'll be the fourth on the right. Someone will be up shortly with the medication. Please let me know if you need anything else and enjoy your stay."

Taking the key, "thank you, sir." Aunt Petunia responded and tightened her grip on Harri's wrist before she had the raven haired girl follow.

Harri's head had begun to spin and her stomach lurched at the tugging motion. If she had anything in her stomach Harri was certain that she'd heaved it up when they'd gone up the perfectly polished wooden stairs. As it was there was nothing in her stomach and Harri swallowed until the feeling subsided once more. Before Harri registered what had happened she was already on the cold plastic tiled floor of the loo, curling up into a ball and shivering.

"For goodness sakes, girl!" Aunt Petunia huffed, "it's not that bad. Get undressed and go into the tub. You're not to come out, you understand? I'll bring something for the pain later and we'll have a talk about what's happening."

Later, when that talk had happened Harri was left both mortified and certain that Aunt Petunia was wrong on her assessment of the situation. The medication that Harri had been given later was supposed to have dulled any pain and unless Aunt Petunia had decided to give Harri the world's worst tasting candy instead, it was doing nothing for her.

Luckily, after a quick cold water bath, Harri didn't have to stay in the tub for the rest of their time there- as she had initially resigned herself to do.

The Dursley's had been given a room with two beds and a sofa that could be pulled out as a third bed. One bed went to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, the second to Dudley, and the couch had been piled high with things from the car. Then Harri caught Aunt Petunia's eye and she was pointed to a folded up blanket near the farthest wall from the door. As tired as she was Harri hardly batted an eye. She dragged herself over to the thin blanket, laid down with her back against the cold wall and covered herself as best as she could before curling up again.

It was early the next morning when Harri was jolted awake with a cry of alarm. There was a thud felt through the floor as Aunt Petunia fell over. Harri had pushed herself up on one arm in her alarm, only to startle when a bird landed on the floor in front of her face. It took Harri a moment to notice the letter held in it's beak, too stunned at the sight of the beautiful barn owl in front of her.

When she did notice the letter her eyes widened, it had her name on it again with the hotel room number and where she'd slept that night scrawled in loopy letters directly below. Two more owls suddenly landed beside the first, identical letters on them, one attached to its foot and the other in a holster around it's middle. They each hopped forwards, glaring at one another as they tried to give Harri their own letter first.

Then Uncle Vernon was there, having sprung up from his bed at the sound of his wife's distress, shooing the avians away with a rolled up magazine from the loo. They each sprung up from the floor indignantly, screeching their displeasure at him before making their way out an open window which they must have come in from. When they were all gone Uncle Vernon picked up the lone letter that had fallen, took a single look at the writing, and paled.

"Get up Petunia," Uncle Vernon demanded, stepping over the woman to get to the window. He looked out of it carefully before quickly shutting it, turned the lock, then closed the drapes with a harsh yank that nearly had them tear right off completely. He turned back towards his family, "we need to go."

He made sure to look Harri in the eye as he ripped the letter into small pieces.