[ OP: Granrodeo ‒ Remember Your Passion ]
This is What We've Fought For! 6 Months Begin and End in a Flash!
From atop the cerulean, cloudless sky, the white-hot sun beamed down upon the golden sand, crystal-blue waves slowly crawling and receding off the shores.
"So you knew it wasn't yours, right, you dirty little thief?"
"Don't remember seein' a name on it."
Upon it, casting long shadows, Neoru and Dina slowly circled each other.
"Jobless reprobate, if you didn't buy the bloody parfait, you damn-well didn't own it regardless."
"You can string together as many big-boy words as ya want, it won't help your case."
An old, bearded man still in his boxers stumbled onto the nearby house's porch.
"WA-HOLD IT! IF YA GOTTA SETTLE THINGS, DON'T DO IT ON THE GOOD ISLAND! BESIDES, CAN'T YOU TWO JUST TALK THIS ONE OUT?" the hermit yowled, before a pair of feminine arms locked him by the neck.
"Hold it, old timer," the blonde woman smiled venomously. "I'm on a losin' streak with that turtle, n' this is my shot at statchin' a few pearls off him for a change. 'Sides, I'm all for some lunchtime bloodsport."
[ BGM: Hidenori Shoji ‒ Smile Venomously ]
"(Left Kick, Ground Level, Target: Chin) Oh, of course, how silly of me. I forgot that violence is the only language a moron like you understands. If I beat you half to death, will I've gotten it through that thick skull of yours to keep away from yummies you don't own?"
"(Straight, Dominant Hand, Anything from the left's a Feint) Sounds like if I kick YOUR ass, we're sharin' for now on. Sounds good to me."
They slowed to a stop.
"You are just adorable."
Neoru scratched his head. "An' you're… not... Bitch."
They shared a hawk-eyed stare.
And suddenly vanished.
A boom preluded their clash; both hits connected.
After a motionless few moments, they bounded back.
"(A knee from the left!?)" went Neoru.
"(A right hook?) went Dina.
They sucked up their failed reads ‒ in truth, they'd simply seen through them ahead of time ‒ and rushed back in. Neoru led with a hook kick, intercepted by Dina's leg. The latter wound back a push kick toward Neo's center mass, who threw himself off and over the incoming limb, shooting both his heels outward split-style in an effort to tag her head. As the kick barreled toward her, Dina turned to the side, barely enough to minimize damage. Both landed back onto the ground, pivoted back around to face their opponent, and threw a punch. Dina's was faster, knocking the boy back and across the sand. He recovered from his rolling stupor, just in time to see Dina's fist coming at him again. One of many jabs cut into his cheek as he weaved his head to the side, only for a sudden cross from the other fist to lay into his face. This time, however, he threw himself back up and darted underneath Dina, launching himself upward before she could react and burrowing a punch into her stomach with enough force to lift her off the ground. Spittle flew, and teeth violently clamped down over its source as the girl steadied herself, clenched the arm and flipped over Neo; before he could escape what seemed like an armlock, she fiercely butted the back of his head with the back of hers, before closing both hands over his neck and aggressively yanked him upwards, as if doing a standing crunch. Her stranglehold on the boy's neck and he himself hoisted over her back into the air, the maneuver looked battle-ending; still, the lock was less-than airtight. Thus, Neoru tightened his core with a thin breath, shot his legs straight into the sky, and kipped them back down into her kneepits, staggering Dina and loosening her flawed grip enough to free himself. He took a deep breath before moving in, throwing her into the air suplex-style before suddenly slamming her back down, having gone into an armbar mid-throw and causing a yelp of pain from his victim. From there, the look in his eye grew intense as he watched her free hand slowly rise off the ground, the hostage arm making noises that a functioning arm ought-not make. A tap-out was assured; if nothing else, from respect toward the move.
A ki shockwave smacked into the sand.
His solid ground disappeared. Dina viciously jerked herself around and slammed her palm into Neoru, unleashing the same shockwave and sending his innards into a tizzy; though it was still far too resilient for someone who'd just been hit with such an attack, the boy's grip loosened enough for the girl to break it and ram a hook into his core, sending him outside the pit that was now filling with seawater. After a spin to adjust herself, Dina jumped out in pursuit, and a knee met her face. 3 more hits smacked her as she staggered back, before she caught herself and retaliated with her own, the two entering a hot-blooded exchange. Briefly, their pupils seemed to fade into the ether, and several of their respective blows were shoved off. Dina sent a hostile punch sliding off her shoulder, and Neoru dove under the oncoming response, pivoting his hips and launching a reverse roundhouse at the back of her head, which she ducked under and countered with an uppercut into his chin; at the same time, a snapkick smacked into her neck.
The winds around the island, the waves crashing around it, and the sand cascading it all came to a crescendo in that moment of mutual assault, as if time had stopped around them. As such, once the force had sent them spiraling off, all 3 phenomena died down alongside the fight.
Both respective teen's lights had been knocked out.
Roshi gawked, both at the battle's magnitude and at the condition of his tiny isle.
"All this… over a snack…"
"(Yet still, with all this coarse, rough, nasally-irritatin' sand gettin' everywhere…)"
Hopes high, the sage flipped around to face Launch.
Who'd recently donned sunglasses and a wastelander-style gas mask.
"Good thing I have these babies, those scamps've been kickin' up sandstorms with every fight lately!"
"(I couldn't even have that, huh…)"
A brown sea turtle crawled out from the literal woodwork, the decaying outside noise capturing his attention.
"He won, didn't he!?" Turtle confidently asked, to Launch's irritation.
"Shut yer yap, ya stupid reptile! It ain't over yet!"
Almost on cue, the two slowly rose.
"Come on…" the two cock-fighters desperately clasped both hands and flippers, the old master in their center simply watching attentively.
"(This could be bad… they've already taken things far-past a mere spar…)"
The pair slowly stood, stared each other down, and…
"Hh… hh-hh-hh-hh-hh…"
"Hh-kh-kh-kh-kh-kh-kh…"
"He-HAHAHAHAHAHA-"
"Ku-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"
The other three looked on blankly.
"(Did they hit each other a bit too hard?)"
"Hoo~ oh bloody fuckin' 'ell, color me impressed!" Dina giggled, falling back onto her bottom as she rubbed her neck. "Alright, that more-than makes up for the parfait, mate."
Neoru, who'd also fell back onto his ass, held his jaw as if in-place. "Oh… oh shit… I didn't know you could move like that… Hell, didn't think I could… jeez…"
"Think you broke me darn arm, ya mong…" Dina quipped before hissing in pain. "MH, that smarts…"
[ BGM: Bop Alloy ‒ Another Day in the Life (Instrumental) ]
Despite that, her chuckling grew. "But look at you, laughin' about like a mad man… that's still a new look for you!"
"Don't get the wrong idea, psycho, I'm… still shakin'..." Neoru wheezed, manic expression across his face as he kept snickering uncontrollably. "FUCKIN' A… Hah... hoo…"
"You know you enjoyed it, you tease…" she muttered, falling onto her back as the swaying grass brushed across her face.
"Whatever, ya damn wild animal…" he replied, falling onto his back with the sea washing over him.
"C'mon, brat, just admit you won, and I'll buzz off like that!" Launch nudged as Dina checked the brownies.
"Lad nigh-broke my neck, and that armbar out of nowhere was art. It'd just be dishonest to snag a win like that, wouldnnit?" she replied as she read over a darker-haired Launch's instructions.
"It's just a few words, man!" Turtle pleaded as Neoru read over the notes from school; he'd caught onto the whole "reading" thing easy enough.
"What the fu-no. She almost knocked my damn head off. Now lemme alone, I can't concentrate. Ah shi-Hey, Dina! How'd ya add fractions again?"
"Yeah, you just add the… no, you times them or… no wait, is that dividing fractions I'm thinking of… j-just ask the old man, he probably knows!"
"He's on that stupid Archi Peel'd a Goat or whatever, dunno what he's doin'!"
"Tch…" She turned to Launch. "Ms. Launch, can…"
Launch gave her a sleazy look that'd make a loan shark blush.
"Kh… whatever, fine! I won."
Neoru perked up like a meerkat. "You sonava!"
Turtle did likewise. "Yeah, what he said!"
"You're getting help AND brownies that haven' been burnt to shit, just suck it up for now!"
Neoru huffed, but shook it off. "Whatever."
"You stiffed me for brownies, you little…"
"Shut up." Neoru pointed at a problem as Dina approached. "See, so 12's on top…"
"Wait wait yeah, it's coming back now, you can reduce this one with division first, that's rounding…"
"That's one mother of a load, Krillin!" Roshi admitted, huffing after an attempt at lifting the milk carton. "And that's Earth milk!?"
"I know right? Conton City modified these things to be ultra-dense. I'm not sure on the details, but just an ounce of this stuff's about as heavy as a bull!"
Roshi stroked his beard. "Well that sounds… excessive…"
"It's just a small way your teachings are being carried over to the next generation, Master!" Krillin smiled.
"Hm… alright, I'll take two!"
Krillin primed the capsules." So you're taking in new pupils, huh? How're things going?"
"Well… they're both whole different beasts from you and Goku, I'll say."
"Goes WITHOUT say, I'd say!" The monk chuckled at his own genius.
"Yet still, it's a nice change of pace. They're both committed, and they've really livened up the place." Roshi gazed off in a sad joy. "If nothing else, my training'll be repayment for that."
Two small objects sped toward the seasoned master, each of which he plucked from thin air without looking.
"That's not all though, is it?" Krillin raised an eyebrow.
Roshi looked down at the capsules, and then at Krillin. "You're right…"
His fists balled.
"One'a them's one hell of a looker!" the hermit cackled, inexplicable gusts of smoke puffing from his nostrils.
Krillin shook his head. "Of course…"
"Why the hell're there letters, now? I thought math was numbers?"
"Calm down, those are just placeholders. You've gotta replace them with the solutions, and THOSE are numbers."
"... Okay, but why do these ones spell out 'cos'?"
"... oh god not that shit ag…"
Dina smelled something awful and checked over her shoulder. "Ms. Launch! Brownies?"
The snot bubble popped. "Heh, wha- oh, yeah." She hastily checked the oven and found square coals. Slowly rising back up, 2 disappointed ruby eyes awaited her.
"They're still good charred, right?"
"No! No they are not!"
"H-HEY, YOU'D BETTER WATCH IT, KID!"
"I… yeah, you're right, that was uncalled for, apologies."
The blonde looked over the ruined pastries. "You guys, uh… ya don't still want these, right?"
"No."
"No."
"Oh… y-yeah, duh…"
The door swung open, Roshi letting himself in.
"Saddle up, boys n' girls, we're- OH MERCY, WHO BURNT WHAT?"
Dina stood, Neoru following. "Brownies caught fire, it's nothing. Let's just do the thing."
"Since no one's gonna tell me what the hell a 'cos' is, sure."
After the 3 left, Launch impatiently snatched up the ingredient list made by the passive woman who apparently lived in her head.
"Can't be THAT hard…"
Mainland, 2 capsules exploded into carts of milk in front of the duo.
Dina crouched down for a better look. "What, are we bulking up with these?"
"That's a part of it, yes."
"Cool," said Neoru, in the process of waterfalling it.
"WAIT, DON'T DRINK IT!"
"Eh?" He looked away, spilling it onto the ground and loudly splashing dirt and rock everywhere.
Dina's eyeballs stretched out her skull. Neo's did likewise.
"I'm no doctor, but I'm not sure stuff like that will do a body good. 'Least not from the inside."
As Neoru gawked at the half-empty bottle, Roshi cleared his throat. "This exercise involves CARRYING these crates."
"Oh, so like weighted cardio, then? Alright, how far?"
The sage pointed ahead of him.
"Go straight."
"... uh-huh-"
"Until you reach this point. Again."
Roshi's phrasing gave Neoru PTSD.
Somehow, Dina wasn't phased. "A few hundred laps, then? Fair enough, it's high time we kicked this into second ge-"
"We've gotta go around the planet, don't we?"
"You're mad!"
"Precisely!"
"I'M MAD!
"Remember: Spill a drop of milk, and you return immediately. This one isn't just a test of strength and endurance; it's concentration, as well as ki control, so emit a steady stream of it at all times. Now, that stuff expires in 5 days, but you've gotta start slow. Steadily climb to top speed, and go all-out only once you've reached half-way!"
"F me sideways…" Dina moaned, to Roshi's disdain.
"YOU'RE NOT HERE TO BE CODDLED, ARE YA?"
"I MEAN - NO - BUT…" as she stammered, Neoru tightened his core and picked up the cart. "Whatever. I'll do it. "
The girl looked over to him, mouth opened and expecting words to exit, but nothing came.
She DID want to get stronger after all, and this was a surefire way to get there.
Dina sighed, and picked up the crate.
"Therefore..."
Neoru looked over. "Huh?"
"'Huh' your business," she growled.
"If that'll be all, then…" Roshi smacked his cane on to the ground.
"SKIP! TWO, THREE, FOUR, SKIP! TWO, THREE, FOUR, SKIP!"
Neoru complied. "...three, four, skip. Two, three-"
He looked back at Dina and flicked his neck.
"... four, skip. Two, three, four, skip. Two-"
Through channeling ki, one can momentarily alter the molecular shape of water; creating a small sheet of what's almost solid ground until they lift their feet. As long as they maintain their aura and keep a steady mind, a martial artist can traverse vast bodies of it by foot.
For novices, this is difficult under stress.
[ BGM: Shunsuke Kikuchi ‒ M1525 ]
"LIGHTNING ISN'T SUPPOSED TO GET THIS BAD, COME ON!" Neoru screeched, as he and Dina hastily skipped through a storm over the vast ocean.
"I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A SODDING TOILET!" Dina screeched, as they aggressively skipped out a city-wide maelstrom.
"Is it gone?" Dina asked.
"I dunno… sounds like-"
A whale's bellow sounded off.
Followed by many, many others all around them.
"ASSHOLE LED US INTO A WHOLE DAMN POD!" Neoru cried, a dozen sharp-toothed, tusked whales breaching after them like warship-sized piranhas.
"I'M NEVER SAVING ANOTHER WHALE AGAIN!" Dina wailed.
"Oh, oh thank shit, there's a mountain range up ahead…"
"... Wait… those aren't mountains…"
"... aaaah-hah-haaaa-"
A mile-high tsunami slammed into them.
The land wasn't much better for the two. Between positive and negative hundred-degree shifts, mountain and canyon ventures, thick jungles packed with creepy species, and many more weather-related woes, they were pushed quite far. Dina, moreso. They even had to restart 4 times.
But Neoru did something that kept her going, despite physically wasting away.
He kept her pace, except when she hit her limit and prepared to drop everything to meet the ground.
Once that happened…
"Heh… S… see ya… dumbass!"
He dusted her. Aura alight and all; a motivational technique from an old mentor of his.
"(You cheeky little twerp…)"
It pissed her off just enough to keep her going.
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE WON, MORON!"
[ BGM: Tsutchie ‒ Thank You ]
It was about halfway ‒ yes, it took them THIS long ‒ before they crossed a green, sunny field, and bar one massive cumulus which concealed a quarter of the sunlight, not a cloud was in sight. They'd regulated their breathing enough so that it was no longer an issue.
So Dina did what she felt she did best.
"So you've done ridiculous crud like this before, yeah?" she asked.
"Somethin' like that. This's gotta be about the worst shit I've ever done, but… Kaset sure-as-hell put me through the wringer!"
"Ah, yeah, you told me that one time!"
"Yeah, an' it got worse! Graduated by damn-near dyin'!"
"How'd that happen, anyway?"
"Meditated for a month, comatose the first few weeks from dehydration, talked to some dead friends and a not-so dead friend, worked through some shit, an' I got to stuff my face after the fact! I grew like an inch, an' my jacket get bleached or somethin, too, but I got stronger by the end, so great!"
"Sounds pleasant!"
"How 'bout you? You said you went through the same thing on that big-ass turtle!"
"Well, to abridge it, I had a falling out after this thing, me and Kora slugged each other good, I went back to patch things up, SEVEN. HUNDRED. JEES. right ontop'a me, coma, life flashed before my eyes, and, er… by the end, I went from 125Gs to over three-bloody-hundred max!"
Neoru let out a strained whistle. "How many cars is that?"
"I'd say about a tophat of double-deckers, likely much more!"
"That a lot?"
"Quite!"
They continued in silence for a moment.
"You ever realize how absurd this all is?"
Neoru held silence, a wordless "go on."
"We are, at this very moment, makin' a lap around the whole damn world! On FOOT! We're still kids, as far as any grummy old bag's concerned, and we could take on an army! I've been a walking WMD since junior high, mind, but fuckin' hell, I've got the same threat level as a rouge planet at this point!"
"I mean we're workin' our asses off, so I'm not shocked we're gettin' this strong!"
"Yeah, I know, but… I compare it to my old 'normal' and… it all just sounds so surreal out loud. Don't you feel the same?"
"I dunno, what was your 'normal'?"
Dina had to make care not to drop her aura as she thought on it.
"Well… cartoons. Staying up late. Sleepovers. Sneaking chocolate upstairs after midnight. Caring just a smidgen less."
They skipped alongside a crystal-blue river.
"I… I really am just letting it all slip on by, huh?"
"Wouldn't know. Honestly, I'm just glad no one's gotta die so I can eat anymore. That was my normal. Guess it's more the people than the world that I miss, for me."
"... You're younger than me, aren't you?"
"Gh… Yeah, so!?"
"... Nothing." She slowly crept past Neo, who started pushing himself a bit harder to creep past her, which led to her pushing a bit harder to creep past him, both finally going full-speed.
"We've had to replace that oven 8 times now," Turtle told Roshi, the two opting to stay outside this night. "Why do you keep letting her do this?"
"One'a these days, a dust cloud's bound'a catch her off guard. Then we're back to 3-course meals and a quiet home."
The splashing of feet across a puddle caught the hermit's attention.
"Well that's about the first well-done thing I've seen all day."
[ BGM: Shunsuke Kikuchi ‒ The Joys of Travel ]
There, Dina and Neoru skipped along the ocean toward the island.
"Don't drop it!" Neoru cautioned.
"I won't!" Dina sputtered back.
"Seriously, we ain't there yet!"
"I know that!"
"Don't even think about dropping that thing!" Neoru yelled, his foot touching the sand.
"Oh would you just-"
Her shins suddenly sank, her aura plummeting.
Neoru looked back in horror.
Dina almost panicked.
And then she inhaled.
"(PISS OFF!)"
A kiai briefly shrank the sea level, her ki surging back for the briefest moment as she lifted herself, crate tight by her core, for one last knee upward.
The waves crashed back in, right as her foot hit the island's sand.
Slowly, she sank to her knee, as did Neo.
"Sick…" the boy slowly murmured, setting down the milk before dropping dead.
"You know it…" the girl croaked in response, slumping over to the opposite side after following suit.
The turtle sage gazed down at the milk glasses. Not one was missing a drop. Or maybe they were. He didn't care about a few drops.
"They've grown…"
He looked to his left.
"Especially her."
The old man briefly turned. "But how much so, I wonder?"
A puff of smoke blew from his nose. "Ah, yes, how much HAVE you grown?"
He turned back around to carry back the two, only to find no one there.
He whipped back around to find two zombies near the house window, resurrected by a certain heavenly smell.
"I KNEW YA LIL' BASTARDS WOULD COME BACK IN TIME!" Launch triumphantly roared with uncharacteristic excitement, dragging them both inside. "GO AHEAD, DIG IN!"
Turtle gawked. The divine smell of warm fudge pastries hit Roshi, who'd grown used to the scent of burning, gas, and gunpowder, like a tsunami.
"HOLD IT! I WANT SOME, TOO!"
"When'd you get so good at cooking, Ms. Launch!?" Dina exclaimed, wolfing down her 10th as Neo still focused on his 1st.
The aforementioned ex-bandit rubbed her nose, concealing a bit of embarrassment. "Heh, you ain't seen nothin' yet! All I needed was a bit'a time, and now it's second nature! Almost like I've learned all this before, even!"
Neoru exhaled sharply.
"You've both done splendidly," Roshi declared, hands reddened with what looked like stick wounds, "Despite the setbacks near the beginning. Well then, feel any different now that it's over?"
Dina paused mid-consumption, looking toward her hand. She only thought of a ki sphere before energy flowed into her hand, and a glowing orb manifested between her palm. She made a happy noise through her brownie.
Roshi nodded. "Good. We'll continue this until you're fit enough to complete it before the sun reaches its peak! Only then will we begin our midday exercises!"
Dina's body proceeded to give out. So did Neoru.
[ BGM: Tsuneo Imahori ‒ Irradiation ]
But they were up for it, and all the improvised exercises Roshi had in store for them.
"IF YOU'RE THAT INTENT ON GIVING UP, THEN BY ALL MEANS, JUST SINK ALREADY!" Dina, with a 200-ton shell strapped to her back, cackled as she jet through the water and far away from Kame House, the mammoth whales from before aggressively pursuing her.
"I'M GIVIN' IT MY ALL, YA DAMN FREAK!" Neoru gargled in response, as one of the sea monsters threatened to devour him.
"THIS IS A LOAD OF RUBBISH!" Dina whined on the ground, spent.
"Sucks to be you, ya times-three-hundred-pieces-a'-mint-shit!" Neoru retorted with his hand outstretched, as he ripped another city block-sized mass to the water's surface.
"Y… y'know?" Dina huffed. "I'm starting to think… this is a bit more than just training..."
Neoru looked back at the several dozen new islands they'd plowed by hand, Turtle scattering what definitely weren't seeds across the new land.
"Ya… ya think?"
"This next procedure will sharpen your reflexes in a confined space," Roshi explained as he finished connecting the two by-fibers to a large pole. "So stop given' me those looks, I'm not that awful!"
"Yet," Dina quietly replied between her teeth, after Roshi had left.
She looked to her right. "Y'know, if you weren't here with me right now, I'd've called Ayeva the minute he brought out the rope," Dina said, deadpan as she watched Roshi tip-toe toward the house.
"I mean he left arms n' legs alone, so either he wants a struggle or it's training."
"Could you be any less unfunny?"
"I could, but then I'd be you."
"Piss off."
The old master proceeded to give a signal.
Out walked Launch. More-than sadistic smile on her face with a new Conton City-issue toy.
"..."
"..."
"WHAT IS THIS THING MADE OF!?" Dina roared as she struggled in vain to free herself.
"Wha's she holding? WHAT'S SHE HOLDI-"
High-velocity laser rounds flew at them.
"C'MON," Roshi yelled as they frantically screeched and jumped in horror, "FOCUS!"
Something like this became their everyday routine. Thankfully, Launch had underwent her own sort of training, and thus, the end-of-day downtime was great.
"I'M KNACKERED TO SHIT!" Dina cried in exhaustion, head crashing down onto the table as dark-orange rays pierced the window from the distant horizon.
"If your fat head breaks the table," Neoru hissed as he munched on a celery stick, "I'm drownin' your ass."
"Tough luck, ya mong, you'll be at it for 2 hours at this point… ahhh…" She lazily rolled her head toward the kitchen. "Ms. Waaaunch…"
"Hold it, squirt, I gotta garnish this thing a bit more!"
A timer sounded off, and the oven was kicked open. Add a bit more flair-drizzled movements, and a feast was suddenly before them. Launch gave a dramatic chef's kiss.
"Spettacolare!"
"..."
"You can clap now, bozos."
Dina weakly clapped.
"... no."
"come on, please?"
Neoru ignored her, and took a bite.
"..."
Neoru clapped like a seal stuck in an anti-seal rally, garnering a soft giggle from Dina.
"Thank you, Ms. Launch!" she said, before digging in herself. Exuberant noises ensued.
Launch pridefully brushed a finger under her nose. "Damn right," she grinned before stretching, making her way upstairs. "This Master Chef's earned herself some shuteye. I find out you wasted anything on that table, and I'll kill ya dead."
[ BGM: Nujabes ‒ Counting Stars ]
Half the platters became devoid of food ‒ who else but Dina ‒ and, reenergized, the saiyan hybrid glanced over to her human contemporary, who'd cleared about 3 with nothing aside from the occasional stripped bone left on the plates.
"Say, Neo?"
"The 'Ru' that hard to pronounce? Jeez."
"I'm just fond of shortening names, 's all."
Neoru grumbled. "What's up?"
"You got any friends, at all?"
"Like, 2. Kinda. Wrote 'em off for a while, 'til some ghosts gave me a kick in the ass. After that, I could bring myself to care about 'em."
"Er... okay. Well, how close are you?"
"Well, one broke my arm after I broke theirs, and the other broke my leg, an' then I broke my other on their guard."
"Mutual mutilation's a first, but uh… if it nets you mates, it works."
Neoru giggled a bit at the remark, pointing a half-eaten breadstick at her as if a sword.
"Nah, nah, I'm not gonna let you act like that crap is normal!"
Dina raised her hands. "Oy, I met a good friend via the Shared Beatdown method too, it does in-fact work! Who cares how weird it is!"
He lowered his wheat weapon. "Too weird, dude..."
"So, uh… have you thought of bringing them over?"
"Huh? Not really, they're probably doing their own thing. 'Sides, I'd be getting awful attached if I did that."
"That's the point of friends, ya dullard."
"Yeah, but I'm way too used to greetin' guys one day and buryin' em the next," Neoru chuckled lightly as he took a sip of water. "Kinda like buildin' a deck'a cards or popsicle sticks or something; you spend all that time with it, then you leave one day for like a quick 15 minutes or some shit, you come home, and it's all broke on the ground, y'know? Like, what the fuck was the point'a that, right? It happens enough to you, and soon, ya start seein' it all as a waste'a-"
A bone to his dome cut him off.
"That's not funny. That's awful, Neo."
His mood dropped. "Yeah, well it's funny to me."
"Sounds more like you're scared."
"Sounds like you're diggin'." Neoru lifted his glass again. "I'm fine with just knowing people, you can keep that clingy crap."
A force restrained the water from streaming down into his ever-drying throat.
"Sounds like an awful lonely road you're willing to walk," Dina softly voiced, finger pointed at the glass.
"Better than the alternative."
"Is it? Really?"
"..."
"..."
"... Well?"
"Oh, no, no, I don't want to be rude right now. Take as much time as you'd like."
"I mean you're bein' one rude dude with my H2 right now, so get a clue."
"Hey. Know what? You don't even have to answer right now. But word to the wise, mate. Friends are good things, and all good things end; in your case, perish the thought of how often. But from someone who's had 2 very good ones, and failed one hard enough to lose them forever, I... I think it's better to have ever had at all." She glanced out the window; Roshi was asleep in his hammock.
"Think on it. In the meantime, I've got a plan to set in motion. Cheers," she whispered before sneaking off to the gate console in the corner of the room.
Neoru sat alone.
Knowing people was nice. Bonding with them, relying on them, even more so. Losing them was hell. It had happened several times.
"..."
He'd also been lonely. For very long swaths of his short 16 years. It was a different hell.
"... Why'm I still such a kid..."
The fading day's rays gave his reflection dark-orange hue, as he swished his beverage.
"Am I really ok with this shit?"
Roshi awoke to a bang in his house.
"The heck…"
Usually, everyone was asleep at this hour. Still, he wasn't entirely sure if anything was stopping some mook from hopping through and ransacking his things.
Hopping over Turtle, he snuck into his own home.
"(Sounded like it came from upstairs.)"
With each step, the sound of foreign snickers drew closer, further raising suspicion. The fact that they were hushed in a manner that didn't want to be heard didn't help.
He pushed up against the door, and felt the presence of 3 individuals ‒ 2 of which were unrecognizable ‒ alongside muffled chuckles and miscellaneous chitchat about things he knew nothing about. It didn't matter; there were intruders in his home, and they were where his pupils slept.
So with a forceful crank, he swung open the door.
To say he felt like he'd just walked into a teenager's den would be redundant.
Junk food was loose and all across the ground, a dozen holographic screens floated around in the air, and 2 other girls ‒ one with a silky, obnoxiously-done tail, the other pink, small, and with flower-like tendrils for hair ‒ stared like deer in headlights.
"Is this some kinda slumber party?" the seasoned master asked, confused.
"I… actually… Yes."
"Who the hell told ya you could have one'a these?"
"..."
Roshi then whipped out a pillow.
"... wiTHOUT INVITIN' ROSHI-"
As is the fate of all those who willingly hold a pillow, Roshi was promptly struck down by a mach-speed pillow to the face.
The crooked-glasses sage cleared his throat. "Still, I don't recall being told there'd be more people joining us. I'm not all that fond of such matters taking place behind my back, y'know."
Dina smacked her hands together. "I'm really sorry! Please let 'em stay, this is the first sleepover I've had in like 2 years!"
Devine cosigned. "We'll, like, work like totes extra-hard and whatever, too! I'll even wear that tacky shell and junk, please just let us crash!"
Baubi joined in. "What they said but 60% less, I have a bad back and stuff."
"Hrm… Alright, fine. But on one condition."
He flicked out the light. "It's lights-out after 10! And no more cheap junk! That's disregarding 2 fundamentals of my training right there, and you'd better take all of it seriously if you want any hope of progress!"
Dina shrank down a bit. "Sure, 'Dad'," she sarcastically murmured.
"Complain all you want, just do it. Now go to sleep!" Roshi yelled before slamming the door, waking someone he shouldn't've.
"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!"
"Wait, Launch, CALM DOWN, JUST CALM-"
The girls got a door-slit light show that night.
The next morning, Roshi awoke to Neoru openly explaining his own training outside. So either he was giving himself a bizarrely-worded self-reminder, or…
"Oh, boy."
"-so you're gonna be fine but Mashii, you're screwed on that end, guy's a weirdass."
"Greeeat."
Katlij folded his arms. "That all sounds good, but it's the milk portion that concerns me."
Mashii turned. "What, you're not chicken, are you?"
Neoru turned. "Yeah, you're not gonna bitch out that easy, right?"
"No, I'm just lactose-intolerant to a point."
"... so are ya bitchin' out or no?"
Roshi wandered outside to encounter 2 new faces around the boy: one sky-blue, the other snow-white.
"Oh look, there's the guy."
"Alright, who are these two?"
"They just got here."
Both Katlij and Mashii respectfully bowed.
"I swear to give this everything I have, Muten Roshi."
"I'll offer nothing but my best from henceforth, revered master-"
"Yeah, yeah, skip the boot licking, you can stay."
"Eh?"
"Boot licking?"
Roshi walked back to the house. "Bed time's at 10 PM, junk food only in intervals, make doubly sure to get in study time after your morning run."
"... hey," Mashii turned, "You said this guy was weird."
Neoru scratched his head. "Guess he hasn't got the memo yet," he almost smiled.
The door to Kame House burst open before Roshi could so much-as turn the knob.
"Skip! Two, Three, Four, just like that, aura flaring all throughout, in a straight line 'till you've lapped the planet's circumference and made it back here!"
"Shut. Up! That's, like, bitchin' to da max!"
"Oww… no, my poor knees, I'll just be back here, studying times tables… no biggie…"
"Still not foolin' anyone, shrimpy, earn your keep and move it!" Dina scowled, before noticing Neoru and his two acquaintances.
She pieced things together, and gave the boy a proud nod and smile. He sighed and shrugged, a cautious smile painting his face.
"OY, FREELOADERS OVER THERE!" she yelled, suddenly shifting her tone. "WE AREN'T HERE FOR CHIT-CHAT! GET A MOVE-ON!"
Neoru lifted his crate. "Yeah, hear that? If we wind up losin' to that bitch over there's team, that's it, I'm sendin' both your heads rollin'."
Katlij chuckled, tossing out two of the same crates. "You joke, but I'll strangle you if you fall behind."
Mashii lifted one, and got hopping. "I'm gonna be pissed if I lose to that loud-mouthed pygmy asshole, regardless! Just looking at her drives me up a wall!"
Katlij looked at Neoru and smirked. "You don't mind if I show off to you for a while, do you?"
"You are one cocky sonava bitch, you know that?"
[ BGM: Hidenori Shoji ‒ Each of Their Dreams ]
"It's arrogance until it's reality. Let's see which one's which, Neo."
"... screw it, you're on."
"Step it up, jackass!" Mashii yelled at Baubi as she passed her, the latter straining themselves just to control their aura.
"OH, THAT'S IT, CARROT-TOP, YOU ARE D-E-A-DEAD-"
The Hera clanswoman cackled as her once-bully fell into the sea, before a tidal wave ate her. Both girls disappeared underneath the waves for a while.
Everyone that wasn't Devine unanimously groaned, the first in a long line of resets.
"How the hell are you swimming that fast!?" Dina exclaimed, she and those behind witnessing Katlij cut through the water with a 200 ton load like just as much ease as she had.
"On the colder sides of my home world, we swam through ice for sport!" he responded, thumbs up and a shining grin.
"How's THAT fair!?" Baubi squealed somewhere, before a giddy Devine quickly passed her.
"Oh my gods, that's SO rad! Tell me more, I hear cold water's fantabulous for your bod and stuff!" Not wanting to be left behind, the Majin picked up the pace.
"Ah, like I give a rat's ass! Come here, you ain't stayin' in front'a me!" Neoru declared, stroking just a bit faster.
"Don't... kid yourself…" Mashii wheezed, desperately breast-stroking forward. "I'm… gonna… be the one to…"
"Yeah whatever, Gasii, keep blowin' hot air from the back!" the boy grinned.
"YOU… GONNA… KICK YOUR…" she aggressively paddled forward.
"This feels like I'm stacking those little kiddie blocks or whatever they're called!" Devine chirped, as yet another chunk of landmass rose from the sea on top of another.
"It took me weeks for me to get to that level," Dina blankly stated, "But my ego's been a zombie for dayz at this point, so, great."
"Oh don't be like that, bestie! You're both totally busting your butts, who cares if I'm just THAT much gifted-er than you guys?!"
"This wouldn't be a problem… If I could just use Magic… guaah!" Baubi screamed, before dropping her own piece of land. A wave subsequently washed over the three.
"I mean I was never THAT shite, but still."
"Hey, Mashii," Neoru turned to his struggling friend after noticing her fading motivation. "Try breathing a bit more even, and focus on pickin' it up with a giant hand instead of just ki, that worked for me."
"What? There's no way…"
She gave the method a shot, and soon enough, a chunk of sea floor slowly ascended.
"HOLY- YES! YES, I DID IT!"
"Yeah, that was like 2 tons of rock or some shit! You da bomb!" Neoru jested.
"That's still a pebble compared to everyone else, but yeah, you're getting there!" Katlij coyly co-op'd before both barely dodged a rock each.
"I'm doing my best, assholes!" she smiled back.
Baubi, under his notice, took the advice. Her own piece of land ascended soon enough, and she was just as loud about it.
Dina threw up an index card.
"Force equation!"
Everyone yelled out "Mass x Acceleration!" besides Devine. Her answer sounded a bit more like "Hubabubwabuhration!"
Dina threw up an index card.
"Reason Vegeta decided to murder everyone before Goku arrived!"
Everyone yelled out "Namekian Dragon Balls!" besides Devine. Her answer sounded a bit more like "Dadadadadagonballs!"
Dina, and everyone else for that matter, gave her a concerned look.
"Are you feeling alright?"
The silky-tailed Saiyan sighed. "I'm, like, way beyond bad at study stuff. No biggie, though, I'll just get by on-"
"AAAH-PA-PAP!" Dina assertively retorted. "I couldn't care less if you're good at this stuff, hell, I'm rubbish at studies, too! But I'll DIE before I let you just give up, do I make myself clear!?"
"... uh-"
"Damn right!" Baubi stepped up. "I DEMAND that you keep this up, bestie! I'll be UBER pissed if I hear you talk like that again!" Baubi noticed Mashii's eyes pinned on her, and turned for a confrontation. "W-what are you smiling at, lamewad?"
She shook her head. "We ARE doing this as a group, anyways. It's only natural we pick up your slack, so don't worry about it."
"To be honest, I'm pretty shit at this, too, but you won't ever stop bitin' at yourself if ya just throw in the towel once you're sick of it," Neoru cosigned. "Go on an' do what ya have to."
"No stress off my back, I'll sit through these as many times as I need to," Katlij piped up. "Just take it slow!"
Devine looked down.
Then, for that rare few seconds, she looked genuinely angry.
"I'm… I'M, LIKE, TOTES GONNA WHOOP THIS THING'S ASS! FROM THE TOP, DINA!"
"Great, I forgot everything we discussed about half-way through! I MIGHT have brain damage!"
Neoru hid his face.
"Alright, then! First up, a Time Patroller ALTERS or PRESERVES the past?"
The band continued Roshi's teachings to the letter for the remaining 6 months, each constantly pushing each other further, directly and indirectly.
Where they made the most progress, however, was sparring. Lucky for Kame House, they'd made their own sparring grounds with the islands they'd formed during training.
[ BGM: Hidenori Shoji ‒ Lyricism Without Tears ]
Neoru weaved through Mashii's sequence of kicks and, after a brief exchange of blows, got her with a razor's edge counter back-kick to the chin. The boy quickly diverted attention to Katlij, who'd just finished a round with Devine, and clashed with him, flying knee-first, sending both skidding back. He rushed back in and went for a grapple, only to be thrown backwards. Landing on his feet, he threw a roundhouse that Katlij limbo'd under before delivering a punch into Neoru's centermass; the latter staggered before smiling, grabbing the arm and kneeing the former in the face. Neoru recovered, as did his opponent, and diving back in, he-
-parried Baubi's long-range jabs and, after the latter closed the distance with a slingshot-esque grab, vaulting over her with a ki blast in hand, Dina cancelled it with a blast of her own, rocketing into the small Majin before delivering a mean downward hook. Through the ensuing smoke cloud, she locked eyes with someone and clashed forearm-first with Devine, engaging in a tense swapping of rapid-fire punches before jumping back, giving in to flow and bobbing her head between a pair of punches. She seized a brief window of opportunity and, cross primed at her side,-
-broke free from an almost-closed hold and seized Katlij in an armbar-into-slam-into-devastating throw, quickly leaping up from off his back and intercepting an attack from Baubi, both slightly worse-for-wear after their own respective scraps before splitting, Neoru evading her attacks before sending her flying back with a ground-level kick. She landed on her feet, pressing her hands onto the ground. A brief rumbling tunneled toward his position, and before two ki-laced tendrils could skewer him in an x-formation, he got low ‒ chest a few centimeters off the ground ‒ and, slamming himself off the ground hands-first, would've decapitated her with a crescent kick, had she not bolted up and out of the way. Neoru flipped himself through the air, dodged a retaliatory attack and readied a beam, resulting in-
-A victorious hit into her, Devine rocketing backward. Before she could take more than a breath, Dina ducked under a sweeping kick, then pivoted around to reciprocate with a punch, only for that attack to slide off a forearm and for one of her own to block Mashii's oncoming kick. Both pushed off each other before re-engaging, neither getting in a good punch or kick until a split-tell uppercut took the fight to the sky. Before Dina could strike again, her opponent's skin turned green, she bulked, and a sledgehammer slammed into her head, sending her back down in a heap. She caught her bearings and darted backwards and away from the oncoming downward bullet kick, as Mashii began to pressure her, Dina taking more damage than she was anticipating. Forward flew a fist that very-well could've sealed a victory, had not Dina grabbed it; in the very same motion-
-he blasted Baubi with enough force to send her reeling bad, then honed in and rushed her down, finishing with a punch to the gut that boomed throughout the area. Almost on-cue, Devine jumped in, testing Neoru's posture with an insanely-fast series of high-pitched blows which he barely kept up with, before an elbow flew into him, sending him rolling through the air before he shot himself upward into the sky, where they reengaged, Devine lobbing ki blasts at him like no one's business as the clouds lit up. In a difficult position, both warriors' stamina fading, he-
-gobbed Mashii right in the face, combining their momentum into one focused attack and knocking her out of her greener state. Dina let out a kiai, temporarily stunning her next foe; as she went for his face, her fists met Katlij's elbows, again, and again, and again, until she recoiled back in pain before a knee shot into her gut, followed by a foot sweep into a full-power slam, cracking the island apart and sending the other two onto others to conclude their own bout. Mind almost in tatters from the brutal throw, she grit her teeth and-
-took a blast head-on, the force throwing Neoru back into a cloud. Her opponent now out of sight, Devine focused on his ki signature; only to find two. Unwilling to slow down, she blasted the first one she felt, only for another to spring up. Each one she destroyed, a new one took its place, until only two were left; one far, the other slowly creeping up on her. After a quick mental game of eeny-meeny-miney-moo, she chose the furthest one; Neoru ‒ who had a ki orb under his feet just in case the unpredictable ditz found him out ‒ careened into her fist-first, the explosion of the orb marginally increasing the force of his attack. Devine was sent into one of the islands below, and Neoru- who'd taken considerable damage at this point-
-Bolted upward and headbutted Katlij with every ounce of her might, her hard head almost shattering his, and as she lifted herself up, almost in slo-mo, delivered a screaming superman punch to his face before laying into his gut. One last punch flew her way, and intercepting it, she slung it over her shoulder, took a knee, shifted her hips and threw him to the ocean. With that, teetering on unconsciousness, she-
-eyed the one he hadn't fought yet,-
-took a long, lingering inhale-
-gathering the rest of h-
-er strength and rocketed-
-down to the-
-air.
They readied a fist, and…
Passed out.
Beach sunsets were great.
Especially when the sand gave front-row seats, alongside the sounds of the ocean.
Devine cheerfully finished her rice ball. "Euu's gonna, like, COMPLETELY blow her top off once she finds out about these recipes!"
"Oh right on, that," said Dina. "How's the apprenticeship thingy doin' for her?"
Baubi checked her Donken account. "She's apparently hitting it off with an owner of one of those vendor stands."
"Moving up slow n' steady, eh?"
"It's more popular than most of the city's restaurants."
"... huh. Wicked."
"Seriously, who knew a seasoned gunwoman could double as a chef and be so proficient in both fields?" Katlij chuckled.
"Oh, buddy, you've got no idea," Neoru retorted, "Was one rocky road to get here for every sorry sonova bitch involved."
Dina perked up. "Oh my- tell him about the brownies!"
An angry voice from within Kame House quickly objected. "You'd better not, ya little pipsqueak, if you know what's good for ya!"
"On second thought, don't?" Mashii meekly vetoed. "I've been shot at more times these few months than I have in my entire life."
The amount of unanimous "Same"s made them all burst into fits of snickers.
"... So, uh, you two," Neoru asked both Mashii and Katlij. "Why do you guys wanna win this tournament, or whatever?"
The young woman in the frilled shirt and skirt held her chin. "The tournament? Huh. I guess it's something for me to do well in. Besides, I'm not really happy with being a useless no-good all my life, so being deployed as an official patroller as soon as possible sounds great. I'll give some honor to the Hera in the process, which is icing on the cake."
Neoru nodded. "Yeah, I can get behind somethin' like that. How about you, Katlij?"
The young man in the emblem'd military vest supported his cheek with a relaxed fist. "I'm treating it more like an exam, but still. If there's something worth protecting, I'd like to be on the front lines of its defense, and quickly. I feel the concept of time is pretty high up there, so I want to pass and prove myself worthy."
"Front lines… willin'a go that far?"
"Not many will. I take comfort in knowing I'm one of the few who will lay down their lives and fight for the whole, and for those who can't."
"... nice."
"What about you? What's your purpose?"
"Well, I did make a promise to someone special to protect time, but besides that…"
Neoru got to his feet.
"I don't think I really have one," he blankly stated as he made his way back into the house.
The group went sort of silent after that. A somber sort of feeling enveloped the lot.
Dina, especially; she felt like she knew the source of the boy's sudden melancholy.
But, after a while…
Two loud splashes sounded off, each knocking forward Katlij and Mashii's heads while startling everyone there.
[ BGM: Hiroshi Takaki ‒ Adventurous Spirit ]
"Ah shit, I was positive you two'd be able to dodge those," smirked Neo, tribal vest gone, holding a crate in one hand and a water balloon in the other.
"WHA-YOU-WHEN-" Katlij sputtered in his state of shock, before Mashii ‒ after staring wide-eyed and wide-mouthed ‒ dropped all pretenses and gathered seawater into her hand.
"YOU'RE FINISHED, YOU MOTHER-!" Mashii screamed with what definitely wasn't a grin, hurling the water ball at him full force.
"OH-HO SHIT, YOU THROW LIKE YOU'VE GOT PARKINSON'S! AH-" he taunted after just-barely dodging, before running for his life and laughing all the way, the twitchy-eyed Hera in hot pursuit.
"I'LL SHOW YOU PARKINSON'S, DUMBASS! STOP RUNNING!"
Katlij lunged for the crate and grabbed balloons like grenades. "KEEP CHASING HIM, I'LL FLANK!" he yelled, before running after him as well.
Dina stared, baffled, before slowly giving way to a laugh.
"No one asked about MY reason to win the tournament!" the flower-tendrilled girl beside her yelled.
"Fame, right?" Dina asked.
"How did you know!?" she whined, before a balloon smacked her, and then Dina.
"For the record, I just really wanna get to beat up jerks from every era! Now you're not just gonna sit there with a bunch'a these things laying around, are you?" Devine grinned, tossing one up-and-down before throwing another. "COME ON, MOVE THAT ASS OR GET SOAKED!"
Dina caught it and threw it right back, sending her stumbling with a gasp. "More where that came from!" she yelled, forcing a small wave toward her and sending Devine squeeing before grabbing her own handful of balloons. "Screw it, you're ALL gettin' on'a these by sundown!" she yelled.
"As if!" Baubi retorted, her own balls of seawater tagging them both.
From there, it gradually devolved into a free-for-all. Neo almost drowned halfway in, and Baubi somehow got a water gun, turning things into a hectic 1v5 for a while, but besides that…
Roshi inspected the group from the window sill's illusion of safety.
"Eating well, learning well, and most of all, moving well. For a while, I thought they'd thrown out that small bit of the Turtle Hermit Way, but…"
He smiled. "Looks like I've been worryin' over nothin'."
He was then smacked with a balloon.
7 months became 10.
10 became 11.
And 11... became 12.
There were 2 days before the final exam began.
Everyone had trained exceptionally hard that day. And thus, everyone was fast asleep.
Almost everyone.
Staring at the full moon (Thank Kami that Devine was snoring away), Dina sat by her lonesome. A thousand thoughts keeping her awake.
"Nice sky tonight, eh?"
Neoru walked up beside her, hands in pockets.
"You're up early," Dina replied, unfazed. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Shouldn't you?"
"Mh…"
"Yeah, same as you. Can't sleep right. So what's up?"
"I've been… taking it all in, so to speak.
"Oh yeah?"
"... mh."
They kept staring off.
Neoru sighed. "Y'know, there's been something I've been meanin' to ask you."
Dina turned inquisitively.
"What's YOUR reason? For going through all this?"
"Well, for starters... One year ago, I swore to someone. Swore that I'd beat her without going Super Saiyan."
"Oh damn, I forgot you had that," said Neoru, raising a giggle from Dina. "That's good to hear! But… I dunno. Lately, I've been getting tense over it. Like, what if after everything, it's still useless? She's not my only goal, of course, but… I've begun to think more about what this form means about me. I never want to rely on it, and this fight is a test to me, to see if I can pull this off. Plus, "she's" helped pull me out a dark place in the past, and it's feeling like I owe her this."
"Funny. I think I feel the same."
"Whaddoya mean?"
"Someone promised me something some months back. That he'd beat me without hurtin' me, or anyone on the way to me."
"Sounds like a sweet deal," Dina quipped.
"Yeah, 'till you realize this is a kid."
"You're still a kid, stupid."
"Get off my case," Neoru hissed. "Anyway… guy's strong, at the end of the day. So I've been making it a point to be able to kick his ass back into reality, if it comes to it. But just like you, this last week's been kicking MY ass, stewin' over thoughts of what could go wrong. Like, if he actually beats me like that, he'll keep that up, thinking it works, and by the time things stop goin' his way, he or someone is gonna end up dead. And for someone like him... he won't recover from either."
"That's quite the burden."
"A bit."
[ BGM: Nujabes ‒ Mystline ]
"... can I confide in you for a bit?"
"Sure."
"... I wanted to be… a paleontologist."
"What's that?"
"Bloke who studies dinosaurs and their fossils. They were on the verge of extinction in my era, and I really, really, REALLY wanted to do something about it. And dinosaurs kick major arse, there's that, too."
"Those're damn good food. Can feed a community for-"
Dina thwunked Neo on the shoulder.
"Hey!"
"As I was SAYING… paleontology was about the only reason I went to school, 'sides my friends. And then, one day… I find out one of them was almost murdered by their shit foster parent. Ran to their house just in time to see 'em hauled off, clinging onto life in a bed."
Dina froze for a second, expression contorting. After a deep breath, she brought herself back down.
"That moment was when I first transformed. Though I was just an angry, scared little girl at the time, so all I did with it was cry. After that, I threw that paleontology dream into the bin, and took on becoming an officer., like me dad. From there, though, my ego was being stroked like crazy, and I was borderline addicted to working with the force. Bar another… awful moment, courtesy of my arrogance… I loved it. So much so that, ironically enough, I was no longer ACTUALLY there for my friends. End result was my mate becoming a murderous monster who I very-well could've talked down, if I… weren't so bloody impulsive. But I lost control of myself. And that damn form enveloped me."
She pulled together her knees. "But now I have a new home. And new people I care about, deeply. And new reasons, and whatnot. It's great, being randomly chosen to receive a second life out of nowhere. And yet…" she cleared her throat. "I've still got a soft spot for my old one, and knowing I'll never see any of them again… it... still… it still hurts." Dina wiped a tear. "To make a long story short… In general, I wanna be someone I couldn't in my timeline. And uh, side note…" She straightened back out, showing Neo her smoke-designed shirt; dino bones around a snarling sabre-tooth skull.
"I've really been picking dinosaurs back up, recently," she smiled.
"Well you're doin' fine, in that case."
"Thanks, this was, like 40000 zeni, it was ridiculous."
"No, dumbass, bein' a better person."
"Oh. Well, EXCUSE ME for YOU not specifying, halfwit!"
"Y'know-screw it, takin' it back!"
"You're the one who instigated it, jerkface!"
"Don't care."
"Unbelievable!"
"...It's baby steps, but you're not doing too bad. Seriously."
"You're still a ginormous prick, but… you're not as terrible as you once were, either."
She was referring to his callousness when they first met, but Neoru took it in a different way.
He softly smiled. "Hey, Dina…"
"Hm?"
"How close am I to… I dunno… being a man?"
"Huh? Like an adult? Or a stoic action flick hero?"
Neoru got embarrassed. "I'unna."
"Well, I happened to know the manliest bloke that side of Yarg, so lucky you, I'm well-versed. Let me tell you, you've got a long ways to go before you're on my dad's level."
She smiled. "But all said and done… I'd say you're growing into one just fine."
He fell onto his back. "Great."
"Why the sudden question?"
"Wanna know how close I can get to my bro, and if I can overtake 'im some day. I've known you for the longest, so you're my best chance at a second opinion on it."
"... we have known each other for a while now, huh?"
"Yep. And the sky's blue, if ya need me to point out anything else."
She gave him a weird, almost-blank look.
"(hm… no, no, there's someone else. And now it'd just feel weird.) It's funny… I've never had a little brother before, and yet that's exactly what I feel with you."
His violet eyes widened, shining in the moonlight. "You kidding? Jeez, I'm always gonna be someone's tyke at this point," he giggled, bashfully playing with his long, chocolate-colored hair. "This sucks."
"(DAMMIT THAT'S CUTE-no. No. It's done. I've said the words, Kazi's hotter anyway.) Fine then, you're my annoying, moronic, adorable best friend. How's that?"
"You know I can kick from down here, right?"
"Yep."
Dina stood up. "But yeah. You'll do fine. Both in the exam and the tournament. Just know, though, I won't hold back once I meet you in the finals."
Neoru stood up. "You'd be coughin' up my shoe sole if ya did. I'll be even more pissed off if ya start makin' excuses once things are through, though."
"Excuses. For accidentally murdering you? Sorry, but I won't be able to stop myself."
"I'm literally gonna strangle you."
"Not if I knock your lights out first."
…
…
They both sighed, and then threw a punch. What was questionably a fist bump, a loud and somewhat-destructive fist bump, transpired.
"Find a purpose," Dina said with sincerity, "If you even need one."
"Be that person," Neoru stated from the heart, "If that's really what you want."
"... Pussy."
"Assface."
They did their roundabout in 2 hours.
125,000,000 cumulative tons off the sea floor was moved, making an island chain in the middle of nowhere.
Roshi's lucrative melon business grew a few hundred more miles.
The sea monsters fell into a collective depression, reevaluating their status as marine animals.
And after 51 mods and not a single shot landed, Launch switched back to traditional firepower. Design-wise, the new stuff just had no soul.
Neoru finished his 30th planche pushup, raising himself into a handstand before thrusting himself upward. He took off the shell and exhaled laboriously.
"Hey, Neo!" Dina called from the front of the house. "Come on, we're about to leave!"
"Ah-hah!"
Neo gave the painted ocean horizon one last gaze. He put back on his dark-blue shirt and light-grey vest, lugged the shell over his back, and jogged back in.
[ BGM: Shunsuke Kikuchi ‒ M715 ]
"Now, I know you're all prepared to take on this tournament, but remember: even after it's over, stay diligent in your training! I'm still not all that versed on this Time-Patrol humbug, but I've still got enough sense to tell you all that there's always someone stronger on the horizon, so never get lackadaisical or complacent!"
"Right!" Everyone yelled in unison.
"DAHMN STRAIGHT!"
Almost everyone.
Launch hopped over the couch. "You lil' turds better spread the word'a my art all over that city'a yours! I want a Food War every damn minute, or I'm comin' for each and every last one'a ya, got it!? I'm goin' to the top'a this game!"
Everyone gave a shaky thumbs-up. Except Devine. Hers was straight and confident, as if she wouldn't forget the moment she broke eye contact.
Dina's warm fuzzy feeling was in full overdrive. Though she'd never gotten to graduate from High School, she pictured it'd feel something like this; around good friends who'd laughed and suffered and accomplished what had seemed impossible at points, all alongside her. She felt like she couldn't stop smiling.
"With that outta the way, there's nothin' more I can give you all, 'cept a dose of encouragement." The worn sage's stern expression softened into a smile behind his thick beard and 'stache. So do your best, win or lose, and fight without a single regret. And..."
Dina's face suddenly went red.
"All you ladies, feel free to swing by anytime!" he laughed.
The halfbreed stood still, with a dark, sullen visage.
And she slowly walked out the door, a small slam on the way out.
"WHAT THE FUCK, OLD MAN!" Neoru shouted, along with various enraged variants from the others.
"WUH-UH… Yeah, yeah, I know…"
He exited the house.
"H-hey, Dina… I'm awful sorry about… wha…"
She was nowhere in sight. The old coot assumed she'd gone to the back, but then something else started bothering him.
"... wait… No, I definitely had a palm tree right there."
Right behind him, just beside the porch roof and in the darkened shade, 2 blood-red eyes and a sadistic, fanged smile revealed themselves.
By the time he noticed the long shadow beneath his feet…
BAM!
[ BGM: Shunsuke Kikuchi ‒ A Great Relief ]
Everyone rushed outside to see Roshi, up to his neck in dirt as stars flew about his head, and right above him, a grinning Dina holding up a peace sign.
"How's it go? Peace-Peace?"
She stood, thumb pointing behind her. "Now that he's immobile, you guys up for one more stunt? I wanna see this geezer bawl his eyes out."
"WH-WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?" Roshi squeaked. "I SAID I WAS SORRY!"
"Oh, that won't cut it this time, Master," she sneered demonically. "I want tears."
Neoru shrugged. "Sure."
They joined her by the beach side, everyone eyeing the old man with various intent.
And then, Dina turned around.
She cupped her hands before putting them out in front of her, pushed back her left leg until her right bent to the knee, and said…
"Kaaa~…"
Neoru followed, making a silent "Oh!" with his mouth before grinning, following her stance. He then slowly brought them to the left of his hip.
"Meee~…"
Everyone caught on quick.
"Haaa~..."
[ BGM: The Pillows ‒ Little Busters ]
The old master, void of his now-shattered sunglasses, caught a bit of sand in his eye, the amount of energy gathered in front of him blowing it ba-
You know damn well that wasn't the reason his eyes were watering.
"It can't be… I never even showed them that technique..."
"Meee~..."
The Turtle Hermit's students then shoved their hands outward, as if a dragon's maw.
"HAAAAA~!"
The ensuing beam was blinding. It stretched out for miles, splitting the ocean before erupting in a vibrant blue light which consumed every spectator's entire cone of vision.
Dina let her hands fall, her head raising to the sky. That last bit of obligation left her soul. And, she turned.
"You… kids…" Roshi sniffled, tears and snot dribbling down.
Dina pumped her wrists.
Neoru covered his eyes, a face-wide grin underneath his palm.
Katlij smirked, looking back at Mashii, who shook and shrug with much the same "I had to" expression.
Devine and Baubi pointed and laughed.
Back at the house, Launch wiped a tear. "Damn brats, makin' me feel things…"
She sniffled.
And found herself unable to stop.
"AAA-CHOO~!"
Everyone snapped their heads in the direction of the second blast.
A dark-haired woman slowly exited the house.
"Oh, dear! I didn't know we had this many guests!"
Dina waved her off. "No need, Ms. Launch! We're just leaving!" She then knelt down to Roshi.
"Could've done without the harassment, but aside from that… Thank you For all the great tutelage, Master Roshi."
The sage smiled. "It was an honor."
"Yeah it sure-as-hell was," Neoru said, ripping him out the ground head-first, "But we really oughta get movin'. Thanks for not being a waste'a time, Master Roshi." He put him back on his feet, before running ahead.
"What's your deal!? Ever heard of sentiment!"
"Starts bein' padding when you spend that much time on it! Jeez!"
"Heartless, I tell you!"
"Get off my ass!"
The warriors left out the small home's gate console. Launch rushed outside to tend to Roshi with a handkerchief and spare glasses.
"It feels like it's been ages since I've last seen you, Roshi! Who was that bunch, anyway?"
After a blow and some wipes, Roshi answered blatantly.
"My first batch'a students in a long time."
Neoru and Dina wrapped said a few farewells and good lucks to their buds before being left with themselves.
"A year."
"Yeah. Feels like two, for some reason."
"That all?"
"... No, you're right. Add about 4 months."
Dina raised an eyebrow at the oddly-specific response, but gave it no more than that. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, in class, and then… wherever we're holding this."
"... Actually, before then…"
He turned to her. "I wanna fight you one more time."
"Hm? Thought we were saving that for the finals?"
"Nope, I'm too damn impatient. I wanna do it now."
"... hah, you cheeky bastard, it's like you read my mind. But it has to be in front of a certain someone."
"Had the same idea."
"Then I guess it's two certain people!"
Neoru and Dina nodded.
"Be right back!"
[ BGM: Hiroyuki Sawano ‒ BLAZE ~Crimson Lotus~ ]
Under the same borealis-laced sky, over the jade-green grass they'd seen not-long after joining Conton, two feet confidently stamped toward each other.
At one's flank, Kaset squatted, concealing his mouth behind interlaced hands.
At the flank of the other, Ayeva stood upright, arms crossed tightly and biting down on a thumb nail.
Two auras shot up, and flared like flame.
Violet eyes burned into Ruby, and Ruby eyes into Violet.
"One last party before the big day… that's just fine!"
"Burn all you'd like, soul'a mine…"
The two increased their speed, charging toward each other.
And then…
"KNOCK HIM DEAD, DINA!"
"WHOOP HER ASS, NEO!"
"RAAAAAAAAH!"
They shot toward each other at a speed that licked half that of light's. Each subsequent clash and crash through the air, each and every colliding fragment of spirit, shook a planet-sized chunk of the dimension around them. 100, then 200, then 3, 4, 500 collisions boomed throughout the air, until they both suddenly darted into view, a spun haymaker and spun roundhouse in wait for their respective challenger.
Their auras borderline exploded behind them, painting the sky in white and light purple streaks. For but the briefest of moments, long enough for the two veteran patrollers to see, the image of a coiling dragon across a biting tiger presented itself. In the moment, a brilliant flash of light transpired, expelling the picture and sending the two skidding back across the ground.
There was a burning within Neo's chest, and a grin he wasn't aware of, nor cared to check for, spread across his face.
Dina felt as free as a bird, grinning ferally as she once-again got to relish a good fight.
Kaset blew a raspberry behind Neoru's back toward Ayeva, who returned the gesture with a knife-mocking thumb zooming across her throat. Both caught wind of the other's mentor's actions, and chuckled a bit before leaping back into the fray, locking eyes once more as they prepared to strike.
At the same time, Zinco went for one last, 500-clone session with Kaza within Ceushius's hellish home world.
At the same time, Kazikum wiped the green blood off his mouth as he welcomed the last 6 of what was once 44 Myoumen with a bone-chilling war cry, Wabi watching intently.
At the same time, Xiao Mei, who'd finally closed up shop for the day, went for one last razor's edge spar with Chahan, evading nigh-instantaneous strikes that cut through the fabrics of space itself.
At the same time, Kora and Archi gave one last charge Tarubei under the 1000° heat of a planet 20x the gravity of her homeworld's.
And at the same time, Trunks bunched up his script.
And set out a suit. With gel. Alongside a mic.
"Tomorrow…" He tensed. "The cream of the crop present themselves."
What would come of this upcoming examination?
Only time would tell.
[ ED: Pay Money to My Pain ‒ Weight of My Pride ]
YO! OP Here!
IT'S DONE. IT'S OVER. RIGHT BEFORE APRIL HIT, TOO.
EVERY LAST DEVELOPMENTAL BEAT HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY HIT.
200K+ BABYYYYYYYYYY.
LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER MADE, TOO. WORTH IT. IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
Deadass, I went overtime for this baby. Worked on it over the course of like every day for the past 2 weeks. Hopefully I don't die before this tournament, but who knows.
On another note, do you wanna know the reason Dina even exists? My first thought for her character, when I was 14, was, and I shit you not,
"Neoru needs a girlfriend."
And I spent like 3 years after that plotting out their relationship. Only to realize around 2019-20 that their relationship just didn't feel romantic in the slightest, despite chemistry. They really do just act like bros. So I guess that early-morning scene was my final send-off to that long lived idea.
I feel like we don't get enough scenes like the one with Adventurous Spirit playing often enough in fiction with teens. That's what's fun with writing for kids; as a former kid (and very-recent adult), kids are immature as hell and will do stupid shit because they want to and because it's fun. Not the best phrasing, but if you get what I'm saying, that's good enough. That scene was inspired by JJK's second ending. Show was ill, can't wait for Season 2 in 9 papillion years.
Bad Launch Best Launch.
Thanks for sticking with me. Each and every one of you. 9 papillion tons of sheer, unfiltered love.
Next up: tourney.
That's about it. See ya.