Walking as quickly as she could despite carrying a considerable burden, the red-haired girl emerged from the forest and soon arrived at a small village, where her home was located. The village was not particularly noteworthy; only a handful of people lived there due to its remote location and the fact that it was perpetually cold and snow-covered, regardless of the season. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
She was relieved that no one would be awake at such an early hour, a fortunate situation given the villagers' fear of the Red Ribbon Army. Undeterred, she pressed on until she reached a dome-shaped house painted in shades of purple and pink. Without hesitation, she knocked on the door with her gloved knuckles.
"Mom, it's me! Open up!"
The door swung open, revealing a red-haired woman who looked out anxiously. "Suno!? Why did it take you so long to come home?"
"I found an unconscious boy and thought it best to bring him with me…" the girl, now identified as Suno, explained, gesturing to the half-frozen, black-haired boy she carried.
"Bring him to the fireplace immediately!"
Without a second thought, Suno obeyed her mother. Entering the house, she grasped the boy by his armpits, lifting him with some difficulty, and carefully placed him in a wooden rocking chair near the fireplace. She then wrapped him in a brown blanket taken from a basket of clean laundry.
Not wanting to disturb him but determined to ensure his comfort, Suno removed the purple cloth bag and a staff-like object encased in a sheath from his grasp. For a moment, curiosity tempted her to peek inside the bag, but she resisted. It wouldn't be right to snoop through his belongings. Instead, she set them neatly on a small wooden table.
Sighing heavily, she took off her parka, hat, and boots, putting them away in their designated places. After double-checking that the boy was warm and comfortable, she headed to the kitchen, where she knew her mother would be. Her mother often found solace in cooking or drinking tea, habits she had developed to steady her nerves over the past few weeks.
Suno's intuition proved correct. Her mother sat at the table, a steaming cup of tea before her.
"I've already placed him by the fireplace, just like you asked, Mom," Suno said as she opened the fridge and retrieved a good-sized cake. "I hope it doesn't take long for him to warm up…"
"Don't worry. In thirty minutes, maybe an hour, he should be fine."
"I hope so. I'd hate for anything serious to happen to him because I couldn't get him home in time." Suno cut the cake into slices with a knife. "I want him to wake up soon. I have questions I need to ask him."
"About how he ended up here?" her mother inquired, watching her daughter.
Suno nodded as she bit into a piece of cake.
After a brief silence, she smiled at her mother, grabbed the plate with the remaining slices, and dashed toward her room. Just before disappearing down the hallway, she called back to remind her mother to let her know as soon as the boy woke up. Her mother chuckled softly at her daughter's enthusiasm, shaking her head in quiet amusement before turning her attention back to her tea.
Half an hour had passed since Suno brought the half-frozen boy home. During that time, her mother checked on him frequently, watching for signs that he might wake up. While walking through the kitchen — the room closest to the living area — she suddenly heard a noise. Peering into the living room, she saw the boy stirring slightly and decided it was time to call her daughter.
"Suno, the boy is waking up!"
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the house, growing louder as they approached the living room. Gokū half-opened his eyes just in time to see a girl about his age run in. She wore red pants, a white knitted sweater, and purple socks. Bounding to his side, she placed her hands on the arms of the rocking chair and leaned in slightly.
"Where am I?" Gokū asked, glancing curiously around the cozy interior of the house.
"You're in Jingle Village, up north," Suno replied, her face lighting up with a wide grin. "You were nearly frozen solid when I found you outside. You're lucky I decided to bring you home; otherwise, you might not have made it!"
"What does 'frozen' mean?" Gokū asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Uh… well, being frozen means you're super cold and solid, like ice," Suno explained, hoping her answer made sense.
Before she could elaborate, Suno's mother approached with a steaming cup of hot chocolate balanced on a metal tray. "Here, drink this. It'll help warm you up faster."
"Thank you very much," Gokū said, taking the cup eagerly.
Suno's excitement was palpable as she bounced on her toes, blurting out her next question. "I have two questions for you! First, what were you doing in our little village? And second…" Her eyes sparkled as she pointed at him. "Why do you have a monkey tail?"
"I was looking for these things called Dragon Balls," Gokū explained after taking a sip of the hot chocolate. "But then my plane crashed."
"D-Dragon Balls?" Suno's cheerful expression quickly gave way to alarm. She took a step back, pointing at him with a trembling finger. "Are you with the Red Ribbon Army?"
Gokū tilted his head, looking puzzled. "The guy I met earlier said something about them too…"
"So, you're not with the Red Ribbon?" Suno's mother asked, letting out a sigh of relief when Gokū shook his head. "Thank goodness. Although I suspected as much — you're far too young to be part of that evil group." She extended her hand to him with a warm smile. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Blanche, and I'm Suno's mother."
"My name is Son Gokū," the boy said, introducing himself as he shook Blanche's hand. "Who are the Red Ribbon?"
Blanche's expression turned somber. "Not long ago, we started hearing about them. They're a large military organization, and lately, they've been searching for these so-called Dragon Balls. Since they can't find them on their own, they've forced all the men in our village to look for the one rumored to be nearby. They threatened to harm their families if they refused… We, women and children, have been spared, likely because they thought managing so many people would be too difficult."
"Then they must want the Dragon Balls for something bad!" Gokū's face grew serious before he remembered Suno's earlier question. He turned to her, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Why were you asking about my monkey tail?"
"Well…" Suno glanced down shyly, scuffing her foot against the floor. "I've just never seen a child with a monkey tail before."
"SUNO! Don't be so rude!" Blanche scolded, frowning at her daughter.
"It's okay. I don't mind," Gokū said cheerfully, clasping his hands behind his head and flashing a wide grin. "I'm used to people staring at me because of my tail."
"Your tail…" Suno's curiosity got the better of her as she looked up at him. "Have you always had it? And what can you do with it?"
Gokū tilted his head thoughtfully. "I think my grandpa told me I've had it since I was really little, so probably since I was born. As for what I can do with it…" His tail suddenly wrapped around the cup of hot chocolate, lifting it and swaying it gently from side to side. "I can grab things with it, and I use it to hang onto trees and other stuff. It's pretty useful!"
"Wow… I wish I had one too," Suno said, her eyes lighting up in admiration.
The two children exchanged smiles before bursting into laughter.
Blanche watched them from a short distance, her heart softening at the sight. Seeing her daughter so joyful was a rare blessing these days. Ever since the Red Ribbon Army had invaded their village, Suno had smiled and laughed far less than before. But now, thanks to this boy, Blanche could hear her daughter's melodious laughter again and see the bright, carefree smile she had missed so much.
This boy, she thought, might just be a wonderful influence on her daughter.
Author's Note: Alright, I'll admit it — I lied. This chapter and the next one will be published between today and the weekend. Why? Because they're both quite short. Despite that, I hope you'll still enjoy them!