Chapter 4: Frying Pan Plain

Goku had been traveling east for about ten minutes, gliding the skies on his cloud as fast as it could go. He nearly lost his balance when he heard a familiar deep voice from behind. "Goku!"

The saiyan snapped a glance over his shoulder, throwing his arms out to balance himself. His eyes widened. "P-Piccolo? What are you doing here?!" Goku cried as the green man caught up to him.

"Morely and Dende asked me to check on you," Piccolo called against the wind, flying beside Goku.

Goku directed his cloud to stop momentarily, turning his attention to Piccolo. "What do you mean? You can't be here right now, Piccolo! I'm busy! Go on, shoo! Go back to Capsule Corp."

Piccolo slowed to a stop in front of him and crossed his arms, his brows furrowed. "I need some excitement, Goku. Besides, can you blame the Nameks for being a bit concerned? From what they saw, it looked like you were rushing off to save the Earth from another extraterrestrial nutjob. Don't think you get to hog the next fight. I want a swing at whatever bozo shows up, too. And you call yourself a friend. It's not like you to be so selfish," the Namek chided with a subtle smirk on his face.

Goku started to hop up and down on his cloud impatiently, looking frantic. "Piccolo! Come on, man. This isn't funny. There are no new space bozos to the best of my knowledge. Please, just head back to Capsule Corp. You're going to mess everything up with your ki. I don't have time for this!" he blared.

"No space bozo, huh? Well, then where's the damn fire?" Piccolo shot back. He seemed to be enjoying their verbal altercation, which worried Goku. It would mean that it would be even harder to get rid of him. Then he pointed at the AV scouter. "And what's that? I sense you're up to something, Goku."

Goku gritted his teeth, his eyes darting east. Vegeta was passing his latitude, flying at full speed it seemed after having sensed Piccolo's ki coming in his direction. He must want to avoid Piccolo, too. Darn it, if I don't hurry… he might disappear again. Gotta ditch Piccolo somehow, Goku thought.

Piccolo followed Goku's gaze and then shut his eyes as if focusing his senses in that direction. "Vegeta, huh? I'm guessing one of two things. Either you saw a city get attacked on the news and you think Vegeta is responsible, or you and Vegeta are meeting up against a new foe. Which is it, Goku?"

Goku narrowed his eyes. "Both of those assumptions are wrong. Go back now!"

Piccolo chuckled. "You're not the boss of me. If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself," he decreed, turning his body eastward. He flashed a mischievous smirk at Goku before blasting off at top speed.

Goku panicked. "Oh, no! Nimbus, follow him. Fast!"

The nimbus cloud darted after Piccolo, who unfortunately already had a several-second headstart. "Piccolo!" Goku cried. "Come back! Please!" His pleas went unacknowledged and he urged the nimbus on faster. After about a minute, it occurred to Goku that Piccolo was faster than the cloud. He was falling behind. Darn it! he internally growled. He went Super Saiyan in an instant and blasted after Piccolo. It took about five seconds to catch up then. He planted himself in front of Piccolo and threw out his arms to stop him. "Piccolo, please stop! Look, I swear it isn't what you think it is. If I promise to give you dibs on the next bad guy that comes to town, will you please go back? You have my word!"

Piccolo stopped in mid-flight, glaring at Goku. His eyes were full of skepticism and he looked low-key pissed that Goku was blocking his path in his super-powered form. The standoff lasted a few seconds before Piccolo pursed his lips. Looking Goku up and down, he seemed to come to a decision. He pointed his claw-tipped index finger right between Goku's eyes accusingly. "If I find out you lied…"

Goku sighed, closing his eyes momentarily as his shoulders dropped. "I'm not lying. You have my word. Please, Piccolo, I'm begging you. I'm doing something important and I have to do it alone," he pleaded, clasping his hands. "And it doesn't involve a new baddie, I swear. The next one is yours."

At last, Piccolo loosened his stance and snorted. "Fine, I'll go back. I'm holding you to your promise, Goku. I get dibs. You only fight if I fall. What should I tell Morely and Dende? They're worried."

Goku frowned. "Tell them everything's under control and I'll fill them in on the details when I get back. There's nothing to worry about, I promise. This is a minor personal issue, no fighting involved."

Piccolo nodded. "Got it. See you, Goku. My apologies for interfering with your… personal issue."

The Namek blasted off westward and, just like that, he was gone. Goku breathed a sigh of relief and called over his nimbus, powering down to normal as he lowered himself onto the cloud. He glanced eastward again and focused. Vegeta's ki was gone, unfortunately, but Goku remembered about the point where it had disappeared. It was in the wilderness area just east of Central City, past the river. "Well," Goku said to himself. "It's going to be harder now, but I'm still determined to find him. Just gotta keep my ki down. We can do this! Here we go, Nimbus!" he declared, launching them off easterly.

…

Later that afternoon, Goku touched down in the area where he sensed that Vegeta's ki had disappeared. He flew around the terrain, which was mostly forest interspersed with meadow clearings. He sniffed the air everywhere he went until, at last, he got a whiff at the edge of a vast river. He hopped down on the ground and looked around. A bare footprint was pressed into the mud on the riverbank, the toes pointing into the water. Goku snapped a finger. Vegeta's back to his old tricks, he thought, plopping down on the ground to think. He rubbed his chin. A few moments later, he glanced northward. The river ran south, flowing down from the cold northern mountain range with the mid-spring ice melt.

Vegeta was traveling north before Piccolo spooked him. I wonder if he had a particular destination… It seemed he was traveling in the direction of North City. It'll take him longer to get there swimming upriver, but he's capable of it. I'll follow the river north. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling in my gut. I have to know what's going on with him. Why is he running from me and everyone? Goku thought, narrowing his eyes with a serious expression as he peered north. His gaze followed the length of the mile-wide river. I'll do this on foot for now. I can run faster than he can swim against a current, even keeping my ki low. I hope my hunch is right and he is traveling with a particular destination. Otherwise, why would he have risked flying and revealing his location to me with his energy output? It makes no sense. There must be somewhere he wants to go badly enough to reveal himself, if only for a little while. Perhaps he hoped he would get there before I showed up since he was flying so fast.

Goku took off along the riverbank, running and jumping through the towering trees as he reached a heavily-forested area. Within an hour, the river started to narrow and the flat land became hilly and then rocky. The Z fighter paused when his nose caught a whiff of something down by the bank at the bottom of some falls. He swung from a tree limb, flipped in the air, and landed like an agile monkey on the ground between a bush and a boulder. Sniffing around, he followed his nose over to the pool at the bottom of the falls, looking up onto the low-lying cliff above. He felt something squash under his boot and glanced down. It was a pile of elongated yellow fruits stuck in the mud, or at least what was left of them. Goku's eyes darted up and saw the fresh fruits hanging in the tree overhead. He looked down and scanned the riverbank. Footsteps. They were just the right length and width to fit Vegeta's feet.

Goku squatted down and picked up a fruit pit, sniffing it. Definitely Vegeta. I guessed right. He was heading north, Goku thought in relief. At least the last few hours had not been a big waste of time. He dropped the fruit pit and followed the footprints with his eyes. They stopped about five feet in at the trunk of the fruit tree. Goku's eyes would have remained on the ground if a bright color spattered on the trunk itself had not caught his eye. A slight sanguine smell was in the air. Goku approached the trunk and looked closely. Red dots on the bark of the tree. Blood. Goku sniffed. Vegeta's blood.

Goku felt his heart sink. He stepped back and surveyed the whole scene, following the footsteps from the river to the tree trunk. With a discerning eye, he took in every detail as he tried to reenact the scene. A stumbling gait, a broken twig on the side of the trunk. If he was not mistaken, it seemed Vegeta had waded up the bank from the depths, jumped a few times to pick some fruit high overhead, devoured the fruit, then stumbled over to the trunk and fallen against it. But why is the blood spattered? What part of his body did it come from? There was none on the ground, just the trunk. Very tiny droplets, as if airborne, had landed on the bark. Beyond the trunk, vegetation took over the ground, masking any additional prints. But Goku followed his nose and other senses. Compressed grass, broken twigs. He had crawled or stumbled. Or perhaps both, one after the other. The Z fighter followed the trail into the forest, up an incline. He climbed boulders. It was a roundabout path, but it eventually led him to the top of the waterfall where the river continued from its mountainous source. Another bare footprint led back into the water. What are you hiding, Vegeta? Goku pursed his lips, his face etched with anxiety.

I have to find him, no matter what. Something is wrong. He needs help. Maybe he thinks he doesn't deserve it, but I'm going to help him whether he likes it or not. Goku continued his journey, leaping and hopping as the terrain became more mountainous. He kept an eye on the rushing waters of the river as it became narrower and the land rockier and steeper. The further north he went, the lower the ambient temperature fell. Within an hour, it was in the lower sixties and the sun leaned westward in the sky.

Goku slowed his pace, worried that he might be passing Vegeta up on his water-bound journey. Anxiety was building up in his core as he tried to take in every detail of what he saw, hoping he would miss no clues. Suddenly, he had to slam on the breaks. His breath caught in his throat when he detected a blip of activity. However, it was not in the direction he was going. It was south, the way he had come from. Goku spun on a dime. Oh, no! I did pass him up. I've got to go back. He launched himself into a full sprint, the wind rushing past his ears and ruffling his hair. By the time he got back to where he sensed Vegeta, he was back at the waterfall where he had discovered evidence of the other saiyan's passing.

Darn it! How did he get back here? Goku thought. Then he slapped himself on the forehead. Curses! I should've put on the scent-masking paste before I left Capsule Corp. What was I thinking? If Vegeta was here after me, he probably smelled me and knows I'm in the area. He balled his fists angrily, trying to keep his energy suppressed against the frustration that threatened to reveal his precise location to his quarry. I'm such a fool. How do I keep messing this up? He's just one person. It shouldn't be this hard to track him down. He collapsed on a boulder, letting his face fall into his hands and growling.

He fell silent, at a total loss. Now Goku had no idea what direction Vegeta might have gone in. He might have turned back south. It was not dark yet though and the AV scouter was useless until nightfall. The sounds of nature surrounded Goku in his state of distress. He heard birds and rustling leaves, but most of all the rush of the river and the roar of the falls. It felt like he had been sitting there forever, trying to decide on his next course of action, but the ambient noises eventually calmed his nerves. It reminded him of his home in the southern mountains. Suddenly, a distant shout broke the peace.

Goku jumped up and ran full speed in the direction of the noise. He darted between trees, over rocks, and even leaped across a chasm. The calls of distress grew louder. "Help! Please, someone, help me! Anyone!" cried the vaguely-familiar gruff voice. It definitely was not Vegeta, but Goku always prioritized answering a cry for help. Goku paused and glanced around, the voice echoing.

He cupped his mouth and called back, "Who is that? Who's there? Where are you?!"

Silence reigned for a moment as if the troubled person was processing the new information that someone was actually nearby. "Over here! Help, please! I can't move! I'm stuck!" came the cry again.

Goku cupped his ear, calculating the direction the voice was coming from. He was surrounded by trees, but it seemed to be slightly northeast. He raced in that direction, passed through a clearing, and then nearly collided with the last thing he was expecting to see–an upside-down furred face. Goku stumbled to a halt, their noses barely touching. The anthro canine jolted in alarm, squeezing his eyes shut.

Goku stumbled backward and landed on his rear in the grass, eyes wide as he looked up at the other fellow who swayed to and fro. He recognized the face from his childhood. "M-Man-Wolf? Is… that you?" Goku blurted in a high-pitched voice, looking him up and down. The shapeshifter was hanging upside-down from a tree, his clothing in tatters. He was battered with one eye swollen shut.

"D-Do I know you? Please, it hurts! My arm is broke. This super-strong humanoid attacked me. He beat me up and then tied me up like this with the tree vines," Man-Wolf declared, squirming.

Goku's eyes widened in alarm. He jumped up, throwing a ki blast at the twisted bunch of vines and deftly caught Man-Wolf before he fell right on his head. He placed the beast man on his feet and started snapping the vines twisted around his hairy body, freeing him from their confines. Goku was careful of the broken arm. "Man-Wolf, I'm so sorry. My name is Goku. I met you once at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, remember? Are you alright? What did the super-strong guy look like?"

"Oh, Goku? I was expecting a guy named Kakarott to come along," Man-Wolf replied, wincing as he cradled his injured forearm. "Yeah, it was this mean guy. He said he was going to give me a good thrashing and leave me hanging as a warning to some guy named Kakarott to stop 'stalking' him. Wait, where's that paper…" he mumbled, groping around his body with his good arm. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground from somewhere in the folds of the beast's tattered clothes.

Goku grabbed it and unfolded it, finding a neatly-typed letter. "Mr. Man-Wolf, you are invited to the All Packs' Moonlit Jubilee at midnight under the Blood Moon on the evening of…"

"No, not that," Man-Wolf interrupted, grabbing the page. He turned it around and handed it back.

Goku saw jerky handwriting. He took it and read it aloud. "Dear F-word-tard, listen here, you persistent little S-word," Goku spoke, drawing his brows angrily and censoring the dirty words as he gleaned the message, "I warned you twice to stop stalking me. This is your last f-ing warning. Keep at it, you'll start finding a trail of dead bodies. Go. The. F. Away. Sincerely, the Last of the Royal Saiyans." Goku slightly crumpled the paper in anger. "Ooh, that… that meanie! Grrr…" he snapped, growling.

Man-Wolf reached out his good hand. "May I have that back please?"

Goku's shoulders fell limp as he handed the paper back to his old acquaintance. "I'm sorry, Man-Wolf. This wouldn't have happened if I'd been more careful. He smelled me down by the river and knew I was after him. He calls me Kakarott, my birth name. I was named Goku by my adoptive grandfather."

Man-Wolf took the paper and stuffed it back into what was left of his clothes, blinking in concern. "So who was that guy? Some kind of runaway convict? What was his problem anyway?"

Goku raised a brow and thought for a moment. "Uh, not exactly a runaway or convict. He… what did he look like when you…?" Goku paused his question as Man-Wolf leaned toward him and took a sniff.

"Hey!" Man-Wolf said. "You have the same kind of simian smell on you that he did. Have you two been playing with monkeys?" He paused, then looked up to meet Goku's confused gaze. "Wait a minute… Goku… That's right, you're the monkey kid! It was because of you that Jackie Chun blasted the moon years ago. I remember! You're a shapeshifter too, aren't you? Well, isn't that something! Say… that guy who attacked me… he smelled like you. Are you the same species? Is that why he went nuts? Because of the blood moon tonight? Oh my… you better find him and quick! The blood rage some of us shifters have can be very dangerous, at least until we learn to control it. I used to be quite a terror myself before Papaya Island. Lucky for me, after the tournament, a group of shifters reached out to me. Now I have a whole community! They taught me everything I needed to know about controlling the blood rage. It was a real life saver! In fact, I'm heading to a special shifter-only event tonight. It's going to be off-the-wall. There'll be games, music, dancing, and shifting contests… not to mention a ton of delicious food and drinks! You should tag along. I'm sure they'll let you in if I vouch for ya!"

Goku's mouth started to water. "Delicious food?" he uttered. Man-Wolf nodded and Goku wiped some drool from his mouth. "Wow, that sounds amazing!" He stopped and blinked. "Gee, Man-Wolf, you're really perceptive. You're right. Vegeta and I… well, we aren't human, but most humans think we are. And yeah, about Vegeta… I'm trying to help him, but he doesn't want my help. It's kinda complicated. Again, I'm sorry that he hurt you… If I hadn't messed up earlier and alerted him to my…"

Man-Wolf put up a paw. "No worries, Goku. It could've been worse, but you better find your packmate before midnight. Go on, don't let me stop you. He went that way!" he declared, pointing north. "Careful though. He looked fierce… with deep circles under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks. He'll be ill-tempered when you find him, so you gotta be prepared. Meanwhile, I'm off to the jubilee."

Goku peered down at Man-Wolf's injured arm. "But… you're hurt. I can't just leave you like this."

Man-Wolf stepped back, shaking his head. "Not to worry, Goku. I'm tough. Besides, once I get to the jubilee grounds in the northwest mountains, there will be a first aid station. Even if there weren't, my bones will reset when I transform into a man at midnight. I'll be fine. I'd be more worried about your friend. I didn't see any blood on him, but I smelled it. His rage is getting out of control. Go find him before it's too late! Here, take my business card," he said, handing one over. Goku took it. "Shoot me an email and I'll have the organizers send you an invite for next year's jubilee. With your friend so close to blood rage, I wouldn't bring him tonight. You gotta have that kind of thing under wraps before you're allowed in for safety reasons," he explained, stepping aside out of Goku's path.

Goku took the card and looked at it. It had a picture of Man-Wolf's smiling (but not-so-handsome) human face on it. "You sell telescopes?" he inquired curiously, looking at the card both front and back.

Man-Wolf nodded. "Yup, and books on astrology and astronomy. I started the business a few years back in South City. Drop by my shop anytime you like," he replied proudly, puffing his chest.

"Thanks!" Goku replied, stuffing the card in a pocket. "Well, I better get going. You sure you're okay?"

Man-Wolf nodded. "Yup, I'm good. It's just a fracture. It was only hurting so much before because it was all twisted up in those vines. Now it's just a dull ache. I can handle it, no problem."

"Alright!" Goku decreed, determination befalling his visage once again. "I'm off! Too bad I have to miss all that delicious food though, but I'll look forward to next year! See you later, friend."

Man-Wolf smiled. "Stop by my shop in a few days, I'll save you some," he offered.

"Really? Thanks! Okay, later, Man-Wolf! I'm gonna go find Vegeta now. See you!" Goku declared, waving goodbye. He sped off in the direction Man-Wolf had indicated.

"You're welcome!" Man-Wolf called after him.

Goku did not look back as he raced through the forest, weaving between massive tree trunks. Checking his GPS, he realized that he was traveling north and slightly east. Where are you headed, Vegeta?

Before long, Goku came upon another branch of the same river. He stopped at the bank and glanced all around. The width of the waterway was narrower, but still plenty wide to accommodate a deft saiyan swimmer. Goku sniffed the air, intent on tracking Vegeta's scent once more. It was faint, but present, which was to be expected at a rushing body of water. He walked upriver slightly and found a footprint, again heading into the water. Goku grinned, disrobed, and hopped into the rushing water buck-naked with a small splash. When he emerged, he started rinsing the dirt and sweat from his body and hair as fast as he could. Then he jumped back out onto a boulder, shaking himself off like a dog.

"Hehe," Goku said to himself. "Now, time for a little scent masking." He reached into the pocket of his discarded gi and pulled out the deodorant paste that Bulma had given him. Once he had completely covered himself with it, including his hair, he pulled out his luggage capsule, pressed the tab, and tossed it. His suitcase appeared in a cloud of white smoke. Kneeling down, he popped it open, dressed in a fresh gi, and transferred his other small things to the pockets of his fresh orange pants. Then he pulled out his laundry bag, stuffed his old clothes in, and shoved it back into the suitcase. He closed and re-encapsulated the suitcase before adding the DynoCap to the other items stored in his pockets.

Goku clenched a fist in determination as he put his AV scouter back on his head and glanced toward the western horizon. The sun hung low to the earth through the forest foliage. It would be dusk soon, he noticed, and the darkness would give Goku a distinct advantage. Look out, V-man. Here I come!

Goku was just about to race upriver when a buzz in his pants made him freeze. He dug out his cell.

Bulma: Goku, sorry bout earlier. I was mad, but not at u. How goes search?

Goku smiled, relieved, though he was still a bit confused. What was it that had gotten her so mad? Was she angry at Vegeta? As much as Goku wanted to find out, he did not want to make another inquiry and risk provoking her fury once again even if he himself was not the target of it. He needed her to be in a calm state of mind for the next few hours in case he required her assistance in any capacity. The saiyan warrior scratched his chin as he pondered the issue, then texted back using his thumbs.

Me: No prob. Still looking. V headed north.

Bulma texted back a thumbs up. Goku shut his phone and sped off toward the rising misty mountains.

…

Al Long had never been so nervous. But he had made a promise to himself that, should he be hired at Capsule Corp, he would set himself free for the first time, even if just for a few hours.

He reaffirmed this promise as he stood topless in the cramped bathroom of the dinky apartment that his parents had rented him for a month. Soon, he would receive a big upgrade and he needed to celebrate. He reminded himself that he was blessed in more ways than one. First, with a small chest for someone of his chromosomal makeup and, second, with a prestigious new career that he knew in his heart would make his dreams come true (assuming, of course, that he did not fuck it all up). He would be careful.

First things had to come first, naturally. His chest was blessedly small. It was a mere B-cup, but it was still noticeable without some minor alterations. Al grabbed the gauze from the medicine cabinet and unraveled a length of it, wrapping it around his slim upper back and then across his mocha nipples. He wound it around many times and kept it taut in the process, sometimes a little too much for comfort. Above all, he did not want anyone to be able to tell by looking at him. He wanted to go out tonight and be himself in public for the first time. To see what it was to live as his authentic self, if only for a night.

Even though he was supposedly going to a safe place, there was still a risk of being recognized and connected to his false public identity. For that reason, he planned to heavily but reversibly alter his appearance. Once he finished binding his chest, he tore off the gauze and tucked the end in under his armpit. Next, he applied a removable black gothic tattoo to the nape of his neck. The meaning of the symbol was clear to him, but he hoped it would be obscure to outsiders. It was a spiked circle with a sharp arrow sticking from the upper right side, a cross from the bottom, and the two combined from the upper left side. He applied the wet tattoo carefully to the back of his neck, removed the backing, and waited patiently for it to dry with the help of a handheld hairdryer. Once he felt that every last bit of moisture had evaporated from his skin, he checked the tattoo over in the mirror. Perfect, he thought.

He used makeup and concealer to add depth and weight to his brows and to square his jaw, a subtle paint job that required countless hours of practice in the basement of a dear childhood friend's house during his middle teens. Unfortunately, just before his 17th birthday, the two of them had been caught in drag together and had never been allowed to see each other again. Al sighed, forcing back tears of remembrance to avoid smudging his makeup. He missed Ashley Fierce with all his heart. Though the name on her birth certificate read 'Ash', he had always secretly called her Ashley. At this point, he had not set eyes on her in over a year, though the two had first met and become inseparable in preschool.

Al knew her date of birth like the back of his hand and he was counting down the days until she reached the age of majority. He wanted them to celebrate their freedom together. Despite her best efforts, Ashley had never excelled in school, perhaps due to her unique presentation of autism and other neurodivergent traits. It had always plagued her in social circles as well as in the classroom. For that reason, Al had worked all the harder at his education in hope of helping Ashley achieve the freedom and independence she so badly needed. He had succeeded and received the phone call of a lifetime from Bulma Briefs herself, telling him that he had been selected as the new Systems Engineer for Capsule Corp. It was a dream come true, but with the dream came immense pressure. This was a massive global conglomerate. With that status also came the need to keep up social appearances. Out of gratitude for what the blue-haired beauty had done for him, he would keep his real self locked away. For the sake of the company and of his generous employers, he would remain... Aloha.

Only in the dark of night would Alpha emerge. Al's heart beat at the thought of Bulma Briefs. She was so overwhelmingly beautiful and intelligent. Something about the cerulean pools in her eyes set his heart on fire, but that feeling especially would have to be kept under lock and key. Bulma deserves the smartest, richest, realest man on Earth, he thought. Not a deformed freak. I could never give her her own natural children, but I can admire her from a distance. I'm well practiced at this. How many humiliating frilly dresses, red lipsticks, and rosy cheeks did I have to endure over the last year to earn back my parents' trust? I can do this. For Ashley's sake, for Bulma's, for as long as it takes. I am Alpha.

Once Al finished his masculinizing makeup, he put on a white wifebeater and a black denim zipper jacket over it. He patted his khakis for his keys and looked in the mirror one last time, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything. Then he gasped. "My ID!" he blared, scrambling out of the bathroom to his nightstand. His bifold wallet sat on the tabletop beside his small twin bed. It was just the right size to fit into one of the pockets on his trousers. He checked inside, seeing his unofficial ID with his real identity on it, Alpha Long. He planned to leave his 'official' ID at the apartment.

He closed the leather wallet and inserted it into his back pocket. He had about thirty thousand Zeni, an amount his parents expected him to pay back with his first paycheck from Capsule Corp. Now he was confident enough to spend it since he had, at last, been officially hired. Once he was ready, he zipped his back pocket shut. He left his cell in his nightstand drawer, knowing that his parents still tracked his location for "safety reasons," and headed out the fire escape of his apartment. He would have used the front door, but he had formed an innate fear of nosy neighbors from his childhood and teen years.

Alpha Long closed the window tight, climbed down the fire escape, snuck through a dark back alley among rundown apartment buildings, and disappeared into the busy bustling streets of West City.

…

Goku checked the clock on his GPS wristband as he rode his cloud further into the northern mountain range. It was a few hours from midnight local time as he neared the mountainous North City.

A cold wind blew and Goku began to shiver. Despite it being springtime, the temperature was dropping and Goku's gi always kept his arms bare. He hugged himself and started briskly rubbing his muscular biceps with his palms to create friction. "Brrrr…" he said to himself. "I wonder how Vegeta's handling the cold." He peered down at the forested mountains as they passed by below. He had instructed his nimbus to remain close to ground level, as it got colder higher up in the Earth's atmosphere.

Every now and again, Goku returned to the ground to check for signs of Vegeta's passing. He appeared to be moving fast on his northward journey, leaving a destructive path in his wake that included many broken tree limbs as he stampeded his way through the thick, untamed, boreal forests.

Goku glanced up, noticing a rim of light on the northern horizon. He raised a brow. Can't be dawn… he thought, checking his GPS. The sun rises in the east, not the north. He sighed in worry. Vegeta has to be going to North City, but the question is why? he wondered as he glanced over his right shoulder. His eyes widened as a huge crimson full moon stared back at him, rising from the east. Wow… Man-Wolf did mention a blood moon tonight. I guess this is what he was talking about. Is it possible that, even without his tail, Vegeta could be affected by it? What about me? I don't feel anything…

As Goku passed over another towering mountain peak, he turned the thermal vision on with his AV scouter again, scanning the range ahead. Several bright orange splotches were dispersed throughout his field of vision, though none were humanoid in shape. What looked like a sabertooth tiger or related panther species prowled midway up a steep mountain ahead. The wind chill began to turn icy and blew much stronger, leaving Goku shivering terribly. Man, I don't know how much more of this I can take.

He reached into his pocket and snapped out his cell phone, hoping that it was not too late on Bulma's side of the globe. He called her number and put the phone to his ear, crossing his fingers for an answer. It did not take long. "Hello?" came the voice of the blue-haired scientist after one and a half rings.

"Hey, Bulma! B-Boy, am I glad you picked up so fast. I n-need to give you an update, plus I seem to have r-run into another r-roadblock," Goku bit out through his chattering teeth.

"Goku, are you alright? You're stuttering."

"Y-Yes, just cold! I'm on V-Vegeta's trail. He's heading to North C-City, but the closer I get, the c-colder it is. I don't know how Vegeta can withstand it. I wish I'd b-brought a coat. Any suggestions?"

"Uh oh!" Bulma replied, taking a moment to think. "Wait, you're heading to North City? I see your location on my computer screen. No worries, Goku, you can get a coat there. Do you have money?"

Another gust of wind blew, making it hard for Goku to hear Bulma's voice. "Do I have what?"

"Don't sweat it, Goku. I can call a shop and buy you a coat with my credit card. Then I'll remotely upload the location to the GPS unit on your wrist. Just hold on a few more minutes. Jump up and down if you have to to keep warm, okay?! Can you hear me, Goku?" Bulma said, speaking louder.

"Yes! Thank you!" Goku replied, then heard the sound of typing as he shivered in the cold. Geez, I'm going to have to land. The wind chill riding on the cloud is too much. Gotta get to the ground. He covered the speaker of his cell phone. "Go down to the ground, Nimbus," he uttered to the cloud as they crested another mountaintop. Suddenly, his eyes widened as a cluster of orange humanoid bodies came into view down in a valley between the mountains on his AV scouter. "A town!" he cried.

"What?"

"Bulma, I think I've found a town. I'm going d-down to check it out. Maybe someone will let me warm up by a f-fire!" Goku exclaimed, pointing the way for his cloud. "That way, Nimbus!"

Bulma cleared her throat. "Do you still need a coat?"

"Let me g-get back to you on that," Goku replied as the wind rushed by his ears upon his descent. He was rapidly approaching the town. As he got closer, the blood moon shone down on the town square with several adults gathered near a frozen fountain in which no water flowed. Goku shut his phone and hopped down from his cloud, landing amidst the locals. "Hiya, folks!" he readily greeted them.

A few women screeched in startlement and the men who were standing closer stepped back. "Who… Who are you?!" asked an old man wearing an ankle-length button-up coat and thick gloves.

"Oh no, not another weirdo!" cried the old woman standing slightly behind him on Goku's right.

There were about fifteen people in the gathering. Several glanced up at the empty starlit sky, apparently wondering where Goku had descended from. There were no trees overhead and no airplanes. "My name is G-Goku and I'm a martial artist from the south," he quickly replied, hopping up and down. At least there was no more wind chill. He was not shivering so bad anymore, but he was still cold. "Do any of you have a coat I can b-borrow? Please, I'm f-freezing!" he proclaimed, rubbing his shoulders.

"A coat?" replied the elder who had first spoken in an inquisitive tone of voice. "We have lots of warm winter coats. If you promise not to rob us, we'll gladly give you one for free."

Goku raised a brow. "Rob you?" he said, blinking in confusion. "Why would I do that?"

A younger lady stepped from the crowd. "Well, the other guy did! One can't be too careful with these skilled martial artists. They seem to get more and more powerful every year and not all of them follow a code of ethics. Isn't that right, Papa?" she said, pulling her headscarf tighter and crossing her arms.

"That's right," agreed the old man. "But this young fellow seems much nicer than the last. I think we can trust him. I have a sixth sense about people, you know. Follow me, Mr. Goku from the south. The other villagers and I were about to head to the lodge to discuss the robbery. There's a roaring fire there at all times. It'll warm you up. Then we can give you some winter clothes and send you on your way."

Goku's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you so much! Hurry, where's this lodge? My fingers feel like ice!"

"This way, everyone," spoke the elder, turning to a path about as wide as a backstreet West City sidewalk that separated the quaint little houses from one another. Smoke ascended from every chimney top in the little moonlit town, though Goku did not spend too much time observing as he raced after the old man. The lodge was a larger-than-average building halfway down the block. It was built of dark aged wood. The elder gentleman beckoned Goku and the others inside through the narrow double-door entrance. A fire was roaring, as promised, in the central lobby and Goku zoomed over to it so fast that the observers would have sworn he had teleported rather than run. "Come on in, my friends. Make yourselves comfortable. Goku, sir, would you like a mug of hot cocoa? The matron of the inn is locally famous for her tasty recipe. It'll warm you right up from the inside," he offered as the others filed into the lobby after Goku, taking off their gloves and jackets. "By the way, my name is Gem Iceman and I'm the village elder." He put an arm around the old woman's shoulders. "This is my wife, Mrs. Jewel Iceman, and that young lady who spoke to you earlier is my only daughter, Ruby Iceman Lupin."

Just as the old man introduced her, Ruby walked up behind Goku and draped her warm, full-length coat over his shoulders to help him warm up faster. "Here you go, Mr. Goku, sir."

"Th-Thanks!" Goku replied, rapidly rubbing his hands together by the fire. "It's nice to meet you all. Sorry to drop in so unexpectedly. Oh, and I would love some hot cocoa. That sounds tasty!"

"I'll go get you some," Ruby declared, hanging her headscarf on one of the many hooks on the far wall. When her hair fell around her, Goku could see that it was a dark rich red color. She disappeared through an open doorway to go carry out her task. Meanwhile, Goku focused on getting his body back to a comfortable temperature. It took a few minutes, but once he started to feel warmer, Goku finally sat back in a big, furry armchair near the fireplace and heaved a sigh of relief. Ruby returned with a large platter covered with steaming mugs, offering one to Goku first. "Here you go, my friend."

"Thanks!" Goku replied, blowing on it before taking a sip. By that time, most of the villagers were settled on the floor cushions and fireside seating. They seemed to have gathered themselves in a semi-circle facing the fireplace. Gem Iceman was on the end, facing Goku. The Z fighter glanced around, taking in everyone's appearance. "So when did this robbery happen and was anyone hurt?" he inquired, bringing the whispered conversations in the group to silence as everyone looked at him.

Mr. Iceman cleared his throat. "It was about twenty minutes ago at my daughter's house. Only my daughter and son-in-law saw the culprit. He broke in when they were asleep. They tried to fend him off with their shotgun, but he was so strong that he snapped the thing in two. Poor dears were terrified! Fortunately, though, he left without hurting anyone after taking a few things. After he disappeared out the door he broke in through, my son-in-law ran to the town square and rang the alarm bell to notify everyone. My daughter followed tracks leading north out of the village, but turned around and came back. You dropped in just as we had all finished gathering. It was quite a surprise!"

A thoughtful look overcame Goku's face. Vegeta must not know that I'm still following him… he thought. Either that, or he was bluffing when he said he would leave a trail of dead bodies. He turned his attention to Ruby. "What did the guy look like? Did he have upward-pointing hair shaped like a candle flame?" he inquired, wanting to confirm his suspicion that Vegeta was responsible.

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. "Why, yes! He did. How did you know? Do you know him?"

Goku nodded. "I'm so sorry, you all. That guy is a friend of mine and he's not in his right mind. I've been tracking him down so I can help him. Again, my apologies. What did he take? Maybe I can pay you for it," he offered, rubbing the back of his neck with a look of abashment on his face.

Ruby rubbed her chin. "What he took was of no great value. He stole my husband's old boots, some socks, a raggedy scarf I knitted years ago, and some food from the fridge. He also broke down the front door, but my husband can fix that. It's not about the money. We called a meeting because he frightened us! Your friend is very scary. Please, go find him right away so he doesn't do anything like that to anyone else," she exclaimed, turning her attention to the elder. "Papa, Goku needs winter clothes. Let's get some for him to use. We should hurry. There's no telling how far his troubled friend got."

"Right!" Gem Iceman replied, jumping to his feet. His wife stood as well to help him. "Goku, my friend, you hold tight. I'll be right back. Is there anything else you need, like food?"

"I would love food!" Goku proclaimed, his mouth watering at the suggestion. "Can I get it to go?"

"Of course," Mr. Iceman replied, patting his smiling spouse's back. "My dear wife will pack you a meal on the go. How does snow bison stew sound to you? My wife's own recipe. She's a great cook!"

"That sounds amazing!"

"We'll be right back," Mr. Iceman decreed as he left the lodge together with his wife.

Goku felt a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and put it to his ear. "Hey, Bulma? Don't worry, I found a town and the people are helping me. Yeah, you don't need to fret over it. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything. Huh? Oh, yes, they did see him. He took a few things, but he didn't hurt anybody. It all happened less than half an hour ago." Goku glanced up at the many faces watching him and listening to his half of the conversation. He smiled and waved. "What? Yes, I'm about to go after him. They're getting me some food and winter clothes. Yeah, yeah, they're hurrying. I'm about to leave, I promise. The name of the town? I don't know." He put his hand over the speaker and addressed the locals. "Hey, what do you all call the town you live in? I didn't see any signs, it was too dark."

Several of the villagers blinked and one answered "Little Valley" as a few others mumbled the same.

"Thanks!" Goku turned his attention back to his phone call. "It's called Little Valley in the northern mountains. We're just south of North City. Yes, I think that's where he's heading. No, I don't know why, but I hope to find out. I promise, Bulma, you'll be the first to know after me. Okay? Okay. Talk to you later then. Thanks for checking in. You have a good night, too. Be safe. Alright, thanks. Bye."

Goku closed his phone and put it away, then melted into the plush chair with a big sigh. Ruby was sitting on a sofa near him. "You look tired," she said. "Do you need a to-go coffee, too? It's getting late already and it looks like you'll be having a very late night. I'd like to help in any way possible."

Goku shook his head. "Nah, coffee always makes me have to go pee. I'll find him faster if I don't have to stop for anything. But thanks! Plus, I'm sure once I get back out, the brisk air will keep me awake."

Ruby nodded, taking another sip of her own cocoa. "As soon as my parents return, I'll show you where your friend's tracks left the village. You can follow them from there. You must be a good tracker!"

Goku smiled bashfully and took a sip of his beverage. "Well, I'm not the worst, that's for sure. Plus, I have a great sense of smell, even in ice-cold weather. Do you villagers like to hunt a lot?"

A bearded man moved over to Ruby's side and sat down, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Hunting is the main way we survive this far north. The farming season is very short right in the last month of summer, so we don't grow a whole lot. We mostly survive on animal meats and fats and have done so for hundreds of years. We also produce a ton of maple syrup that we ship all over the world."

"Ooh!" Goku exclaimed. "Is this where Little Valley maple syrup comes from? I remember, my wife would always use it for breakfast pancakes on Friday mornings. It's so good!"

The couple nodded, a look of pride shining in their eyes. Ruby cleared her throat. "The spring harvest of maple sap is going to start soon. It's too bad you can't stick around to watch us work. It's quite fun."

"Aw, if only…" Goku uttered. "Maybe I'll be able to visit in the future. That sounds great."

Goku only had about five minutes to chat with the other villagers before the elder Icemans returned with his requested items. They helped him get dressed and Mrs. Iceman handed him an oversized thermos that was warm to the touch, but not hot on the exterior, as the group ventured back outside all together to see him off. "There you go, Goku. Good luck in your travels and thank you so much for the visit. It's always nice to meet new friends. Be safe and try to keep your troubled friend safe, too."

"Thanks!" Goku enthusiastically replied, checking out his new duds. They had given him snow pants, an oversized full-length coat, gloves, insulated boots, and a snow hood. The color theme was earthy tones. "This is perfect. I don't feel cold at all. You folks are generous. Have a great maple harvest!"

Ruby showed Goku to the tracks Vegeta had left, one with prints that matched her husband's old boots. She pointed north up an inclining dirt road. "Follow the prints straight that way. That's where he went, up into that big mountain pass. Are you sure you don't need anything else, Goku? What mode of transport are you using? The farther you go, the snowier it'll get. If you're not used to it, you might find it hard to walk through deep snow drifts. We have hovercar capsules, but if we lend you one, we will need that returned later. Hovercars are not cheap, unlike the old boots and scarf your friend took."

Goku blinked at her as he adjusted his snow hood around his neck to not pinch so much. "Oh, I don't need a hovercar. I have a cloud. Thanks!" He turned his attention to the sky and called out, "Flying Nimbus! Come to me!" Moments later, Goku's favorite mode of transportation appeared, stopping in front of him. Goku hopped on, turned around, and sat cross-legged facing the crowd. "Well, I'm off!"

"A nimbus cloud!" Mr. Iceman exclaimed. "Those used to be much more common. I guess we really can trust you, Goku. Only those who are pure of heart can ride those things, according to legends."

"Yeah, it's fun! I got mine when I was a kid. So long, folks!" Goku replied, pointing north. "That way, Nimbus! Hurry or we'll never catch up to him!" he directed just before zooming off. He waved to the dumbfounded villagers as he left. Once they were nothing but specks, he turned his attention to his task and placed his thermos of stew on the cloud behind him. "Good job, Nimbus, follow those tracks."

It took only about ten minutes of flying before Goku spotted city lights in the distance peeking between two tall snow-peaked mountains. "That must be North City," he muttered to himself, peering around at the landscape as it became whiter and whiter. A powerful gust of cold wind blew, forcing Goku to reach back and hold onto his packed meal to prevent it from falling off the cloud. Beyond the city lights, dancing lights in the sky gradually arose over the northern horizon. Goku was stunned at first. "Ooh, I heard about those in a movie once! The Northern Lights, how beautiful they are in real life."

Goku pulled the under-chin portion of his snow hood up and over his nose to prevent his face from getting chapped from the icy weather. He ordered his nimbus to fly lower and hopped down to the ground, the forest trees providing protection from the wind. It seemed to Goku as if Vegeta's scent was growing stronger somehow. It did not take him long to find a bootprint in the sparse snow. A felled sapling had pointed the way to it. Perhaps Vegeta believed he was no longer being followed, as he did not seem to be trying to conceal his tracks. But he still was not flying, likely meaning he did not want to risk giving off an energy signature. Goku likewise would not risk giving off an energy signature, lest Vegeta decide to carry out the threat he had made in the note left on Man-Wolf's person.

Goku jumped back on his nimbus and began to ride through the forest, deftly weaving between trees large and small. He stayed close to the ground, pausing intermittently when he lost the scent trail, only to backtrack slightly and pick it up again soon enough. About fifteen minutes had gone by when Goku started to wonder why he had not reached North City yet. He glanced down at his GPS wristband. North City appeared to be directly to the east of his present location. What's this? the Z fighter thought. So he isn't heading to North City… He seems to be circling around it. Where is he going?

Ten minutes later, they had passed the city. Vegeta seemed to have changed course. He was no longer heading straight north. Now he was going north and slightly west, deeper into the northern mountains. Goku wondered if he had ever even been to this part of the world. He did not recognize the land, though it was night. Midnight was approaching, the blood moon and polar lights illuminating the way.

The further he traveled, the sparser the trees became and the lower the mountains. The frost died away as well as Goku came to what looked like a craggy plain, almost like a desert. Vegeta's prints were still in the ground as snow gave way to gravel, dirt, and then sand. The temperature started to rise, which was odd. He was still heading northward. Goku examined his GPS, using the buttons to zoom in on his current location. Frying Pan Plain, he read from the screen. I swear, that name rings a bell.

Before Goku could figure out when and where he had heard of Frying Pan Plain, he got distracted by his own sweat. Gotta take the coat and gloves off… It's too warm, he thought, shedding his outer clothes. He folded them and placed them on the cloud behind him. This sudden weather change is strange. I can't be far from the North Pole. I wonder if it's just this area that's warm. Seems unnatural.

Vegeta's ki flashed in Goku's mind. He was flying not but a few miles ahead. Goku's eyes narrowed, all thoughts of his present location vanishing. He focused on the way forward. "Top speed, Nimbus!"