The next phase of our story begins two days after the events in Diablo Desert, the landscape phasing out from dry and barren to warm and temperate tropic. Our group of four misfit travelers continue to ride in the little red car gifted to them by Yamcha and Puar, who are secretly tailing them using a homing device hidden within the vehicle. Whether this will be found out later is left to the imagination, for the main focus is trekking to Frypan Mountain to find the next Dragon Ball...
"How much longer until we get there?"
"Not long enough."
"Are you still scared of that silly old legend?...It's not real, you know. I mean listen to yourself; seriously, how can a whole mountain be on fire?"
Melita - dressed in her seaweed green attire again - agrees with Bulma's skepticism.
"She does have a point. Fires do die out eventually."
Oolong sighs from the driver's seat,
"Great, I'm stuck with a couple of nonbelievars. Well you just wait and see it for yurselves."
Bulma scoffs...but then notices a shift in the atmospheric temperature.
"I gotta admit though, it is getting hotter all of the sudden..."
She starts fanning herself, and Goku points ahead at something in the distance.
"Look at the sunset! Is it ever bright...!"
The honey-blond peeks up over the left side of his seat for a closer look.
"Huh?...Wait, that doesn't make any sense. It's too early for the sun to set."
The coral pink swine exclaims,
"That's 'cause it's not the sun; that's Frypan Mountain!"
The closer the red car got, the easier it was for the occupants to see the very large and heavily-flaming mountain. Bulma is positively stupefied, and Goku and Melita aren't too far behind.
"Gayh! No way! I can't believe it!"
"Wow!"
"Incredible...!"
...Panning back a couple yards in the green vehicle belonging to our desert thieves, Yamcha tells Puar,
"Better ease back, my friend. We don't wanna be spotted just yet."
"Right."
...
...
The red car soon parks at the end of the path, opening to what appears to be a village set away from the raging bonfire that is the distant mountain.
"Well, here it is. Frypan Mountain, formerly known as Pleasant Mountain."
Everyone exits the vehicle, and Bulma's jaw goes slack as she takes the spectacle in.
"Ah! Wow...! I've never seen anything like it!"
Goku and Melita are in awe as they watch the flames dancing on the mountain from atop the car's roof...
"I dunno about you guys, but I've seen enough. I'm ready to go."
The bluenette wearing the sexy bunny costume isn't ready to give up, despite any premature worries regarding their current environment.
"We have to get the Dragon Ball first, Oolong. No silly bonfire's gonna scare me away."
"A towerin' mountain engulfed in eternal flames doesn't scare you, huh? Well it sure scares the sausage outta me! Besides, the evil Ox King Gyū-Maō lives here and he'll have our heads!"
The water nymph with cotton candy pink irises hums,
"I dunno if this Ox King is really evil. Maybe he used to live on the mountain, but now that he can't, he's taking his anger out on the world. It's not nice that he's scaring people, but I can sort-of understand why."
"Well you're right about one thing: he did used ta live on the mountain."
Oolong points to the tip of the distant fiery rock formation.
"Up there's his castle."
"A castle? So he really is royalty."
"That's right, but they say even he can't reach it now 'cause of the flames. It's said to be overflowin' with gold, silver and other treasures he looted from all over the land. Thousands have tried t' steal it, but he keeps a constant vigil...and none have returned alive, 'least as far as I heard."
"Oh..."
Bulma muses aloud,
"Then the sixth Dragon Ball must be up there with his treasure."
"Probably, and it's all yours...if you can get past the fiercest giant in the world and pass through a great wall of fire!?"
Melita comments with a nonplussed expression,
"Your sarcasm truly has no limits, Oolong," and Goku asks,
"So how come the Ox King set the mountain on fire in the first place?"
The humanoid pig explains,
"No, no, he didn' start it, kid. See, ten years ago, he paid a magical wizard to create a fire that would protect his castle from thieves, but then i' raged out of control when he was on a picnic with his kid. They've been stuck on the outside ever since. Of course, some folks know the event through a legend moniker, talkin' about a fire spirit fallin' from the heavens, or somethin' of the like..."
Looking back at the mountain, Melita thinks to herself,
Then it's true that fire magic is the most dangerous of all elemental magic.
It's like a bottomless stomach: it will never be satisfied no matter how much it consumes.
Bulma comments with a raised brow,
"You sure know alot about the mountain and the Ox King..."
"What, you mean they didn't teach ya about it in school?...Anyway, you get the point, right, so let's get!"
Oolong zips into the little red car, intent on making a break from this area. Bulma shouts in a reprimand,
"You're the biggest coward I know!"
"Well I know why you're not scared: you think Goku or heck, tha' even Melita's gonna protect you, but fact is neither of 'em are any match for Gyū-Maō!"
Having hopped down to the ground a minute ago, the boy with the monkey tail folds his arms and voices his view on the subject.
"My grandpa taught me how to be fearless, so I'm not scared."
He glances at Melita and asks,
"What about you? Did Master Rōshi teach you to be brave?"
"Well, he and Turtle taught me that it's okay to feel scared, but not to let it overwhelm me. (Smile) Besides, how can I be scared when I'm with friends like you and Bulma?"
Goku and the bluenette smile at the honey-blond's logic.
Unfortunately, this doesn't move Oolong to rethink his lack of confidence.
"Yeah? Well I'll show ya what my grandpa taught me, squirts!"
He then revs up the engine, and starts his attempt for a speedy getaway.
"Hey, get back here!"
"...Let's give 'im a head start."
Eyeing Goku in confusion, Bulma then forms an expression of realization...which shifts into a mischievous smile to match his.
Why Goku~, you scamp.
Knowing what they were about to do, Melita just covers her eyes with a sigh.
I'm not going to like this, but I guess it's the only way...
Five seconds later, a small chorus of the 'Sweee-swee-swee' whistle rings into the air, forcing Oolong to slam the brakes and rush out of the car to the nearest bush so he can - for lack of a better term - evacuate his bowels.
Aw confound it, I totally forgot about tha' stupid candy!
Moving back a ways, we catch up with Yamcha and Puar as they wait for the car they're tracking to get going again.
(...Beep, beep, beep)
"Look, Yamcha: they're on the move again."
The young man with long black hair looks at his car's radar, then peers into the distance to watch a few familiar figures move into the vehicle he gave them a few days ago.
"You're right, Puar, and it looks like they're heading straight for Frypan Mountain...I'll bet that means the sixth Dragon Ball is up there in the Ox King's castle."
"Ah! Oh well that Dragon Ball's definitely lost."
"Oh? So you don't think they have a chance?"
"Well actually, they have two chances: slim, and none. Between that fire and the indomitable Gyū-Maō, that Dragon Ball's as good as gone."
Yamcha isn't one-hundred percent on board with his friend's opinion, but the small smirk he forms doesn't reflect complete disagreement.
"Well I suppose you're probably right, but let's stick around for the show."
"And just what show is that, master?"
"Keh, come on, that kid Goku is so confident, I imagine he'll try and take on the Ox King. Don'chya agree?"
"Hm...Mhm, I suppose so."
"And I heard that his grandfather and Gyū-Maō were once disciples of the same invincible old master...so it's possible that Goku could have it in for the demon of that mountain...I think it would serve us well to see what happens."
"...Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"Huh?!"
"Wha-?"
Turning around to the sound of a child's scream, Yamcha's eyes lock onto a rather terrifying scenario on the approach: a purple tyrannosaur chasing after a young girl!
Oh my gosh!
Zooming in on said girl, we see she's about four foot five, has light peachy ivory skin, mid-back long black hair with short square-cut bangs, and onyx irises. On her body is an ultramarine blue armor-like bikini matching her socks and choker necklace, carnation pink boots, gloves and a helmet with an off-white curvy blade on top, and a sea green cape.
Tears fly from her eyes as she struggles to maintain a fast pace, her carnivorous pursuer getting all the closer.
Oh no, oh no, oh no...!
"Git, boy!"
...Suddenly, she slides to a stop, and grips the sides of the curved blade atop her helmet, before slinging it forward like a boomerang to try a more offensive defense.
"Don'chya dare, (thrust) come no closer!"
(Sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-SWOK-SWOK)
Miraculously, the attack is a success, completely decapitating the sharp-toothed dino!...Though as soon as her weapon latches back onto her helmet, the little blackette becomes grossed out by the new carnage.
"Hah, hah...Ak! Eee-yecch! Ooo, this is jes' too dang freaky!"
She reaches up to press her fingers near the sides of a circle located in the front-middle of the helmet.
"Gi' outta here!"
(BZZZZZ-KA-BOOM)
And in another shocking turn, she uses a laser to blow the giant corpse up!
...This was of course witnessed by our slack-jawed desert duo.
"Now I've seen everything...!"
"I don't think she even had her eyes open! Do you?"
The tween runs away crying, only to stop when she blindly meets up with her small audience.
"Huh?"
Yamcha offers her a kind smile and compliments her effectiveness.
"Hey, nice work."
"Yaaa-hh! It's jes' one menace after another today!"
She tries to blast him with her helmet's laser, and he and Puar barely dodge it in a leap.
"Gyah! (Glare) Hey, watch out!"
The bandit then whacks his fist against the back of her neck in self-defense, knocking her out. Wiping his palms, he mutters in half-disbelief,
"That girl's dangerous...Alright, Puar, we've wasted enough time here already. We better get back on the road."
On that note, the pair leave in the car...though the little feline couldn't help but ask,
"That girl was real cute, Yamcha, so why didn't you get scared and run away?"
"The same reason why I wasn't scared of the little girl that fought with Goku. What was her name?...Melita. It's only girls my age that make me nervous."
"...Oh. That makes sense, I guess."
Melita's POV
Once we collected Oolong after his-erm, forced bathroom break, we all get back in the car and drive closer to Frypan Mountain...Actually, let me more specific: we stop in the village below the mountain, and compared to Aru, it's very obvious this place has been abandoned for a long time now. Wrecked buildings and a couple animal skulls are scattered over the hot cobblestone, a sight which brings sadness to my heart.
Probably got too hot for anyone to live comfortably here, including the wildlife...
I hope they're safe somewhere from the flames and smoke.
"Geez! It's so stinkin' hot...!"
Oolong shushes Bulma with a lower volume,
"Don't shout, you idiot! What if the Ox King hears ya?"
She eyes him with a small scowl, but it fades away as she looks up at the mountain again.
"Wow, that sure is a massive fireball...and there at the tip-top. That must be the castle."
I ask her,
"Does your radar say the Dragon Ball's up there?"
She pulls it out and checks:
"Hm...yep, looks like it. Now the only question is how do we get it down from there. (Looks at me) Say, you wouldn't be able to use some water magic to put out the fire, would you?"
I shake my head and reply,
"Sorry, but no. This is way too big for a little nymph like me to handle."
Though, that does make me wonder: why haven't any other nymphs tried to put it out?
...Were they driven off? Is the wizard spell that strong?
"Hm, too bad...Hey, Goku!"
I snap out of my growing list of questions when Bulma suddenly calls Goku to attention.
"Do you think you can fly up there and get that Dragon Ball?"
Oh! With Kinto'un?...That might be possible.
He turns around with a skull in his hand, and puts it in front of his face before replying with a funny voice,
"I tried that once, and look what happened~!"
Though the joke is a bit morbid, I couldn't help but giggle thanks to his goofy smile. Bulma laughs too, calling him crazy in a lighthearted way...Jokes aside, he catches onto the proposal, and cups his hands together to call for the friendly yellow cloud.
"Kinto'uuun!"
Oolong exclaims,
"Daoooh, now you've done it; the Ox King heard that for sure!"
I tell him,
"Well if he did, I'll try to reason with the king before he attacks us. Does that make you feel better?"
"Hardly!"
I just sigh and turn away from the nervous pig, focusing on Goku as he hops aboard Kinto'un to start a fast flight towards the mountain.
"Get that Dragon Ball, Gokuuu!"
"And don't take too long, okaaay?!"
I fold my hands and pray for a safe journey as I watch his figure get closer to the top of the flames.
Please be careful...Ah!
But these magical flames were no mere hearsay: one suddenly stretches itself higher, hitting Goku and Kinto'un dead-on! They're forced to retreat, and my friend jumps off the cloud without warning partway to drop into a nearby pond...
"Oh no!"
I make a run for the pond, but don't miss Bulma and Oolong exclaiming,
"Yaaargh! He's such a wuss!"
"See?! I told you so; it's no use! Can we get outta here?!"
I scowl a bit over their lack of concern:
They should be worried that he almost got barbecued! Honestly...
I make it to the pond just as Goku resurfaces, and jump in without a care to swim over and meet him in the middle.
"Hah, hah, hah..."
"Are you okay, Goku?"
He looks at me and replies,
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine...but I might'a singed my tail a bit..."
Said appendage pops out a second later, the tip a little burnt.
I murmur a sound of worry, and gently reach out to touch it.
"Oh Goku..."
"It's okay; it'll heal quick...Huh. Y'know, I think you're the first person who's ever touched my tail before."
I look up in surprise:
"Really?"
"Yeah. Well, except for grandpa, but he was usually pretty careful, just like you're being...Then there was this washin'-up incident with Bulma a few days before we met you-"
I let go of the furry appendage and hold up a hand with an awkward smile.
"Uhm, I, don't think I need to know the details, as long as you two weren't doing anything you shouldn't..."
"Nah. She was just showin' me how big city people take baths, and she thought my tail was fake."
"Oh. Okay."
I guess he and his grandpa didn't have modern indoor plumbing...
We begin swimming for shore, and I ask curiously,
"So is your tail super sensitive?"
"Yep. If somebody were to grab i' too hard, I lose all my power."
"Really?...Gosh, that sounds really annoying. Have you considered training to overcome it?"
We pull ourselves up onto the grass as he replies,
"I've been trying, but I don't think I've found the right routine yet."
"Hm...Well I'm sure you'll find the right rhythm as long as you don't give up."
"Heheh, thanks."
"...Aaaaaaaah!"
"Heeeelp!"
We dart our heads up on alert when we hear our friends screaming.
"That was Bulma and Oolong!...Hh! Uh oh. What if it's the Ox King?"
"Well we aren't gonna find out standin' here."
Goku brings out Nyoibō, and reaches his free right hand to me.
"Hold onto me and don't let go."
"U-Uh, okay."
I take the offered hand, feeling a strange, fluttery emotion pass through me as soon as our fingers thread. It increases all the more when Goku pulls me against his side, letting go of my hand and wrapping his arm around my waist instead. I swear I felt his tail do the same, but I could be mistaken.
Uh-h! Wh-What?...What am I, feeling...?
"Nyoibō, extend!"
The second that command is uttered, the pole-arm works its magic, stretching high into the air before the momentum swings us forward like in those Olympic shows I saw on TV a few times. I let out a cry as I cling to Goku a bit tighter, and I feel him smile before he reassures me,
"Don't worry. I won't drop ya."
His positive tone calms me down, and I reopen my eyes to catch a brief glimpse of the land from above. I know I've been high in the air before thanks to Kinto'un, but there's something more thrilling about a quick trip with Nyoibō...Anyway, we land on the ground in record time, and our friends smile in relief upon seeing us. Goku tells them,
"It looks like it's gonna be tougher than we thought gettin' into that castle."
"Ah-ha!"
We turn our attention to the roguish exclaim, meeting eyes with a rather big bearded man dressed in clothes that make me think of a viking.
"I knew it! You're just stinkin' treasure hunters!"
Ooh dear! I think we've just met the Ox King...!
Goku calmly replies,
"That's not true, sir."
"Whaddo you know about truth, ya little thief?!"
He tries to swing his big axe our way, and we scramble to jump back in a dodge.
We do it several more times, Bulma cheering us all the while.
"Atta boy, Goku; that's it, Melita! Keep 'im off-balance! Woooo!"
After three more swings and misses, the axe lands in the stone ground, giving us an opening to jump up and attempt a counterattack. I kick his left shoulder while Goku aims for his chest, but even our combined strength isn't enough to topple him.
He's like a brick wall...!
We fall back a couple feet, and Goku mutters,
"Time to get serious," before calling our cloudy friend to us.
"Kinto'un!"
We jump aboard as soon as she arrives, and begin flying around and around and around and around and-I'm just gonna stop there; you get the idea, until the Ox King gets really dizzy. Once he's disoriented, we stop behind him so Goku can try and kick him from behind...only for nothing to happen.
"Grh! This guy's a rock!"
I hum in agreement as he lands back beside me atop Kinto'un, and Oolong tries to protest against any further action.
"Are you two crazy?! Get outta there; you can't beat the Ox King!"
We just give him a blank stare, before turning attention to the man before us.
"So you are the Ox King, right?"
He nods at my question, and Goku forms an impressed smile before commenting,
"Wow. No wonder you're so strong."
The Ox King then points at Kinto'un, stating a bit more thoughtfully than I expected,
"I've heard abou' that cloud. You couldn't ride i' if you stole it, so who gave i' to ya?"
I reply,
"He got it from my grandpa, Muten Rōshi, and myself technically. He's also known as the Turtle Hermit."
"Muten Rōshi?...Why, he was my old master! And you're his granddaughter?"
"Uh-huh. He adopted me when I was a baby."
"Well how 'bout that. Does that mean you know where I can find him?"
"Uhm, sure. The island shouldn't be too far away. (Glance) Hey, Bulma? Is the beach where you, Goku and I met far from here?"
She calls back,
"Shouldn't be since we only traveled for a few days before reaching Diablo."
"Alright."
A grin of happiness spreads onto the Ox-King's face as he suddenly starts dancing in anticipation.
"Whoo-hoo, yeah! I'll be able to get back into my castle! Oh boy, oh boy!...Hm?"
He then focuses on a certain weapon that Goku possesses.
"That staff y' got...Is that the Nyoibō...?"
"Wow, you're good! (Smile) My grandpa gave it to me before he died."
"Hmm, that's interesting...Was his name Son Gohan?"
Goku nods, and the Ox Kings says,
"Aha! Your Grandpa Gohan once tried to break that staff on my head."
"Huh? You mean you and my grandpa used to fight eachother?...Why were you two fighting?"
"Because we were like brothers. Your grandpa was the first pupil chosen by Master Rōshi and I have the honor of bein' the second."
I hum in thought,
So that means I'm technically his third...
I sometimes forget that grandpa is much older than he appears...and how selective his standards can be...
"Aah, so you're Gohan's grandson?"
"Yeah! My name is Goku."
"That's a fine name, Goku. (Glance) And what about you, little lady?"
I reply with a polite bow,
"My name is Melita."
"Another fine name...Alright. That's enough talk of the good ol' days. There's somethin' important I want to ask of you, Goku and Melita."
We ask him,
"What is it?"
"Accordin' to sources that shall go unnamed, I might be able to put out that big mountain fire with a special item called the Banshō-sen that my old master currently owns...Cou'jyou make a quick fly-by on tha' little cloud of yours to borrow it and bring it back here?"
We look at eachother for a short moment, then turn back to smile at the large man and nod,
"Sure thing,"
"And, could we ask for something in return?"
"Hm? Yes, anything you ask."
Goku brings out his Four-Star Ball from his carry pouch to show the Ox King. On a side note, I've been tucking it away with the other Dragon Balls inside my hoi-poi capsule every night since Diablo Desert, just to keep them safe.
"We've been collectin' these, and we think you have one."
"Hm...Oh yes, I think I've seen one in my castle! Of course you can have it, my new little friends."
We beam at him gratefully, Goku even shooting a peace sign at the Ox King in good will.
"Aw thanks, aheehe."
"Truly. Thank you so much."
Bulma comes out of hiding from behind a rock, praising us for securing another Dragon Ball. Well, sort-of.
"Great job, you two!"
We then decide to get going while the thought is still fresh.
"We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Stay safe from the fire."
The Ox King calls us to a stop before we could get moving.
"Wait! There's somethin' you should know."
We turn around to face him as he informs us,
"Why just yesterday, I sent my only daughter Chi-Chi to retrieve the Banshō-sen for me, but, now I'm worried, because I feel somethin' awful has happened to her. Please, Goku, Melita, find my daughter Chi-Chi and bring her back safely to me!"
I reply reassuringly,
"Of course, sir. We'll keep an eye out for her and take her with us when we go see grandpa...What does she look like?"
He pulls out a photograph from behind his breastplate.
"Here's a picture of Chi-Chi."
I soak in the image of a girl around our age with long black hair, dark eyes, creamy skin and dressed in blue and pink.
Pretty...
Oolong has a similar opinion:
"Wow, all thing's considered, she's quite the looker!"
Goku then says,
"Don't worry, Mister Ox King. We'll have Chi-Chi and the Banshō-sen here in no time."
On that note, we take to the skies, and I catch the following calls from the Ox King and Bulma.
"Good luck, young ones!"
"Be careful, Goku and Melita!"
...As we get further away from the mountain, Goku asks me,
"So where should we start lookin', Meli?"
"Hm...Oh! I remember catching the echo of a faint kaboom in that area we were in before we drove into the village. (Points) It came from that way, I think. I dunno if it was Chi-Chi, but it's worth a look."
"Sounds like a plan. That way it is."
Yamcha's POV
Oooh man, oh man, oh man, what's with me getting the worst luck lately?!
After learning that not only did that kid Goku's grandpa and Gyū-Maō have old not-so-hostile connections, but the girl I had a brief scuffle with is actually the latter's child, Puar and I scramble for the car to barrel back to the spot we left her at. I mean, I'm positive I didn't hit her too hard above knocking her out, but I am bigger and stronger than she is...and there's no telling who or what else could've tried to jump her while we were gone.
"Puar, the next time I try to smack the daughter of some huge giant, please stop me!...Hey! There she is!"
Hope returns when I see that she's okay, although it looks like I did knock her out better than I thought.
"Uh oh! She hasn't moved a muscle."
"Come on, Puar!"
We stop the car, and I jump out to kneel by her side and lift her into my arms to gently shake.
"Hey, a-are you alright? Please say you're alright!"
...A few breaths escape her, making me sigh in relief.
"Aah. She's breathing, Puar. She's alive."
Her eyes blink open...and once she's fully in tune with the world again, she gasps and jumps out of my arms, frightened and poised to attack. I hold out my hands defensively and try to coax her to calm down.
"W-Wait, don't shoot, Chi-Chi! I'm a friend!"
"Huh?! How'do you know my name is Chi-Chi...?"
Hm, how do I go forward from here?...I got it!
Forming a smile, I say to her with all the charm I can muster,
"Ah, well, let's just say I'm a secret admirer of yours. I didn't want to hurt you earlier, but you left me no choice."
"Oh?"
"If you really wanna know the truth, my darling, I'm in love with you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, truly."
...I feel my expression fall as I turn my back to her, cringing,
Ugh, can't believe I laid it that thick to a young girl. Should've played the friendly stranger, not the mystery man...
Despite my own mixed opinion, Chi-Chi seems to like my charm.
"Wow! You're in love with me? Oh-hoh, with me?...!"
"Ah, of course. I, really am..."
"Are you tellin' the truth?"
Since it's too late to go back and dial it down, I keep up the act and turn to face her again.
"Look at this face. Is this the face of a liar?"
...And it all falls apart because of my stupid missing tooth.
"Oh my, you look funny. Is, tha' tooth gonna grow back in?"
Grh! Curse, that, stupid, Goku...!
Puar tries to keep me in a calm place before I lose my cool.
"Remember the Ox King, Yamcha. We don't wanna blow this little charade."
I nod with gritted teeth, and Chi-Chi says to me in a wistful manner,
"Y'know, you're the first boy to ever say that he loves me."
I turn to her curiously...only to spot a cloud of all things carrying two familiar young faces.
Uh! Goku and Melita?!
"Doh, why does that not surprise me?...Let's get outta here, Puar!"
"Right!"
We make a break for it in our car, heading back in the direction of that abandoned village.
Between Gyū-Maō and those two, I think I'd rather face the former.
...And now that I think about, this does get me out of a rather awkward position.
Sorry, Chi-Chi.
No POV
Chi-Chi continues to gush over this new development in her social life, her cheeks glowing a soft orange-red all the while.
"Oh my, this is all happenin' so fast. I just dunno what to think!...I read about i' in a magazine once: when you're in love, you're s'posed to go on a 'date'-mh, and you hold hands...Eeeee! I can't stand it...!"
She lets out a dry bawl, overwhelmed by her flustered emotions...only to stop at the sound of a revving engine.
Looking up from her palms, she watches Yamcha and Puar disappear across the green.
"Wha' the...? Hey, I wonder where he's goin'. I thought he loved me...Oh, I know! He must be the shy type. How romantic...Hm?"
Chi-Chi then turns around to the sound of whistling wind, only to meet eyes with Goku and Melita atop the infamous Kinto'un.
Huh?
"Hi there!"
"Are you Chi-Chi?"
"Yes I am, but I don't think I know who either of you are."
She focuses on the young male as he and his partner move to hover just a few inches off the ground in front of her.
"You're the second boy t'day that knows my name is Chi-Chi...Ah! I get it! You must be in love with me too!"
Goku only offers a confused expression to that claim, while Melita explains,
"Uhm, actually, we know you through your father, Gyū-Maō."
"O-Oh really?...Hm...Actually, that makes a bi' more sense. Plus I'm not even sure my papa will let me have a boyfriend yet..."
Goku chimes in with a kind smile,
"Well don't worry about that. He sent us to find ya so we can go Master Rōshi's and borrow the Banshō-sen."
Melita nods in confirmation, and Chi-Chi smiles gratefully at the pair.
"Really?! That's so sweet of you two!"
"Just hop onto Kinto'un and we'll get there in a flash."
"You mean I can actually ride on this thing without falling?"
Goku nods,
"Well sure! But you do hafta have a pure heart..."
"Heehee, then I'm definitely on! When your papa's the Ox King, you always behave well."
The blackette in the blue bikini then proceeds to try and pull herself aboard...
"Here, give me your hand."
"Oh, thanks."
Melita helps steady the other girl atop Kinto'un, and they settle themselves beside eachother and directly behind Goku.
"Okay, we're ready."
"Great. Here we go!"
The golden yellow cloud zooms into the high skies, the momentum making Chi-Chi feel jittery and nervous...
"Hey, don't worry."
She turns to meet the kind pink eyes of the water nymph.
"Just relax your stance and keep holding my hand. It's easy."
"Ahm, right."
She thinks to herself as she slowly does as she's told,
She's so brave. I don't think I remember any girls back home as brave as her.
(...Smile) I wonder if we can become friends.
Meanwhile, back in the field, we catch up with Yamcha and Puar, who apparently didn't retreat too far so they could watch the interaction between the children...
"What do we do now, Yamcha?"
"Just what we're doin'. They'll return to take the sixth Dragon Ball from the castle...and when they get the seventh ball for us, then we'll make our move."
"Huh?"
"I think I figured out that kid's weakness: his monkey tail. I remember he made an effort to keep it out of my reach during our fights...So I'm bettin' if I grab it, he'll be that much more vulnerable, (swipe) to my Wolf Fang Fist."
Puar smiles at their friend's deduction:
"Oh! That's a good theory, master!...So then what about that little girl, Melita?"
"She'll be easier to subdue once Goku's knocked flat. It's clear she cares about him very much, so..."
"Right. She may be willing to negotiate if he's bruised enough...Wow, you really thought this one through."
"Keh, you expect anything less from me?"
Yamcha adds to himself as an afterthought,
And even if she tries to go on the offensive, I'll just make sure to pin her as quickly as possible.
She's not half as dangerous as Chi-Chi is with her helmet, but Melita's pretty quick on her feet.
...Makes me wonder what sort of training she's getting from the Turtle Hermit...
Catching up with the granddaughter of said martial arts master, she, Goku and Chi-Chi pass over Diablo Desert as the girls chat a bit to get to know one another...
"Wow! Really? You're a water nymph? But you look so human...!"
"Heehee, I do, don't I? As far as I know, all nymphs will usually look about the same as a regular human. We just have a few extra quirks."
"Incredible. And you're bein' raised by my papa's martial arts teacher?"
"That's right, (glance) and Goku's grandfather was another student my grandpa taught around the same time."
"Ooh! I think papa mentioned him in some stories he's told me. His name was, Son Gohan, right?"
The boy with the monkey tail nods with a smile over his shoulder,
"You got it!"
"Hm...So how is it that your grandpas and my papa knew eachother, but we only met today?"
A curious frown etches onto the male blackette and the honey-blond...before they both shrug,
"No idea."
"Huh...Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad I got to mee'ya two today."
"Me too."
"Same here...Hey Meli, are we headin' in the right direction for your house?"
She replies to Goku uncertainly as she glances around the landscape,
"Uuhm...I'm actually not sure. I've never been this far from the ocean, but I think we're near the beach where we met."
"Hm...Maybe we should find someone and ask for directions."
The trio do just that as soon as they reach the sea, speaking with a dolphin when they pop their head out of the deep, crystalline blue water...
"Excuse me. Can you tell us where Muten Rōshi lives?"
"Muten Rōshi? Yeah! (Points) You just keep going in that direction and you can't miss his little island."
"Thank you. Buh-bye now!"
As they fly away, Chi-Chi mutters in surprise,
"I've never seen a fish like that," and Melita explains with a smile,
"That's called a dolphin, and believe it or not, they're actually mammals like you and me."
"Really?"
"Mhm. It's because unlike regular fish who need water to breathe, dolphins have to surface every once in a while to breathe air through a special nostril called a blowhole. They still need water to swim in, but they can't stay in the deep all day."
"Oh! That's interesting."
"...Hey, I see it!"
The girls focus up front again as Goku points to a familiar little isle coming up.
"There's your house, Meli!"
"Heehee, yep, that'll be it!"
"Oh good, we made it!"
The owner of the house - Kame Sen'nin - is seen puttering about on the sand nearby the palm tree and soaking up the sun's rays...
"Graaandpaaa!"
"Hm?"
He tilts his head up to see the children atop Kinto'un.
"Hi grandpaaa!"
"Heeey, Master Rōshi!"
"Heheh, well, as I live and breathe...Hello theeere!"
Turtle - he also outside to enjoy some sunshine - joins in the greetings, waving a flipper at the small party. Melita waves back with a giggle as her grandfather calls,
"Hop on down, kids! I had a feeling I'd be seein' ya sooner than expected."
The only one not in high spirits is Chi-Chi, she sporting a somewhat underwhelmed and confused expression.
"Huh? This is the great Master Rōshi, your grandpa, Melita?"
"Heehe, yep. Don't let his senior appearance fool you. He can still kick and punch like the best ones out there."
The taller girl remains skeptical, but nods all the same as her new friends hop down to properly greet Rōshi and Turtle.
The honey-blond eagerly bounds over to give them both a hug, then babble about her adventure thus far.
"Grandpa, Turtle, you won't believe what's happened already! Everything on the mainland's so exciting; I've seen alot of new faces; I went to a desert-"
Rōshi cuts in with a chuckled,
"Heheh, alright, take it easy there. You'll tie your tongue in a knot if you keep talkin' that fast...Though from the sounds of things, you've been havin' all sorts of fun with Goku here."
"Ah-huh. Lots and lotsa fun!"
"Well that's good. (Looks up) I imagine Melita's been plenty helpful to you?"
Goku nods,
"Oh yeah, she's been super, (points) and so has Kinto'un."
"Heh, I'm not surprised. Why if I didn't know any better, I'd say you and my granddaughter were meant to meet with that cloud."
"Aheheh, yeah, we get along great. We're friends now, (looks at Melita) best friends in our case."
The honey-blond in green blushes modestly and giggles while nodding, a scene which is carefully watched by the other girl here.
So she and Goku have been together for a while now...
And from the looks of things, they're already pretty close...Darn, it's always the nice boys.
...Hah, oh well, I guess that's just how life works s'metimes. Plus I'm a bit too young t' date anyway.
As Chi-Chi slowly accepts the bigger picture coming into view within her mind, Rōshi focuses on her with a new interest.
"Hm?...Hey Goku, what happened to your friend here? Last time I saw her, she was taller...and uhm, prettier, and well, you know, bigger too. Now she's, erm, not..."
Goku takes less than half a minute to process the older man's question, but then explains with a smile,
"Oh yeah, well, that was Bulma, but this girl's Chi-Chi. Her dad's Gyū-Maō, the Ox King."
The taller blackette nods in confirmation, and Melita adds,
"He asked us to find her and come back here to borrow something."
The Turtle Hermit's mind wanders into thought over his old student.
"Hmm...Gyū-Maō, huh? Why, I haven't heard from him in years. Y'know, I used to train that little guy..."
As he reminisces, Chi-Chi asks the other two tweens in a whisper,
"Say, Goku, Melita: are you sure this guy's Rōshi?"
The boy replies,
"That's him," while his friend in green tries to think of a way to help convince the other girl.
"Hmm...Oh! I have an idea. Since grandpa was your father's teacher, try asking him a question."
"Like what?"
"Well, your father must've told you a few stories about his training days. Maybe something no one knows but him and my grandpa?"
Chi-Chi folds her arms and closes her eyes in thought.
Somethin' secret papa said only he and Master Rōshi know...Ah!
She claps a fist on her palm when a particular question comes to mind, before bounding over to inquire the older man.
"Say, mister."
"Hm?"
"If you're really Muten Rōshi, then that means I can ask you a question only you an' papa would know the answer to, right?"
"Eh? Ah-yes, I suppose."
"Okay, then here's my question: what did my papa give you as a way to convince you to take him on as his student?"
Rōshi hums as he twirls a strand of his moustache,
"What did he give me? My, it's been so long now...Oh? Aha!"
An enlightened smile erupts to the tune of his finger snap.
"Now I remember! Your papa, heh-eh-heheheh, he gave me a small collection of-erm, how'do I word this?...His gift was a collection of special romance novels that, well let's just say they're made for a specific~ audience."
A blush dusts the old man's face as Chi-Chi asks for the sake of clarification,
"Y'mean, novels fer grown-ups, right?"
"Ah-yes, that's right."
"Hm, (small smile) okay, you pass. That's exactly how papa describes the gift whenever he tells his story."
"Heh, glad to know I meet your expectations."
Standing a few feet back, Goku tilts his head in a perplexed manner.
"I don't really get it. What's so special about books for grown-ups?"
Melita sighs while bowing her head in disguised shame,
"You really don't wanna know..."
Guess this explains where those dime store smut novels came from...
Clearing his throat, Rōshi gets the group back on topic.
"Anyway, never mind grown-up affairs. What exactly brought you kids back; what does Gyū-Maō want?"
The children share the details regarding Frypan Mountain...
"What?! The Banshō-sen?! The magic fan that can raise a typhoon with a single wave, a thunderstorm with two, and a monsoon with three? That Banshō-sen?!"
Melita nods,
"That's right. The fire on Frypan Mountain's become so strong that I don't think a natural rainstorm will cut it anymore. So, can we please borrow the fan, grandpa?"
"Hmm...I suppose if the situation's become that grave, it will require more substantial methods...However, the Banshō-sen is quite powerful. I'm not sure if you three can handle it on your own."
Chi-Chi pleads,
"We promise we'll be careful with it, and won't le' a single ember near! Please, Master Rōshi!"
"Hm...very well. I shall lend it to you."
The girls cheer,
"Yes!"
"However! I have one condition...Goku, may I have a word with you?"
"Uhm, sure?"
The two males - three counting Turtle - wander over to the left side of Kame House to speak in private...
"Now, let's get this straight: I'm going to help you with the Banshō-sen, (holds up a pointer finger) but, I'm going to need ya to help me with something, okay? Remember that other girl you and Melita were with?"
"You mean Bulma?"
"Ah-yes. I was, h-hoping, that maybe...you could convince her to come and pay an old man a little visit? Perhaps...t-t-to take a romantic stroll around the island?...Or even, g-get a feel of-"
Turtle quickly stops the elder human before their lack of control over otherwise 'sensual topics' comes to a head.
"Master! You know perfectly well that what you're suggesting is against your code!"
"Shh-sh! Don't make it public, darn it!"
"Daoh, hopeless, not to mention shameful..."
"Oh don't be so cold-blooded, you...you old leatherback! Is it so terrible to grant a dyin' old man his last wish?"
Turtle doesn't buy that excuse for even a millisecond, and has a comeback ready.
"Need I remind you that this 'dying old man' consumed the Paradise Herb?"
"Never mind the details!"
Goku interjects before the pair's argument carries on, his innocence sensing nothing truly bad about Rōshi's proposal.
"I have, no idea what that second thing you're talkin' 'bout is...but I don't think Bulma would argue against a walk."
"Ah, laddie, you understand me...Ah-km! Now to be clear, this is our little secret, okay? No need for Chi-Chi or Gyū-Maō to know."
"Sure...Oh, wait. What about Meli?"
The Kame Sen'nin forms a nervous smile and replies,
"Ah, well, saying nothing or something won't matter with my granddaughter. She always seems t' know what I'm up to."
"Oh yeah? Weird...Heeey, Chi-Chi, Meli!"
Goku rushes back into the girls' view to give them the good news.
"We get to borrow the Banshō-sen!"
"Really?! That's great!"
"Yaaaay!"
On that note, Rōshi begins searching his house top to bottom for the magic item...
However...
"Hh, haeh, hh, that's funny...Hey, Turtle! Do you remember what I did with that blasted fan? I can't find it anywhere!"
Said reptile replies from outside the ground floor window,
"If I'm not mistaken, you were using it as a potholder the last time I saw it."
Goku's eyes widen in surprise while girls mutter in disbelief,
"A p-p-potholder...?!"
"Grandpa...!"
"Dear me, that was the Banshō-sen?...Daoh, I spilled some wonton soup on it, and it became so stained that I threw it away."
The Turtle Hermit hangs his head in shame, while Chi-Chi breaks down into tears over this unlucky turn.
"Ah-hah-haauuh, now we can't put out the fire!"
Melita tries to comfort her with a hug, while Goku mutters in disappointment,
"No Dragon Ball either..."
"Never fear!"
The children all look at Rōshi, who then states,
"Since the fault is mine, I will personally travel to Frypan Mountain and put out tha' accursed inferno!"
"Huh?...!"
"You mean, you can really do that, old timer?"
"Well of course! There's nothing Muten Rōshi can't do!"
Some hope returns to the trio's faces, and they wait for the old hermit to emerge from his home...
"Alright, let's roll!"
He's now wearing a yellow-orange jacket with white lining the buttons and sleeves, the overall style similar to those worn by practitioners of Chinese martial arts, a pair of sky blue loose pants, and black Kung-fu shoes. Goku asks him,
"Why'd you change your clothes?"
Rōshi chuckles,
"Gotta look sharp. There's no tellin' what the day might bring."
"Wait a sec: you can't ride Kinto'un, can you?"
"Don't worry about it, m'boy. I think I can find another ride."
Walking forward a few steps, he then raises his staff and calls,
"Come to me, Baby Gamera!"
...A swishing sound resonates a few seconds later, belonging to what appears to be a coal black turtle shell spinning around and around as they float down to the island. Upon landing, the apparent reptile emerges from their protective casing.
"At yur service."
"I need to take an express spin over to Frypan Mountain."
"Suuure."
Rōshi turns to say a farewell to Turtle:
"Okay. Behave yourself."
"Hey! I don't find that the least bit funny."
The reptile cheers up when Melita walks over to hug his neck with a smile.
"Don't worry about it, Turtle. We know the truth."
"Heheh, that we do. Now you be careful, Melita."
"I will."
The latter then bounds over to join Chi-Chi atop Kinto'un, while the Kame Sen'nin gives Goku another quiet reminder of their deal.
"Now don't forget: promise me we'll have our little talk with Bulma as soon as we get there."
"Okay, I promise. We'll go on ahead and meet you there."
Rōshi waves at all three of the children as they fly away on the golden yellow cloud in the direction of the distant mountain.
"Alright, kids! I'll be along shortly!"
He then focuses on settling atop Baby Gamera's shell...
Up ahead, Chi-Chi asks her two new friends,
"Do you guys think he can really put out Frypan Mountain?"
"I'll bet he can. He said he can do anything."
"We'll just have to wait and see what grandpa has planned."
The trio soon lands in the abandoned village below Frypan Mountain, and they waste no time in explaining the new development to Gyū-Maō, Bulma and Oolong...
"What?! The Banshō-sen is ruined?"
"Yeah, but it's okay. He told us he can put the fire out himself."
"That's funny, kid. You actually fell for tha'."
Melita glares at the humanoid pig and retorts,
"Don't underestimate my grandpa. He has more power than anyone knows."
"You sure?"
"Mhm. I've witnessed it firsthand, (...half-smirk) and it won't be long 'til you see it too. Here 'e comes now."
Following the direction of the honey-blond's gaze, everyone looks up to see the hermit flying overhead atop the spinning Baby Gamera. Once he's over a clear spot near the group, he jumps off the flying reptile and lands smoothly on the cobblestone. Overcome with emotion at seeing his old teacher again, the Ox King rushes over to greet him.
"Hot dang! Master Rōshi, it's really you!"
He bows in respect upon reaching the hermit martial arts master...But, the gravitational pressure from his gesture propels the latter backwards until he lands on his turtle shell.
"Master!...Are y-Are you okay?"
Melita scampers over to her paternal guardian's side to help him into a sitting position.
"Grandpa...?"
"Ooooh, spinning. Everything's spinning..."
"That's why you gotta be careful when using Baby Gamera. We talked about this..."
The others watch the scene from afar, and Chi-Chi says to her father,
"I'm sorry, papa. He wasn't like this when we found him."
Once his vision centers, Rōshi rises to his feet with a sigh.
"That's the one drawback with ridin' Baby Gamera: it makes ya so darn dizzy, it's hard to adjust."
His granddaughter chimes positively,
"At least you didn't get sick this time," and Goku asks him,
"Are you gonna put out the fire now?"
"Wait!...First things first..."
The hermit then turns a stern expression to the other older man in this mismatched group.
"I heard about you, you big old ox! Hurtin' people over a silly treasure; is that how you show respect to the master who taught you?!"
Gyū-Maō prostrates himself, feeling very remorseful and ashamed.
"Alas, master, y-y-you speak truly! Pleeease forgive me! Hh, I guess I'm not worthy!"
The younger souls in the area are in awe at the spectacle, including Yamcha and Puar who are hiding behind a broken stone wall.
"I don't believe this..."
"Believe it. That giant's a big softie."
Oolong is arguably the most shocked, considering how much he's heard regarding the wild royal's more recent reputation.
"Now that, I thought I'd never see...!"
Gyū-Maō blubbers to his former teacher,
"I've seen the l-light! If you douse that flame, I will destroy my tr-treasures!"
"Now now, let's not go overboard; of course I'll forgive you...So then, you mean to tell me, that you can't put out tha' tiny li'l blaze yourself? Heh, what's wrong? Too old?"
The Ox-King chuckles in embarrassment with a nod and sniffle as he rubs the back of his helmet.
Meanwhile, keeping the memory of their deal fresh, Rōshi nudges Goku with his staff.
"Pst, hey, kid."
"Huh?"
"The promise?"
"...Oh, right!"
They walk over to Bulma and ask her to follow them to a quieter part of the village...
"Okay okay, so what's all this hush-hush about?"
"G-G-Go on, lad, y-you ask her..."
"Huh? Uuh, okay. (Looks at Bulma) He wants to go on a walk with you."
"What?"
The Kame Sen'nin specifies with a slight stutter,
"W-Well, a moonlight stroll, r-really."
"You mean, like a date?"
"Somethin' like that."
The bluenette feels a new headache coming on, and glares at the hermit before making her case clear.
"Now listen: I dunno where you got the idea that I would ever wanna go on a date with you, but I don't!"
As if his last request wasn't bad enough...
Rōshi is of course prepared for such revulsion.
"I must confess that our young friend had somethin' to do with it. He said that you'd walk around my island with me if I put out the fire...And if I'm not mistaken, you've got a treasure to find up in the castle, which you can't get to unless the fire's doused, right?"
Bulma flinches, then grits her teeth while bemoaning irritably,
Damn it! Goku or Melita must've blabbed about the Dragon Ball without thinking...
Said boy shrugs,
"What's the big deal? It's just a walk."
"The big deal is that grandpa left out the sneaky reason behind this promise, though I'm far from surprised."
Eyes focus on the corner of the partial wall just as Melita makes her presence known, a stern frown on her face and her hands on her hips.
"No matter how many times he gets walloped, he always gets back up to chase another innocent lady. Grandpa, I can't believe you would make Goku promise something like this without his knowledge, and Bulma's too!"
"Now, dear-"
"Please don't lie, grandpa. We both know the truth: you'll be ogling Bulma the whole time before the walk ends with your hand on her bum, and her fist on your noggin."
...Rōshi neither confirms nor denies, instead looking away with a whistle. The honey-blond sighs in exasperation, before turning her attention to the bluenette caught in the middle of this mess.
"I'm really sorry, Bulma. I swear grandpa doesn't always behave like this; he just gets carried away with his bad habits sometimes."
"Oh Meli, it's not your fault, (glance) and I'll let you slide this one time since you obviously didn't know the full details."
Goku nods uncertainly,
"Uhm, sure..."
"Anyway, knowing my grandpa, he's not gonna let this promise go without a fight...so, would you be willing to do the walk, Bulma? I can join you if that makes you feel better. Y'know, to keep an eye out?"
Smiling in appreciation over the nymph's kindness, Bulma replies,
"That's sweet of you, Melita...hah, but, I can't let you do that. Like I said, you're not the one at fault here...Mh."
She focuses back on Rōshi with a reluctant frown.
"I can't believe I'm saying this...Fine, I'll agree to a walk. But, that's as far as it goes, mister. Don't get the wrong idea: I'm only agreeing because I need those flames put out. If you do that, I'll go on a walk with you. A short one."
The hermit is ecstatic:
"That's a deal, honey! And you better be ready to live up to it."
They reach out and lock pinkies to make the deal official.
"Earth, Fire, Sea, Air. I declare a pinky swear."
The bluenette can only helplessly sigh,
How do I get myself into these things?
Goku's POV
I'm, not really sure what's goin' on, but it looks like I avoided getting yelled at for once.
Now that Bulma's agreed to Master Rōshi's request, we can finally focus on getting rid of that crazy fire.
We wander back to where Oolong, Chi-Chi and the Ox King are waiting...
"Alrighty! Time to douse us a fire!"
The old timer walks over to a more stable part of the ruined stone wall, then shucks off that weird shell and his robe to show off his upper torso, which is pretty much what I'd expect for an old thin guy.
Guess he lost some of his muscle tone over the years.
I hope I'm still in good shape when I get that old...
"Well, here goes. (Glances at Bulma) Get ready for that walk~."
Bulma nods with a sigh, and we watch him struggle to get up onto the wall's edge.
"Hrh-nyh! H-Hey, kid, could you give me a boost?"
Knowing he means me, I step over and help him out, pushing him upwards by his feet while he shoves himself up with his palms...I hear Bulma mutter skeptically,
"So he can really do this, huh?"
Meli and the Ox King each reply with confident smiles,
"You haven't seen him at full power yet. Just watch."
"The little lady's right. Don't underestimate the master."
...Suddenly, Master Rōshi begins to tremble, and the next thing we knew, he bulks up!
What the-?!
Even more awesome, a ring of energy surrounds his body...The Ox King says to us,
"Now watch this: this is the master's Kamehameha Wave."
Kame-hameha Wave?
"Kaaaaaaaah...maeeeeeee..."
He puts the heels of his palms together in front of him, fingers curled, then sets them on the right side of his body.
"Haaaaaaaaa-ngh, maeeeeeeee..."
His energy sparks as it gathers around his hands, and the ring disappears...
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
(POW)
Before shooting out from his palms in a great beam of light! It hits the mountain dead-on, and the whole thing is engulfed by the light before exploding into giant pieces of rubble! The energy waves I felt from the impact made my skin and the fur on my tail tingle. It was unreal...
Even more impressive is how casual Master Rōshi looked when the light dialed down, sitting on the edge of the wall and panting like he had only ran a foot race.
"Haaah...Hoo, I'm pooped. That was a big'n."
"U-U-Uh, wowie...!"
I gotta learn how to do that!
"M-M-Master...look. The, the fire's out, but, you kind-of uh..."
"Spit it out."
"Well you, kind-of blew away the mountain, and my castle..."
Master Rōshi turns around to see the damage.
"Eh?!...O-Oh my! Not bad for an old man! I'm not as rusty as I thought."
We all stutter out the fact that it was all gone, making the hermit blush in embarrassment for going overboard.
"Whoops! Ah-heh, sorry 'bout that."
Once the shock wears off, Bulma and Oolong go on ahead to try and figure out where the Dragon Ball got buried, while Meli and I stay with her grandpa, Chi-Chi and the Ox King...
"Thank you so much for putting out the fire, master. It feels better already!"
"Oh don't thank me, though I do feel bad for wrecking your castle..."
Chi-Chi smiles and replies,
"Oh forget about it! We'll just build a new one!"
I speak up next, still in awe over what I just witnessed.
"That was incredible! Can you teach me how to do that?"
"Sure, but it'll take you fifty years to learn the Kamehameha Wave."
Some disappointment creeps onto my face over hearing that.
"Awh, fifty years?"
But Melita gives me hope when she tells me,
"Well actually, that's just how long it took grandpa to get the technique super-perfect. If you work on training to channel your ki now, I'm positive you can get the Kamehameha down pat. (Shy smile) I, should know since that's all it took for me."
"You mean you can do it?!"
She nods, and I rush up to grab her hands with an excited smile.
"You have to show me!"
"R-Right now?!"
"Why not?"
"W-Well...hah, okay. I guess I can try and walk you through it like grandpa did for me. (Glance) Uhm, is it okay if I do that?"
Master Rōshi nods,
"I don't see why not. I'm actually a little curious to see if something happens."
On that note, Meli and I get into the starting position...
"Okay, so, the gestures are easy enough. You curl your fingers, then bring the heels of your palms together like this."
"Yeah?"
"Then you put them on one side, just above the hip, then thrust forward, ha! Like this, once you get enough power concentrated."
I follow the same movements she does, except she's thrusting from the left and I from the right.
"Okay, this much I got...but how exactly do I channel my ki?"
"It's not terribly hard as long as you don't think about it too much...What I do is imagine my ki is an ocean current, flowing all over my body like the blood in my veins, and I have to find a way to change the flow so it goes where it needs to for an attack. In this case, I have to direct the 'current' to my hands...Does that make sense?"
"I, think so."
We get back into first position, and she adds,
"It also helps to say the name like grandpa does. You know, to have enough time to concentrate enough power."
"Right...Hah. (Shuts eyes) Okay."
Focus...Like the blood in my veins...
Direct the flow, the current, where I want it to go...
"Kaaaaaaa, m-maeeeeeee..."
As soon as I feel a pulse inside me stronger than my heartbeat, I focus on directing it to where my palms are.
"Haaaaa, maeeeeeee, (...thrust) HAAAAAAA!"
(POW)
A beam of power shoots from my palms, and blasts against the red car my friends and I have been using since the desert! It wasn't as strong as Master Rōshi's, so the car didn't explode or anything, but it did get kind-of wrecked...Meli's did a slightly better job, she taking out a good chunk of what's left of the wall behind the car.
Nice! Her blast was about the same as mine.
"Wow, Goku! That was pretty good for your first try!"
"(Slight smile) Thanks, but it wasn't anywhere close to what your grandpa did."
"That's only because he has more experience than you do. If you keep practicing, I'm positive your wave will be just as powerful, maybe even more so."
"You really think so?"
She nods with a big smile, which makes me feel more confident in myself on top of my growing interest in her.
Strong moves, a great supporter, and she's learnin' to cook!
...Somethin' about all that feels so, right...
Master Rōshi then wanders over and asks me,
"So how's old Gohan doin', laddie?"
Hm?...Oh, that's right. I almost forgot he taught my grandpa all he knows.
"Oh. Okay, I guess...though he died a long time ago."
"He did?!...Oh, I see. I'm very sorry to hear that..."
His sadness is soon replaced by a smile again when he comes up with a new proposal.
"In that case, m'boy, what would you say to movin' in with me and I'll train you personally?"
I like the sound of that plan already:
"Ooo, it would be a great honour to have the same teacher my grandpa had...Oh! (Swivels head) That means you and I can train together too!"
Meli nods just as eager as I am,
"Yeah; that sounds like lotsa fun! Finally, I'll have a training partner my age."
"...Woo-hoooo! Yippeee!"
We turn our heads towards the spot where Frypan Mountain-erm, used to be, and I easily guess,
"Sounds like Bulma found the Dragon Ball."
She and Oolong come bounding over to show us the Seven-Star Ball, Chiishinchū, only to get distracted by the damage I caused to the car.
"Huh?! Hey, who did this?"
"I did."
"(Glare) You blew up our car, you dummy!"
The Ox King offers us a solution, pulling out one of his own hoi-poi capsules.
Wow, alot of people really do have those things.
"Please, take one of my cars."
"Oh my gosh...!"
"The kids have done so well today..."
(Poi...BOM)
"I think they deserve a little reward, don't you?"
The car we're given is different from the last one we were driving, the colour a fern green and a bit bigger with no roof.
Bulma is sure happy to have a new vehicle, and easily slides into it while expressing her gratitude.
"Oh my, thank you!"
Meli and I say our thanks too as we get a closer look at it.
"Thanks, Ox King. I really like it!"
"Me too. It's a really nice convertible."
Bulma then pulls out her Dragon Radar to see where we need to go next.
"Hm, that last ball's pretty far...Better zoom out a bit..."
(Bleep, bleep, be-beep, beep, beep...)
"Eureka! To the west, waaay out west."
We hop onto the seats, Meli sitting up front with Bulma while I sit behind her in the back beside Oolong.
The engine starts, and we prepare to say goodbye to everyone.
"Goodbye! You're been great! We'll miss you, and thank you so much for the Dragon Ball."
"Great to meet ya."
"See you again!"
"Good luck with the castle!"
...But there was one thing we forgot about, or rather, something Bulma forgot about.
"Hold it!"
She's lightly bonked on the head by Master Rōshi's staff, and he reminds her of the whole reason he came this way to help.
"Have you forgotten something? Your promise~?"
"Ahahaha, oh, yes, how could I have forgotten?...Could you hold on a sec, please?"
Master Rōshi nods, giving Bulma the green light to suddenly grab Oolong's hand and rush off behind a far corner.
Huh? What's she doin' now?
Bulma's POV
Damn it, old geezer's memory is better than I thought...!
While it might've been the right thing to suck it up and take that stupid walk, I just couldn't risk the possibility of getting groped. So instead, I do the only thing I can think of: I grab Oolong and run behind a wall to talk him into helping me out.
"Quiet! Listen...It's like this: I promised that old goat that I'd take some stupid walk with him around his island. I don't have time for that, so I need you to change shape and take my place."
"Wak!...Grrh, (glare) now you listen here, sister: go ahead and do your worst because I will not stoop that low! I do have some semblance of dignity left, and i' wants nothin' t' do with that old geezer gettin' so much as one inch close ta me!"
I knew he was going to be stubborn, but guess what? So am I.
"Oh really? Then you'd rather I trigger the ol' Swee reflex?"
"Drh!...Somethin' tells me you're not gonna die a pretty death...Oooh. Alright, alright, I'll do it...Rrrr-ha!"
(POOF)
His first attempt bears little resemblance to me, and basically looks like a short pudgy version of myself.
"How's this?"
"Gyah! What're you trying to do?! Have you ever actually looked at me?!"
"Well ex-cuuuse me! God, you're vain..."
(POOF)
His next one is much better...though I swear his chest looked a bit bigger, not that I really care.
"There! How's this? Ya satisfied?"
"Great, that's perfect! Now you just disguise your voice so he doesn't know the difference."
He mutters something under his breath but nods, and I quickly hide behind another wall just as he calls the old goat over.
"Master Rōshi~!"
Tch, could've tried harder with the voice, porker.
Despite the obviously bad vocal imitation, Rōshi is hooked, speeding over to Oolong like a dog to a bone.
Good. It's working...
"Now-I-know-we-only-planned-on-the-moonlight-stroll-but-I-thought-since-we-were-going-to-the-island-any-"
"Master Rōshi?"
"Yeees, what is it, my sweet?"
"You are so incredibly sexy~!"
Say what?!
"I just loved the way you blew up that mountain."
"Well, y-you know, just one of the things I do..."
"Even now, my heart's still beating like a drum~. Boom-boom..."
I can practically feel my blood boiling as I continue watching this ridiculous acting job Oolong's putting on.
"What does that stupid pig think he's doing...?!"
...That's when he does something I never thought he'd stoop to, and something I know I would never, ever do.
"Just look~...Can't you tell~?"
He pulls down his top and shows off my breasts!...Okay, yes, technically they're not my actual breasts, but they're real enough!
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL, OOLONG?!
The old man's completely enamored and soon sporting a nose bleed, so Oolong takes the opportunity to sneak away to where I'm waiting, livid and ready to tear him a new one.
"What the hell were you thinking, Oolong?! You...You sleezy geek! I'm so mad at you right now, I could just-Drrrh!"
I give a good whack on the head, and let out a puff of aggravated breath over this dumb plan.
This is the last time I'm askin' that swine to pose as me. Never again!
No POV
At the same time Bulma's promise goes awry (for her, at least), Goku and Melita find themselves talking to Chi-Chi a little more when she comes over to give a more personal farewell.
"What's up?"
"Oh nothing. I was, just wondering if you two were ever gonna think about me again."
The honey-blond chimes,
"Of course! How can we forget a nice girl like you, Chi-Chi? Hehee, and if Goku forgets, I'll just remind him."
Goku scowls the slightest at the mischievous smile used for that last remark.
"Heeey, are you makin' fun of me, Meli?"
"Ehee, no, not at all, Goku. It's just a joke."
The taller blackette of the trio hides a giggle as she says to the honey-blond,
"You're funny, Melita."
"I try."
The boy with the primate tail then asks,
"So, does that mean you'll be thinkin' about us too, Chi-Chi?"
Fighting a shy blush from being spoken to by him, the Ox King's daughter nods, then reaches out both hands to do a final shake with the other two children.
...I probably won't have Goku as a boyfriend in the future...but, I think bein' his and Melita's friend will be just as good.
Plus, I have to admit...they do look cute together...
She's soon waving goodbye with her father and Rōshi, watching as the green hovercar takes off with blast from its booster...And those four wouldn't be the only ones leaving the area.
"Looks like it's time to be on our way, Puar. We gotta follow those four to the last of the Dragon Balls."
"Okay!"
(Poi...BOM)
The floating cat creature throws out a new capsule, which opens to present a metal blue hovercar styled with two seats.
"Ready for takeoff."
The pair set off on the dusty trail, keeping a reasonable distance of space between them and their targets so they're not spotted. Speaking of which, Bulma, Goku and Melita feel their excitement rise as they're carried over the landscape on a cushion of air (while their fourth group member dozes off for a short nap).
"Flying's definitely the way to go. This is great!"
"It's incredible!"
"No way we'll have trouble getting to the final Dragon Ball from here."
Smiles are cast towards the sunny skies ahead as our main quartet heads further away from the Frypan Mountain area, adventure gripping their hearts once more.
Alright, let's do it!