I wish this story could start on a high note, but a serious situation has developed. Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, has recently passed away at the age of 68. The man that brought us the wonderful tales of Goku and his friends is now no longer with us. In honor of his memory, I have some plans for future Dragon Ball projects. To start things off, this series will now be a year round story that updates whenever I can get a chapter ready. I only hope that I can make something that keeps the spirit of his works alive while making for a wonderful experience for all you readers.
With that said, welcome to Keira: A New Journey. This is the second story in the Milla/Keira AU of Dragon Ball. We enter a new chapter of Keira's life as we push forward in her quest to grow stronger, learn more about the Saiyans, and discover who she truly is. There are many twists and turns planned for the story, things you probably wouldn't have expected. I will do my best to honor the legacy of Toriyama with this story.
In any case, there aren't really any reviews to read, so we can get on into the action! I don't own Dragon Ball in any form. That exclusive right goes to Akira Toriyama himself, rip. I do own original characters, locations, and concepts unless stated otherwise. Action!
November 6th, Age 750, Kame House
The moon shone high in the sky, close to its fulfilled state. Small animals moved throughout the forest area, bigger animals stalking around for their nightly meals. A waterfall crashed down into a large lake, a stone structure reminiscent of a home rested nearby. A door and windows fashioned to it, looking to fit right inside each space. A river flowed away from the lake, an individual sitting on a stone that jutted out of it.
A young girl nearing her teen years sat in a meditative position, having wild black hair, pale skin, and a black furred monkey-like tail that wagged around. She wore a black spandex leotard that lacked sleeves and legs, a blue cloth that wrapped around her right arm, and a purple turtle shell-like pack upon her back. She took a few deep breaths, taking in the light given off by the moon. She slowly removed the turtle shell, her breast's stretching her suit a bit. She threw the pack to the side, causing the one hundred pound shell to dig into a nearby stone.
The saiyan took deep breaths, searching for something inside of her. With one more breath, her onyx eyes opened before slowly turning red. She grew in size, the spandex and the band actually stretching to fit the new size. She leapt to the opposite side of the river, standing at almost half the size of the trees around her as she looked like a mix between a human and a gorilla. She growled as she looked down, clenching her hands.
"Not enough," growled the girl. "I'm getting the hang of calling it without the full moon but I need more." She looked towards where the moon was, only to groan as she watched it begin to set over the horizon. "Oh so now it decides to set now that I'm so close. Stupid moon."
The girl shrunk in size, returning to her normal size as her attire changed with her. She collected her shell before leaping through the trees, wearing the object upon her back. She arrived at a small house with the words "Kame House" written on the front. She made her way through the front door, spooking someone inside. A boy around her age yet slightly smaller than her looked her up and down with a small blush.
"Keira," groaned the boy. The saiyan grabbed a water bottle as she turned towards the bald kid, recognizing him immediately by his black eyes and the six dots upon his forehead. He was wearing a sleeveless yellow Chinese garb adorned with purple straps on each side. He also wore orange gi pants with a purple belt on his waist, white shins, and ochre toe shoes. This was Krillin, her fellow Turtle School student and her rival.
The boy pinched the bridge between his eyes as he shook his head. "Please tell me no one saw you. You're practically naked in just that. I know Saiyans don't get embarrassed as much as humans but I don't like the thought of you being out there where others can see you like that." Keira grinned at this, taking a sip of her water.
"So you admit you want to be the only one that sees me like this, Krillin." She hummed as she held one of her cheeks. "Maybe next time I'll go out without clothes. Not like I need the spandex for nightly meditations anyway. Besides, I've done it all the time back at home with Gra…"
Keira stopped herself, squinting her eyes as her smile frowned. "...Back at Mt. Paozu with Son Gohan." Krillin's frown turned from annoyance to sadness. It had been a long time since the day Keira learned the truth of her heritage and the lengths her adoptive grandfather had gone to in order to keep her from learning about it. While she could more easily talk about her other friends that had lied to her, though the old man himself was still a sore subject.
The Saiyan shook her head before letting loose a huff. She smirked knowingly as her tail wagged. "I'm gonna make a snack. Want me to make you anything?" The boy's mood took a sudden turn as he bounced up and down a bit.
"Sure. I didn't know you could cook. Think you could make rice balls? I love that stuff." The monkey girl smiled at this, nodding her head.
"Alright! Gohan taught me how to make them so I like to think myself an expert." The girl quickly went to work, gathering what she knew to make rice balls with. She began following the recipe she knew by heart, humming as her tail wagged around a bit. The monkey girl grinned as she put two of the balls together, finishing the third one before sliding it towards Krillin.
The boy picked one up, humming in interest as he looked it over. He shrugged as he took a bite out of it, slowly humming with each chew as he bopped his head back and forth a bit. He pointed at the girl as he smiled.
"It's not bad. I usually like mine with fillings but you did pretty good." Keira smiled sadly as she looked down.
"Grand… Gohan didn't let me cook much and I never went with him when he went to the city. I'm more of an expert on making food over a fire, but I know rice balls too. Like how you always have to salt them. I kinda wish he didn't treat me like a human child so that I could have done more." Krillin looked slightly ashamed for bringing up the topic, watching as the girl continued her work with her tail drooped.
The monkey girl sighed as she threw a few more of the rice balls together. "When Saiyan kids are old enough to not need milk anymore, which is usually when they're done in the pods, they're treated like adults. They learn as they grow up." Krillin looked down at his rice balls, taking another bite of them.
"Really? Did you get that from the Data Chips?" Keira's smile grew a bit more as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Nope~. I actually remember Momma telling me that but she wanted to be different from other Saiyans. She raised me from the moment she gave birth to me. Momma always said I was a fighter and punched everything a lot." She giggled as she shook her head, another figure walking into the room.
The individual was a teenage girl with long blue hair, fair skin, and brown eyes. She wore a light green tank-top, brown booty shorts, and black sneakers. Her name was Launch, a girl that changed personalities and hair colors with a simple sneeze. Her blonde self was a bit of a menace but the current personality was much gentler. Launch smiled as she looked towards the duo.
"Now that's interesting," commented the bluenette. "It sounds like you've been fighting since you were born." Keira chuckled as she continued to work on the snack.
"Saiyan kids can fight within days of being born, even when they're still on milk. It just takes time to walk and talk. We tend to be fast learners." Keira plopped another rice ball onto a plate before sliding the dish towards Launch with her tail. The bluenette ate one of them, humming as she tilted her head.
"It's good, but it could definitely be better. I can give you a few tips if you want." Keira looked down, frowning a bit.
"I guess. I just thought I was really good at them. I don't like being bad at things. It eats at me like I eat good food." Launch rubbed the Saiyan on the head, smiling softly at her.
"You're not bad at cooking. You just need a push in the right direction to make these better. It's like how you know fighting but you're training with Master Roshi. Even the best chefs in the world can always improve." Keira smiled softly at this, begrudgingly allowing Launch to take the wheel as Krillin nodded his head.
"Yup!" cheered the boy. "You can't expect to be good at or master something right away. Everyone starts at the bottom before fighting their way for the top. The Orin Temple Masters make sure to impart that lesson onto new monks before they get pulled into training." A fourth figure entered the room, hunched over slightly from old age.
The individual was a bald old man with a long white beard, his forehead wrinkled from his long life. He wore black sunglasses, a purple turtle shell, an orange martial-arts robing, blue gi-pants, and black martial arts shoes. He was the master of the Turtle School himself, Muten Roshi.
"A strong storm is coming," stated the man. "The ground will be wet tomorrow so be prepared for it before we begin training." The students nodded their heads as Roshi looked towards Launch, smiling as he cooed. "And what are you making, Launch? Something delicious, I hope."
He grabbed up one of the set aside rice balls, humming as he chewed it. "Needs more salt. Now, I have a few things to grab while I'm out. Hopefully you can make something wonderful for supper tonight. Need me to grab anything?" Launch smiled, rubbing Keira's head to help her calm down as the Saiyan had her arms crossed with a huff.
"Well, if you can, I'll definitely need more meat and vegetables," requested the personality swapper. "Keira has a rather large appetite so we tend to run out quickly." The master nodded his head in response.
"Perhaps I should just order a capsule house full of food at this point. Our little monkey queen eats more than multiple men combined could eat. She could eat us out of house at times." Keira looked away, still pouting as she grumbled under her breath. "Now what's got you upset, missy?" Launch giggled to herself as she shook her head.
"She's just upset that her rice balls aren't as good as she thought they were. She's pretty sensitive about it." Keira growled as she stomped her foot.
"AM NOT!" cried the monkey girl. She fully turned away from the group as she sat down, her tail popping on the ground a few times as she sat cross legged. Roshi remained stoic as he shook his head.
"Keira, it's good to make mistakes or lose at times," lectured the man. "It's how we learn to be better than we are. If you never lose or make mistakes, how would you improve? Our greatest strength in life comes from failure, whether we're human, Saiyan, or even a simple animal. Failure humbles you to be better. Do you really think the warriors in your little novels never lost a fight or failed?"
Keira didn't respond, her tail still popping as her twitching ears showed that she was listening. "I'm certain even your parents have had their fair share of failures. Even I have failed in life at times. When you grow out of this little failure, you'll be thankful for it. It will help you learn to be better than you are now, something that some never learn." Krillin looked down as he chuckled, blushing in embarrassment.
"He's right, you know," offered the boy. "Remember when we first started learning under Master Roshi, Keira? I started out cheating and trying to find shortcuts to get through it like some of the older monks tended to let slide at the Orin Temple. If it weren't for you and Master constantly being on me, I would have fallen behind and been in trouble like I did in the temple. Now I'm stronger because you two taught me to stop taking those shortcuts, even if I made mistakes or failed."
Keira slightly glanced back as the bald boy smiled. "What really matters is how you improve after failing. You don't wanna look like a baby by always throwing tantrums when things don't go your way. You have something good here, but if you just sulk when someone criticizes you then you'll just get stuck. If there's one thing I know you hate, it's being stuck." Roshi scratched his back as he nodded his head.
"And with that, I've spent enough time chatting. I'll be back soon." The old man left the trio to their own devices, Launch squatting down to rub Keira's shoulders.
"Come on, Keira," urged the blue haired girl. "I can show you how my uncle taught me how to cook. Before he left, he would raise me where my parents failed. It's why I ran away from home because I lost that important part of my life. If you wanna think of it this way, I can be your cooking master where my uncle was mine."
Keira took a deep breath, her tail slowly moving back and forth. She nodded shyly, not wanting to say yes out loud. Her pride stung just admitting she needed help, the gnawing feeling she mentioned before coming back. Once Krillin left to do some personal training, Keira found herself in an apron as she stood with a small frown on her face. She actually liked the outfit piece, but her frustration made it hard for her to enjoy it.
Launch smiled as she picked up a tomato, holding it softly in her hand. "The first thing I know you can get down easy is smelling your ingredients. It's important to know when food has gone bad or when it's not as fresh. Try smelling this tomato." Keira looked weirdly at the plant before sniffing it, only to hold her hands to her nose as she growled.
"PEEYEW!" cried the Saiyan. "LAUNCH! THAT REEKS! It should be all moldy and stuff!" The human girl chuckled as she shook her head.
"More like it's probably close to leaking, but you get the idea. I found that shoved in the back of the fridge. One of the first lessons in cooking is to always try using fresh ingredients but try not to let ingredients go bad. That's a mistake my uncle did not let me make. If something looks like it's going bad, use it first."
Launch tossed the rotten tomato in the trash before grabbing some soup from a pot. "Next, make sure to taste what you cook. If something is missing, you'll normally taste the difference. This isn't something you can really do with all foods but it can be noticeable by those that know the dish." Keria knotted her eyebrows together, crossing her arms with a hum.
"What about rice balls?" questioned the monkey girl. "I heard Master Roshi mention more salt and Krillin said he likes his with stuff in it but that's all I got." Launch giggled as she nodded her head.
"It's not that you did something wrong, at least not entirely. You just need to have a better balance of ingredients. As for Krillin, I imagine he's talking about putting meats and vegetables in them. Everyone has their own ways of eating food, so seaweed is typically used to keep the extra ingredients inside." Keira growled to herself as she looked down.
"Gra… Gohan never liked seaweed so we never had it. He also told me my rice balls were perfect every time. If he was more honest I'd probably be better. Typical." Launch frowned at this, placing a hand on the monkey girl's shoulder.
"Keira, not everyone likes all kinds of food like you do. Some people have allergies where they can't eat certain foods while others are just very picky. Some allergies are so bad that a person either has seizures or their throat swells up, so we have to be mindful of what people can and can't eat. The same goes for what people like and dislike, especially if we're making something specifically for them. While I don't approve of Gohan's views, he likely was serious about loving your rice balls."
Keira's frown softened as the hand moved to her head, running through her hair. "You can't let how he raised you hold you back. If you're always looking back at the bad, you could end up losing focus on all the good he did for you. You wouldn't be here today if he didn't care about you. Now, let's forget about the past and focus on the now."
The Saiyan could only nod her head as she slowly took in more information. She listened to Launch as the girl explained other cooking details to her, her tail wagging as she soaked it all in. She eventually was made to put it into practice, struggling at some points as she tried to not let failures bother her. One particular thing stood out as she did her work, something she tried not to say out loud. The wagging of her tail began to display annoyance as she caused some water in a pot to spill out a bit.
Launch smiled nervously as she held her hands together, shaking a bit from the mess. "Please be careful. The water could have hit your tail and burned it. We both know how sensitive it is so-" Keira growled as she let go of the spoon.
"STOP BABYING ME!" The pot began to fall over, Launch trying to grab the handles before it could. As she had predicted, a bit of the scalding water splashed onto Keira's tail. The Saiyan gritted her teeth as she tried not to scream, holding the limb as tears began to fall from her eyes. "I QUIT!"
The monkey girl stomped up to the bathroom, filling the tub with cold water as she carefully dunked her tail into it. She could feel Launch's presence approach, sighing as she shook her head. The bluenette looked sorrowful as she looked over the saiyan girl.
"Keira, everyone makes mistakes. You're just too excited at times. You get ahead of yourself too quickly. Cooking isn't something you get overnight. One mistake can ruin an entire dish." Keira growled as she shook her head.
"That's not it. You keep talking to me like HE always did. I'm not some baby who needs to be coddled. If I suck at something then just say it to my face." Launch sighed at this, trying to have a serious face.
"Keira, you have to baby someone when teaching them how to cook. If I don't, then mistakes like this can happen. I was like you when I was little: always rushing into things. Doctors had to reattach my finger from where I had cut it off while trying to improve my knifework, the recovery process being long and painful. I'm trying to keep you from learning the hard way like I did." Keira shook her head, sighing sadly.
"Launch, I get it. I know you think I don't but I really do. I just can't always learn like a human. Sometimes I need something told straight to my face or even shouted at me. I'm a Saiyan, meaning the best route is usually tough love as I read it's called." Launch shook her head in denial.
"What am I supposed to do? Step back and let you cut off your finger or even your tail? If I have to do that then it just means I have to tell you 'I told you so' later. I'm sure you won't like missing training with Master Roshi because you want to be prideful." She noticed the tears running down Keira's cheeks, the saiyan looking down.
"You're not listening. No one understands. I'm not saying to stop trying to help me. I just need it told straight to me or even take hits for it. Saiyans work better when you're rough with them. Pride is literally the biggest part of who we are, so to tell a Saiyan to drop their pride is to tell them to not be a Saiyan."
Keira looked towards Launch, her eyes puffy and red. "I'm happy to have you helping me but treating me like a human isn't gonna help when I really need it. Even if you're just hitting me over the head with a pan or something, that's better than treating me like a damn baby." Launch sighed at this, sitting down next to the monkey girl.
"I'm sorry, Keira, but being human is all I know. I can read about your people all I like but I can't understand how you feel. When you watch something bloody or violent it gets you excited but humans don't do well with it. You have no sense of modesty but you enjoy the same type of clothes human girls do. There's so many things that are different between our races that I can't keep up with it all." Keira looked down, looking at the spot on her tail.
"I'm not asking you to keep up with it all. I'm just asking you to be more rough with me. I can take it and according to the files it's actually better for me." Launch looked like she was about to deny, only for her nose to twitch. She gasped as she tried to hold the area.
"Blonde, no! It won't-" She suddenly sneezed, her hair turning blonde as her body shook. Launch suddenly stood up, a growl escaping her throat. She looked into the mirror as she pointed at it.
"Yer too soft for this, Blue," growled Launch in a different accent, her voice being gruffer. "I was always the better chef anyways." She looked towards Keira, a dark smirk on her face. "You want it rough, huh? Well then it's time for me to show ya enough tough love ta make a grown man cry."
Keira slowly grinned, the tip of her tail wagging in the water. The next thing she knew, she had a pack of ice gently wrapped to her tail as she felt a pan hit the top of her head. "Stir more gently, ya nut! I'll pour that on yer entire tail if yer gonna be that reckless!" Keira nodded her head, immediately correcting her speed.
The next moment, she was practically thrown across the room as she crashed into a trash bin. "How's that for tough love!? You nearly cut off your hand! Get back over here and start all over again!" Keira immediately ran over, her arms spread out as she gritted her teeth.
Krillin slowly peeked into the room, all the screaming and yelling making him shiver in fear. He watched Keira receive another hit to the head as she corrected her mistake again, making him too afraid to ask questions. In spite of the violence, he could see the smile on Keira's face.
'Why is she smiling?' thought the bald boy. 'Is she crazy? This is confusing the heck out of me but I can't help wanting to figure it out. I need to read those data chips more.' He slowly snuck by, trying to go undetected as he made his way upstairs.
"Hold it right there, Baldy!" Krillin stopped right before he could enter the room with the scouter, his spine tingling. "Get your butt in here, now!" The boy ran in place before making his way back down. He took deep breaths before he found himself being pulled over by his ear.
"EAR! EAR!" Launch let him go as he was forced to stand beside Keira.
"Oh quit yer complainin'! I need a little su chef ta help the monkey kid here. Any time she makes a mistake, squeeze that little tail of hers. Ya got that?" Krillin rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.
"You do remember that you're sixteen, right? You're just as much a kid as-" He cried out in shock as he ducked, avoiding a frying pan to the head as he cowered a bit.
"Did I say you could backtalk? Just do the damn job." Krillin grumbled to himself as he stood up, looking away.
'She's crazier than she normally is. What made her go insane like this?' Keira smiled at the boy's presence, feeling a need to go a bit slower as she watched what she was doing. She tasted the soup she was making, trying not to make a mess. She hummed as she held out her hand.
"Krillin, garlic and pepper flakes please," requested the monkey girl. Krillin moved immediately under Launch's glare, trying to find what he was asked to grab. He brought the ingredients over, Keira carefully adding the ingredients. She tried to take another taste test, only for some of it to spill. Another glare had the bald monk grab the girl's tail, causing the Saiyan to gasp as she did her best not to drop the ladle.
"Don't let go until she's done with the soup. We have a lot of food to make tonight, little lady, and we're going to get the tail moving to make sure the food comes out right." Krillin looked unsure about the whole thing, moaning a bit.
"Um… I'm sure I don't need to hold it the whole time. She's really good at learning the first time. I-" Launch grabbed a pan from the skillet, holding it up above her head.
"I got a piping hot pan waiting for ya if ya let go. Ya wanna play around with me, boy?" Krillin's hands shifted as he jerked, causing Keira to moan before she covered her mouth.
"WASN'T ME!" cried the monkey girl. "I-I'M FINE!" Launch grinned at this, humming to herself.
"Well look at that. Now I have another way ta get her ta listen if she forces my hand. Thanks, Baldy." Keira blushed at this, shocking Krillin as she wagged her tail while still in his grasp. The girl immediately went back to work, her eyes slightly wavering as she felt heat in her cheeks.
For both her and Krillin, it was an almost excruciating few hours of work. Launch took a sip of the soup, humming as she smiled evilly. "She forgot da potatoes. Give it a little stroke." Krillin shook his head as he hummed.
"Um… maybe have me not rub if she messes up. I mean… she clearly likes it." Launch growled as she glared down at him.
"Did I stutter!? I can kick you off the mountain side and see how fast you get back up!" Krillin finally found an excuse to let go as he began running in place.
"GOTTA PEE!" The boy immediately ran away, the smell of the liquid causing Keira to scrunch her nose. Launch only huffed as she shook her head.
"Wimp. He's supposed ta become some great martial artist?" Keira sighed sadly as her tail drooped.
"Aw man," moaned the girl. "I hope he comes back." Launch smiled at this, clapping her hands together.
"Sulk later! Get those missing potatoes!" She watched the monkey girl walk with her tail lowered, Keira immediately finding where the potatoes were.
"Hey, Launch? Is… is there something wrong with me?" Launch stepped on the monkey girl's tail, causing her to gasp in pain.
"Nope. Just a monkey girl wasting time with chit chatting." Keira ran in place before heading back to the cooking area, using her tail to pull over a knife before transferring it to her hand.
"I know, but Krillin ran away. Sure he had ta pee but I feel like I was making him uncomfortable." Launch watched as the girl almost expertly cut at the potatoes, deciding to humor her.
"He'll be fine. I'm da one makin' him uncomfortable." Keira frowned as she took a moment to look over the next potato before cutting it just like the last one.
"I know but… I don't like it when he leaves. He makes me all excited and I want to be around him all the time. He also holds my tail just right, even when he's trying not to hurt me." Launch grinned at this, watching as the girl slid the slices into the soup.
"That, little missy, must be this cute thing we humans call love. I think ya enjoy being in pain a little too much for human standards, but ya ain't exactly human in the first place." Keira blushed as she carefully stirred the soup.
"Maybe. I don't know what that feels like. Raditz did say love is a learned emotion for Saiyans. Do… do you know what it feels like?" Launch smirked as she walked up to be beside the girl.
"If it's learned then I'd count yerself lucky ya learned it. I don't know much about love myself. My folks made sure of that, keepin' me away from boys. Now, I think the soup's almost done. Hand me the ladle." Keira did as told, holding her hands together pleadingly.
Launch took a taste of the soup, humming to herself as she nodded her head. "It's perfect, but don't get cocky. There's always room for improvement and we're just working with what we got. You've got a lot ta learn." Keira smiled as she looked towards the soup.
"I hope Krillin likes it. I want to make him happy like he makes me excited." Launch rubbed the monkey girl's hair, chuckling to herself. As this was going on, Krillin found himself in the bedroom watching the data chips. He hummed as he leaned back against the bed.
"So… Saiyans learn from pain," recounted the boy. "They also don't do anything for each other unless it's for friendship or to find a mate. The only other time they do anything is for their own kids. I guess that makes sense, given how much Keira smiles whenever she takes hits in training. This is technically just another kind of training for her."
The boy held his hands behind his head, humming to himself. "I guess I'll have to get used to her liking things rough. She'd probably take it as an insult if I babied her or did things softly… What else can I find?" He pulled out the chip before putting in another one, his intrigue growing as he listened in.
He hummed as he bopped his head back and forth. "A Saiyan's tail is the source of his or her power. It's also how they show emotions and comfort each other. Saiyans rarely show emotions or physically interact outside of mating and training. A Saiyan will only wrap his or her tail around another intelligent lifeform if they feel a strong bond."
The boy smiled as he rubbed his arm a bit. "Keira has given hugs and stuff, and there were a few times her tail around me. I guess we have a strong bond… They also don't kiss? Well Keira has given hugs so I think I could get her into it."
The boy blushed as he shook his head, huffing to himself. "What am I saying? Do I… do I like her like that? I mean… she's cute and all. She's especially hot when she's in a swimsuit or just that spandex."
Krillin began to panic a bit as he grabbed the sides of his head. "Then there's the way her tail wags when she's happy, and the way she walks, and that little giggle she does when something funny happens… Oh shit. I need to figure something out." He searched through the data chips, picking one of them as he put it in the scouter.
He carefully scanned the data over as he leaned forward. "Saiyans form a mating relationship through trial by combat should the opposite sex defeat the other or both will enter into a sexual assault to dominate the other. Should the winner be the male and he refuses to accept the female as his mate, the female will seek him out and perform any form of violence. She will learn all of his secrets and habits to appease him. A female Saiyan will constantly test the potential mate by watching his every move and issuing challenges to test his resolve…"
Krillin raised his head a bit as his eyes widened. "The training. She must be looking at me because I beat her a few times. Even if she doesn't know she's doing it, she's got her sights locked on me. I… I need to talk with Master Roshi or Launch about this."
He shook his head as he gulped. "Preferably Blue Launch as she's more sensible. I… I don't entirely mind the idea of being with Keira but I need to figure this out first. If I do this, it sounds like there's no going back. If things were normal I'd prefer taking her on some dates but I feel like that won't go over well." He suddenly jerked as he heard knocking on the door.
"YOU BETTER GET DOWN HERE, BALDY!" cried the voice of Blonde Launch. "FINAL VERDICT TIME, YA COWARD!" Krillin growled at this, putting the scouter down before hopping to his feet.
"She can't just yell that! If Keira heard that… I really do have it bad for her, don't I?" The boy growled as he stomped out of the room, his eyes narrowed. He didn't notice Launch sneaking into the room behind him, a curious smile on her face.
Krillin made his way downstairs, watching as Keira poured some bowls of her soup. "Hey, where's Launch? I thought she was down here since she yelled. She was rather loud." Keira didn't look his way as she poured another bowl of soup.
"She went upstairs. Something about reading up on Saiyan punishments." Krillin hummed at this, only to shrug as he sat down at the table. He watched Keira pale as she nearly dropped the label. "The logs! Here's yours!"
She pushed a bowl towards Krillin before expertly tossing the ladle into the soup bowl. She ran in place before making her way upstairs, a fearful look on her face. "LAUNCH! NO! DON'T READ THE-" She looked defeated as Launch had the scouter on her eye, a grin on her face.
"Oh I already saw the logs," stated the blonde. "I found all the dirty books you like to read. There's also some stuff here on Saiyan mating. Does someone wanna figure out how Saiyans reproduce, by chance?" Keira blushed at this, slowly shaking her head.
"I… I like the books. That's-" She frowned as she saw the chips on the bed, ignoring the giggling Launch sent her way. "Hey. I haven't touched those yet. I told you guys not to go through the chips I haven't touched yet." Launch shrugged at this, a curious smile on her face.
"Really? Well, it should be here in the logs. Maybe we should take a look at what Mr. Krillin decided to look up. I bet he found some pretty fun stuff." Keira gulped at this, sitting beside Launch as the blonde began to look over the logs.
She hummed as she frowned a bit. "Looks like a lot of stuff on Saiyan relationships. Personally I'd like ta date before I bang a guy but ta each their own… Dang. Darling, yer people really are battle crazy."
Keira smiled, not at all ashamed by the comment. Launch slowly smiled as she continued to read over everything. "Huh. So that's why yer hitting on Baldy." The monkey girl then frowned as she pulled the device away from Launch.
"Let me read!" The monkey girl began looking over everything, at first only seeing things she had seen referenced in other chips. Her tail slowly began to rise as her cheeks turned red, her eyes also widening. "I… I was right? But it's not love I'm feeling."
She frowned as she looked down. "I'm just looking for a mate. We have a strong bond but it's not love. I… I thought-" Launch hugged the monkey girl close, knowing that it was time to be loving instead of hard.
"Love or not, it doesn't gotta be that bad. Maybe you can learn what love is by bein' with 'im. Lots of people learn love overtime. You probably just need ta learn ta feel somethin' similar." Keira leaned into the embrace, sighing sadly.
"Raditz was right. I don't understand what it means to be human… Why was Krillin looking at this stuff? Does… does he like me like that?" Launch smiled as she shook her head.
"I can't read minds, Kiddo. That's something ya gotta ask him yerself. Right now, we got some food ta eat. I-" The sound of clattering caught the duo's attention, causing them to run downstairs.
They stopped at the bottom step as they watched Krillin down the third bowl of soup, the boy not noticing their presence. "YOU DIP SHT! THAT WAS FOR ALL OF US! YOU-" Krillin was suddenly in front of them, jumping up and down rapidly.
"Keira, this stuff is amazing!" cried the bald boy. "I didn't touch the pot just in case there was more but I need it!" Launch grabbed him by the shirt, holding him up with a growl.
"I don't care how much ya liked it! YOU ATE MINE! Ya also ate the old coot's bowl!" Krillin chuckled nervously before he found himself being thrown out of the building. "AND STAY OUT!"
Launch slammed the door, growling in anger. She noticed the blush on Keira's face, growling in anger. "Daydream later! There's more food ta serve, so hop to it!" The monkey girl gasped as she ran for the kitchen, Launch eventually smiling as the girl was out of sight.
Soon the rest of the meal was fully set, Master Roshi walking in with his hands behind his back. He smelled the food, humming in delight as he walked towards the table. He frowned as he looked between the two girls.
"Would you mind telling me why Krillin is outside?" questioned the man. "I just finished putting a lot of the groceries in storage before I saw him sitting out front and sulking." Launch growled as she looked away.
"The twerp decided he liked the soup so much he ate yours and mine. He practically ate half the pot, and after I just taught Keira how ta make it. He's lucky there was enough for more or else I'd kick him off the damn mountain and lock him out for the rest of the night. Now stop askin' stupid questions an' sit down." Master Roshi hummed as he looked over the soup, grabbing the nearby spoon.
"All that over some soup?" The man took a taste of the food, humming in delight before swallowing. "Keira made this? I say this was worth a trip to the store, especially since it's her first time." The master continued to eat at the soup, his beard twitching as Keira smiled.
He felt a greater need for the food as he sighed. "I dare say this would be even better with some chalets and parsley." Launch nodded her head as she smirked.
"Well that's just somethin' ta work on later. I got ta teach her how ta use spices and garnish later. Probably next week with trainin' being tomorrow. Maybe Krillin will actually do what I tell him to without complaining this time." Keira quickly ate at a lot of the food before hopping out of the seat, a blush on her face.
"I'll be right back," stated the monkey girl. "I'm gonna get some fresh air." Launch frowned at this, watching as Keira walked outside with her back facing away from the duo. Outside, Krillin continued to sit with his head in his fists as he whined. He looked down as he huffed.
"All that food and I can't even have it," groaned the bald boy. "That was better than anything the chefs at the Orin Temple made, and they're amazing chefs. They don't just hire random people and she out-cooked all of them." A plate was shoved into his lap, his eyes sparkling at the sight. Keira sat beside him, a proud smile on her face.
"Glad ya like it. I worked hard to get it right, especially when someone had my tail in a bind." Krillin blushed at the words, chuckling to himself.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to give Launch more ammo and I wasn't trying to hurt you." Keira sighed as she leaned into her palms.
"It's fine… Would you do it again? I liked it a lot. You can eat first if you want." The monk looked down at his food, still blushing as he processed her request.
"Um… I guess." He began to eat the food, quickly devouring it as the flavors overwhelmed his taste buds. Keira smiled as she tilted her head a bit.
"If it helps, I'm gonna be training tonight so I could use the help. I'm gonna put your idea to the test and leave the spandex behind." Krillin nearly choked on his food before looking towards the girl.
"I was trying to say not to do that. Also, why are you telling me?" The Saiyan smirked as she looked his way.
"No reason~. Could you PLEASE help me with it?" Krillin blushed a bit at the request, looking her way as her tail was wagging.
"I'm almost scared to ask. What exactly would I be helping you with?" Keira smiled as she tilted her head.
"Training, duh! After I eat we can go together." Krillin thought over the request, only to sigh as he closed his eyes.
"Fine, but no funny business. Also, PLEASE wear the spandex." Keira grinned at this, her tail curling a bit.
"Alright, but I make no promises. They might come off, after all." The girl stood up as she walked away, Krillin subtly watching how she walked.
'She's going to make me do it, isn't she?... I don't think I'm ready for a Saiyan relationship.' He thought over it more, looking down at the ground. '...She's got it in my head now. I… I gotta check something.' He ran for the woods, skidding to a halt.
He looked around before clearing his throat. "FLYING NIMBUS!" A golden cloud floated over to him, the boy jumping on it as he flew back towards the house. He had it wait right outside the window to the bedroom before slowly sneaking his way in. He looked through the data chips before picking one out, carefully putting it in the scouter as he tried to remain as silent as possible.
He sat on the bed as he hummed to himself. "'Saiyans are known for their incredible loyalty to their mates, though this is usually the case for mates that have formed a strong bond and have been mates for a while. Saiyans that have formed bonds over many years through trials of combat and war as friends can also hold strong bonds similar to that of mated pairs. However, Saiyan bonds are based on the strength of both parts in the beginning.'"
The boy's eyes narrowed as he read over the next part. "'Should a Saiyan form a bond outside of combat, it's through trust and loyalty. Once that trust has been lost, it is rarely regained. Should saiyans mate before forming a strong bond, their relationship is that of strangers. There is a caution to be had when in between the stranger phase and the mated pair phase.'"
A small pulse popped off him, the boy looking fearful as he continued to read. "'Should someone threaten the mated pair, the Saiyan will be hostile or see the stranger as a rival for the female's attention. Should the mated male be defeated by a stronger male or lose too many battles, it is likely the female will leave in search of a stronger male. It is also possible that the female will leave if the male refuse to mate her too often.'"
The boy leaned back a bit as he sighed. "So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Either I do this and get her potentially pregnant or I hold off and potentially lose her forever… This sucks." He heard steps coming to the room, putting the scouter and the chip away before using the Nimbus to fly away from the window. He watched Keria open the door, the girl slowly taking off her attire.
The bald boy blushed, unable to look away as the view left him only able to see her outline. He watched her slip something on, hopefully her spandex. The boy shook his head before motioning the Nimbus to fly off as soon as her back was turned to him. He lowered towards the ground, blushing madly as he slowly got off the cloud. He cleared his throat as he petted the Nimbus lightly, motioning for it to depart for the sky.
He began pacing as he held his hands behind his back. "I… I need to figure this out before she gets here. I can't go inside the house to ask Master Roshi because Launch will just kick me out again. I could knock and hope Master Roshi answers. That's really my only hope as I don't want to tell Keira no and chance her leaving me."
He growled as he crossed his arms. "I don't know if that's possible or not because the stupid chips don't have all the details outside of textbook answers." He decided to wait until Keira left with the Flying Nimbus before banging on the front door. "MASTER ROSHI! WE NEED TO TALK!" Launch opened the door, growling at him.
"Ya scared the crap out of me!" growled the blonde. "I-" Krillin held his hands together pleadingly, even getting on his knees.
"Please just tell Master Roshi I need to talk to him. It's EXTREMELY important." Launch grinned at this, leaning against the door frame.
"Oh really? Why don't you tell me ALL about it, Mister Read Some Chips Before Dinner." The monk blew all caution to the wind as he nodded his head.
"IthinkKeiraisgoingtotryandmakemehavesexwithhertonightsoIreadanotherchiptoseewhatIcandobutfoundoutshemightleavemeifIdon'tgiveherwhatshewantsand-" Launch held up her hand, holding her head as she groaned. She shook it as she huffed.
"SLOW DOWN! I didn't mean to word-vomit. Now, say it again SLOWLY. I heard something about you and Keira getting down an' dirty." Krillin took a deep breath, slowly nodding his head.
He went through the explanation more calmly, giving her every detail no matter how embarrassing it was for him. The blonde rubbed her tear ducts from laughing so hard that she almost snorted. "Well lucky you. You get to find out if she'll leave you if you say no or you get to have fun tonight." Krillin sighed as he leaned forward.
"Launch, please. Take this seriously." Launch smirked as she folded her arms under her chest.
"I am takin' this one hundred percent seriously. We have no answer ta yer questions. Heck, not even the ol' coot could answer that question. Only guy we know can help is her big bro Radish, and he's currently unreachable with the old scouter destroyed. Need I remind ya that was your fault?"
Krillin frowned at this, hugging himself as Launch sighed. "Look, Baldy, it's simple. You need to decide whether this is somethin' you want or not. You risk a lot by sayin' no as it stands, but I can't tell ya ta do it if yer not serious about it. You can either do it or let some other guy grab her, which could end up bein' worse than just gettin' it over with." Krillin sent the girl a confused brow, growling under his breath.
"You're not helping. Please just tell Master Roshi that I need to talk with him." The blonde shook her head in denial.
"The Old Coot's gone ta sleep. Also, I'm only sixteen like ya said but I know enough about the world to say this. Not every guy that's almost as strong as you or stronger is gonna be a good guy. Good night and have fun." She slammed the door behind her, locking it to where he couldn't get in.
The boy looked down, deciding to think over everything as he walked to the training area. The more Launch's words echoed through his head, the more they began to bother him. He looked up as he made his way through the forest, trying not to bump into any trees. The thought of some other guy getting a hold of Keira bothered him greatly, especially the idea that the person would do something terrible with her. He soon saw the stone house the girl made, his eyes narrowing as he saw her shadowed form under the waterfall.
She was clearly bathing in preparation for the night, making him realize the lack of attire. The way the moonlight hit her body caused him to sigh, closing his eyes. He nodded his head as he rolled his shoulders.
"Alright. It's now or never." The boy moved forward, knowing there was only one thing he could do.
That's the end of the first chapter. Keira begins learning to cook under Launch, Krillin becoming an instant fan. Krillin also learns the truth about Keira's desires, as well as his own. In the end, Krillin makes his choice. While actions in the choice will not be shown here, you can see exactly what the choice was next chapter.
Until then, what did you think of the chapter? Did you like Keira learning to master the Oozaru further and her learning to cook from launch? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back with you ASAP. Things will only get bigger and bigger from here, with some calmer moments in between. Until next time, this is Inkaliber, signing out.
In Honor Akira Toriyama.
I hope heaven is as delightful as you imagined it in your manga.
-Eiichiro Oda, March 7, 2024-