AN: Hey folks! Sorry it took me over two months to update. Life was pretty hectic around the holidays; also life doesn't know that a new year has come, and it had the audacity to continue being as relentless with its problems as it was in 2024. The nerve!
That said, no matter how busy I get, I have every intention of finishing this fic, so please bear with me!
Chapter 7: A Life To Get Used To
Videl found something about Merches, although it wasn't the juicy, scandalous thing she'd been hoping for. Still, it might be enough to rattle the Ox Family's confidence in him. Even if they didn't sever their partnership with the company altogether, perhaps it was enough to get Merches replaced as liaison.
She sat on the information for a few days, planning how she was going to break the news to the Sons. Simply revealing the dirt she had on him without any precursor would only make her look aggressive and predatory. Not a good move, especially when Merches was the closest thing to a predator here.
Every time Videl passed Merches in the hallways or in the courtyards, she refused to make conversation, or even to acknowledge his presence except with the barest of nods and only when others were around. Whenever he caught her alone, she poured all her stealth training to good use to slip away. Let him think that he'd cowed her, that she was simply intent on minding her own business from here on out.
Videl remembered doing the same thing with her father just days before she'd anonymously exposed her findings to the media. She had pretended to give up questioning him, pretended she'd accepted all his denials and believed his lies.
And now the tables have turned between father and daughter.
She'd never admitted that she was sunsetbeluga36 to anyone, not even to him. All Hercule knew was that some sinister hacker had known the truth and that his daughter had somehow caught wind of it before everybody else. He didn't know that they were one and the same.
It was ironic how hard Videl had tried to escape one secret, only to end up burdened by another.
-o-
The elder Ox Prince invited Videl one afternoon to an indoor garden just after he'd held court. It was tucked away in some recess of the palace accessible only through a maze of stairways beginning in the royal wing. A servant led Videl there and deposited her by a cluster of broad-leafed bushes she didn't know the name of, then left without saying another word.
Videl stepped through the tiled paths, eyes raking over her surroundings. The walls of the palace bordered the southern edge of the garden, but the rest of it was encased in glass. Tall, glittering panels of glass towered over her, converging in a floral-patterned ceiling overhead. The garden itself was nothing to sniff at, with its dozens of brightly coloured blooms and neatly-trimmed hedges. But what caught Videl's eyes the most was the view outside of the glass walls. The garden must be situated near the edge of the mountain face, because the scene that greeted her was an expansive view of the foothills and rolling fields beyond.
"Hey, Videl! Glad you could make it!" Gohan strolled towards her. He'd gotten rid of the formal attire he'd been in during the court session earlier, trading it for a blue set of gi, tied at the waist with a red band.
"No problem," Videl replied. "I was just helping Steban sharpen the scythes, but we were almost done anyway. What can I help you with?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you're interested in learning how to fly."
Videl balked. That hadn't been the topic she thought he'd bring up.
"I'm still sorry, you know," he added, losing a bit of his bright energy. "About your accident last week. I don't want you to think we're negligent about the safety and well-being of our employees here. The sky-scooters you all ride are top tier models from Capsule Corp., with an advanced balancing system to prevent falls. The dinosaurs are, unfortunately, a mild hazard that comes with the job, but we never anticipated the sky to be a place of true danger for our gatherers."
Videl had a sense that Gohan's idea of danger — true or otherwise — differed slightly from the norm, but she also knew that her accident had partly been her fault. Steban had ordered all of them to land; only she had chosen to confront their attackers. Even though it might have saved more people and more stalks, her decision had clearly deviated from safety protocols for her role.
"Are you sure you're okay with teaching me to fly? This whole chi business seems to be top secret for your family."
Gohan gave her a confident smile. "You seem trustworthy enough. I don't think you go around revealing other people's secrets carelessly."
Not carelessly, perhaps. More like meticulously planned.
She tried to return his smile, but found her lips stretching into a grimace instead.
"I told you all about chi anyway," Gohan said. "It's really up to you now if you want to apply it. And I believe this skill is better off in your hands than most."
That was true enough. Learning the applications of chi might even give Videl a leg up in her research. She hadn't gotten much further in her brainstorming because of Merches, but she still had a hunch that the fire spirits' recurring descent onto Frypan had something to do with chi.
Besides, she had no bone to pick with Gohan and the Ox Family. They treated her with respect, even when other people seemed to believe she didn't deserve it. And as far as she could see, they abused neither their privileges as royalty nor the secret powers they possessed. Their secrecy wasn't a direct danger to others nor an accessory for exploitation. Videl had no reason to reveal them.
"Yes, I would really like to know," she admitted.
"Great! I chose this meeting spot, because nobody should be able to see us here. Come along."
They walked deeper into the gardens until they reached a large round empty space bordered by benches. Instead of taking a seat on one of them, Gohan lowered himself cross-legged onto the tiled ground. Videl followed suit.
"The first thing you probably need to learn is to just… feel your chi. Know your chi." He positioned his palms facing each other, and from between them a small glowing light emerged, suspended in thin air. It was the same type of light Videl had witnessed in his room when she'd questioned him about the energy blast that had extinguished the first fire of Frypan.
"I have no idea how to produce that at all." She copied the way he held his hands and concentrated on whatever energy she could feel in her body. Her shift that morning with the other stalk gatherers hadn't been any more strenuous than normal, and she'd just finished a filling lunch two hours ago. All in all, she felt energetic enough, but she had no clue how biochemicals in her body could manifest in something outside of herself.
"Don't strain," Gohan stated. Videl didn't even realize she was doing it. "Think of the way your strength flows from the soles of your feet and out of your fist when you deliver a powerful punch. There is chi in that flow. Channel it out your palms. No, no, you have to relax."
Videl appreciated the tips, but relaxing wasn't typically her reaction when she was poised to punch someone. Being calm and being energetic felt so mutually exclusive.
Closing her eyes, she drew a breath, rolled her shoulders back, and concentrated on her pulse, on the steady beating that breathed life into her body. Warmth flowed beneath her skin, a tingling that she had always assumed was just the coursing of blood in her veins. But was it really just that? The more she focused on it, the more it seemed… alive. Like it was its own entity.
Experimentally, Videl tried to grab a hold of it, with some intangible sense she didn't know she had, like moving an invisible limb. She imagined the chi as water, something that she could pump more volume to and divert into paths she wanted it to go. She gathered what she could from her centre, pushed it down her arms, out her palms, and then —
"Hey, there we go!"
Videl's eyes snapped open. Between her hands, a tiny pinprick of light glowed like a dim star. A tiny gasp spilled from her lips as she took in its brightness. She didn't think it would actually work. But it was there. She wasn't hallucinating.
"I knew you'd get it right away," Gohan added. "Being a martial artist probably helped you a lot. You have excellent control over your power already."
She had a sense that he was being way too generous with his compliments, but she was still awed that she managed to do it at all.
Gohan stood up. "Right, now I want you to try and push that same energy out of your body in a way that propels you from the ground."
"From my feet, you mean?" Videl pushed herself to a standing position too, recalling the way Gohan levitated in his room.
"You can start from there, sure. But flying can happen in any position." He scratched his chin. "I think once you give it a try, you'll see what I mean."
Videl wondered how Gohan himself learned how to fly. He seemed to be groping for words, as if nobody else had ever explained it to him. She had met skilled swimmers who had learned to swim by being flung into a lake or a river. Perhaps Gohan underwent a similar lesson.
She shuddered, glancing at the edge of the glass-walled garden.
Videl reined her attention back to her feet again. She summoned the same senses she'd used to feel the energy in her arms, except this time she tuned it to her legs. Grabbing hold of the energy pulsing from within her body, she ushered it down her thighs, over her knees, and out her feet.
It took some strong pushing before Videl overcame her weight, but once she passed the threshold, her heels lifted from the ground, and then her toes. Gentle wind from the pressure she exerted fluttered her hair and the hem of her baggy shirt. Although she'd been expecting this result this time around, it wasn't less of a marvel to witness that she was, in actuality, floating off the ground.
She must have lasted less than a minute, but the next thing she knew, she was on her knees, sapped of energy, panting like she'd run up and down Mount Paozu.
"Easy, there." Gohan placed a hand under her arm and helped her get back up. "But that's an incredible achievement! You've only just tapped into your chi moments ago, and now you were able to use it to fly."
"I wouldn't really call that flying," Videl said, her voice a bit strained. But her legs had stopped shaking, and she found that she could mostly stand on her own. She brushed the strands of her hair back in place.
Then she remembered something as her fingers fell from her head.
"You flew me back, didn't you?" Videl asked. "When you and Yamcha found me after Vora Jr.'s attack. At least one of you did, assuming Yamcha can also control his chi. We never took a copter."
Gohan's eyes widened a bit, then a scattering of pink crept over his cheeks. "Y-yes, you're right. I carried you. Yamcha and I flew home. So you were still conscious, then?"
"A little bit. I caught glimpses every once in a while."
She had been right after all. There had been wind through her hair and on her skin. Getting flown back in a copter hadn't sat well with her, even though it was the explanation that made the most sense back then.
"And that time during court, when you wanted to hire Yamcha and some other man to build the bridge, you mentioned they could do it in two weeks. Is it because their control over their chi gives them superhuman strength and speed?"
"Wow, do you have photographic memory?" The Ox Prince chuckled, almost nervously.
"No, I have normal memory, like everyone else. Odd things tend to stick more in my mind, like two men who can build a bridge in two weeks."
Gohan laughed. "Fair enough. I have to admit that sometimes what I find odd isn't exactly the same as what everyone else does. But you're correct. Krillin and Yamcha have been able to control their chi for decades, and are very adept at using it to their own purpose. You will be able to do it soon too if you practice regularly."
"So this will be a regular meeting?"
"I can't set an exact recurring day and time, but whenever I'm free, I can let you know. And of course, you can also practice on your own."
Gohan dusted himself off even though his gi remained quite spotless. Sensing that their session was nearing its end, Videl made the split-decision to test the waters regarding Merches.
"Ox Prince," she called just as he'd turned down the path towards the entrance of the gardens. He paused and glanced back at her. "Speaking of things that might make my job easier — well, that might make palace work easier in general — have you seen or heard of any disruptive behaviour lately?"
He blinked. "Oh dear, did Goten smear peanut butter all over the furniture again?"
"Huh?" Videl shook her head. "No, no, this isn't about your brother." She approached the prince, recalling how she used to break tough news to others back when she worked as a crime fighter.
"Listen, Ox Prince. Something has been happening among the servants, and I'm not surprised it hasn't reached you, but I think you should know."
"Oh." Gohan's brows drew towards each other.
"Cant Merches has been a nuisance to several female servants. He consistently flirts with them while they're on their shifts, and he threatened to get them dismissed if they dare to complain. He spread malicious rumours about me, and when I acted less than cordial with him, he made the same threats to me."
"Oh gee, that bad, huh?" Gohan sighed. "I've always seen Merches as something of an immature fop, but I didn't think he was making so many people deeply uncomfortable and scared."
"If it was just me, I can let it slide. But I came to you, because you're in charge of the Ox household, and I know you wouldn't want something like this to be happening under your nose."
"No, you're correct about that." Gohan scratched his temple. "Thing is, I wouldn't hesitate to kick him to the curb, but Mom needs him. I can easily relocate him to an inn in the village instead, but that would surely sour our relations with Merches and Co. if they find out that their liaison is being treated like a commoner."
"Can't your Mom partner with some other company?" Videl had been curious about that too when she was searching for something that might taint Cant's name. It would be easier to burn the entire bridge if Son Chichi could easily find a replacement partner altogether.
"Mom is in a unique position," Gohan explained. "Most canning companies want far more bulk than what we can offer so they can mass produce. The other canning companies that support more modest sized ventures don't have the capacity to extend their operations all the way out here in the mountains. Merches and Co. was the Goldilocks for us."
"I see." Videl supposed it would be a bit unfair to scrap the entire company simply because of one man.
"You should bring this up to Mom," the prince suggested. "She hates lechers and would be more than happy to think of ideas for how to… gracefully remove him."
"Thank you, I will. Until then, would you mind keeping things lowkey? I'm afraid that if Merches gets the sense that I've tattled, he might make things worse for the other girls."
"Of course. And really, I should be thanking you." Then a knowing grin spread across his lips.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shrugged. "It's just sometimes you act like you're not the butt-kicking hero you used to be, and yet this is the second time you're saving people in my court. I'm really glad I hired you, Videl."
-o-
That night after dinner with the other stalk gatherers, Videl settled on the desk in her room and browsed through her notes on chi and fire spirits. There was something about her lesson that afternoon that nagged at her.
The first time Gohan had introduced the concept of chi to her, he'd said it wasn't dangerous. At least, not inherently. When she had released her own ball of chi, she hadn't felt afraid of it. So how was that different from the type of chi that Gohan had produced at court when he'd cowed Ed Torr? How could the quality of chi change from neutral, to sinister, to destructive? What controlled that?
Videl glanced at the capsule that stored the leftover senzu bean she'd received from Gohan the day Scar Town attacked. If the senzu bean followed the same principles of chi, then it meant that chi could be restorative too.
She chewed at her lip, glancing at her notes.
Could it be that fire spirits were falling more frequently now, precisely because energy blasts had been used to extinguish the fires several times before? Her chart showed that the frequency had increased every time that had happened. Perhaps Gohan wasn't just eradicating the flames. Perhaps his energy, being of the destructive form during those times, also eroded the portal.
But what was the portal made of, anyway? If it was something tangible, then why didn't birds and copters hit it?
Videl rubbed her temples. She was trying so hard to find a pattern, but she didn't even know if she was on the right track. She wanted to believe this theory, because if chi could destroy, then it could also restore, and maybe all they needed was some kind of special senzu bean to heal the barrier or shut the portal off for good.
All right, her next step? Learn more about these magical portals. On her next day off, she would fly to Mount Frypan and investigate the location where she'd seen the fire spirit fall.
She tucked away her papers and notebooks inside her desk and collapsed on her bed. She turned off her lamp, and released a small sigh as a cozy darkness blanketed her room. Beneath her covers, Videl felt somewhat grounded, a bit removed from the surrealness of everything that was happening.
The last two weeks had been a whirlwind, and while she still found herself clamouring for stable footing, she had to admit that she was somewhat enjoying herself.
She learned how to fly today.
When in the world had she ever thought that was possible?
She was researching and analyzing and investigating a magical phenomena. She was secretly undermining a lecherous jerk who considered himself above the rules. She was acquaintances with a powerful prince. She was doing so many things she didn't think she'd do again after her father's fall, and other things she hadn't ever considered doing her entire life at all.
Videl smiled, although a part of her felt guilty for being so at ease. Did she really have the right to feel content when her father was exiled to a lonesome hut, spending his days in house arrest? When so many people she didn't even know in Orange City had been affected by the exposure of the scam and may still be struggling even now?
And yet what good would it do anybody if Videl kept herself in poverty out of guilt? She was the only breadwinner in her family now, and the only way she could alleviate some of the suffering she'd caused her father was to make their life a bit more comfortable. It would never be luxurious again, but comfortable was an achievable goal. And she might never be able to personally help out those who had been affected in Orange City, but doing her job well at the Ox Palace could give her the opportunity to help others in some small way.
She was starting to feel as if she was finally in the right place. A place where she could be useful and tolerated, and also flourish in her own way. Imagine what a year here would be like for her. Two years. Five years. It had been so long since she'd imagined a life that far out. For so long, she had only focused on the upcoming day or week. It had been so difficult to predict what kind of job she'd have beyond that.
This was a good life, and maybe exactly the kind of life she could get used to.
-o-
Videl requested an audience with Son Chichi the next day. She didn't know when it would be granted, and was beyond surprised when the princess summoned her in the afternoon, during the lull between the restaurant's lunch and dinner schedule.
She was directed into the innermost section of the kitchen, past rows of steel countertops and stoves, with shelves above them filled with condiments, herbs and spices. The royal cook sat by a table in a tucked away alcove at the very end of the kitchen, browsing through a stack of pages and tapping her chin with a pen. She looked up as Videl approached.
"Oh good, you're here. You said it would be a quick chat in your message?" Chichi said, eyes once again trained on the papers before her. "We ran out of blueflower sauce, so one of the items on the menu need to be replaced tonight. I need to see which of my backup dishes I can make."
"Yes, ma'am," Videl said, then got to the point. "It's about Cant Merches. He's been harassing female servants."
Chichi's brows shot up her forehead. "What, now?"
"Well, I suppose he could be annoying the male servants too, I just haven't heard of it."
Chichi's brows plummeted, and the papers in her hands crinkled. She dropped her pen on the table, only to dig her fingers into her temple in an agitated rub. "Of all the — no, no, this won't do at all. I did not confiscate father's corrupt magazines and ban old man Roshi from the premises just for me to have invited a different pervert right onto my doorstep!"
Videl let out a breath. She had prepared herself for disbelief, or for questioning, or for demands of evidence. That had usually been the case with the police force in Orange City. Not unwarranted, of course — there were protocols to be followed, after all. But if the Ox King himself had been prone to oggling, as insinuated by his daughter, perhaps Son Chichi had enough experiences dealing with men like that to jade her. And perhaps that was one of the reasons she was also so strict with Gohan.
"What happened?" the princess demanded, her list of dishes all but a paper ball now. "He made advances on you?"
"Not on me, but other girls. And he threatened them into not reporting. As for me, he spread those unsavoury rumours you heard about when the Ox Prince first talked to me about Scar City. I received some threats too about my position as servant, if I didn't stop being so… repellent to him."
Chichi paced across the floor, fingers scratching her chin. She paused for a brief moment by one of the counters, picked up a knife, then continued her pacing.
"It's all right," she said after a while. "I'll just fire him. I don't care. And if Merches and Co. complains, I'll take Nimbus over to their headquarters and burn the building down."
"Burn?" Videl echoed with incredulity. "Hold on, we're burning stuff down now?"
Chichi stood straight, eyes shining bright as she stared at some imagined spectacle far, far away. "That's right! And I'll go over to West City and have Bulma slander them in the tabloids. Perverts and delinquents, the lot of them! Nobody would ever do business with them again!" she ended triumphantly.
"Bulma? You mean Bulma Briefs?" Videl shook her head. "CEO of Capsule Corps? Ma'am, I don't know if a busy business woman like her would indulge your request."
But even as the words were out of Videl's mouth, she remembered the enormous hangar of the palace filled with the latest brands of vehicles stamped with the CC logo. Perhaps the Ox Kingdom was more intimately affiliated with the company than Videl had ever thought.
The Ox Princess wilted. "Oh, you're right." She seated herself on a stool by the counter, knife forgotten in her hand. "I can't always go running to Bulma whenever my business is in trouble. She already helped me so much when I was just starting. And you know what they say. I hear the whispers in the corners of the restaurant. That I'm a Bulma-wannabe. That I'm using the Briefs' template to success. Even now, when the restaurant is doing better than I ever expected, I might never pull my name out of her shadow."
Videl fidgeted with her sleeve, sensing that she was witnessing some deep dark secret that she wasn't meant to see. She would hardly call Chichi a Bulma-wannabe. Their aesthetics were totally different. In fact, until the princess had brought it up, Videl would never have associated her with the Capsule Corps heiress.
"No, I can't burn down the Merches and Co. headquarters!" Chichi wailed. "What am I talking about? If I fire Cant, I'll have to start all over in my search for a canning partnership. Do you know how long it took me to find this one? Two and a half years! Maybe canning isn't the next prospect for the Paozu Stalk, after all. Oh dear, now I have to return to the drawing board and see how else I can expand the business."
"Your Highness, I don't think you have to burn that bridge yet," Videl said, her tone soft and placating. "Let's just take a step back here."
"No? If I dismiss Cant because he's harassing my employees, he'll just deny it. Even if something was caught on a picture or video, he'll say it was just horsing around. That the girl was into it. You're a smart lass, Videl. You know how this goes."
"But what if you dismiss Cant for a different reason?" Videl said. She pulled a slip of printed paper from her pocket, unfolding it. "A reason that's undeniable, and at the same time, would put you in good graces of his parents, the leaders of the company?"
Chichi finally sat up from her slouch. Her eyes, when she looked at Videl, were finally clear and brimming with curiosity. "What do you have there?"
Videl handed her the page, and watched as the princess' eyes squinted, then widened. "A liar? And a cheat?"
"You can say I'm familiar with the type." Videl clicked her tongue. "I don't know why they gravitate towards me like moths to a flame."
The princess shot up from the stool, a burgeoning smile on her face. She placed a hand on Videl's shoulder. "You know, I had my reservations about you. But I'm starting to think you might actually be an asset to this kingdom."
-o-
Cant Merches was supposedly a graduate of the prestigious Corner City University with a degree in business, which he'd earned with high honours. This was rich, considering he'd failed a quarter of his classes, and didn't have the average grade point required to graduate, let alone be magna cum laude.
Among the things that Videl had found in the dark web were a series of emails that Cant had exchanged with the dean of his college. In return for getting the dean's son a position at Merches and Co., the dean made sure Cant's grades were altered. Nobody else knew of their deal, especially not Cant's parents. He'd been very adamant that they didn't find out.
As far as things went in the dark web, this information was vanilla. Traces of grade inflation was something you could find easily even in the regular cyber networks. But Videl supposed that Merches and Co. wasn't a big enough company to engender spicier scandal.
Still, it had the desired effect.
The next day, Videl watched with the other stalk gatherers on the second floor balcony as Cant Merches pulled his suitcases down the main courtyard towards the entrance to the palace grounds. His entourage of servants carried even more suitcases and trolleys packed with boxes and packages.
All of the palace servants who were in the vicinity stopped to stare at him. The Ox Princess and the elder Ox Prince stood at the far end of the courtyard, overseeing Cant's exit and waiting to receive the company's new ambassador. Videl didn't know exactly how the Ox Princess broached the subject to the leaders of Merches and Co., but the deal seemed pretty clear: the Ox Kingdom would keep quiet so long as they got a new liaison.
For his part, Cant didn't so much as look miffed or out of sorts. He made it seem like getting replaced was entirely in accordance with his wishes. His hair was neatly slicked back like always, his suit spotless, his shoes polished to a glean. He even donned a careless smile on his lips, as if he was venturing off to a luxurious vacation.
Cant caught Videl watching and sent her a wink. She wasn't sure whether to interpret that as a sign that he knew she'd been involved in his dismissal, or if he was just trying to get a rise out of her one last time. He wasn't entirely stupid, so perhaps the former.
"Gee, something really urgent must have happened at their company," Sharpner remarked beside her. "They didn't even give us a day's notice that he'd be leaving."
"Doesn't really affect us much, though, does it?" Yanni said. "Restaurant matters rarely impact us beyond orders for stalks."
"I don't know about that," Lin chipped in. "Cant affected everybody who lived here. He acted like he owned the palace half the time. Pissed off dozens of servants."
"Is that why he's leaving? For his insolence?" Sharpner said.
On Videl's left side, Steban cleared his throat. "Now, now, we don't need all this speculation. The boy is leaving, and I'm sure we all feel it's good riddance. Let's leave it at that."
Yanni shrugged, but leaned against the banister as the last of Cant's entourage disappeared beyond the gates. A moment later, a new group of people stepped inside the courtyard. It was spearheaded by a woman with dark brown hair pulled up in a strict ponytail. She wore a sombre-toned coat, knee-high boots, and dark leather gloves. Instead of a whole cast of personal assistants, she was trailed only by three other people.
Rolla Merches, Cant's older sister. Videl had seen pictures of her during her research. The woman was actually the reason Cant had felt compelled to secretly adjust his grades. She'd been a straight-A student, landed two internships even before graduating, and did both of them at the same time as her last semester. The school doors hadn't had a chance to hit her on her way out yet, when she'd arranged a profitable partnership for her family's company by leveraging her connections from one of her internships. Rolla was exactly the type of person that would put Cant to shame with his failing grades and less than stellar business acumen.
With the absence of the flair that her brother often flaunted, Rolla bowed deeply before Chichi and Gohan. The three exchanged pleasantries too soft for Videl to hear. Then the Ox Princess stepped aside as Gohan waved for Rolla and her assistants to follow him down towards the visitors' wing.
The palace servants dispersed, a hum of curious murmurs following them. Videl sighed, wondering if this was the end of her little side quest. She didn't find any dirty trails in Rolla's wake during her research, so it seemed safe to say that the woman wasn't the type to stir up trouble.
Videl caught Lin side-eyeing her as they paced down the corridor to the servants' wing.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You wouldn't have any idea what happened by any chance, would you?" Lin said, leaning towards her so the others didn't hear.
"What makes you think I would?"
"Well, you are a lot closer to the Ox Prince than the average servant," Lin pointed out. "He didn't happen to mention any issues with the canning venture?"
"Nope, he didn't." Which was true. There was nothing wrong with the canning venture itself, and Gohan wasn't the one who had brought up problems with Cant.
"I know Cant was particularly mean-spirited towards you. You must be relieved he's gone."
"Eh," Videl shrugged. "You know I'm used to people talking behind my back." She elbowed Lin slightly. The girl blushed and adjusted her glasses on her nose.
"We really upset you, didn't we?"
"Oh come on, we're cool now." Videl smiled. "I promise, we're cool. And you're right. I am relieved that Cant is gone."
AN: I'm thinking of maybe adding a bonus chapter, like an interlude, next. I feel like the plot has been moving at breakneck speed, and I'm not letting the characters breathe a little. Videl is actually very close to solving the mystery with the fire spirits, so we're leading up to the climax now. Also, I went over the outline for the upteenth time, and I just feel like I need more buildup before I get to the bigger plot points. I'm not really sure what to pad the story with though, without it feeling like unnecessary filler. What do you guys think? Beach episode? Lol!