Krillin waved Bulma goodbye as he flew away from Capsule Corporation. The sun was slowly descending over the horizon and Krillin arrived at Kame house just in time. Upon entering he saw Master Roshi was sleeping on the couch with a blanket over his waist. He trotted slowly with each step, doing his best to keep quiet and not wake up the elderly man.
Krillin winced when his stomach growled loudly. He slowly looked over his shoulder, and found the old master still snoring peacefully. Krillin sighed quietly and proceeded to trot towards the kitchen. Once he approached the fridge, he opened it slowly, grabbing a banana in one hand, and an apple in the other. He began munching on said apple while on his knees.
"Back so soon, Krillin?"
Krillin muffled out a gasp. He glanced to his right to see Master Roshi letting out a yawn while adjusting his red shades.
"I wasn't expecting you this early!" Roshi added quickly once he noticed Krillin. "Have you managed to gather the dragon ball…"
Master Roshi gasped when his eyes landed on Krillin's hair. He got out of the couch and stepped up to his student. Roshi outstretched his hand towards Krillin's hair and gently touched a few strands.
"Would you look at that mophead!!" Roshi pats Krillin's hair. "Spiky and yet…ever so fluffy. It almost looks like Goku's—"
Master Roshi choked back a gasp upon realizing something.
"T-That means," He started, his countenance transformed from shock to joy. His face beamed with happiness and pride. "You asked for a mane of hair to impress the ladies, don'tcha?! My boy, you're a good student!"
An awkward smile graced Krillin's lips. Sweat formed on his forehead, followed by a nervous chuckle. Yeah, he's definitely not prepared to tell his master what he truly wished for. Not yet at least.
"Heh—That's right. Eh…eh…" Krillin stumbled over his words trying to find an appropriate response, which only made him seem even more awkward than before. "Uhm… Master?"
Master Roshi sighed in disappointment.
"I used to have black luscious hair too, you know!" Roshi said, holding his head with one hand while pointing at his scalp with the other. "I should really ask the dragon for rejuvenation. I may try next year, perhaps…"
Krillin's expression softened.
"Master Roshi! I decided to resume training on my own… is it okay if I leave for a while?" Krillin asked, his tone laced with seriousness and a hint of determination. Master Roshi turned back at him.
"Ohh. All by yourself? For real? Teeh eh eh. You rascal!" Roshi chuckled lightly, turned away from Krillin with a wave. "By all means, do as you please! You've got my blessing! Don't worry about me, this old man can still chew bubblegum and kick ass! Eh eh eh!"
Krillin smiled gratefully.
"T-Thank you, Master Roshi…" Krillin bowed his head.
"Ah, don't sweat it! Just sit down and finish your dinner." Roshi replied.
Krillin nodded before sitting down from across the dinner table and began eating his food. Master Roshi glanced up at the night sky and blinked in surprise. He leaned out of the window and peered up at the anomaly hovering in the night sky.
"Ohh! There it is… looks like we're having a full moon tonight!" Roshi commented with amazement. "I should better move my stuff before the high tide."
Krillin choked on his food and his countenance turned pale. He coughed vigorously and grabbed his glass of water to help swallow his food. He slowly turned his gaze towards Master Roshi as his breath began to shake.
"F-Fu…Full moon?!" Krillin repeated, his voice barely audible. Roshi nodded in conformation.
"Yeah, don't you remember? Kami restored it after I…er—after Jackie Chun blew it up! We haven't seen it in years!" Roshi explained casually.
There was a brief delay as Krillin's brain processed his Master's words before inevitably silencing him. He stared into deep space, his mind playing one horrifying memory of his first time seeing Goku transformed into a giant ape. The tremendous bellow, the destruction it caused, the screams of thousands of people, all of it leading up to where he is now.
"I'msorryi'mabittiredimmagotosleepnowgoodnight!" Krillin hurriedly scrambled off his chair, leaving behind his half empty plate, and rushed up the stairs. Krillin sat on the bed's precipice before a collective sigh escaped his lips. "I can't believe I dodged a bullet!!"
Krillin's long tail swayed back and forth rhythmically behind him as he occupied himself with his thoughts.
"Now that I'm like Goku, chances are…" He paused, turning his gaze towards his tail. "That…would happen to me as well!"
He gently took his tail in his hands.
What should I do? Goku had a fair share of problems, Krillin thought. But then again, he wasn't really aware of it. I wonder…was the tail the source of his power?
"Hey, Krillin!!"
Krillin jumped, startled out of his reverie. A knee jerk reaction caused his tail to swing and knock over a lamp. Krillin shouted and fell to the floor on his knees, outstretching his hand to reach for said lamp.
"Are you sure you're okay, young man?" Roshi questioned Krillin with concern laced in his tone. Krillin stared at the door and chuckled nervously.
"Ah—D-Don't worry! I'm a bit tired and clumsy, that's all!" Krillin answered hastily. "I-I think I'll go straight to bed. G-Good night!!"
There was a pause.
"Ah…okay…don't push yourself too hard! Good night!"
Krillin heard Master Roshi's footsteps fade away down the hall before he climbed back onto his bed and fell face first into his soft pillow. He let out a relieved sigh once his breathing evened out. He dodged a second bullet, for now.
"As if I'm getting any sleep tonight…" His stomach suddenly growled, prompting him to wrap his arms around his belly. "And I'm still so hungry!! How am I supposed to…supposed…supposed to get some…uhh…"
Krillin felt his eyes getting heavy. The world around him seemed to blur together, and he could already feel his body becoming tired.
Krillin closed his eyes, allowing sleep to consume him.
The rising sun painted the sky in an orange hue as it slowly crept up above the horizon. Birds chirped in the air and the sun's rays warmed up the blades of grass, bowing backwards by the wind. Pods of dolphins emerged from under the surface of the sea, their blue and white bodies glistening as they dove underwater. Master Roshi stood at the shoreline as he gazed forward brushing his teeth.
Krillin laid on his back sprawled on the bed while his tail swished against the sheets every now and then. His eyes slowly fluttered open, facing the ceiling. The cogs of his mind slowly began to turn before Krillin leapt off his bed in a panic, causing his tail to snap up in his direction.
"Uah! I'm late!" Krillin cried out before quickly putting his clothes back on, grabbing his bag, and leapt out of the window with said bag over his head.
Master Roshi sat on a lounge then glanced at Krillin just as he landed in front of him.
"Up already, I see." Master Roshi remarked with an amused grin.
"I overslept! I should already be on my way!" Krillin replied, stopping right in front of the old man. Master Roshi arched a brow at his student.
"Such a hurry! Oh well, it's nice to be young." Roshi said with a shrug, stepping up to stand beside Krillin and tapped his student's leg with his staff. "Since you're so very eager to train, how about a quick warm up? For a start?"
Roshi thrusted his staff forward. Aiming said staff at the long expanding ocean.
"Swim to the other side of the continent!" Roshi commanded, his countenance serious as he stared forward. Krillin stared at his master with a blank expression.
"That's it?" Krillin asked flatly.
Roshi slapped his hand on Krillin's back.
"Good luck, my student!" Roshi exclaimed cheerfully.
Krillin jogged forward while still holding the bag over his head. He twisted his torso to face his master with a smile.
"Goodbye, Master Roshi!" Krillin shouted cheerfully before turning away to the shoreline.
Krillin slid into the water with only half of his body up at the surface. A grin graced his lips, and with a kick of his legs he began swimming with incredible speed. The kicks were so fast that it left a trail from where he started. Before Master Roshi knew it, his student was gone in a matter of five seconds.
But said seconds was not what made the old geezer paused. He couldn't quite explain it. Maybe it had something to do when his hand made contact with Krillin's back. Or maybe…
"Mmm…that was weird…" Roshi muttered, stroking his goatee beard. "Eh, I must be seeing things."
Roshi turned away back to his abode.
Krillin sat crossed leg behind the campfire with his head lowered. His arms wrapped around his waist, as his stomach growled with a vengeance. His tail lazily swung back and forth as he tried to keep the hunger pangs at bay. With each pang a groan slipped past his lips, all the more regrettable for not eating breakfast before departure.
When Krillin had begun swimming across the continent he was filled with excitement he'd never felt before. The desire to train, as well as surpassing Goku had been burning in his heart since he had wished himself to be like him. But what he didn't account for through his time swimming across the ocean was that despite being like Goku now, he'd still had one thing that all creatures share. The need to eat when hungry.
I'm such a doofus, Krillin thought, damnit, stopped by my own stomach! And I even skipped breakfast!! Uurgh…
Somewhere in the area there was a powerful thump, and the ground shook.
Krillin lifted his head back up. His eyes blinked in surprise at the sight before him. A giant Inflatasaurus stomped past him without noticing his presence. Each methodic footstep made the earth's floor shake, akin to a giant mallet striking the ground in slow repetitive beats.
The behemoth lowered its head until its snout submerged in the water. It gulped down large mouthfuls of water in order to quench its thirst. The creature raised its head from the water with a roar of surging wind. Its powerful chest expanded and contracted tightly as water dripped from its chin. Muscles bulged beneath its surface as it exhaled.
The behemoth slightly lifted its head more to sniff the air. Nostrils flexed open and closed from the bulbous end of its snout. It slowly turned its gaze towards Krillin, followed by a long rumbling growl.
Krillin stared into the behemoth's beady black eyes. Normally seeing this ferocious creature would've prompted Krillin to run away and never look back. Now though, Krillin merely remained motionless, unmoving. He wasn't afraid; not in the slightest.
"Hello…you…" Drool dripped down the side of Krillin's chin. "Look at you…you're…you're…"
Krillin's eyes narrowed as an unnaturally wide grin graced his lips. His chin assaulted by the drooling that dripped down his jawline.
"Grub." Krillin uttered, sinister lacing his tone.
The Inflatasaurus Rex was rather caught off guard by Krillin's sudden change. Its eyes narrowed as it charged forth with a tremendous bellow. But unbeknownst to the creature, Krillin anticipated this. Krillin leapt into the air with the support of his heel, landing on top of the behemoth's skull close to its crown, jumped over and kicked the creature by the nape.
The behemoth crashed its head to a rocky wall. Debris fell on its nape while small ones descended on the ground. Its head fell to the ground with a thud as it saw stars dance in front of it. Krillin brought his hand up midair with a shout and chopped half of the behemoth's tail when he landed back on the earth. He threw the thick tail over his shoulder and walked forward, leaving the inflatasaurus in its dazing condition.
"This should be enough." Krillin stated, looking at the dazing behemoth over his shoulder. "You're free to go, just stop chasing humans, okay?"
Once Krillin had everything set, he sat down on his less luscious chair that is a log. Speared by a wooden skewer and cooking above the dancing flames is today's breakfast; the thick round slice piece of the inflatasaurus' tail which the latter was slowly getting up from the ground. It glanced down at Krillin and gazed in shock to see a piece of itself being roasted.
The deep orange flames rise and fall, growing in size and strength before dissipating not a second later. Reaching a hand forward, Krillin slowly turns the sizzling meat, inspecting it to see if it has been cooked enough. Giving the meat a squeeze, he watched beads of clear, bubbly juice leak out of every inch of the thigh, trailing down and falling into the fire. The smell is heavenly, a mix between a t-bone steak on the grill, and a pan full of bacon. Just a little longer.
Once his food was finished Krillin leaned forward and took the cooked meat in both hands. Holding the meat from both sides, he detaches it from the skewer. Sitting back down comfortably before taking a large and eager bite.
The juicy meat rolled in his tongue for a good couple of seconds before Krillin swallowed his food and went back to chewing. He could feel the juices running down his throat along with the meat's delicious flavor. After a couple of bites and sips from his bowl, Krillin leaned slightly back with the support of his hands keeping him seated.
"Phew!! So much better!" Krillin sighed with contentment, a wide smile crossing his features. The Inflatasaurus turned away towards the forest.
Krillin tightened his belt in a knot. He gazed forward with his eyes narrowed and a confident grin forming on his face. Thus Krillin began his weeks of hard training. Each passing week became a routine for the little dwarf: wake up, eat breakfast, train, sleep, repeat.
Krillin began to feel the benefits of being like Goku; he trains for longer, recovers faster, and he feels stronger every time he trains. Even if it is just by a little bit more than he's used to. Each new boost of energy invigorated his blood like nothing else before. And that alone was enough to make Krillin excited for his battle against Goku.
On the day when Krillin felt he was ready, he immediately blasted off into the air and soars forward.
Dragging two fishes in both hands from far away, a man with black wild hair glanced up at the clear blue sky. Staring in wonderment at the soaring silhouette that was flying towards his home.
He tilted his head in bewilderment.
"Hmm… wonder who that is?"
A/N: And that's chapter 2 my little shimmerings! I would've made this chapter a little longer but thought that this much length should suffice. Next chapter will feature a little sparing session between Krillin and Goku. I'll be going now, I hope you all have a nice day or night wherever you are. See you all in the next chapter my little shimmerings!