Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant and a friend.
Last Season on Dragon Ball IJ:
Goku and Launch/Lunch began their new training journey after the Tournament as the Kame School split up. Their first stop was to return fellow competitor Nam to his hometown, which escalated into a bit of dam-busting to alleviate the drought. More importantly, in the excitement the fighters forgot they were supposed to pick up Bulma, oops!
From there, the twins and Goku decided to train at Goku's home on Mount Paozu while waiting for the Dragon Balls to activate once again. But the hunt had barely begun before they crossed paths with the evil Red Ribbon Army! In the frigid north, the young Kame disciples faced the menacing Muscle Tower, where they faced not only a deadly android, but the Murasaki ninja brothers. And found a new friend in the peaceful Android 8 and many friends in the people of Jingle Village.
Needing to repair the Dragon Radar earned them a visit to Bulma and a chewing out from Bulma. All the while, the Red Ribbon plotted its next move, such as sending the legend in his own mind he Pink Puma after them!
Thwarting the Puma with very little effort, they carried on their quest with Bulma now in tow. Only to learn the next Dragon Ball wasn't only on the bottom of the sea, but near Kame House. Hitting Master Roshi up for a submarine, they reunited with Yamcha in the midst of his training under the pervy old master. And met new student Mai, who they had certainly never met before back in Season 1!
The Red Ribbon stepped up its game, trying to both conquer Kame House and sending the mighty powerful and mighty handsome General Blue after Goku's group. While Roshi took out the trash on his end, the wily General Blue escaped with the Dragon Ball and the Radar!
Also, reuniting with Bulma prompted Yamcha to break up with her and seek new motivation for walking the path to power.
A trip back to West City yielded a new radar and a fun day at the theme park, and Goku somehow adopting the twins as his sisters? And Bulma decided she needed to start her own journey to deal wth various issues of her own.
Arriving at the mysterious Korin Tower, the defeat of the Red Ribbon's initial forces left the young Turtles unprepared for the deadliest foe thrown at them yet – Taopaipai, the world's top assassin, whose family and Crane School are old enemies of Roshi and the Kame School. Showing the old school ain't done quite yet, Tao dominated the two-on-one fight and not only won, but seemed to have killed our heroes!
Thankfully, some good luck or heaven-sent blessing let the youths cheat King Yenma out of an appointment. But even down to one Dragon Ball, they knew Tao would return, and they knew they had to avenge their new friend Upa, who died by General Blue's hand.
Following Bora's tale, they decided to climb Korin Tower and seek the power legend told awaited at the top. After a grueling climb that pushed them to their limits, they discovered the mighty feline Master Korin.
Training under Master Korin bore grand fruit, as when Tao returned for a rematch, it came to an explosive conclusion, and for Tao a bitter end at the hands of Bora.
With Bora's aid, the Sons took the fight right to Red Ribbon HQ, which it turned out had nothing left to stand in their way. Backed into a corner and deeply disappointed in his Commander's motives, Staff Officer Black struck down the leader of the evil army and surrendered not only himself but the Drgon Balls.
But the last Dragon Ball proved evasive, leading the warriors to call on Master Roshi for advice. Led by Roshi and joined by Yamcha and Mai, they journeyed into the desert to consult the all-seeing bone, I mean crone. Who it turns out is Roshi's sister. They found themselves in a tournament of sorts against Baba's monstrous champions.
The contest came down to a one-on-one between Baba's ghostly ace and Goku. Shockingly, the epic clash ended in forfeit by the ghost, who it tuns out was none other than Son Gohan, Goku's long-dead grandfather. In addition to a happy reunion and first meetings, Gonna revealed secretly to Roshi a dark secret – none other than Goku was responsible for his death?! Strange and kindly Goku turns into a giant monster ape when he looks at the full moon? What's up with that?
Oh dear, does that mean Chichi and Bulma can too, since Goku wished for them to have tails?
After a brief tussle with the new and supposedly improved Pilaf gang, Upa was resurrected, and friends old and new parted company to train for the next Budokai. And so, the Twins and Goku traveled the world, making new friends and gaining new rivalries as they traveled their path to power before setting their sights on Papaya Island and the tournament.
But the world is bigger than this merry band.
After going solo to settle scores with his past, Krillin traveled to Frypan Kingdom to check with Chichi. He got more than he bargained for, with the little girl he'd trained with blooming into a lovely young lady, and getting volunteered for a horrifying quest to Demon World. That one quest developed into a training partnership that has endured these years, and seen the two go on various adventures across the countryside.
Meanwhile, Bulma found her own sensei in the dreaded Crane Hermit, who relishes turning friend against friend in the Budokai.
Now after three years, competitors old and new have made their way to the tournament grounds once more to see who is truly the Strongest under the Heavens.
Long live the fighters! Today on Dragon Ball: Intended Journey.
Dragon Ball Intended Season 2
Chapter One
The Strong Assemble
Reunions can be Overly Dramatic
"Back here again, feels like a lifetime but also like it's hardly been anytime at all," Yamcha said as he stepped back from the registration table.
Papaya Island was blessed with a bright and blazing day today. Unlike last time, with its concern for rain, they had good weather forecast for today and most of the week. A good thing, as he'd heard the tournament was now a multi-day affair.
"Were there this many people last time?" Mai asked, finishing her own registration and joining him. They looked over the crowd milling about, the few still waiting in line and the mass of people already registered.
"No. Guess that makes it all the better they expanded the main tournament from eight to sixteen. It'd be a shame for great fighters to be excluded just because there weren't enough slots," Yamcha said.
"There were plenty of reasons for the change," Roshi said, also looking over the people mingling in the courtyard. The registry table had been moved from the gate further into the temple grounds. There would be an hour after registration closed before the preliminary hall opened, and vendors were already making their holiday zeni hawking drinks and any sort of cold or wet treat.
Roshi smiled at Yamcha and Mai, who had already changed into Kame School gis. He had realized they would be his last students; if the Kame School lived on, it would have to be either Yamcha or Krillin taking it up, he had decided. Though maybe it was too soon to rule out Mai; as much progress as she'd made, he still couldn't see her rivaling the likes of Goku or Krillin in the long run, but then again, maybe teaching would agree with her?
Whatever the case, feeling a definitive end to his days as a teacher, he felt no regret or sorrow. Sure, he had had bad times, and not everything had turned out for the best with his students over the centuries. But what he felt here was a sense of satisfaction, that in the end he had done his job and done it well, and after this tournament it would just plain be done.
"Master Roshi, are you crying?" Yamcha asked.
"Course not. Just a bit of city dust getting in my old man eyes. What about you, Yamcha? Last time you were here you were with Bulma, and you're still single all these years later. That bringing a tear to your eyes?" Roshi asked, poking the young man with his staff.
"Well, it is nostalgic coming here with a beautiful woman," Yamcha chuckled. Mai blushed and did that wiggling thing she did when embarrassed, grabbing her cheeks.
"Don't say such things! What if someone heard?" the raven-haired woman protested.
Mai had gotten considerably tanner over her training, and while she had returned to some makeup use for the tournament, it was much less than her old stuff Roshi vividly remembered from that first encounter; just a little touch-ups and coloring to her lips most wouldn't notice at first glance. Her hair she'd let grow back down to her waist, tied into a tight tail save for bangs framing her brow. The gi showed off her arms, which while not as developed as Yamcha's, you'd be able to tell she was someone who took her fitness seriously.
Yamcha wasn't blind, so he'd at Roshi's urging asked her about getting dinner together in town when Roshi gave a day off months ago. He was willing to spend a bit to accommodate such a manly ambition. But Mai, at the very suggestion of a date, was overly flustered. Roshi wondered if she was into girls instead, as she never seemed distracted by Yamcha or other men around her. But nothing he'd noted for girls either. Maybe she was what his old master had called a natural born monk? One who was born with the candle of carnal desire having never been lit in the first place?
Well, he supposed it didn't matter, but she could use some staying power in the face of being the object of distraction. Little need to feel threatened when he knew she could punch most men out of their boots with ease.
As for Yamcha, he'd taken the rejection well, after getting over the guilt of getting his friend so flustered. Roshi was of the mind that growing the circle of friends was helping Yamcha more than a new girlfriend would have anyway. Not that he'd let any of this secret respect prevent him from teasing either of them. Such was the ancient and sacred privilege of the elderly since time immemorial!
"Hmm, we weren't the first here; I'll check to see if anyone we know has signed up already," Roshi said. Secretly he was hoping to register as Jackie Chun on the sly while cutting line. My goodness, there was quite a turnout this year!
Yamcha watched Roshi go to talk with the monks at the register, and smiled, glancing up to look over the wall at the city beyond.
'Life is certainly funny. Last time, I was fixated on winning to prove myself worthy to Bulma, and before that I was torn between being afraid of girls and my desire for a wife and family. I still want the wife and family, but that old urgency is like my feelings for Bulma. Not gone, but not the all-consuming fixation they were. Funny indeed.'
"Do you suppose Goku and the twins will show up? They don't seem the type to plan ahead that well," Mai mused.
"Well, Launch isn't the type to lose a grip on something she wants, and a rematch with Jackie Chun is pretty high on her list. And Goku isn't one to be late for a fight," Yamcha remarked.
"Yamcha, Mai, is that you?" A voice called over the murmuring of the crowd.
"That's Bora..." Mai gasped.
"Bora!" Yamcha greeted cheerfully with a raised hand.
The chiseled mountain of a man had changed attire for his trip to civilization. The feathers that had adorned his hair last time were currently tucked into the band of a broad-brimmed leather hat, and a poncho decorated in a lovely pattern of red black and white triangles covered a good bit of his frame.
"Nice hat!" Mai greeted him.
"Master Korin said it would be good luck for me to acquire a new outfit on my way to a new place. The store worker was quite helpful. Though it's far too much to wear on normal days," Bora said, spreading his arms and looking down at himself.
"Wow," a boy beside him said. The two Turtle students hadn't noticed him before, but it was apparent he was Bora's son. A bit past his father's mighty knee, he still had a bit of the cuteness and softness of childhood, but manly features reminiscent of his father were emerging in the face, and they recognized the look of someone who pushed themselves physically.
"You must be Bora's son. Sorry to say I can't recall the name," Yamcha greeted.
"I am Upa! You both fought monsters to help father resurrect me. I owe you each a debt of honor," Upa said.
"No debt, it was its own reward," Yamcha said firmly.
"I lost my only fight, so you wouldn't owe me anything anyway," Mai confessed, pushing her index fingers together and sweatdropping a bit.
"Humble as ever. It will be a pleasure to see your skills in a contest of friendly stakes. Though be warned, I have trained with a great master, and I would honor him by winning this tournament if I can," Bora told them, crossing his thick arms over his chest.
"Good to hear Bora, but we've been working hard too. We owe it to Master Roshi to give the Kame School the best showing we can. Right, Mai? ...Mai?" Yamcha asked. Mai had turned away, and with a hand shielding her eyes, was squinting toward the crowd passing by the gate.
"...I thought I saw someone familiar," she muttered, frowning.
"An old enemy?" Upa asked.
"Uh, nothing that dramatic. Last time, I came here with some coworkers. I haven't seen or heard from them for years now. Guess being here has them on my mind," Mai said, rubbing the back of her neck. Upa smiled widely.
"I'd never lose touch with you," he said. Bora gave a sigh.
"Be warned, Mai, Upa has become rather, interested in girls lately. I worry his judgement may be bit... compromised."
"Compromised? Nonsense, just a young man being a natural young man, more like," Master Roshi said, returning with a clack of his staff.
Mai and Yamcha exchanged an urgent look that wordlessly communicated a thought while Bora and Master Roshi exchanged greetings.
'We must protect that child from the Master's influence.'
"So, how have the Son siblings been?" Bora asked.
"Yes, I have been looking forward to seeing Goku and Lunch again," Upa said.
"We haven't seen them since they left Baba's Palace. In fact, Master Roshi was checking to see if they already registered," Mai said.
"They haven't, maybe they want to make a dramatic entrance?" Roshi wondered.
"This isn't a cartoon, Master Roshi," Puar commented.
"Hey, it's them! Master Roshi, guys!" a familiar voice called.
"Krillin!" Yamcha smiled, looking around for his fellow student. He spotted Chichi first, waving and smiling, wearing a Turtle gi. Yamcha was shocked for a moment; she looked to be as tall as him now, and um, bigger, he thought. Her hair was gathered up into a large bun on the back of her head, putting her forehead on display.
Krillin appeared alongside her as they got through the crowd, and he might have been, a little taller?
"Hey guys, glad you could make it. Say, this is that Bora guy you told us about, isn't it?" Krillin greeted them.
"Correct, I am Bora of the Land of Korin, of the Tingo Tribe, and this is my son Upa. It is an honor to meet more students of the venerable Turtle Sage," Bora greeted.
Chichi introduced herself as the Princess of Frypan, while Krillin had nothing more than his name to offer.
"Say, Chichi, where did you get that gi? Master Roshi mail it to your father's castle?" Yamcha asked.
"No, I made it, Krillin's too," Chichi said, puffing her chest out with pride.
"I didn't know you were a seamstress," Mai gasped, impressed.
"I trained with a tailor. Knowing Goku, he'll need lots of clothes mended, we certainly did."
Roshi frowned a bit.
"That is impressive, but you two don't need to wear the symbol of my school anymore. I can tell you have progressed beyond what I taught you. There's no reason you can't fight under your own symbol or just name now, rather than bearing my mon."
"Nah, we owe you a lot, Master, we're proud to honor you here by choice," Krillin said, and Chichi nodded. Roshi coughed into his fist and gathered himself, and Bora beamed at the words, while Upa was still focused on the recently puffed out chest.
"I made one for Goku too," Chichi said, whipping out another gi shirt. That stunned the others.
"Goku got big? When did you see him?" Yamcha asked.
"Oh, never! But I figured he'd be a bit taller than me by now, so I just pictured my ideal man and made a gi around him," Chichi blushed, lost in fantasy.
"You're Goku's intended?" Upa asked, a bit crestfallen. Chichi blushed, staring off.
"Yes, we have family history, as my father and his grandfather were brothers in arms. And now we're so much more grown up when we reunite, we can start making some actual plans for our future. Such as marriage after the next Budokai," she squeed.
"Yeah, she gets this way when Goku comes up," Krillin said to the others.
"What? Can't a pure maiden get excited about true love?" Chichi pouted, addressing Krillin.
"Well, it is Goku you're talking about..." Krillin chuckled.
"Oh, you're a boy Krillin, you just don't see him like I do," Chichi huffed.
"Well, hopefully we'll all be seeing him soon, the twins too, as there's not much time left to register," Roshi said, checking his watch.
Nearby:
Yurin ducked into the hiding spot and let out a huge breath.
"Safe! They didn't see me register," the Crane student reported to the others. Bulma grinned and held out a hand for the girl to high five.
Tien frowned, eyes going from his fellow students to his master, who stood with his back to them, hands behind his back.
"Master, why should we sneak around like bandits under the castle walls? You yourself have entered the tournament, we should be boldly declaring war on the Kame School and any who stand with them."
"Those two meddlers you encountered haven't arrived yet. Ours will be a dramatic entrance worthy of our greatness, and I refuse to stoop to repeat performances. Understood!?" Shen declared, clenching his fists.
"Yes, Master," Tien said.
'Even the greatest old men can still be a bit kooky. It's an easily forgivable vice,' Tien thought, as they hid behind the dumpster. A man wearing a hat and trench coat with glowing red eye stopped to look at the sight of the uniformed people in the hiding spot, and Tien sent him off with a glare. The man didn't flinch, he grinned as if they were beneath his notice.
'Note to self, break a few of that guy's limbs,' Tien thought stoically, ignoring the fact the monks of the temple apparently had a garlic dish recently.
X X X
"I'm winning, Lunch!" Goku declared as they raced down the sidewalk.
"Only because you can go under!" Lunch laughed back in mock anger. While she had to jump over or weave past pedestrians and other obstacles, Goku's small size let him duck under and between a few.
'Good thing we're going so fast, I'm pretty sure we've caused some collateral damage,' Lunch thought, sweating a little. It was not easy to get used to being around this many people again. They hadn't been in a city in years, or a big town even. The noise and smell were not pleasant to get reacquainted with, she found.
"There's the temple!" Goku cheered as the sidewalk cleared like curtains being raised. The gates, just like back then!
"Not so fast!" she said, pulling up neck and neck with Goku.
They heard someone call something, then ground to a halt just before the registration table, sending papers fluttering as the monks cried out in confusion.
"Tie!" Goku and Lunch cheered, raising their hands. Then the dust cloud caught up with them, making them cough.
"...Well, that entrance was, something," Roshi admitted nearby. The others grinned or chuckled, waiting for the arrivals to notice them, except for Chichi, whose smile was frozen on her face, clutching the homemade gi.
X X X
"There, you are registered," A monk said, stamping Goku's form.
"And there. Ironic, the reigning champion is the last to enter. We were wondering if you planned on defending your title," a mustachioed monk said, stamping Lunch's papers.
"Oh, it's Launch's title, not mine. She'd really be angry if she missed her chance at a rematch with Jackie Chun. Like, scary angry," Lunch said, dropping to stage whisper with the last sentence.
"Well, Mr. Chun has registered," one of the monks commented.
"Hurray!" The Son siblings cheered.
"...You have one hour until the preliminary hall opens. Please keep these paper passes with you for ease of entry," the monks said, giving them slips of paper as the last one took their photos for the record.
"Oh, hi everyone, when did you guys get here?" Goku asked, turning to see his friends waiting.
"We've been here since before you three blew in. Hope your fighting skills have gotten sharper than your observation skills," Krillin grinned as Goku ran up to bump a fist with him. Lunch followed after, Roshi and Upa taking in her tiger fur dress.
"What's with the Tarzan outfits, you two?" Yamcha asked.
"Forget that, why so late? It'd be a fine thing for you to train for three years only to miss the tournament by not being punctual," Roshi snapped, still staring at Lunch.
"Oh, we ran into a real big tiger that wanted to eat us. We didn't think he was that dumb, so he got the drop on us. Well, there went our last set of clothes, and Lunch said we were broke again, so we just had this guy make the fur into clothes, paying him with the rest," Goku said.
"...You ate a tiger?" Mai asked, stunned.
"You'd be surprised what a little foraged seasoning can do," Lunch nodded.
"And we took a while because we got a bit lost swimming," Goku said.
"Swimming? Didn't I teach you last minute training is of little value?" Roshi asked.
"It wasn't for training, we had to get to the island, after all," Lunch pointed out.
"...You swam to the island?" Chichi asked.
"Yeah, we'd swum in the ocean before, but this time we got a bit lost and missed the island, but some fishermen gave us good directions," Goku recalled.
"I tossed them a real big fish as a present," Lunch said, holding her hands apart to indicate how big the fish was.
"...Why didn't you take a plane or boat to this island?"
"Master, you told us not to use those things."
"Or our Nimbuses."
Everyone but Bora and Upa face-faulted at that.
"I suppose I did... uh, let's get refreshments? A little cool drink to calm the nerves before the tournament. Ox King should have saved us a table nearby," Roshi said.
"And Lunch, I made you a gi, please wear it instead of that. Goku, I'll take this in," Chichi sighed, looking from the smiling little boy to the large gi she was holding.
"Wait, are you Chichi!?" Goku shouted, pointing at her.
"No way!" Lunch said, also pointing.
"It's called puberty! Don't act like I grew a second head!" Chichi yelled back, red-faced.
X X X
Soon they were seated at a sidewalk table of a nearby cafe, trading some chitchat of their trips over drinks while Chichi's needle and scissors flew. After taking Goku's new measurements, and Lunch's making a few adjustments, she had been shredding and reworking her expectations in the form of cloth.
"Is Chichi okay?" Lunch asked Krillin, holding her teacup up to cover her mouth while she whispered.
"Uh, she just gets really intense when focused. You should see her hammering nails. She uses her fingers."
"How else was she supposed to use the hammer? Well, Goku sometimes uses his tail," Lunch conceded.
"No, she uses her fingers- What, when did he-?"
"Hush!" Roshi said, putting his teacup down hard enough to splash a single drop on the tabletop.
"Master?" Ox King asked. He was dressed more formally than last time, having opted for a white suit with a Kame School tie of orange with the crest on it. And of course, a horned helmet.
"I feel a presence, a presence I have not felt since..." Roshi muttered, slowly glancing around his students, clearly going on guard and Puar ducking under the table at Yamcha's signal.
"Where are you looking, you senile old turtle?" a voice called. They looked up, squinting, into the sun as something moved toward them from it.
"Where would a crane be found if not above you?" an old man clad in green and gold grinned, coming into sight.
The old man came into clear view, with a long face with sunken cheeks, a thin, pointed nose, a widely-parted cat mustache, eyes hidden behind shades and blue-gray hair swept upwards to resemble a bird's wings. He wore a green changpao coat with yellow sleeves and red lining, and a black skullcap with a model of a crane's head outstretched atop it.
The three-eyed man and pale boy accompanying him wore similar uniforms, save for their caps being topped by red puffballs. A girl with dark hair styled like a bow behind her head, who looked to be around twelve or so, was with them but wore a different style of clothing; namely, it was a knee-length dress of green with a stylized image of a crane in flight in red across the stomach, and the Crane School crest higher up on the chest but much smaller. It exposed the arms to the elbows, and beneath the skirt she was wearing black close-fitting pants.
And they were all flying, or rather descending down, seemingly on their own power.
"Wow, neat. Wait a second, you seem familiar," Goku said, frowning in thought.
"Forgot us already, boy?" the three-eyed man asked, setting foot on the ground after the old man, "I can safely say few have ever forgotten this face. And fewer still my fists."
"Now I remember! You're those bad guys from the mountains. You said you were going to come to the tournament," Goku said. Lunch gasped in recognition, recalling the story recounted to her.
"That symbol," Yamcha said, eyes narrowed.
"That bird..." Bora said, looking at the crane cap.
"The Tsuruu Senin! Master Shen, archrival of the Kame School and trainer of assassins, ninja, and other fighters without honor or humanity," Ox King growled, leaning forward. Shen grinned at him.
"Why, thank you for the introduction. Must feel nice for a has-been like you to be useful. Or perhaps that's too much; considering how deep in Son Gohan's shadow you are, you're more of a 'never was'," Shen said, his three students laughing at the barb.
The table cracked as a calloused hand smacked it. It wasn't the Ox King.
Teeth bared, Chichi stood up.
"Hey now, no one insults my dad in front of me like that and just laughs it off. He's a great man who has turned his life around to become a good king. Elder or not, you should show him respect."
"I'd sooner eat dirt. Though to an uneducated hick like you, I suppose that's 'dang good eatin'," Shen mocked.
Roshi raised his walking stick to stop Chichi from taking a step forward.
"Don't. Shen has no respect for anyone or anything. Let him get a rise out of you, and he'll exploit it. He may not have written the book on fighting dirty, but he certainly added more than his share of footnotes. Even so, glad to see you're still alive Shen. It's been a long time," Roshi said, getting up from his chair.
"Not long enough. I would be quite pleased to wait until you crawled into a shallow grave so I could dance on it, but I could not stand seeing your school win undeserved accolades. Even the praise of fools is too good for the likes of you, Roshi."
"So that's it? You just showed up out of petty jealousy?" Yamcha asked.
"Jealous!? Of this withered virgin squatting on speck islands?"
"Hey, I own that island. I mean... um... You're bald under that cap!" Roshi accused.
"And you're so bald there isn't a hat to make it look good," Shen sneered.
"Bah, you bring out the worst in me, you old coward. So, three students of yours against all of mine? Are the young people wising up to not buy your poisonous excuse for training?"
"I actually have brought four students. And as strong as these pupils are, it is this one that will plunge you and your followers into despair," Shen chuckled.
Tien sighed. Taking a few steps back, Chiaotzu following as Yurin took center stage in front of a table, which unlike the other tables in the cafe some noticed, had a white tablecloth draped over it.
"Ginkoms on esael!" Yurin declared, crossing her arms and her fingers before her.
The wind blew as the Turtle School and friends looked on.
"...Ginkoms on esael!" Yurin repeated, striking the pose again. After a cricket chirped nearby, she stomped her foot twice and seat dropped, still holding a serious expression.
"Esealp," Shen muttered.
"Master?" Tien asked next to the old man.
"It's esaelp! You idiot! Say the spell right!" Shen shook his fist.
"Oh! Ginkoms on esaelp!" Yurin said. With a loud snapping sound, grey smoke started to billow from the palms of Yurin's hands, and with a high-pitched cackle, she spun, creating a smoke screen.
Yurin leapt from the gathering smoke and, kneeling, snapped her fingers in sync, making two pillars of light ignite to either side, before rolling aside on the sidewalk. Then rose, petals rising at a gesture from Chiaotzu from a basket he was holding, and started blowing around the smoke while Tien pressed a hand to his face, all three eyes closed.
"Impressive, but why?" Bora asked.
"Shut up and appreciate the dramatic tension, savage!" Shen snapped.
"I'll say this, Shen always prioritized style over substance, but his flash can be quite visually stunning," Roshi admitted grudgingly.
Then laughter emerged from the smoke and rose petals. Growing louder as a silhouette took shape. Then the silhouette hunched a bit, coughing.
"Power through it! Easy access to oxygen is for wimps!" Shen commanded. The figure seemed to take the words to heart and struck a pose, with hands on her hips, spiky hair now visible.
"I think you all forgot someone," the figure called. Yamcha started, standing up halfway from his chair. Goku tilted his head, then smiled. The figure assumed a stance and threw a palm strike, which blew the smoke and petals away.
Revealing a woman with spiky blue hair, red lipstick, blue eyes, and an adult version of Yurin's uniform that showed off her left shoulder and collarbone.
"Bulma's back!" she declared.
"Bulma!?" Roshi sputtered, glasses sliding down his nose.
"B-Bulma?!" Yamcha stammered.
"Bulma?!" the others were surprised. Save Bora, who was just a tad confused, while Upa was staring at the exposed collar bone.
"Bulma!" Goku cheered, running forward to leap into a hug with his friend, who caught him as Shen cackled, eyes locked on Roshi.
"Indeed, Roshi, I have corrupted a close friend of your students into being a follower of the Crane way," Shen declared.
"You bastard! Don't you ever tire of leading young ones astray?" Roshi demanded, getting in Shen's face.
"No. No, it never gets old," Shen grinned.
"Bulma, have you gotten strong?" Goku asked as Bulma put him down.
"Ha, did you think I'd just twiddle my thumbs all this time?" she asked.
"Maybe? You can be pretty lazy," Goku said.
"...Well, it's lucky you're an adorable monkey boy," Bulma huffed, but smiled.
"You're with these guys?" Lunch asked, concerned.
"Bulma, are you evil now?" Yamcha asked, as Shen laughed maniacally in the background while Roshi cursed his corrupting self. Bulma tapped her chin.
"Hmm, I'd say I'm less evil than when I was dating Yamcha, but about as evil as when I shot Goku in the face," she decided.
"Yeah, Bulma's never really been a good guy, just ask Nimbus," Goku laughed.
"Ha! Well, your Nimbus can chew on this, Goku!" Bulma said, putting her hands together. Kicking up a small wind around her feet, she lifted off the ground to hover in the air above the height of the tabletops.
"I can fly now! Ha! No moralizing clouds needed," Bulma laughed, while Goku watched in awe.
"I wonder if that technique requires being evil?" Krillin wondered, side-whispering to Goku.
"I heard that, cueball! Not impressed? Well, watch this!" Bulma said, launching herself backward and laughing in triumph as she turned to soar through the air, then squawk in alarm as she crashed through the window wall of a nearby office building.
"So, she's a villain now, that's a thing?" Mai asked.
"The impression I get is that Bulma's basically a supervillain, but she's friends with the heroes and already rich, so she doesn't ever actually do anything evil," Krillin assessed. Mai nodded to this.
"Yeah, she's always been evil," Puar nodded as well.
"I told you, just call that number and bill my father!" Bulma yelled, flying back out the window she'd crashed through.
"Don't be too impressed, that girl is far from the best the Crane School has to offer," Tien said, entering the conversation while the old men kept insulting each other in the background.
"So, I'm guessing you're the top student?" Yamcha asked.
"Well, you're smarter than you look, pretty boy," Tien grinned.
"So, are you evil then?" Mai asked, scratching her head.
"Yes," Tien said flatly, giving her a sinister grin. Mai flinched, taking a step back, while Chichi next to her frowned and pounded her fist into her palm.
"So, Bulma, can you do that beam thing?" Goku asked.
"Oh, no, no, no, Son Goku. That's all the sneak preview you get. You'll have to wait for the tournament for the feature presentation," Bulma snickered, wagging a finger at Goku.
"Say, it's getting about time for the tournament," Krillin noted, checking his watch.
"...Birdbrain!" Roshi yelled.
"...Half-shell loser!" Shen yelled back.
"Goku, everyone, I'm afraid you've all gotten caught up in my old business. You'll have to face the dark side of martial arts, it seems," Roshi said, adjusting is shades with one finger.
"Step up, you lot! Time to show these turtles how useless their shells are against the beak and claws of the crane," Shen commanded.
Both old masters turned from their personal shouting match to see everyone but Puar and Ox King were gone. Ox King awkwardly drank the last of his martini, making a sucking sound.
"Where'd everyone go?!" the old men asked in sync, before glaring at each other.
"They noticed the time and went to the preliminary hall," Ox King said, pointing to a nearby clocktower.
"...We'll finish this another time, then," Shen said, turning and walking off, menacingly.
"Wait, you're entering?" Roshi asked.
"Of course; unlike you, I have no empty claim of humility to bar me from thrashing the younger generations. While I love the idea of my students dominating yours, breaking them personally has a nice feel to it," the evil old man said, walking off.
"...Gyu Mao, I need to go to the bathroom. Don't wait up," Roshi said, before dashing off.
"He's going to go peep on someone again," Puar sighed.
"We don't know that for sure. Seniors can have serious bowel issues. He may also want to spy on the preliminary rounds," Ox King defended his master, while holding up a finger for another drink as the waitress went by.
Author's Note:
And back for another one; I hope you are enjoying it so far.
For readers of the previous seasons thank you for coming back. For first timers I recommend you go back and start with Season One.
As last time the plan is weekly updates, but we will have to see how that goes.
I hope the Holiday Season is treating you all well. Long days and pleasant nights to you all.