Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant and my best friend.
Previously on Dragon Ball!:
Our hero Goku's solitary life in the mountains, honing his martial arts skills, was disrupted when a girl named Bulma crashed into his life. After an exchange of bullets and blows, Goku joined forces with this city girl on her quest to gather the mystical Dragon Balls, which can summon a mighty dragon to grant one wish.
Along the way they have encountered many strange characters. Like the wise and pervy Turtle Hermit, who after a strange exchange granted them both a Dragon Ball and magical flying Nimbus Cloud. Despite the price she paid, Bulma's impure heart left her having to supply her own ride.
Then they faced the dreaded shapeshifter Oolong! Only to discover he was a sheep, or rather pig, in wolf's clothing. And thus earned themselves another Dragon Ball for ridding the villagers of this mischievous menace.
But in the desert things got hot, as they crossed paths with the mighty desert bandit, Yamcha, and his shapeshifting sidekick, Puar. This duo of delinquents, despite repeated defeats, continued to tail our heroes seeking the Dagon Balls, so Yamcha can wish away his phobia of pretty girls and live happily ever after!
Oddly enough, leaving the desert behind didn't make things any cooler. But that should be no surprise, as they discovered Frypan Mountain lives up to its reputation of always being on fire! The situation seemed grim, as the mountain's dreaded ruler Gyu Mao, the Ox King, confronted them. But shockingly it turns out he is old pals with Goku's late grandfather, and the two quickly make an accord. If Goku can bring the Ox King his old master and return his daughter safely from her quest, not only will he get the Ox King's Dragon Ball but the hand of the Princess of Frypan!?
Well now, wedding bells for young Goku? Even with Master Roshi putting out the fire at the cost of the castle and mountain, all seems to have ended well, with the Ox King resolving to reform, the engagement still being on, and Bulma passing the pervert buck to Oolong to get her Dragon Ball.
Now the epic quest for a boyfriend or infinite strawberries continues!:
Intended Journey
Chapter 1
"It's a day of wonders," Gyu Mao, also known as the Ox King, said stunned. It was said one's fate could be changed like a coin flipped in a fraction of an hour, but still this day seemed far too packed.
"Why wait here?" he asked. That got the attention of everyone else gathered in the ruined village, and he grinned goofily, realizing how that was out of place to their chatting.
"Daddy?" his daughter Chichi asked.
"Sorry, I was just thinking. Chichi, you were setting out on a journey just this morning, so perhaps you should still go," he said.
This very morning, life had been in the same shoddy shape it had been for too long, with the magic fire having his Frypan Kingdom in a chokehold, cutting him off from his castle and treasure hoard on the one hand and frightening all of his subjects into the hills on the other. He'd finally relented and let Chichi depart on a quest to find his old master and beg the use of the Bansho fan just that morning. But he'd never expected such results.
"Huh? But we found the Turtle guy already," Goku said, pointing to the Muten Roshi.
A rather routine case of trespassers led to him meeting none other than the grandson of his old brother-in-arms Son Gohan, and the heavens smiled by him having recently met the great master himself. Even better, he possessed the Flying Nimbus to seek him out. Master Roshi had thus both freed Gyu Mao from the curse of the fire, while also punishing him by destroying the castle built on Gyu Mao's abuse of the scared art of the Kame School, and inspired him to seek a path of benign rule. And he'd got his girl a fiancé too!
Though Goku did seem to have strange tastes in traveling companions. A diminutive pig man wearing what looked like some kind of army uniform with a red star on the cap. And some blue-haired city girl teenager dressed like a bunnygirl; it was the kind of outfit he knew his old master would love to see a girl dressed in, but not something he'd peg as traveling attire. Well, he'd never been savvy for fashion, and who knew what was 'in' with the kids these days, best not to be judgmental, he concluded.
"But you're still questing for those Dragon Balls, right? Well, I think Chichi should accompany you," Ox King said, nodding.
"Say what?" the blue-haired girl asked.
"But we're already engaged," Chichi said.
"Wait, what?" The girl said again.
"I know, but I was just thinking about how Gohan and I bonded through training under our invincible master, and so many adventures. So why not seize the day and start making memories with the love of your life?" Gyo Mao mused.
He was still marveling that Goku, the grandson of Gohan, had been able to make a Kamehameha Wave. Years of training, and Gyu Mao had never been able to make anything like even the pale imitation Goku had just done. And Gohan, he knew, already had salt in the pepper of his mustache before he could master that legendary technique.
'Magnificent. This boy may not just be an heir to your legacy, Gohan, he may surpass you in his turn. But he can't hardly be older than Chichi. My girl is strong, I wouldn't have let her set out if she wasn't. And Gohan had the same training as me…'
Master Roshi was offering Goku training, as the helmed warrior rubbed his chin in thought. His daughter was saying about the work they'd need to do to have the castle and village in good order to impress Goku on his return.
"Oh, Daddy, it sounds romantic. But what about the castle?"
"Well, that can be my problem, darling. And you two have a chaperone with Miss Briefs here, so no need to worry about people finding it scandalous," he said, pointing to the girl dressed hopefully to honor the noble rabbit.
"Gyu Mao, to be clear, my offer to train Goku is not a certainty. I'm pretty old to do this kind of thing, much less take on two students. They'll need to prove themselves, legacy or no legacy," the Turtle Hermit said, adjusting his glasses.
"Of course, Master. I would never think to question your judgement on who is worthy to study under you." Seeing those kids side by side before the Muten Roshi conjured an image from his past. Of himself, still a runt at the time, fearing he'd never measure up to his giant lineage, and the wily Gohan far too young to grow his trademark mustache. And Master Roshi… well, exactly the same, honestly, the Ox King thought, sweatdropping a bit, wondering how exactly immortality worked; he was certain the master had not been truthful when ascribing it to sit-ups and juice.
And then soon enough, they were off. He bid his daughter goodbye for a second time in the same day, and a fond farewell to his future son-in-law and his strange companions. And lastly, he gave them a classic and battle-ready hover car to speed them on their way.
"Will you be sticking around, Master? My hospitality isn't what it once was, but you're welcome to anything I have," he said to the only guest still lingering in the ruins of the village.
"Thank you, but no, my old student. Fate has been kind to me lately, imposing on you would be getting greedy. I'd best be getting back to my island; those kids may be the death of my peace and quiet for quite some time, if they decide to take me up on my offer," the old master admitted.
"Chichi and Goku… Master, I get the feeling this new generation will do great things," Gyu Mao said, a smile lighting his face with more pride than any treasure-laden raid had ever inspired.
X X X
"Finally, civilization!" Bulma cheered, driving the Ox King's car into the town. Not so long ago, she might have regarded this place as the sticks, with the women wearing wraps and the men head wraps, but after enduring the ordeals of the wilderness, the heiress only cared that this was a place where money could solve her problems again. She should even be able to restock on capsules.
"It's just a town," Chichi said, peeking over the side of her father's car.
"Think there are any strong people here?" Goku asked, looking out the other side.
"Forget it Goku, the Ox King is the strongest guy around these parts. Me, I'm looking to challenge a cold refreshing drink and a mighty sandwich," Oolong said.
"Well, it will have to wait. You are going to refuel the car and take it to get fully serviced. I'm not going to be stranded again, and who knows when we'll have another chance."
"And what'll you be doing while I'm doing all the work, sweetcheeks?" the pervy pig asked, rolling his eyes.
"Getting some new clothes, obviously! I've been stuck in this bunnygirl outfit for far too long."
"At least it lets you pretend to have a tail, right?" Goku asked.
"Who said I wanted a tail?!" Bulma shouted at the thick-headed monkey boy before getting out of the car, slamming the door, "Goku, keep an eye on Oolong, Oolong, keep an eye on Goku. Chichi, you're coming with me."
"I am?" Chichi asked, hopping out of the car.
"Hey, why do you keep adding to my list of things to do?" Oolong groused.
"Because you're Oolong, that's why," Bulma said, grabbing Chichi's hand and dragging the girl along.
"Uh, later Goku?!" Chichi waved as she was dragged into the town, the townsfolk seeing Bulma coming and making way hastily.
"Bye! See if they have anything good to eat!" Goku called, as Oolong crankily took the driver's seat.
"Don't expect two dames to get anything so practical as food, Goku. We'll be lucky if they don't show up in Sunday best or arms full of hair spray."
"Are Sundays not tasty?" Goku asked.
"…If you were anyone else, I'd think you were making a pun."
X X X
"So, Bulma, where are we going?" Chichi asked, now walking along with the blue-haired teenager in the bunnygirl outfit.
"Shopping," Bulma said bluntly.
"Oh! But why? Daddy said the car was stocked for a trip."
"Well, I've run out of supplies before, so as far as I'm concerned, he didn't pack enough until proven otherwise. Also, we need some new clothes," Bulma stated.
"Oh, so you don't like dressing shamefully?" Chichi asked. Bulma tripped, face-faulting onto the packed dirt road.
"Of course not, you little moron!" Bulma shrieked and sprang back to her feet, to the horror of the townsfolk.
"Then why dress like that?" Chichi asked, hands on her hips and frowning.
"It was the only outfit Oolong had, and I wasn't about to go buff for anyone, much less that pig," Bulma huffed, the anger still hot at that memory.
"You wouldn't be naked without the ears, Miss Briefs," Chichi pointed out.
"Huh?" Bulma said, spotting a store which made her heart swell.
"I said, you could not wear the ears and be okay? Are you sure you don't just like dressing weird because you're a city girl?" Chichi asked.
"That's! …Listen kid, the only thing worse than wearing a bad outfit is wearing it wrong. What is a bunnygirl outfit even, without the bunny?"
"…A girl outfit?" Chichi offered.
"Well, it doesn't matter, new clothes ahoy!" Bulma declared, practically pulling Chichi into the air as she rushed into the store.
X X X
The store was a bit too small and quaint for Bulma's taste. She preferred the massive department stores or chic boutiques of the big city. This place likely survived with its mediocrity for lack of competition rather than exceptional service or stock. Still, it accepted zeni, and that meant it could get her what she wanted, and that was more important than it being a dingy country store.
Though the owner falling over himself was flattering. These people had probably little experience dealing with the beautiful sophisticated women of West City, who were at least a century ahead of them on the development curve. Small wonder they could barely cope, Bulma thought with a smug smile.
"But why can't I just wear my armor?" Chichi whined inside the changing booth. Bulma leaned next to the curtain, wearing a new outfit in the local style of a white shirt, loose white pants with a red waistband, a small blue jacket, gold armlets, and red sandals. And finally, a gold necklace, because she could.
And a bag full of other outfits was resting next to her. She was not wearing one outfit for the trip like the characters in a budget anime.
"Because you can't go around wearing weird stuff like that in places your father isn't in charge," Bulma said. Chichi thrust her head through the curtain, making Bulma jerk back. The curtain hadn't been thrown aside either; Chichi had cut clear through it with the thick blade on her head like a bull goring someone.
"This was modeled after my mother's battle armor!" Chichi whined.
'…Well, it fits that any woman who hooked up with Gyu Mao would be a freak,' Bulma thought. She trembled a bit at the chill from visualizing what sort of hulking woman thing would both marry the Ox King and wear an adult version of that armor.
But Bulma had been saddled as chaperone of this girl by her very scary father, so it was best not to insult his dead wife, lest he smoosh her at a later date.
"Well, that's just it. That kind of armor is appropriate for adults, but you're still a kid. Don't be in such a rush to grow up. You can play up the sexy until you're old, but the cute kid look will be beyond your reach before you know it," Bulma advised.
"Y-you think I'm cute?" Chichi stammered.
"Yes, now try that-" Bulma said.
"Do you think Goku thinks I'm cute?!" Chichi squeaked, blushing.
'If you went on a date with Goku, I'm pretty sure he'd find the dinner more interesting than you,' Bulma thought.
Why must one as rich and beautiful as her be burdened with such subpar traveling companions, Bulma wondered as she tried to steer the would-be warrior princess into wearing pants or at least a dress that went below the knees.
X X X
In due time, Chichi stepped out of the changing booth for the last time, wearing a new outfit for the road.
"I have never worn a dress like this before," Chichi said, plucking at the skirt of the sailor fuku Bulma had picked out. It was a light blue mostly, with a yellow cravat and highlights with black shoes to match.
The girl had insisted on keeping the helmet.
"Well, after twenty rejects, that had better be the one!" Bulma snapped.
"Well, I guess it's okay-" Chichi murmured.
"Excellent, we'll take it," Bulma said, practically warping to the counter to slap zeni on the cash register. The startled shopkeeper blinked as Bulma grabbed the bags and Chichi and started to march out. His eyes fell on the black rabbit ears left on the counter from earlier.
"Wait, miss, don't you need these?" he asked, holding them up.
"What? No. You can keep that bunnygirl outfit; surely you have some closet freaks in this town who will love it."
"…You're not part of the Rabbit Mob?"
"What's a rabbit mob?" Bulma asked.
"Oh, it sounds adorable!" Chichi squeed.
"GET OUT OF MY SHOP, YOU PUNKS!" the shopkeeper bellowed, making both girls cringe.
X X X
"So, there's nothing I can say to have you ditch that dorky helmet?" Bulma pressed as they made their way through the dusty town. Chichi grabbed the helmet on her head protectively.
"It's not dorky, it's cool and keeps me safe!" Chichi insisted.
"Fine, but I still say the right hat would complete the look you have there. Anyway, so you really have no idea about this Rabbit Mob business? You're from these parts, after all."
"No, nothing. I hardly ever left Frypan, save a few trips with my dad. And he's the dreaded Gyu Mao, no bunch of rabbits would give him trouble."
"I guess. Well, it's probably nothing to worry about; after meeting the Ox King, nothing should be able to intimidate me now," Bulma laughed to herself. Turning a corner, they were just in time to see two men in dark great coats making their way down the street. The shorter wider one with dark skin backhanded some old granny who'd gotten too close, while the scrawny pale one puffed on his pipe, not missing a beat as he snatched an apple from a cart.
"What a crappy town. Such rude pedestrians, can't they see where their betters are walking?" Shorty griped.
"Even their produce is a failure," Skinny said, spitting out his first bite of apple and tossing the fruit away.
"Bulma, rabbit ears," Chichi said, tugging on Bulma's pants and pointing. Bulma nodded, frowning; so, it was just a theme name for the local thugs? Well, that was just what you got being in the sticks, she supposed.
"Yeah, must be the local mob. It's not really our business, though. These guys have been at this awhile, so I doubt it's about to escalate-" she said to Chichi
"OHHH! Lookee there, brother, there's a fresh new face."
"Why, so it is. Must be new in town, no way we'd have missed such a prize," the two men grinned widely and adjusted their dark goggles, coming over to Bulma and getting between her and Chichi.
"Hey now, you're the Rabbit Mob, right?" Bulma said, keeping her tone steady, trying to keep an eye on both of them.
"That's right, toots, and if you're passing through, you gotta pay the toll," Skinny said
"But for such a pretty thing like you, we'll give you a discount, one kiss each," the wide one grinned.
"On the lips!" they said together
"How about some money?" Bulma asked, backing up against the wall of the house behind her. She hadn't thought to get more gun capsules with Goku as a bodyguard, how was she going to get out of this she thought, forcing calm.
"Oh, we'll take that too," Skinny clarified
"Hey, she's got clothes in those bags, maybe she could give us a little show, too," his buddy pointed.
"Ugh!" Bulma said, slapping away a gloved hand reaching for her face.
"Feisty."
"Well, she doesn't 'know', does she?"
"Oh, that's right. You gotta do what we say, or you'll really get it. So why don't you just-" the tall thug was cut off, crying out in pain and falling to a knee. Revealing Chichi behind him, fist still extended from where she had punched him in the back of the knee.
"You're not cute bunnies! Ya'll are buncha bad rabbits!" the Frypan princess yelled, her accent fully on display.
"Brat! Here's what you get!" the short thug said, pulling an Uzi to bear from where it had hung from his shoulders. Chichi didn't cower; instead, before Bulma realized it, the girl had taken off her head blade and slashed the gun in half.
"EEEKK! Don't point that at me!" Chichi wailed, snapping the blade back onto her helmet as half the gun fell to the ground.
"Why are you the one screaming, freak!?" the thug screamed, staring at his destroyed weapon.
POW
Bulma was no freak of nature, but she could punch down at a pervert, and sure enough, the paper man crumbled like it was raining, from her hitting him upside the rabbit ears. Shaking her hand out of a fist to get rid of the tingling pain, she moved it into a dusting gesture.
'That bit should make me look at least 20% cooler,' Bulma thought. She didn't smile, instead raising her nose in a well-practiced haughty gesture. The situation had gotten a bit hairy, but it was nothing the amazing Bulma Briefs couldn't handle, she reminded herself.
"Well, looks like they're as dangerous as their rabbit buddies. Come on, Chichi, no sense keeping the boys waiting." Chichi blinked, then lifted her nose in imitation of Bulma and joined the older girl.
The two girls walked off, the tall thug glaring after them and grinding his teeth while his buddy moaned on the ground.
"Stupid girls! You don't know who you're messing with. The Rabbit Mob always gets the last laugh in these parts."
Pulling out a walkie-talkie, he hastily bit the antenna to extend it, before flipping the switch to open the channel.
"Boss! We got troublemakers. You need to come quick! Heheheheh, you two are going to be toast, or should I say, carrots!" the minor villain cackled to himself, unsteadily rising to his feet.
X X X
"Ah, nothing like new clothes and putting perverts in their place to make you feel like a new woman!" Bulma said, stretching her arms overhead. Holding her purchases aloft, she smiled; after the nightmare of the desert, she'd needed something to remind her of how great she was.
"Just make sure you don't lose my armor, okay?" Chichi said, glancing at one of the bags.
'Kid, losing that bit of jailbait would be doing you a favor. But one, I could use another bodyguard, as Oolong is useless, and two, can't have you running to your very big, very scary father whining for my blood.'
"Relax. Speaking of which, wonder if we should get a night in the motel? I haven't bathed properly since the Oolong Express got totaled. Think they have a day spa?" Bulma asked Chichi.
"Aren't you on an urgent quest for love?" Chichi asked, tilting her head.
"A bit of pampering can be quite urgent! As a princess, you should know how women ought to be treated."
"Are you asking to be my servant?" Chichi wondered.
"No, I am not!" Bulma shouted as they reached a gas station, where Oolong was leaning against their machine gun-toting ride, and Goku sat amongst a pile of paper wrappers.
"Geez, guess it's nice to know you show no mercy even to your own kind," Oolong said, leaning against the car, reading a newspaper.
"I'll ignore that jab if you did what you were told," Bulma said.
"Geez, yes. All fueled up and serviced; even got some canned food for the road," Oolong said, as Chichi practically skipped over to Goku.
"So, Goku, what do you think?" the girl asked, twirling on the spot.
"About what?" Goku asked.
"Hahaha! Oh, you're so funny," Chichi said, blushing.
'On the one hand, I should intervene, on the other hand it's not really my problem. She'll figure it out eventually, after all… Right?' Bulma thought.
"Excuse me, miss? The pigman here said you'd be covering the boy's lunch bill," a middle-aged man with a thick mustache wearing the local robes and headwrap style said, handing Bulma a receipt as long as her forearm.
"…Goku!" she shouted, startling the two children, "Why would you eat overpriced gas station food, you idiot!?"
"Because I was hungry."
A new voice broke in, chuckling.
"Kid's got a sense of humor, also it's his lucky day. Yelling at him's the least of your concerns," the squeaky stranger said.
Bulma turned and found herself facing the two rabbit-eared thugs from before, and a white rabbitman a bit shorter than her, wearing shades and the tackiest outfit she had ever seen. It even had one of those neck ruffle collar things.
"I don't know you," Bulma said flatly at this heretic to all things stylish and/or fashionable. He chuckled squeakily again.
"Obviously not. Or you wouldn't have shown such disrespect to my boys here. We're the Rabbit Mob, and I'm Boss Carrot, and among other things we run this town. And before you say you're just passing through, there's a toll. And besides, messing with my boys carries a hefty fine."
"Jeez, this town is just squeezing me out of travel zeni, isn't it?" Bulma rolled her eyes.
"The toll plus penalty comes to one and a half million zeni. Cash only," Boss Carrot said, adjusting his glasses as the sun reflected off the black surfaces.
"How about I give you some udon instead?" Bulma huffed, hands on her hips. The thugs gasped, and Boss Carrot's glasses slid far enough down his nose to reveal pink eyes for a moment.
"Are you… asking me on a da- da- date!?" Boss Carrot stammered. The thugs cheered behind their boss.
"Whoo, you still got it, Boss! That mobster charm works even on city girls, with your confidently expressive masculinity."
"Those white fluffy ears just beckon the women like a siren's call."
Oolong grumbled next to the stunned Bulma as her jaw dropped slightly at the blushing rabbit and cheering hoodlums.
"You know, pigs' ears are quite soft to the touch, too."
"Is love about to conquer all?" Chichi wondered, practically sparkling, hands on her cheeks.
"Enough," Boss Carrot snapped, snapping his fingers. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his glasses, "Get your shipping goggles off, boys. I'm forty-one and she's a middle schooler or something. The Rabbit Mob has standards in its ner-do-wellery."
"Wait, so are we eating udon or not?" Goku asked, tugging on Bulma's pant leg lightly.
"You're not getting any udon! He's not getting any money! And there is definitely going to be no date! IDIOTS! That was supposed to be a lead-in to a pun! I say udon and you'd say 'Udon?' and I'd say 'u don''t get anything' while doing this!" Bulma shouted, before sticking out her tongue and tugging her cheeks wider.
"What's a pun?" Goku asked.
"It's a joke," the short thug answered.
"Oh! I don't get it," Goku said, practically knocking Bulma off her feet in frustration. Whirling on Goku, she crouched down to practically scream in his face.
"Of course you don't get it! Some days I think you'd lose to a radish in an IQ test!"
"…If we might get things back on track?" Boss Carrot asked, taking a step forward.
"Right, go to HFIL, we're leaving," Bulma said to him.
"Well, before you go, in lieu of money, respect and hurt feelings, why don't we just shake on it?" the big bunny said, holding out a white fluffy hand.
"What?" Bulma said flatly.
"Shake? A simple unthreatening handshake before we part ways?" the mobster pressed, extending the hand even further, menacingly.
"As if!" Bulma snorted, swatting the hand away.
"Heheh, tough luck toots, that counts. And your number's up," the rabbit snickered, while his men cackled.
"Bulma, that was rude," Chichi chided.
"What are you even-" Bulma asked, before a puff of smoke erupted around her. A carrot plopped to the hard-packed tan earth as the smoke cleared.
"Ha! Behold the awe-inspiring, terrifying, and otherworldly power of the Rabbit Mob!" The short thug said, as the boss picked up the carrot.
"Anyone the boss touches gets in touch with their inner vegetable. Assuming your inner vegetable is a carrot," the tall thug added.
"Eek! That's just freaky!" Chichi shrieked, hands flying to her mouth.
"I just want to take the time to say tolls are a very sensible business model," Oolong said, wringing his hands.
"Hey, it's not nice to turn people into carrots!" Goku objected, raising his fists.
Nearby, a certain bandit and his shapeshifting hover cat watched with consternation.
"Yeah, that's the legendary Master Carrot, alright. One touch and you're toast," Yamcha gulped, peeking around the building.
"Don't you mean carrots, Lord Yamcha?" Puar asked, floating just above his head.
"I think someone already used that line, Puar. But this is a problem. We need these kids to hunt down the Dragon Balls so we can then steal them from them. We can't expect a bushel of vegetables to deliver the cure to my girl phobia."
"So we step in?" Puar asked.
"Easier said than done, it's a bit late to present myself as the good guy after attacking them before," Yamcha admitted.
Master Carrot smirked as Goku stood before him, fist raised in challenge.
"Oh really, you want a piece of me kid? One step closer, and your girl here is my lunch," the big bunny said, holding up the carrot and opening his mouth wide to display his buckteeth.
"And Goku, you can't touch him or it's the salad bowl for you!" Oolong warned.
"Oh, right. Well in that case-" Goku said, reaching for his power pole, when something went past his ear.
Chichi caught the blade as it flew back to her and popped it back onto her helmet.
Boss Carrot blinked, then screamed, blood gushing from his forearm, which was missing a chunk. The carrot dropped to the ground, blood sprinkling around it as the panicking rabbitman hopped around.
"My arm! You nearly took my arm, ya little gremlin!" Boss Carrot screamed, clutching his hand while his men screamed. Goku rushed forward and grabbed the carrot Bulma.
"Don't worry Bulma, I'm not so fond of veggies," he told the carrot.
"Ewww! Blood is icky! Get rid of it!" Chichi screamed, pressing her index fingers next to the jewel on front of her helmet, letting blaster rays fly.
ZAPBOOM
"WHAT THE-!?"
ZAPBOOM
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
ZAPBOOM
"I SURRENDER! YOU CAN HAVE HER BACK! JUST STOP THAT CRAZY KID!"
ZAPBOOM
"WE SURRENDER TOO! STOP BREAKING OUR TOWN!"
Later:
The Rabbit Mob was tied together on the ground amidst the rubble from Chichi's little rampage. Boss Carrot's ears were drooping even, with his arm bound up and his minions struggling not to touch any exposed part of him.
"So, do we just leave them like this?" Chichi asked Bulma, who was dusting her hands off, looking over her work.
"No, if these townsfolk had the spine for taking care of the trash, someone would have shot this lousy rabbit a long time ago," Bulma said.
"Kid, you are the meanest middle-schooler I ever met," Boss Carrot griped.
"Shut up! I'm a mature sixteen-year-old, not some barely out of diapers middle-schooler!"
"Why not cart them to the nearest big town, this lot may have a bounty on them," Oolong suggested, zeni signs practically popping up in his eyes.
"No delays! I only need one Dragon Ball more, and then it's perfect boyfriend time all the way back to West City," Bulma snapped.
"I've got an idea, it's perfect for these guys," Goku said, stepping forward. Setting his feet next to the three, he planted his power pole in the dirt, grabbed the ropes with his other hand, and commanded his pole to extend.
"Goku?" Buma asked, but he just smiled and chuckled by way of answer as he and the screaming Rabbit Mob rose out of sight.
"Where's he taking them?" Chichi asked Bulma, craning her face up.
"I'm kind of dreading the answer. I miss when my life was boring," Oolong sighed.
Nearby:
"Even the Rabbit Mob was no match for this group," Yamcha said, putting a hand to his brow, trying to track the rising pole.
"Lord Yamcha, maybe this is one of those too high to risk jobs?" Puar asked, gulping.
"No Puar," Yamcha said, leaning a shoulder against the building they were next to, "Those Dragon Balls may be my only shot at curing my girl trouble, and with it attaining my dream to be married with children. A man must be ready to take big risks in pursuit of his dreams!"
"Lord Yamcha, you're so cool!" Puar cheered.
"Besides, seeing Boss Carrot go down like this has me thinking even more it's time to get out of the bandit business. Your business can boom for years and in less than an hour you're being hauled off into the heavens by a crazy strong boy with a monkey tail who's the grandson of a martial arts legend," Yamcha said, holding his chin thoughtfully.
"And that girl is still scary too. The mini one, not the one you're scared of," Puar added.
"That little one is just scary in a different way. I hope she and Goku don't get together; just imagine the kind of epic war god their child would be," Yamcha shuddered at the thought.
Soon:
"You put them on the moon," Bulma stated. Goku was perched on the side of the car, Chichi already buckled up and Oolong in the shotgun seat. Bulma stood next to it, addressing the boy warrior.
"Yep."
"And set them to making candy?"
"For all the good kids in the world. Just like in the story."
"And you all got there by going through outer space?" Bulma asked, stunned.
"What's outer space?" Goku tilted his head.
"…you know what, I'm just going to ignore the crying scientist in my heart so we can move on and get my Dragon Ball," Bulma stated, opening the driver's door. Giku hopped back into the vacant seat next to Chichi, buckling up.
"Okay, on to adventure!" Goku shouted, Chichi cheering.
"Pipe down you two, or no on-road snacks!" Bulma snapped, looking back at them.
"Oh! Showing motherly instinct?" Oolong chuckled from the shotgun seat. The sound of Bulma hitting him over the head was covered by the engine roaring to life and carrying them down the road toward the final Dragon Ball.
Author's Note:
Greetings Readers,
For those waiting on updates for my stories, I thank you for your patience. For the idly curious, thank you for your time.
You may have noticed a slowdown in posting from me. Not just recently, as my posting has slowed over the years. Well, I am here to offer an explanation, having been through an interesting realization upon some earnest reflection on my writing style on this site.
Now, looking back, it's clear my productivity has been slowing for years. Part of that was the switch to longer chapters. Another was losing Nocturne. I really thrived in that partnership, whether we were assisting each other on our own stories, or tag-teaming to make Shadow of the Titans and even tagging in to help the other through a tough patch on a story.
But I now realize there has been another problem. And that is that I essentially abdicated something I never should have to my readers. Namely, a portion too large of the satisfaction and fun of writing.
Since starting here, my system has been to complete chapters, then post them. It only made sense, as it gave me another set of feedback and helped improve the story, I thought. And young as I was, I was eager to show an audience what I could do. While I had goals like writing a story that would get a hundred reviews, I promised I would never hold a story hostage to feedback. The voluntary nature of reviews is what makes them valuable. That people care enough about the story to post a review.
But at some point, whether there was a turning point or just a gradual transition, I came to value reviews too much. Not just the numbers, but the 'quality' of the reviews. I craved reviews that showed what the readers liked or didn't like. Speculation on what stuff meant or what happened next thrilled me. Not a bad thing, but it became too important to me.
Working to make chapters and not getting what I felt deep down were enough reviews left me feeling a failure. Questioning where I went wrong for so few to care who read it or care so little that the reviews were so short and impersonal. I think for a time this spurred me to try and do better, but it was a cup without a bottom, because even if I got what I wanted, that only increased the desire to get it again. And again, and again. I was running up the loose sand dune, no amount of effort would get me to the top, by the very nature of this obstacle.
I think in addition to my restless muse, this is why my number of stories kept expanding. A subconscious belief that if I hit on the right story, I'd get that fix and it would in turn let me address even the previous stories with that gusto. Naturally, it didn't work.
Then a few years ago I got a position as a beta to another writer on another site. That project was magnificent. Though I was beta rather than partner, it was a lot like working with Nocturne again. And the story had a discussion thread where each new chapter ignited not just reaction but discussion, argument, etc. My own stories had to wait as I became more invested in someone else's work, likely overstepping my bounds as beta there, but the writer kindly was gentle in correcting me when I went too far.
That project is in its wind down now, and left me for some time having to come back to my own work. Likely the first step to realization.
Around there, we come to my Saria stories. They were inspired by art from Undeadpenguin over on DA. The sequence of transformation inspired me, and I asked to do a story based on them. I figured a more finite story with the Ocarina of Time adaptation would be a quicker project to invigorate me for the long-running ones. It worked for awhile, especially when communicating with UD. But again, the steam ran out.
And there was how terrible last year was in general. That oddly helped for awhile with production; writing helped relieve stress, it turns out. But that could only do so much.
It was Maggie of Manhattan that I think set me up for my realization. The latest chapter was one I greatly anticipated, with a battle and more divergence from canon. But then just two reviews. Wind, minus sails.
But then something unexpected happened. I was invited to a local writing group. And I couldn't just bring a long-running project there. So, I needed something new. I had been enjoying "Launch Time" by Bobdude17 immensely, and was back in the Dragon Ball mood, and a simple divergence occurred to me. Why not have Chichi tag along with Goku?
So I started writing that. But after getting a chapter's worth of work done, instead of editing for posting, I kept going. That was April,at the end of July, I had over 200k words in the rough draft. And I am still going forward.
The productivity has been unreal. And more than just the joy of writing, of setting goals and reaching them so readily.
By sheer accident, I feel I have stumbled onto a solution to a problem I hadn't owned up to. Namely, placing a burden on my readers to inspire me to press on. I have no place to complain. I have many lovely reviews and even fanarts for works like Hachin and the Ripples series. It was on me to motivate myself and believe in my stories.
And I think by developing the stories like this, I have retaken that. My goal was just to keep going until I ran out of steam. But I haven't yet. I only pauses to write this because one of my feedback people was on vacation. So, I am used that to shift gears into editing for posting.
What does this mean for my other fics? Not sure.
I still plan on taking a break to update The Price for Halloween. And only one stubborn little scene stands between the next Saria chapter and posting, so I'd like to clear that up. Beyond that?
I just don't know. If this stream can carry me to the end of Dragon Ball, I'm inclined to let it. The Z Era will need some more serious planning. And after that, I suppose I will see if this method can yield similar results on my standing projects. In which case, it would be a matter of picking one and seeing it through to completion.
So for that choice, I will probably pick one that's already fairly far along to get in the hopes of getting it done quicker and moving onto another story.
This is new territory for my writing and posting habits. A lot of uncertainty, but I'm also very excited. A joy I hadn't realized was missing has returned to my hobby, and I hope I can share that good feeling with you readers in my works, without overly investing myself in what you have to say, that is.
Thank you for your time.
Longs days and pleasant nights to you all.