The Dragon Fixes Everything!
The others were waiting eagerly as Goku came back to Baba's Palace and dropped down from Nimbus with the Dragon Ball in her hands.
"That didn't take long," Yamcha quipped as they arranged the Dragon Balls in a circle. The balls flashed and hummed with an ancient magical power as they stared down at them. "So… how do these work again?"
"Eternal Dragon Shenron!" Puar blurted suddenly, "I summon you!" Everyone stared at Puar and he scratched the back of his head bashfully. "What? Am I the only one who remembers?" Yamcha, Goku, and Bulma shrugged. "Well, I guess I was the closest." They watched as the balls glowed brighter and brighter and hummed louder and louder...
And suddenly, it was no longer daytime.
The sky turned black as night and filled with dark clouds that roared with thunder and cracked with lightning as winds as fierce as a hurricane swirled around them. Baba clung to life on her crystal ball as Launch huddled behind Master Roshi. A beam of light shot straight from the balls up into the sky, up and up for what seemed like miles before the beam started to twist and snake in the sky. There was a blinding flash… and the Eternal Dragon hovered before them. It was impossibly immense with a serpentine body that seemed to go on forever in all directions and piercing red eyes that looked down through them and into their souls. Being so close to it was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. Even Roshi and Baba were in wonder. In their long and fantastic lives, they had never seen anything close to Shenron's majesty.
"You who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls," it boomed in a voice that was impossibly deep, "Speak your wish…" its head shifted slightly and Puar felt an immeasurable dread as he realized that the Dragon was looking right at him, "And I shall grant it." Goku stepped forward boldly despite her wonder.
"Shenron!" she called up, "Please revive all those who have been killed by the Red Ribbon Army!" Shenron's eyes flashed and they waited. What it said next stunned them.
"This is beyond my power," Shenron said… regretfully? Goku stared at it.
"Wh-what?" she asked in astonishment before balling up her fists. "Why not?!" she demanded. Everyone else stepped a good foot or two away from her. Wasn't Shenron supposed to be all-powerful?
"My power of mass revivals cannot be used to revive those that have been dead more than a year," it explained, "And when they are revived, their souls are returned to their bodies. Many would be trapped in their caskets or burial chambers until they died again, to be forever beyond my power." Goku's fists opened and her hands dropped to her sides.
"Oh," she said in a sad voice. She'd really thought Shenron could do anything. Now that it was explained to her though, she felt bad for getting so angry at it. "Can you… revive whoever you can?" Shenron nodded.
"This is a simple task," it said. Its eyes flashed red again.
OoOoOoO
In battlefields across the continent and in destroyed towns and cities that had felt the wrath of the Red Ribbon Army, there were bodies strewn across the ground that had yet to be removed where the grief was too fresh for action to be taken. Suddenly, these bodies gasped with life and clutched at their chests as their eyes filled with light and their wounds disappeared. They staggered to their feet and were assaulted with tear-soaked affection from neighbors, loved ones, and brothers-in-arms. They had been dead only minutes before yet now they were alive again! It was a miracle!
Upa was standing vigilant by his father's grave with his Bora's spear clenched in his tiny hand. It was almost three times the size of the boy but Upa would not falter. He had to keep predators away from his father's body. Goku said that she would bring Bora back with the Dragon Balls and he would wait as long as it took! Upa gasped as the dirt suddenly shifted.
"Upa?" Bora called in a daze as he sat up in his grave and rubbed at his jaw, "Why am I–" but before he could complete the question Upa dropped the spear and jumped for his father, wrapping his tiny arms around Bora's huge neck. It was a miracle!
OoOoOoO
'A miracle…' Suno thought sullenly. She looked down at her feet and sighed.
"Your wish has been granted," Shenron boomed. "Farewell." It vanished in a thunderclap and the Dragon Balls spun up into the sky before they flew off in like comets with tails of light in seven different directions across the globe. Goku leaped high up into the air and grabbed the Four Star Ball before it could escape. She was not going to lose Grandpa's ball again! The sky cleared instantly but no one's moods matched the clear blue sky.
"Well, that was kind of a letdown," Bulma grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm glad I never got my wish! Stupid dragon probably would have screwed it up somehow." Yamcha shrugged and put an arm around her.
"Guess that just goes to show ya," he said. "We shouldn't start relying on the Dragon Balls to do everything."
"Come on, guys," Krillin piped up. "Don't be like that! We still brought people back from the dead! The Red Ribbon Army's gone! Why's everyone acting like we lost?" Goku noticed how sad Suno looked and went over to her friend to wrap her up in a hug.
"I'm sorry," Goku said softly. "I thought Shenron could bring your dad back." Suno shook her head and rubbed at her eye. She didn't want Goku to feel bad after all the good the two of them had done.
"I'm fine," she promised her friend as she gave Goku a pat on the back. Her father had been dead for over a year. She'd accepted it by now. Besides, how would her mother react to seeing dad again? She'd probably have a heart attack. It was better this way. "I'm… I'm really glad to have met you, Son Goku." Goku smiled wide and hugged Suno again before letting her go.
"So," Launch asked, "What are you gonna do now that you don't have to collect the Dragon Balls anymore?" Goku blinked and thought about that. She looked down at the rock in her hand that used to be the Four Star Ball. That was what she'd been looking for. She shrugged.
"I'll train for the Tenkaichi Budoukai!" she decided cheerfully. Everyone laughed and Yamcha knelt down to ruffle her hair.
"I'm glad to hear that, Goku," he said, "Because with how hard me, Launch, and Krillin are training with Master Roshi; you'd better be careful. We might be able to beat you in three years." Goku's eyes got starry and she gasped with a sudden idea.
"Hey!" she said as she grabbed Yamcha's cheeks in her hands, "I could train with you three and Master Roshi!" She looked excitedly over to Roshi… who shook his head.
"I'm afraid not," Roshi said. Goku stared at Roshi with her mouth open slightly. Why couldn't she go back to Kame House? "You're already quite skilled. If you want to grow stronger, you'll have to discover it for yourself! Go and travel the world!" Goku nodded. That made sense.
"Nimbu–" she started to call before Roshi thwacked her on the head with his staff. "Ow! What was that for?!"
"How are you supposed to learn anything flyin' on a cloud?" he asked her. "You gotta make this journey on foot!" That made Goku pause for a second but then she shrugged. That made sense.
"Hey, Suno," she said as she turned to the other girl, "As long as I can't use it, can you look after Nimbus for now? You still need it to get back home and stuff." Suno was touched at the gesture and nodded.
"Sure thing, Goku," she said appreciatively. Goku made the rounds and gave everyone a hug before she turned her gaze towards the horizon.
"I'll see you all in three years!" she said with a smile and a wave. Then she started to run and almost instantly disappeared. Roshi smiled as he watched her go with a feeling of pride in his chest.
"Of course," Baba muttered in his ear, "As her teacher, it's not like you're gonna let her show you up. Right?" Roshi's eyes widened suddenly. He had to train himself! Or else Jackie Chun was gonna get his butt soundly kicked.
"Come on, then!" he shouted suddenly and waved his staff at his students. "The least we can do is run back to Kame House!" he chased Yamcha, Launch, Puar, Krillin, and even Bulma.
"How the heck did I get roped into this?!" Bulma demanded as Suno called down Nimbus and flew away. Baba watched them all and chuckled before she turned her gaze back to the horizon where Goku had run off.
"Get strong, Son Goku," she said gravely. "Get as strong as you can. The world shall depend on you more than you could ever know." She had foreseen it. The fate that awaited Son Goku was a fate she would not wish upon anyone. The wars she would fight. The truths she would learn. The loved ones she would lose…
OoOoOoO
Two years until the Tenkaichi Budoukai
Yamcha did four consecutive backflips across the floor of the Gravity Room and immediately went into his Wolf Fang Fist as soon as his feet touched the ground while his sweat flew off his body and dropped to the ground like lead weights. He could feel his ki surging through his body and was actually able to focus it all into his fist, making it glow bright as he swung with a powerful right hook. The light faded and he gasped for air as he struggled to stand in the intense gravity. There was a "ding!" as the Gravity generator suddenly shut down and the door to the room opened.
"Break time!" Bulma called as she entered the room with a bottle of water in one hand and a white towel in the other. Yamcha wiped the sweat off of his face with the towel and hung it over his shoulders before chugging the bottle down gratefully. "So how's it going?" Bulma asked. Yamcha shrugged.
"I'm pushing myself as much as I can," he said, "But I can't seem to find that power I tapped into when I was fighting Baba's mummy. If I could do that on top of my training, I might be able to defeat Goku!" Even with splitting his time between the Kame House and the Gravity Room, Yamcha still wasn't sure about his chances if he met Goku at the Tournament. She was so strong now!
"Hey, come on," Bulma said encouragingly as she gave him a little shove. "Don't get down on yourself! You've got all your ki tricks you were telling me you're planning!" Yamcha smiled at that. He had devised a few tricks up his sleeve. He just had to make sure he could actually do them. "Between your fighting skills and my brains, you know what I think?" Yamcha quirked up one eyebrow and waited for an answer. "I think I'm looking at the champion of the 22nd Tenkaichi Budoukai," Bulma told him as she poked him on the nose. Yamcha grinned and moved in to kiss her but Bulma put her hands up. "Don't, you're all sweaty!" Then she grinned and shrugged. "Ah, what the heck," she muttered before tackling him.
OoOoOoO
It had been nice to go home, Suno thought as Nimbus soared through the sky. She'd missed her mother and her training with Master Frost. He'd been proud of how strong she'd become. Yuki had been proud of her… well, because she was Suno's mother. The whole village had been happy to see her again. It had been a nice year. As Nimbus descended gently towards the ground, Suno reflected that she couldn't stay in Jingle Village forever. If Goku was going to get stronger, so was she!
"Well," Suno muttered as she stared up at the forebodingly tall tower, "Might as well get started." She put her hands on the stone and began to climb.
OoOoOoO
A year and a half before the Tenkaichi Budoukai
Krillin sat on a rock in the middle of a pond with a waterfall to his back. His legs were crossed and his eyes were closed as he attempted to discover a state of serene tranquility. Attempted. So Suno could sense ki. Big deal! He could do it! He'd show her! Unbeknownst to Krillin, these were not the kinds of thoughts that led one to a serene mental state. Krillin heard footsteps approaching him and opened his eyes.
"What's up, Lau–" he started to say. Then he noticed something. Launch was wearing her gi but her hair was blue. "Oh." Launch got into a fighting stance. "Is… is everything alright?"
"I want to train!" Launch declared suddenly. She went to put her hands over her mouth as if she was admonishing herself for yelling but then stopped herself and put her hands at her hips instead. "I… I want to be able to fight! I don't want to just let everyone down because I sneeze! And… and I don't want her to think that she's strong and I'm weak!" Krillin blinked in surprise. This seemed to come out of nowhere. Still, Launch was his friend and he was going to respect her wish. He hopped off the rock and landed in front of her to get into his stance. Launch nodded and charged him.
OoOoOoO
One year until the Tenkaichi Budoukai
It had been a quiet two years for the people of Jingle Village since the Red Ribbon Army had been defeated. They'd spent it rebuilding their town and their lives and mostly just enjoying the fact that they were alive. Nothing strange had happened to them since that Goku girl had left.
Then one day a bundled-up old man arrived on a magic carpet. He was polite enough, saying "Hello" and "How do you do" to everyone he passed. He was looking for directions to Master Frost the Martial Artist. No one really knew where to find him, that is except for Yuki, mother of Suno, the pride of Jingle Village. She'd given him directions and he'd been grateful to her.
"Well hello!" Roshi called up to Master Frost; he'd caught the other man standing on a hill and looking off into the distance dramatically. He supposed that's what old men did when they didn't have islands. "You're Master Frost, aren't you?" Roshi took off his coat, hat, and scarf until he was down to his usual blue pants and orange shirt. God, though! It was so cold! The other Master hopped down off the hill and landed in front of him. He was a lean man with a haggard face. He only had a slightly-bushy mustache although he made up for it with the fact that he still had a full head of spiky white hair.
"And you," Frost said, "Must be the Invincible Turtle Hermit, Muten Roshi." Frost brought his one arm to his chest and bowed low. "It is an honor," he continued, "Even my own masters told me stories of your skill." Roshi rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively.
"Alright, already!" he muttered with mock-scorn, "I don't need you making me feel any older." Roshi cleared his throat as Frost stopped bowing. "So, I understand you're the master of the Odori style? I've seen it in action. It's quite impressive." Frost smiled behind his mustache.
"You're speaking of Suno. I'm very proud of how strong she's become," he chuckled softly and rubbed his mustache. "She's told me quite a bit about one of your students as well. This… 'Son Goku'? I'd very much like to meet her one day." Roshi nodded and cracked his neck.
"Well," he said as he moved into a fighting stance, "I didn't come all this way to chit-chat. I wanted to see the Odori style from its master." Frost's eyes widened with understanding before he slowly and artfully moved into his own stance.
"I, too, have always wanted to see the Turtle School style." Roshi nodded and the two men waited as wind blew across the icy field. Frost twisted and did a backflip into the air to come at Roshi with a kick. Roshi jumped up to meet the kick with one of his own…
OoOoOoO
Six months before the Tenkaichi Budoukai
Goku hummed a little tune to herself as she walked down a mountain road with her grandpa's Dragon Ball on a string around her neck and her tail swishing behind her. She couldn't believe it had grown back again! She'd met so many nice people travelling all over the world and learned lots of things. And not all of it was about fighting! She'd learned other languages and about other kinds of food, too! She'd slept in trees and barns and swam up rivers and across lakes. It had been great so far and she still had a few more months before the tournament. Her gi had been kind of ruined, though, so she was wearing a sorta-gi she'd made from a tiger's skin. She didn't know how to make shoes, however, so now she was barefoot. She couldn't wait for the Budoukai so she could show her friends all the things she'd learned. While Goku was walking, she saw someone else coming up the road towards her. He was barefoot, too! He had on a white gi with a red belt and red gloves. He had a red bandana on and he was carrying a bag over one shoulder.
"Hey!" she called and waved her arms as he got closer. The man stopped and looked at her. "I like your gi!" He smiled at that and nodded appreciatively. "Are you a fighter, too?" she asked. He nodded again. "Let's spar!" she demanded as she got into her stance. "I came in second in the 21st Budoukai!" she assured him. The man stared at her a moment… before he nodded a third time and set his bag down. He pivoted his body to the side and bounced on the balls of his feet as he put one hand under his chin and the other close to his chest. Goku charged at him and he met her fist with an open palm to catch it. She jumped up and drove her feet into his chest to shove him away. The fighter staggered back and Goku ran at him again and smashed her knee into his sternum. The fighter took one step back but then threw up a kick that sent Goku into the air. The fighter dropped into a crouch and then leaped up into the air to uppercut Goku. The man spoke for the first time as he leaped.
"Shouryuuken!"
OoOoOoO
One week before the Tenkaichi Budoukai
Once again, it hadn't been easy. Pilaf had sold most of the scrap from the Pilaf Machines and some of his nicer clothes. It had gotten him a tiny submarine that could barely fit one person inside of it, let alone three. It had been a desperate and panicked three years as they scoured the oceans in search of the one thing that Pilaf knew would destroy Goku once and for all. The three of them surrounded the little table of their capsule house which Pilaf had been able to afford once they'd sold the submarine. And more of his belongings. Sitting on the table was all of Pilaf's hopes and dreams.
Well… not exactly. Sitting on the table was a water-logged rice cooker which held all of Pilaf's hopes and dreams. It was crusted with sand and covered in algae and barnacles. It looked like it had sat at the bottom of the ocean for nearly three hundred years. Pilaf took a knife and pried away the barnacles and dug out the sand until it could finally be opened. Anyone could see that the rice cooker was full of nothing but evil. They could feel it. But Pilaf was blind. Blind and desperate. He grabbed the handle, pushed down on the button, and yanked up with all his might. A terrible howling sound filled the Capsule House and a furious wind roared out of the rice cooker as it carried a black fog. The fog poured onto the floor and morphed into a humanoid shape as the three huddled against the wall in fear. The wind died down as the fog began to dissipate.
He was enormous; over eight feet tall with wrinkled, dark green skin and yellow patches up and down his arms. He had pointed ears and two antennae dangling from his forehead. He was dressed in a black robe with a red cape. On the front of his robe blazed the character for "Demon." Piccolo Daimaou cracked his neck, leaning his head to the left and the right. He opened his yellow eyes as he breathed the sweet air of freedom… and laughed. A terrible, horrible, bone-chilling laugh from the blackest hell.
The Demon King was free.