Special thanks to The Sinful for Beta.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball or any related content.
-[-
The answer was simple. He could sense Kefla there, near the tower, fighting someone who seemed strong. Too strong. Goku increased his speed, and a few moments later he emerged from the trees only to freeze as he saw a middle-aged man with long braided hair and thin moustache firing a golden beam of superheated energy which connected to Kefla's stomach.
The world washed away as Goku saw the beam pierce through her. He felt his heart stop, watching as Kefla fell, sensing the sharp decline of her Ki.
No.
. .NO.
"Kefla…" he mouthed weakly
A fire exploded in his veins, his whole focus on Kefla's unmoving body before his gaze fell on the man who attacked her. Who hurt her.
Hate unlike anything he ever felt filled him, and his anger exploded.
"HOW DARE YOU!?" Goku roared, his mind slipping away as the beast took over. "HOW DARE YOU HURT KEFLAAAA!"
The fire. The hate. The anger. All of it exploded at the same time as a pillar of green-coloured Ki rose all around Goku hiding his body from the view. All but his poisonous yellow eyes.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He roared as his consciousness completely blanked.
-[-
Tao watched as his Dodon Ray connected with the bitch he was fighting, piercing her body and finally ending this fight.
He breathed in relief thinking that he was done with his job. He had come here believing it was going to be an easy fight. His targets were a couple of teenagers and nothing more after all. Yet the bitch proved his hardest battle yet, not counting his annoying older brother. Thankfully, his vast experience and difference in power were enough for him to emerge victorious.
"HOW DARE YOU HURT KEFLAAAA!"
He was brought out of his thoughts by the demonic yell of a wounded animal. Something exploded to his right, and killing intent, unlike anything he ever felt, washed over him. He whirled around to see what the hell was that only to see a large column of dark green Ki that reached the sky.
A pair of poisonous yellow eyes appeared inside the stream of Ki, and Tao felt every fibre of his being screaming at him to run.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" The beast roared.
The Ki column exploded and something emerged from it. Tao didn't have the time to even see what it was and excruciating pain spread from his stomach a moment later as he was bent in half, a large amount of blood spewing from his mouth. The next moment, Tao found himself flying in the air back to where he came from.
W-What the fuck hit me!?
Even just thinking hurt so much. He opened his eyes and saw a dark green streak rushing towards him.
"F-Fuck you!" He aimed at his enemy. "You think I'll go down so easily? DODON RAY!" Tao fired another Dodon Ray, one that was many times stronger than the one he used just a few moments earlier. By the time the beam left his hand, his enemy was already just a few meters away. The Dodon Ray hit them square on, but much to Tao's shock, it simply did nothing to the enraged beast aside from slightly pushing him back.
It did give Tao a moment to see his enemy, realising that it was his second target. The teen was looking positively feral with extended canines, a dark green aura surrounding him and his eyes empty and glowing yellow.
The teen roared again and once again, Tao found himself in an immense amount of pain as he was sent flying even further back. This time, he was sure that half of his ribs were broken. "D-Don't underestimate me!" His Ki exploded, halting his forced movement. Tao gritted his teeth at having used Sky Dance, his brother's precious technique. He avoided using it as much as he could but he'd be a red paste on the ground if things continued as it were.
He threw a punch at his enemy with all of his might, but the feral teen simply grabbed it. There was a moment of silence before an evil grin crossed the beast's face. Tao's enemy squeezed and Tao's hand exploded in a shower of bones and meat.
"AAAAGGH!"
He screamed both in pain and disbelief as his hand simply disappeared. Worse, his arm from the wrist and up cracked and blood burst out like a fountain. Gritting through the pain, Tao twisted to kick the monster's head off only to stare as the teen disappeared and more blood flowed in the sky. The teen reappeared and Tao stared dumbly for a moment as he saw his leg being held with the teen's mouth. His eyes strayed down, and he saw the blood falling from where his leg used to be. Everything from the knee down was missing.
Tao didn't even have time to react as a strong kick crushed the rest of his ribs and sent him crashing into the ground several miles away.
…
…
Pain. Pain was all Tao could feel. He slowly opened his eyes. His eyesight was blurry, and he could only see a green blob floating in the air. His instincts screamed at him as he felt the build-up of energy, coming from the blob's direction.
Something headed towards him. His eyesight was better now, and he could see the beam of green Ki coming towards him to end him. Not wanting to die, Tao gathered Ki in his remaining feet and used it to throw himself backwards.
He succeeded in avoiding a direct hit, but not completely. The explosion of the Kamehameha – not that Tao knew its name – burned half of Tao's body as he was sent flying all the way near a Red Ribbon Army base where the soldiers found his unconscious, but barely alive body.
-[-
He felt like he was drowning in a pit of hate and anger. All he could see was red and black. All he could see was the visage of the man who killed Kefla and Kefla's face as the attack pierced her.
He wanted him dead. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to rip and tear each and every inch of his enemy's body and make the sky rain his blood. He hated him. He hated him and wanted him dead. But he couldn't see anything, or feel it. He didn't know what was happening aside that he was sure he was killing the man. He must be.
He felt like he wasn't in control of his own body. Instead, he was drowning in the darkness, barely conscious of what was happening. He felt blood in his mouth as his fangs crushed something. Then the man disappeared.
He is dead, right? He must be, dead!
He felt something. Someone was moving towards Kefla. He whirled around, and his vision zoomed on Kefla's body. There were two people near her body. A little boy and a large man. They looked like father and son, but he didn't care at all. They were dragging Kefla's body. They were touching it!
He roared, the whole area shaking under the anger of the beast. He flew fast towards them and the two backed away in fear. They said something, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He growled at them, ready to kill them. Then, Kefla coughed some blood and he froze.
Kefla was alive. She was still alive.
He could still save her. He would save her.
For the first time in the last few minutes, Goku opened his eyes.
-[-
Upa has never been more terrified in his life.
When the bad man came, he could do nothing as the man beat his father up. His father was going to die if it wasn't for some girl flying in and saving him at the last moment. Then Upa saw a fight so wild that he thought he was dreaming. He thought the girl was going to win and cheered for her. She saved his father's life so she must be a good person after all.
Everything went downhill when the man's attack pierced the girl's stomach.
There was a moment of silence with both Upa and his father staring at the girl, horrified. Then it came. A beast that looked like a boy – who Upa curiously noted resembled the girl somewhat – emerged from the trees promising death and destruction.
If the fight between the bad man and the girl was a thing out of his dreams, the beast's slaughter was something out of a nightmare.
His legs trembled at both the power he could feel crashing down on his body, and the feral and malicious energy the beast exuded. A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump, he looked up and saw his father and relaxed a little, feeling a little safer. He understood the beast could kill him and his father with ease, but he still felt a little safer and braver with his father's large hand on his shoulder.
"We need to get the girl closer to Korin's Tower," his father said and Upa nodded.
They could see the faintest rising of her chest, so there was a chance to save her. They dragged her body, getting closer to the sacred barrier. Then they heard the beast roar and looked up in fear as he charged at them.
Upa and his father backed away, their whole body shaking in pure and unadulterated fear. The beast growled at them.
"Wait, we're trying to save her!" her father shouted.
"She's still alive!" Upa joined, he hoped that it was enough reason for it to stop. The beast attacked when the girl was injured so there was a chance that was the reason.
The beast growled at them, and its body tensed, ready to pounce on them. We're going to die, thought Upa before the girl suddenly coughed some blood and the beast froze in shock.
"This is our chance!" His father said, and they ran, grabbing the girl's body and hauling it with them. The beast was snapped out of its daze and lunged at them. Thankfully, they just crossed the sacred barrier. The beast was halted mid-jump, the poisonous green aura and yellow eyes disappearing as the boy fell to the ground.
Upa breathed a sigh of relief seeing this. The beast – now more a normal teenager – stood up, looking at his body in confusion.
"W-What happened? I can't feel my Ki."
"This is a sacred land," said Upa's father. "Inside this barrier, none can use their Ki."
"Huh…" The boy then looked at the girl's body and ran to it. "Kefla! Stay with me!"
Upa was surprised to hear the concern and humanity in his voice. The teen sounded different than the beast that he was just a few moments ago. The look of fear and worry and love in his eyes was something Upa hadn't seen since his father held Upa's mother's body as she died from illness.
"You can still save her," Upa found himself blurting out. He gestured to the tall tower. "If you can climb Korin's Tower, there's a sage. Korin the Cat Hermit who has magical beans that can cure anything!"
The teen looked at him and nodded. "Help me," he said, and Upa moved closer. The teen tore part of his clothes and with some ropes that Upa's father provided, they secured the girl – Kefla was called according to the teen – on the young man's back though not before applying some bandages to hopefully keep her alive long enough to survive the climb.
"I'm Goku by the way, thanks," the young man said before jumping, clearing several meters with ease even without his Ki, and started climbing the tower.
"Wow… He's amazing," said Upa as the teen grew smaller and smaller as he climbed up. He turned to his father. "I hope that he makes it in time."
His father smiled at him. "Me too, Upa… Me too."
-[-
Goku climbed and climbed the tower. Though Goku thought it was generous to call it a tower. It was more like a slender tall pillar. He had stopped jumping to skip distances because of the strong wind. Goku feared slipping or falling down for what it could mean to Kefla. He didn't think her body would survive such shock, let alone fall, in her current state.
I need to make it in time! Goku thought desperately. He felt his heart in a constant vice grip and didn't think he could breathe easily before Kefla was okay. His mind drifted to the man who tried to kill her. He had no idea who he was, but that wasn't what concerned Goku. It was the power he felt and used against the man. He still remembered the feeling of drowning and the anger that consumed him. It was like he wasn't in control of his body at all, and some wild beast had taken it from him.
He remembered feeling that same feeling before in the Demon Realm, but it was never this intense. It reminded him of back when he couldn't control his Ōzaru form. The power is incredible, but I lost myself in it and I almost killed those two kind and innocent people. That was a power he couldn't just tap into without thought – not that he knew how to use it – before he could fully master it. He couldn't afford to hurt innocent people or worse, his friends.
He climbed more and more, his fingers digging into the stone pillar. He couldn't afford to slip, not even a little. Please, let me make it in time! He prayed to whoever would listen to him. The thought of losing Kefla was… unthinkable. He knew the feeling of loss from back when his grandpa died, but somehow, the thought of losing Kefla was much worse for reasons he didn't understand.
He could barely feel Kefla's breath against his neck, and he could see that she was getting paler. He sped up his climbing, sweat running down his face not from tiredness but how nervous he was.
Come on, come on. Come on!
After what felt like days, probably no more than an hour, Goku saw something in the distance. It was a building of some kind, shaped like a bowl with the bottom connected to the 'tower' and with four circular holes. With renowned vigour, Goku climbed faster and reached the first hole in a few minutes. He jumped through and landed in a big circular room full of pots, jars, a bath and random furniture.
What got his attention was the giant cat standing there. A large blue cat – as tall as Krillin – with closed eyes, carrying a large wooden staff.
"Who the hell are you?" Goku asked, his body tense and ready to attack.
"Is that the time for that?" The cat asked. "Put the girl down and let's save her life."
Goku narrowed his eyes, unsure how this cat knew the situation before he explained anything, but he did as asked since he didn't have time to argue. He watched curiously as the cat walked close and bent over Kefla before shoving a small green bean inside her mouth and crushing it. Goku watched curiously as the colour started returning to Kefla's skin before she sat up, nearly hitting the cat, looking at Goku with wide eyes.
"Kakarot? What are you doin–wait, I was injured, I–" She ripped her shirt off and Goku found his cheeks heating up for some reason as he saw her naked torso, but he joined Kefla in gawking at her now non-existent injury. "What the hell?!"
"That is the effect of Senzu Beans," the cat said, making Kefla shriek in surprise.
"The hell are you? Actually, where am—"
She was cut off as Goku bounced on her, hugging her tightly. "K-Kakarot, what are you doing?" Kefla asked, a dusting of pink colouring her cheeks as his arms tightened around her. "W-Wait… When did you get your growth spurt?"
Goku leaned backwards, looking her in the eyes—they were of much closer height now—he smiled widely at her. "I'm glad that you're alright, Kefla!" Goku had never felt happier in his life than the moment he saw Kefla safe and sound after what happened. A heavy weight fell off his shoulder, and the knot in his stomach unravelled. He was glad that Kefla was alive as he didn't know if he could take losing her.
"Of course, I'm alright y–" Kefla cut herself off, her eyes widening and her face paling. "S-Shit, I nearly died, didn't I?" Goku's arm tightened around her and she looked at him. "You saved me, didn't you? I…" Several emotions flashed through her face that left Goku confused, especially when she finally settled on anger.
"Well, you didn't need to!" She forcibly extracted herself from Goku's embrace. "You didn't need to save me! I could've saved myself on my own, I'm not weak!" With that, she stormed away, going up the stairs to somewhere, leaving a stunned Goku.
Goku blinked after a moment. "What just happened?" he questioned himself before moving to follow, only for his path to be blocked by Korin's staff.
"Leave the girl alone for a while, boy," the cat said. "She clearly wants to be alone for the moment, so give her time."
Goku frowned but nodded. He didn't really get what happened, but he didn't like the idea of Kefla being angry with him. Teasing her and making her angry as a joke was one thing, but her being truly angry at him hurt.
At the very least, Kefla was safe now, and for that he was grateful.
-[-
Gero walked through the hallways of the HQ, his eyes tracking the frantic movements of everyone. Emergency drills were being drilled into the soldiers; staff restocked ammunition for every single gun, cannon, tank or weapon in HQ; engineers checked the tanks, planes, robots and all kinds of defence measures while more and more troops arrived from every base around the globe.
That wasn't all. New measures were being installed everywhere not only for more security but also because some arrivals needed their own place like the idiots from Muscle Tower. Nothing was being left to chance, and everyone was being provided with everything they needed to perform at their best.
Gero himself was heading to oversee the progress of the latest addition to the army, or rather, the latest improvements being done on a recent addition: Mercenary Tao. The man has been brought to HQ on the verge of death. Whoever he fought was a true monster, utterly destroying Tao and only a miracle was going to save him. That's why the army's best doctors and Jinzō–Gero's personal assistant and right-hand man–were currently working on him not only to save his life but also to replace anything they could to bring him back. They weren't saving his life out of the goodness of their heart, but rather to have a loyal weapon even stronger than Tao was before his brutalisation.
He wasn't exactly in a good mood. News of the destruction of his lab in the Northern Mountains near North City reached him just a few hours ago. Years of research, plenty of resources and materials were lost just like that. His wife's consciousness had a backup in another lab, but the materials, research papers and previous inventions were invaluable and losing them was going to set back his plans for years.
From the footage that he pulled, that cursed boy, Goku, was behind it all. He even took Android 21 with him, but that was no real loss. Everything else though… Curse you, Goku. I swear I'll kill you and everyone that you love one day…
Gero frowned as he came face to face with his son. Gevo was a tall and broad man with icy blue eyes, an orange mohawk, and gold hoop earrings. He wore the standard Red Ribbon Army uniform, three stripes on his shoulder showing that he held the rank of Sergeant.
"Father," Gevo said respectfully though Gero simply scoffed. He didn't really like Gevo's career choice or lack of mental abilities. His own son was but a simple brute and follower with none of his brain. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that Gevo had his eyes, he'd have thought his wife had cheated on him.
Not for the first time, the feeling of disgust and shame rose within Gero as he looked at Gevo's face. How could the Great Dr. Gero have begotten such a failure of a man?
"Gevo… Why is HQ acting like a beehive? What's with all of these preparations?" He asked, wanting to get some answers. He had just arrived himself and was unaware of what happened.
Gevo hesitated but answered after a moment.
"General Red is wary after Mercenary Tao's defeat. He showed himself stronger than some of our strongest soldiers and yet he was defeated so brutally. And with only one Dragon Ball remaining, he fears an attack by the other side."
Gero scoffed, his eyes trailing two comfort girls walking towards a captain's office. "So he decided to hide and prepare for an attack rather than attack himself. What a coward."
"Father, General Red is–"
"Spare me," Gero sneered, not wanting to hear any more of his son's worship of that idiotic man. Gero did care for the Red Ribbon Army and their objectives. They simply provided him with the money and resources he needed for his research. Whether they ruled the world or died, he didn't care at all.
He walked around his son–who opened his mouth to talk more, though Gero had no time for him–and continued on his way. A few minutes later, he entered the operation room, observing his assistant at work.
His assistant was a large fat man with completely white skin and pointed light blue eyes. He wore two dangling earrings, extra-large orange pants, a large white lab coat, and an orange pointed hat with a Red Ribbon Army logo on the front. He was in his mid-thirties and has been working for Gero for nearly two decades now.
He hummed in satisfaction watching Jinzō work. While he'd do one thing here or there differently, he was satisfied with the changes that his assistant was doing to Tao's body. Adding weapons, replacing his limbs and eyes, and reinforcing his bones. Tao was going to come back much stronger than he was before whoever or whatever he fought, did what they did.
Now that's someone I wish was my own son, Gero thought bitterly before an idea came to him. His daughter, Gena, was fifteen years old but she was already proving that she didn't inherit her mother's or father's brain. She was loyal though, and beautiful. Jinzō and Gena marrying might ensure that I have suitable heirs. His daughter would do as told and marry whoever he said, so that wasn't a problem. He only needed to broach the subject with Jinzō.
Their grandparents and their father are geniuses, one of my grandkids is bound to be one too and continue the family legacy after my ascension.
Gero smiled for the first time in the last few hours, having a good feeling about the future.
-[-
When Kefla had come to her with news of Krillin and Goku's disappearance, Bulma had become worried. Yet she stayed where she was because she trusted them and Kefla who was going to find them. However, the days went by, and there was no news about any of them. After a few days of begging her teacher to allow her to leave, Bulma finally left, making her way to Roshi's island.
There, she learnt of Kefla's battles with the Red Ribbon Army, and that there was no news of either Krillin or Goku. Her worries increased and so, taking the Dragon Balls with them, Bulma left with Master Roshi towards her house. She hoped to find some more information there, if not, then she'd build another Dragon Radar and search for her friends.
She was going to find them. The thought of something happening to them was unacceptable.
When she arrived, Bulma was confused to see some people she didn't know or recognise. There was a pretty blonde who looked a bit older than Bulma in a military outfit watching as a young red-haired girl, and another older redhead—this one was near Bulma's age and incredibly beautiful—played a children's game in front of her house.
They didn't notice their arrival, or Roshi's whistling when his eyes landed on the two older girls—Bulma's tail was quick to send him flying. Before she could approach them, Bulam's mother appeared with Krillin in to, carrying several plates of cookies and cups of orange juice.
She watched curiously as the older redhead seemed to inch away from Bulma's mother, eyeing her warily while accepting the cookies and her glass from Krillin. Her mother continued to smile, leaving the plates on a table before leaving, though not before patting the younger redhead's head.
Bulma decided to announce herself. "Krillin, you're alright?"
Krillin turned toward her, smiling. "Bulma! I didn't know you were coming!" Meanwhile, the older redhead darted behind the blonde soldier, eyeing Bulma curiously. The younger one simply tilted her head, looking in confusion at Bulma.
She hugged her friend, happy that he looked alright, but she couldn't help but frown seeing that there were two still missing. "Where are Goku and Kefla?"
"I don't know where Kefla is," he said with a shrug. "As for Goku, we split ways about three days ago. He said that he had a bad feeling before he darted in a different direction with the radar." He gestured to the girls behind him. "I had these guys with me, so I couldn't follow him. We agreed to meet at your house."
Bulma's frown deepened, the knot in her stomach twisting further. She was worried for them, but at least for now, she had to trust that they could take care of themselves. "Who are they?"
Krillin grimaced. "Well… a lot happened. I'll fill you in on the details later." He leaned in so that they wouldn't hear. "I'm not sure about blondie—her name is Lunch—and I'm not aware of all the details about 21."
"21?"
"The redhead with the long bushy hair," replied Krillin in a whisper. "Goku found her and Lunch in one of Dr. Gero's labs. Lunch should explain things better than me."
Bulma's eyes widened at the mention of the infamous scientist. Just how is that man involved in all of this? The simple search for Dragon Balls seemed to have snowballed into something much bigger and more complicated.
"As for the other girl, her name is Suno," continued Krillin. "We… We got sidetracked and ended up arriving too late. The Red Ribbon Army had already arrived, took the Dragon Ball and slaughtered everyone…" He frowned, clenching his hands in frustration. "Suno was the only survivor that we've found."
Bulma winced, looking at the girl with a renowned sympathy. This RR Army was much more dangerous and evil than she had thought, and it seemed that they were after the Dragon Balls. Nothing good could ever come out of people like these using the powers of wish-granting MacGuffins.
They had two Dragon Balls already, so a clash was inevitable at this point especially since Kefla had already defeated them twice. Still, where are you… Kefla… Goku?
-[-
Kefla extended her hand, the white fog escaping through her fingers as they failed to touch anything, only leaving a general feeling of wetness. Clouds apparently didn't feel as fluffy as they looked.
Her gaze shifted to the distance, watching as the giant red ball that was the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Its rays dyed the world in shades of orange and red that would've been utterly beautiful—especially seen from such height from between the clouds—but was lost on Kefla whose heart was in utter turmoil.
She had regretted her words to Kakarot as soon as she had said them, but at the same time, part of her was still too angry. She wasn't angry at Kakarot, of course not. She was angry at herself.
She was angry that she needed saving in the first place—that she needed Kakarot to save her life. Once again, she was too weak. Bulma had saved the day on their Dragon Ball hunt, and she only defeated Master Roshi because Kakarot had utterly exhausted their master.
And now she nearly died, died, because she was too weak again. If it weren't for Kakarot, then she'd be dead—killed in a fight against a random old man in the middle of nowhere.
She hated it. She hated how weak she was. She hated that she needed saving! She was supposed to be a Saiyan warrior, and yet she felt so pathetic. So frustrated.
She clenched her hands so hard that her knuckles turned white. If she had access to her ki—she had no idea why she could feel it but it seemed locked behind a barrier—her power would've exploded right then and there from how frustrated and angry at herself she was.
Angry at Kakarot too. It was irrational, part of her knew, but she couldn't help but feel frustrated that she somehow was always weaker than him. That she couldn't enjoy her win in the tournament because of him. That she needed him to save her life.
"Your mind is so noisy, girly."
Taken out of her downward spiral, she looked to see the blue cat that she had noticed when she had first woken up.
"Who are you anyway?"
"I'm the God of Martial Arts: Cat Hermit Korin," the cat introduced itself. "And you, girl, seem to be troubled." The cat walked near her before sitting on her left side, gazing into the distance. "Your thoughts would wake a bear out of its hibernation."
Kefla frowned. "Thoughts… you…" her eyes widened. "You can read minds?!" Her anger flared, thinking that the cat had entered her mind and read her thoughts.
"In a way," Korin said. "I've not invaded your privacy, but you're basically broadcasting your thoughts around you so that any competent mind reader could hear it."
Kefla scowled though she did feel embarrassed by that. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "What do you want anyway?"
Korin said nothing for a few moments, watching the sunset. "That wasn't nice of you, girly." He finally said, breaking his silence. "The boy saved your life, and he was so angry when he thought he lost you."
Immediately, shame filled Kefla as she looked down. Her teeth gritted in frustration knowing that he was right, yet still feeling angry.
"It's not his fault that you feel weak, girly," the cat said, knowing her thoughts.
"I know that!"
"Do you?" Korin challenged. "Is strength that important to you?"
"Of course it is!" She instantly replied. "I'm a Saiyan; it's in my blood. Besides, I have goals that I need to reach. I want to be the strongest, and fulfil Mother's wishes."
"And that being?"
Kefla explained the history of the Saiyan race as best as she could before reaching the goal her mother had left for her. "My mother told me the Saiyans deserved their fate, however, I and any other survivor has the chance to be better. To train and fight to protect other races instead of killing them."
Korin chuckled. "And you think you can do that by just depending on strength?"
"Strength is very important!" Kefla defended, not wanting him to mock her desire to be strong. It's not like she can protect anyone while being weak.
"It is," Korin nodded. "However, it's not everything, at least it shouldn't be." He paused for a moment. "Let me give you some advice, girly. Being the strongest or simply strong is nice, and you need to be to protect yourself and your loved ones, but if you view your strength as a higher priority than your loved ones, then you'll have no one to protect."
He turned to her, and she could feel his sharp gaze despite his closed eyes. "You need to decide what's more important to you. Strength or your loved ones. And think… what makes you different from those evil Saiyans in the end?" that was like a mortal blow to Kefla, making her look at him with eyes as wide as saucers.
"Decide what's the most important thing to you." With that, Korin left her to her thoughts.
-[-
Her thoughts warred with her pride for about an hour before Kefla sighed, knowing that Korin was right.
She looked down in shame, biting her lower lip hard, almost drawing blood. Guilt filled her as she remembered how she acted towards Kakarot.
He didn't deserve that… I was a bitch.
There was no way she was going to become like those evil Saiyans who cared about nothing but power. She cared for Kakarot a lot, and there was no way she'd ever choose power over him.
So she sought him out, finding him sitting in the lower level of the–What is even this place called? She shook her head. Kakarot was sitting at a window still, looking at the crescent moon in the sky.
Kefla suddenly felt afraid, wondering if Kakarot hated her for how she acted. Maybe I shouldn't have come? Surely he hates me now! Her thoughts were interrupted when Kakarot suddenly perked up and turned to her with an impossibly bright smile that made her heart leap in her chest and killed her cowardness in its cradle.
"Kefla! You're alright now? Come sit with me! The moon is beautiful when it can't turn us into monsters!"
Kefla ducked her head, walking slowly to sit on Kakarot's left side. He was right. The white moon was beautiful against the black night sky—there weren't even any clouds to obscure their vision. She looked to the side, and her eyes met his. Both looked at each other with wide eyes, examining each other under the moonlight.
Kefla had vaguely been aware that Kakarot got his first growth spurt, but only now she got to see him well. He was as tall as her, or even taller. He didn't exactly change, not completely, but he lost the baby fat that he had and his features were sharper.
She felt her cheeks ridden, her heart beating faster as she drank him in—he looked good.
Her pink cheeks were reflected on his, and both looked to the other side and stayed silent for a few moments.
Finally, Kefla broke the silence, getting some measure of control over her beating heart. "I'm sorry Kakarot, for how I reacted earlier."
"Huh?" Kakarot leaned forward, rotating his head to look at her sideways. "What are you apologising for?"
"For blowing up at you instead of thanking you," said Kefla, trying to show that she was really sincere. "I was frustrated with my weakness and that I needed you to save me, and I blew up on you even though that's not fair."
Kakarot winced. "Ah, that…" His face transformed into his happy expression again. "It doesn't matter so. I don't care if you want to thank me or not, I only care that you're alive and well." His hand caught hers, and she felt goosebumps travel on her skin, her insides growing hot. He seemed to be struggling with something, his face getting redder. "I just thought that I did something that made you mad at me."
Kefla shook her head quickly. "I wasn't mad at you, I was angry at myself," she confessed. "Ever since the tournament, I felt weaker and inferior to you then I almost got killed, and you saved my life… I was frustrated, and I took it out on you." She looked him in the eye. They look beautiful under the moonlight. "That wasn't fair of me. I care about strength, Kakarot, but I care about you more. I'm sorry, and thank you for saving my life." Unable to help herself, Kefla leaned forward and kissed Kakarot gently on the cheek, her own heart threatening to burst from her chest with how fast it was beating. She withdrew, giggling at his dumbfounded expression before giving him her best smile.
"W-Well… you're welcome too, Kefla…" Said Goku before he smiled widely and the whole place lit up. "And I care about you too, Kefla."
Kefla's face was as red as his, she was sure. They both turned their faces away, to gaze at the moon. Unconsciously, their tails gravitated towards each other. His tail poked hers for a moment before they moved forward, entwining around each other in a complicated but comfortable knot as their owners watched the moon with big, silly smiles on their faces.
-[-
"Now that you two have made up, what are you planning?" Korin asked the next morning.
They were standing on the upper level of the sanctuary. A large, circular area with an elaborate fountain in the middle and a roof on top to protect from the sun and rain.
Kefla and Goku looked at each other before Kefla shrugged. "Well, there is the Red Ribbon Army and gathering the Dragon Balls."
"Of course, but how about you delay your journey for… a few days?"
Goku frowned. "Why?"
"I'm nicknamed the God of Martial Arts, aren't you interested in some training?"
Both perked up at that. That detail did slip their mind with everything that they had to deal with so far, but now that he said it, they were certainly interested in studying under the Cat Hermit.
"But what about our enemies and friends?" Kefla pointed out after the initial excitement passed.
"Well, your enemies are gathering their resources, preparing for an attack by you so they won't move just yet. Tao Pao, the man who almost killed you–" Goku growled angrily at that memory, only calming down a little when Kefla's hand held his. "-is still alive. He survived just barely, and he's getting stronger."
"What?! I'm going to kill him!" Shouted Goku, his anger sparking into a raging inferno.
"No," said Kefla. "I'm going to do it. Not you, Kakarot. That's my fight."
Goku frowned, looking at Kefla in worry. She held his gaze, looking back at him in determination for a few moments until Goku nodded.
She smiled at him widely, and Goku felt his cheeks getting warmer seeing her bright, beautiful smile.
"As for your friends, I can take care of that," said Korin with a grin. "I can speak with my mind with the old Turtle Boy and tell him the new plan."
Their eyes widened. "You know Master Roshi?" Asked Kefla first.
"Of course, I taught him for a few years back when he was a young man."
Goku's eyes sparkled, now getting more excited at the prospect of being trained by the same hermit who trained their master. "That's awesome!"
"So you're going to train us both then?" Asked Kefla. "Why can't we use our Ki here anyway?"
Korin chuckled. "If you ask the natives, they'll say it's because this place is sacred ground." He walked to the pillars holding the roof and pointed to an inscription on it. "The truth is that this is a spell created to stop people from being able to access Ki. It extends from the ceiling and all the way down back on Earth."
Goku crossed his arms. "How do we train then?"
"Training without Ki is… the key here." Korin sniggered. "I'm not someone interested in the usage of Ki in general. I can do it, but I'm no master. There are those much better suited to teach you about it—I'm a Martial Arts teacher after all."
Korin continued. "I'm more interested in honing your technique and strengthening your body. Ki always helped you in training. Now, training is going to be harder without your body having the support of Ki. And regardless, when you finish the train, your Ki will get stronger as it's tied to having a strong, healthy body."
"Makes sense," said Kefla.
Does it? Questioned Goku as he didn't really get it, but if Kefla said it made sense then she must be right. She was no Bulma, but she was smarter than him.
"Of course, I won't simply accept you without a simple test," said the Cat Hermit with a smirk.
"A test? What kind?" Asked Goku, his blood pumping at the thought of having to fight the Cat Hermit to prove themselves.
"See that?" Korin gestured towards a small jar on top of the fountain. "That's the Sacred Korin Water. Anyone who drinks it can become much stronger than before."
He then pointed at Kefla. "You girly, go and drink it…"
"That's it?" Kefla scoffed and walked towards the fountain. She reached her hands towards the jar. "This is too easy."
Only for her to be sent flying by the Cat Hermit's staff who suddenly moved and attacked Kefla before she could touch the jar."
"I didn't say that I wouldn't stop you."
Kefla growled and jumped to her feet. "What was that for?"
"Your test," Korin answered easily. "Take the water and drink it, and I'll stop you. This is your test."
Kefla cracked her knuckles, eyes narrowing at Korin as she smirked smugly. "That's it? It'll be too easy."
Goku moved to the side to leave space for them.
"Easy?" Korin chuckled darkly. "Your Master Roshi took three years to do it."
Both of their jaws hung to the ground at that. Before they could process the words, Korin's staff hit Kefla, sending her flying again.
The test had begun.
-[-
Thankfully, news about Goku and Kefla reached them soon after Bulma made it back.
Master Roshi had sought her out, telling her about some kind of Cat Hermit—Bulma wasn't sure why every hermit had to be connected to some animal—that contacted him via telepathy and explained that Goku and Kefla were with him. They apparently were going to train for a few days before they were ready to join back with them.
Bulma's heart almost stopped when she heard that Kefla actually came close to dying if it wasn't for Goku. Even though she knew that she was fine, Bulma's heart couldn't stop pounding as the words kept on repeating in her mind. The relief and gratitude she felt for Goku was massive, and she wondered what she was going to do for her friend who saved the life of her other friend.
At least, both of them were safe, and that's all Bulma cared about for the moment.
She also learnt that the absence of the Red Ribbon Army was explained by their desire to sit back and wait for them to attack. Bulma was fine with that, as it'd give them time to prepare and innocent people wouldn't get involved since the battle would happen on the RR Army's home ground.
After catching up with her mother and father, Bulma got to know the new additions to their team.
Suno was a cute and kind girl. The girl was strong enough to be able to smile despite what happened to her family and her whole village. Bulma admired that strength in her despite her young age and wasn't sure if she could act the same in her position.
The little girl had taken to helping Bulma's mother around the house, refusing just to sit and play all day. She easily got along with everyone with her nice personality and cute appearance.
And she seemed to have a crush on Krillin—that he didn't seem to notice—that Bulma found cute.
Lunch was someone that Bulma didn't know how to deal with.
A pretty girl around her age should've been easy to deal with, but Lunch proved different than she was used to.
Finding out the fact that Lunch had two personalities with two different looks. Blonde Lunch was vicious, brave, and seemed to be close to a Saiyan with how she sought and enjoyed fights. She was rude and didn't seem to be satisfied with anything.
The Blue Lunch was the exact opposite. A kind, nice and soft girl that got frightened from anything. She couldn't hurt an ant, and she shied away from conflicts.
With Blonde Lunch, Bulma could deal with the girl thanks to her Saiyan side even though the girl did annoy her from time to time. Blue Lunch was harder to deal with, and Bulma found herself feeling bad whenever they interacted with how much of a pushover the girl was.
In the end, Bulma simply shrugged and decided that she'd either get along with them eventually or not—it didn't matter. Blue Lunch was hired as a maid, while Blonde Lunch was hired as a bodyguard—her job depended on which Lunch was in control at the time.
The last one was obviously 21, the girl Bulma was currently watching through an observation window. 21 was currently solving a few exercises with a helmet-like device attached to her head with wires coming out of it.
Bulma was disgusted and horrified when she heard the girl's story from Lunch who explained everything that she knew. To think Gero would resort to such inhumane research made Bulma physically ill. The fact that the girl had her DNA certainly was unsettling.
Knowing that, both Bulma and her father had started conducting tests on 21.
They needed to know as much as they could about 21, both physically and mentally. They needed to know exactly what Gero did to the poor girl, and they needed to know if there was something wrong with her.
This was uncharted territory for both of them. Neither had any experience or knowledge beyond the basics in such a subject. That's why Bulma was doing a crash course in Biology, Bioengineering and more.
The results so far were troubling. The girl's knowledge was far beyond someone her physical age, and at the same time, she seemed ignorant of the actual subjects that she knew. It was like someone downloaded the concept of an apple in her mind, but she had never actually seen, touched, or tasted an apple in her life.
Her DNA was a mess, and there was part of it that was apparently suppressed through unknown means. Bulma managed to connect her DNA to samples from herself, Kefla, Goku, Krillin, Roshi, a few animals, and two unknown DNA samples that seemed to be of alien or magical origins.
She seemed stable enough, as much as one could with such a mess of genes inside of them, but Bulma and her father couldn't be sure.
Bulma smiled gently as she entered the room, the test for the day having finished. "You've done well, 21," said Bulma softly, not wanting to startle the girl that was starting to get used to her.
"Thank you, Bulma-san," said 21, smiling back though hers was a bit crooked as a result of never smiling before in her life. "Is there any news about Goku-san?"
Bulma sighed. 21 seemed to have latched on Goku since he was the one who got her out and destroyed the hell she was born inside. She was taking his absence badly, especially since he apparently promised her that he'd be back. "Not yet. Training takes time, 21; but I'm sure he's alright. Goku is strong, and he'll make it back to us. Always."
21's face fell at first before she brightened up at the end. Bulma wasn't sure if the girl was crushing on him or not, and wasn't sure how to address it. Part of Bulma would be happy for Goku since he was her friend, but a part of her that she didn't understand felt a pang of jealousy. Her own feelings for Goku were a mess.
On one hand, Goku wasn't much younger than her, and she enjoyed his company a lot. She treasured him more than anyone aside from Kelfa, and their actions showed that they were the same. On the other hand, Goku looked like a little kid, which messed with her attraction to him, and there was Kefla to consider too. She was sure that Kefla was in the same boat, and wasn't sure of Kefla's own feelings for her.
Her own feelings for Kefla weren't something she was willing to go into at the moment.
As for 21, the problem was the girl, while a genius and had more knowledge than the average adult, still didn't have any actual worldly experience nor had she dealt with proper emotions before in her life. She didn't want the girl to get into something and get hurt from lack of experience.
Oh, and there was the Chronoa girl too. A Supreme Kai of Time or something like that who Krillin told her about. She wasn't sure if that woman was interested in Goku like Krillin suggested, but if she was a betting woman…
What a sinful boy… Goku is…
"You promise?" asked 21.
Bulma was pulled out of her thoughts with 21's question. She decided to throw her thoughts aside for the moment, not knowing what her feelings were and what she wanted to do with them. At the moment, they had more important things to do. We can see how things go after we deal with the Red Ribbon Army.
Bulma smiled widely at 21 and told her her sincere feelings. "Yes, I promise. No matter what, always believe that Goku will get back to his loved ones, no matter what."
-[-
They watched as the one called Kefla finally managed to take the flask after thirty-seven hours of constant trying.
He scoffed at the level of his enemies that they were at. If it wasn't for his goal and the fact that they were hiding their presence, he'd have just killed them right here and there.
To think that two of the strongest warriors ever started out this weak?
His gaze shifted to his companion. Tall, beautiful, and curvaceous in all the right places while still remaining slender. From his position, her face was hidden by her long and voluminous white hair, only allowing small glimpses of flawless blue skin.
He watched her grip her staff tight, her knuckles turning white. So he turned to his enemies to see the one called Son Goku hug Kefla excitedly, congratulating her on her success, their tails entwined together.
He had no idea what seemed to piss her off about the sight.
Maybe it's the pests enjoying their time?
She was the one who brought them here to watch their enemies while hidden from everyone's eyes. The truth was they weren't actually in the Living World, but rather in the Demon Realm while looking through a special spell that his mistress used. It wasn't the first time either.
He noticed Kefla getting angry, so he focused on hearing what she was saying.
"So you tricked me?" He noticed the empty flask to the side.
The Cat Hermit laughed. "I didn't trick you, meow. Your strength has already multiplied several times."
"Huh?"
"Without your Ki and with such thin air, you've been trying to get the flask from me. That is your training and has already made you stronger, meow."
"This sounds like the old man's type of training."
"Hahaha, where did you think he got his ideas? From his porn magazines?" The Cat Hermit laughed harder. "Anyway, while it's the boy's turn to try and take the flask, I want you to go down and up the tower several times."
He tuned out the rest of the conversation, almost laughing at the absurd lies being told. As if such methods were of any real use in a fight. As if such methods could grant true strength.
Now it was the boy's turn for this farce of a training.
"A pest is after our tail," she said suddenly, making him look at her.
She didn't look at him, still intensely staring at Son Goku for some reason he couldn't understand.
"A pest?"
"Someone has noticed our work," she explained. "They closed the rift I opened for that fool demon."
"Could it be her?"
"Possible." She finally turned to face him, her cold purple eyes turning from something to narrowed and angry. "We must be careful. We don't want pests to stop our plans." She smiled dangerously. "I might have a few ideas to keep them busy." She moved her staff slightly, and the view disappeared.
-[-
AN:
Well, It's been a while… I apologise for the short chapter. Originally, I wanted to be done with RRA in this one, and yet now the battle will have to wait for the next chapter.
Well, a lot of things have happened since I last updated, and I had to reinstall Windows twice and deal with many irl bullshit.
The chapter itself was hard to write, and I don't know why. Despite loving the characters and the series, I somehow find it harder to write than my MHA fic… And I hate it, and that with alongside other reasons… I decided that this fic will become low-priority one that I only update when my muse wants to work on it.
I will never abandon it, but updates will be even slower and inconsistent as fuck. If this is a deal breaker then I understand if you want to drop the fic, that's fair. I hate the situation but can't seem to find a solution. By now, I had planned to finish at least part one (Until the end of OG DB) but I'm not even close after like 4 years…. Maybe I'll finish the fic in 10 years? Fingers crossed.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and until next time whenever that is.