Snail Pace III

Uub slowly opened his eyes and groaned as he realized that the dream was simply just that, a dream. He'd dreamed of fishing in the nearby river with his brothers, calmly waiting as they hid under the shade of a tree for a fish to bite into their bait. The sun was high and it shined brightly, it seemed summer was upon them, and the whole world burned with rage. He couldn't tell if it was a dream or a memory, it all seemed so real. The mountain that always looked at them in the distance was the same, the white clouds that made forms like
beavers or old soldiers didn't seem to change. The grass, the trees, the birds flying in the skies—it all seemed surreal. The last thing he remembered before everything when dark was thinking of Ni Kut, she was there too, smiling by his side with those beautiful wooden eyes. The boy sighed and calmly got up, moving the sheets to the side and yawning like a cat after a twelve-hour nap.

It'd been almost two weeks since they had left home, and at least one week since those chains had disappeared somewhere in the ship, and the same old boring routine had appeared again. The only fragrant difference between the last time and now was that Pan had completely given up on her mission. The bandana girl, or Mata Marah—Uub still refused to let go of the nickname—had sequestered herself in the upper room, leaving the boy with an entire room for himself. She barely went down if not for basic needs like taking a bath or getting food. The rest? Training, training and practicing and fighting. Uub could hear the sound of the push-ups and kicks and punches resounding all across the ship, ferocious and evil strikes planned to someone special with a three letter name. The one time they locked eyes he saw an ocean of anger and despair embalm her being like a wave devouring a ship in a storm. She really wasn't taking it well, but that was her problem, his problem was still around the same— he felt so lonely he could have built a building with his loneliness and still have enough to power it on its own. In a way, the boy enjoyed the loneliness, having no other care than his own was refreshing, it was like everything that had ever worried him had disappeared into nowhere and now the only thing that mattered was him.
It was horrible who even liked such thing? it only seemed to bring him regret. Regret for standing still, regret for not doing anything. He was on a mission to save his world, but what was he really doing? There, sleeping softly in the bed. Lazing around. There wasn't any urgency, no rush, who cared if he overslept at all. It didn't make sense, he could even sleep a few more hours, it wasn't like time existed on this ship. As a matter of fact, what time was it? Uub raised his view towards the clock on the ship, and it said nine AM. Uub cursed and got up immediately, cursing himself some more just because. Goku's apprentice rushed towards the bathroom. The whole day was in front of him, and he was three hours late.
The young boy washed his hands and his face and ran towards his bed. Quickly straightening the sheets and pillow, leaving them to the side of the mattress, act follow, he rushed towards the kitchen.
When he first entered he saw Bulla calmly sitting working on something with the headphones on her ears. Every piece was neatly separated into sectors; Nails in one, cables in others, there was an order for the disorder that laid on that table.
He said his greetings, and after realizing that Bulla didn't reply, He focused on making himself breakfast, two eggs, some bread and a cup of coffee, how well he ate there. Like some sort of king. When he'd return, he'd give his brothers and sisters the breakfast of gods they deserve—and like a man who's late for work, he sat on the chair and started by taking a sip of coffee, slowly, calmly, then Uub proceeded to then devour his food as quickly as possible, but with his drink he tried to do it a bit slower. It was so good to have free coffee.
—Don't choke on your food.
Uub looked up to the girl, mustering a very awkward smile. He had to mind his manners.
—Sorry, I am late with my training.
—You didn't hear your alarm?
Uub took another sip.
—I don't use one.
—Why not?
—I never needed one.
—Then how do you wake up?
—Back in my village, we'd all wake up when the sun comes up. Here it seems it doesn't work.
Bulla took her headphones off and started with one raised eyebrow.
—And no one has an alarm in the whole town?
—Well, we do not have electricity, I don't believe we can have one.
Bulla's head tilted to her left, with a confused stare.
—Then what do you do for fun? You have no TV or films?
—We usually play-we have this ball and with two rocks—we make goals, or the cards the elder made. It's fun and we can spend an entire afternoon playing.
Uub began to feel like he was being interrogated by the police for stealing food, the blue-haired girl had completely ditched the thing she was fixing, her eyes were completely set on his. Never in a million years he'd thought a literal princess would be interested in the monotone life of his people. Not even he was that interested.
—And what do you do for education?
—Well, we have a few women and men that teach the younger kids how to farm. I take turns teaching them how to read and write or I educate them in the stories about the village or the region, and sometimes we work together on math.
—What if someone gets sick?
—Usually I fly a doctor all the way to the village or take them towards the local city if need be. My master also lends me Kinto'un, so if something ever happens I can fly them to a hospital.
Bulla moved aside the materials, and put her elbows on the table.
—And what about the roads of the village? What are they made of?
Uub had never gotten the chance to talk to someone about his life, and he wasn't oblivious to the nature of his day-by-day in comparison to others. He'd seen it when he had first arrived at the city for the first time when he was a mere eight years old, and all the countless times he had flown to the nearby villages or cities. All those cars and monorails that colored the city, those twin-engine monsters that flew high in the skies or those large container ships that crossed the ocean as if they were just taking a walk. He understood the difference between his life and hers to the extend someone who has visited a city a few times can. And in his humble opinion, he'd rather keep living on his town—he enjoyed it. It was his life after all. He didn't care or held a grudge, it was just the way things were.
—Well, The roads are the same
—Well, The roads are the same as the dirt from the ground, but since people use them every day they have formed themselves and it helps that the land is also quite dry and plain. Usually, the biggest problems we have come in the summer when the rains come. That just makes everything impossible.
—And what do you do there, counting also all the other things you already do?
—Well, Usually I wake up quite early and help prepare breakfast, then I help with the crops when it's season, after that, I help with the diner, after we eat I teach the younger kids how to work and read, and at around 2-3 my teacher comes and we train until five, then we prepare dinner and we eat, and then we go to bed. It varies, but that is usually what I do most days.
Bulla tilted her head and raised one eyebrow.
—And when do you have time for yourself?
Uub stared at her confused.
—Time for myself?
—Yes. When are you able to take a bath or read a book alone?
He looked at his half-full cup of coffee.
—Well I do enjoy watching the sunset alone, but I have things to do. —Uub stared at his half-eaten breakfast, it had gotten cold. He smiled, it tended to happen back home. —I guess I don't have much free time. -
Bulla grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and began to annotate something in it, Uub patiently wondered what it was.
—Listen—She said, pointing one finger towards him in an Authoritative manner. —After we come back, I'm going to take you to a spa. You need to learn how to relax. – Bulla stated with a smile.
Uub raised one eyebrow confused.
—I-I don't know what that is.
—Trust me, you're going to love it. - Bulla had a bright confident smile, and a quiet sense of dread creped on Uub's back. He didn't know if she was up to no good or was thanking him in some way. At worst it might kill me, he thought, weighing his options.
After that, both continued their daily innings, Bulla finished what she was doing and left while Uub decided to do the smart thing and use the microwave. After thanking the developments of technology for making such beautiful advances. The boy went to change and prepared this time to train.
What was the turtle's school motto? Move well, study well, play well, eat well, rest well, that is the turtle's master way!

First, he started upwards. tilting his neck side to side and rotating to the fullest, feeling the slight pull that appeared on the sides and then he moved to the arms. Slowly turning them and raising them from the thighs to over the head. Act follow, he did a few chest expansions, and after he stretched his hips, he began doing some soft hops. First in place then in some with a leg, changing after a few jumps and then full jumps with both. The boy expended some minutes with it, perhaps more than he should—but as his master had told him, the best way to prevent injuries was to have a long and broad warm up. To prepare his body for action, gently easing the muscles and letting them know that what's ahead it's not going to be just for show. Slowly, he could feel his body temperature rising, the sweat quietly dripping, and all the blood was flowing by the time he began bouncing in place, throwing some light punches and low kicks before ramping up the speed and throwing high kicksThen, it was all like a perfectly rehearsed play, following a routine that had existed for longer than he had lived.
If there was one thing the boy had realized this past week, was that being free was amazing. He felt stupid saying those words, but being able to stretch each arm to the side without a chain limiting his movement gave him enjoy joy to cheer him up until the end of the world. He was free, to move wherever he pleased, to gather both hands and create a deliciously candy looking pink sphere of KI. He could take a bath and get out of his clothes with ease, he could sit on the floor and stretch both legs to each side like sticks. Uub knew what oppression was, the days of his people being slaves wasn't that far away as it felt—Some of the very elders he had meet had been abused brutally for years until liberation came. He'd always had thought they were tough people, but having experienced a 000000.1% of what they had experienced made him see things in a way he'd never even considered. To go through life like this could be nothing more than unbearable in every sense of the word.
Suddenly, the boy stopped midair, floating like bee searching for daffodil. Maybe this was what his master wanted him to learn, the value of appreciating what you have, what you have been born maybe is much greater than anyone that came before could ever hope to have. After all, he was a free man, capable of doing whatever he pleased with his life. He could fry everywhere, he could eat anything, nothing was out of reach for him. And wasn't he a lucky man? Apprentice of one of the greatest warriors of the world, protector of his people and now savior of the world? He felt so stupid looking back, at how obvious everything was. Maybe this was why his master had brought him here, maybe it had all been part of his plan. Pan, Bulla—it all made sense now. It wasn't like he'd get bested by a pair of little girls with a day of planning at most. They were meant to be here, so they could teach him a lesson. He almost laughed. How easily had his feelings overtaken his reason and thoughts, because had he sat to dwell about things more profoundly everything would have been dealt with in seconds. Instead, he suffered, alone and in pain for something that wasn't really necessary.

The boy stood on his two feet and watched into the distance like a man born anew. Everything had a different shade of color, every small dot in the universe shined brighter and more hopeful. He had done. But it didn't mean it was all done and dusted now. They were still far away from any assistance, and as far as it was possible, danger still lurked through shades of alien trees. His first task was done, now, he had to get those Dragon Balls back, make sure both girls made it alive, and save the world.